Lisa Newman, age 9, of Erie, Pennsylvania, for her question:

HOW BIG IS THE OKEFENOKEE SWAMP?

Located in a marshy, tropical wilderness in southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida is the famous Okefenokee Swamp. The swamp is about 40 miles long and about 30 miles wide. It covers an area of about 700 square miles.

The name Okefenokee comes from the Indian word Owaquaphenoga, which means "trembling earth." It refers to the trembling of the small bushes and water weeds that float on the lakes of Okefenokee.

At one time, the swamp was a favorite hunting ground of the Creek and Seminole Indians. Today, as a government preserve, it is the home of many animals, including deer, bears, wildcats, otters, raccoons, opossums and alligators.

The Okefenokee is the winter refuge of many birds that spend the summer in the North. There are about 50 kinds of fish in its waters. Plants that grow there include white and golden lilies, Spanish moss and cypress trees.