At the same time, the spill delivered a severe economic blow to the region, where fisheries and beach resorts are major employers.

CNN: No signs of 'dead zone' in Gulf, feds say

Bigbury beach in south Devon is one of the region's largest sandy beaches, said the agents selling it.

BBC: Devon film-set beach due to be auctioned

Our region is riddled with private golf and beach clubs which cater to wealthy residents, snow-birds and others who, for largely business reasons, decide the cost of club membership and commute from, say New York, are nevertheless justifiable.

FORBES: Hedge Funds Migrate, Dominate South Florida Country Clubs

The once disastrous condo glut in the Miami area, which includes Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, has begun to clear up as foreign buyers pour into the region.

FORBES: Where Americans Are Moving

That leaves the battle for Florida heavily contested in a handful of counties in the middle of the state: a region often referred to as the I-4 corridor after Interstate-4, which runs from the Tampa Bay region in the west through Orlando in the inland centre to Daytona Beach on the east coast.

ECONOMIST: The swing states: Florida

After the 2004 tsunami devastated the region, park officials brought the several Moken settlements together on the same beach on Koh Surin Tai.

BBC: The end of a wandering way of life?

As more miserable weather slams the region, those affected by Superstorm Sandy will be further hampered by high winds, cold temperatures and more beach erosion.

CNN: Monster blizzard set to slam Northeast