Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and the county seat of
Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, the most populous county in Florida and the
eighth-most populous county in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with a population of 2,500,625. The 42nd largest city proper in the United States, with a population of 399,457, it is the principal, central, and most populous city of the
South Florida metropolitan areaThe South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
, and the most populous metropolis in the Southeastern United States. According to the US Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the seventh most populous and
fifth-largest urban area in the United States, with a population of around 5.5 million.
Miami is a major center and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked thirty-third among global cities. In 2008,
Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets and city-wide recycling programs. According to a 2009
UBSUBS AG is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland...
study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of
purchasing powerPurchasing power is the number of goods/services that can be purchased with a unit of currency. For example, if you had taken one dollar to a store in the 1950s, you would have been able to buy a greater number of items than you would today, indicating that you would have had a greater purchasing...
.
Downtown MiamiDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
and South Florida are home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and is home to many large companies both nationally and internationally. The
Civic CenterCivic Center is a neighborhood in the city of Miami, Florida USA. The Civic Center is bound roughly by Northwest 20th Street and 14th Avenue to the northwest, the Dolphin Expressway and the Miami River to the south and west, and the Midtown Interchange and I-95 to the east.The Civic Center has the...
is a major center for hospitals,
research instituteA research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
s, medical centers, and
biotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
industries. For more than two decades, the
Port of MiamiThe Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World" has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world, accommodating some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations, and is currently the busiest in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.
History
The Miami area was first inhabited for more than one thousand years by the
TequestaThe Tequesta Native American tribe, at the time of first European contact, occupied an area along the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida...
s, but was later claimed for
SpainThe Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
in 1566 by
Pedro Menéndez de AvilésPedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
. A Spanish
missionA religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
was constructed one year later in 1567. In 1836,
Fort DallasFort Dallas is a urban park in the Lummus Park Historic District of Miami, Florida, just west of Downtown. It once acted as a military base during the Seminole Wars, located on the banks of the Miami River in what is now Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States....
was built, and the Miami area subsequently became a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War.
Miami holds the distinction of being "the only major city in the United States conceived by a woman,
Julia TuttleJulia DeForest Tuttle, was an entrepreneur, citrus farmer and businesswoman who was largely responsible for, and the original owner of, the land upon which Miami, Florida, was built...
," who was a local citrus grower and a wealthy Cleveland native. The Miami area was better known as "Biscayne Bay Country" in the early years of its growth. Some published reports described the area as a promising wilderness. The area was also characterized as "one of the finest building sites in Florida." The
Great FreezeThe Great Freeze refers to the winter of 1894-1895, especially in Florida where the brutally cold weather destroyed much of the nation's citrus crop. It was also known for wiping out the Royal Palm tree from central Florida.-Weather Records:...
of 1894–95 hastened Miami's growth, as the crops of the Miami area were the only ones in Florida that survived. Julia Tuttle subsequently convinced Henry Flagler, a railroad tycoon, to expand his
Florida East Coast RailwayThe Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
to the region, for which she became known as "the mother of Miami." Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28, 1896 with a population of just over 300.
Miami prospered during the 1920s with an increase in population and infrastructure but weakened after the collapse of the
Florida land boom of the 1920sThe Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble, which burst in 1925, leaving behind entire new cities and the remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City in south Miami-Dade County and Isola di Lolando in north Biscayne Bay...
, the
1926 Miami HurricaneThe 1926 Miami hurricane was a Category 4 hurricane that devastated Miami in September 1926. The storm also caused significant damage in the Florida Panhandle, the U.S. state of Alabama, and the Bahamas...
and the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the 1930s. When World War II began, Miami, well-situated due to its location on the southern coast of Florida, played an important role in the battle against
German submarinesU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. The war helped to expand Miami's population; by 1940, 172,172 people lived in the city. After
Fidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
rose to power in 1959, many
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
ns sought refuge in Miami, further increasing the population. In the 1980s and 1990s, various crises struck South Florida, among them the
Arthur McDuffieArthur McDuffie was an African American who died as a result of injuries suffered at the hands of five white Miami-Dade police officers after a traffic stop was conducted. He had led the officers on a high-speed chase on his motorcycle, and was driving with a suspended license. The officers were...
beating and the subsequent riot, drug wars,
Hurricane AndrewHurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
, and the
Elián GonzálezThe custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, González's father, Juan Miguel González Quintana, González's other relatives in Miami, Florida, and in Cuba, and Miami's...
uproar. Nevertheless, in the latter half of the 20th century, Miami became a major international, financial, and cultural center.
Miami and its metropolitan area grew from just over one thousand residents to nearly five and a half million residents in just 110 years (1896–2006). The city's nickname,
The Magic City, comes from this rapid growth. Winter visitors remarked that the city grew so much from one year to the next that it was like magic.
Economy
Financial and business capital
Miami is one of the most important financial centers in the United States. It is a major center of commerce, finance, and boasts a strong international business community. According to the ranking of world cities undertaken by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC) and based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations, Miami is considered a "Beta−
world cityA global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
". Miami has a Gross Metropolitan Product of $257 billion and is ranked 20th worldwide in GMP, and 11th in the United States.
Several large companies are headquartered in or around Miami, including but not limited to:
Akerman SenterfittAkerman Senterfitt is a large law firm, BigLaw, based in Miami, Florida. It was founded in 1920 and has grown to become one of the largest in the United States. In 2008, the National Law Journal ranked the firm as 92nd largest in the U.S. by number of attorneys, and the second-largest...
,
AlienwareAlienware is an American computer hardware subsidary of Dell, Inc. It mainly assembles third party components into desktops and laptops with custom enclosures for high-performance gaming. These products also support graphically intense applications such as video editing, simulation, and audio editing...
,
ArquitectonicaArquitectonica is an international architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and urban planning corporation headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, with offices in ten other cities throughout the world...
,
Arrow AirArrow Cargo was an American cargo airline based in Building 712 on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. It operated over 90 weekly scheduled cargo flights, and had a strong charter business. Its main base was Miami International Airport...
,
BacardiBacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
,
BenihanaBenihana can refer to:*Benihana, Benihana's Hibachi Restaurant*Benihana * Benihana, the Japanese word for safflower...
,
Brightstar CorporationBrightstar Corp, founded in 1997, is a U.S. based privately held corporation that provides logistical services and supply chain management within the wireless telecommunications industry. The company's headquarters is located in suburban unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida in Miami, Florida...
,
Burger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
,
Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
, Carnival Corporation,
Carnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
,
CompUSACompUSA is a retailer and reseller of consumer electronics, technology products and computer services. Its headquarters are in Miami, Florida.Until its reorganization, CompUSA, Inc. was a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Commercial Corp S.A.B...
,
Crispin Porter + BoguskyCrispin Porter + Bogusky , a member of publicly-traded MDC Partners, is an advertising agency that currently employs around 1,000 people. It was founded in 1965 by Sam Crispin.. Crispin then became partners with Chuck Porter and Alex Bogusky...
, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company,
Espírito Santo Financial GroupThe Espírito Santo Financial Group is a portuguese holding company with headquarters in Luxembourg, founded in 1984. The group represents the interests of the Portuguese Espirito Santo Group, which has major investments in Portugal and Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia.The company is listed on the...
, Fizber.com,
Greenberg TraurigGreenberg Traurig LLP and Greenberg Traurig PA is an international law firm based in Miami, Florida.The firm has approximately 1,800 attorneys and governmental professionals in 32 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. Its founding office is in Miami, Florida with its largest office in...
,
Holland & KnightHolland & Knight is an international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices. Other offices around the world are located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Beijing, China, and Mexico City, Mexico. Holland & Knight provides representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law.-...
,
Inktel DirectInktel Direct is a global outsourcer of business services and direct marketing services, most notably including Fulfillment and Call Center services, but also including other services such as Direct Mail/Lettershop, E-commerce, Data Management, Social Media and Graphic Design...
,
Interval InternationalInterval International is a publicly traded company and former subsidiary of the corporation IAC/InterActiveCorp and is headquartered in Miami, Florida, USA. The CEO is Craig Nash.-Background:...
, Lennar,
Navarro Discount PharmaciesNavarro Discount Pharmacies, Inc., frequently referred to as Navarro is the largest Hispanic-owned pharmacy chain, photo service, and pharmacy benefit manager in the United States. The company is headquartered in Miami, Florida. The company mainly operates in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties and...
, Norwegian Cruise Lines,
Oceania CruisesOceania Cruises is a Miami, Florida, United States-based shipping company that operates four luxury cruise ships on world-wide itenaries. It is currently the world’s largest upscale cruise line, offering good-quality food and itineraries at a cheap price when compared to other upscale cruise lines...
,
Perry Ellis InternationalPerry Ellis International is an international marketer of clothing, offering a diverse portfolio of brands through multiple distribution channels; focusing mostly on sportswear and casual clothing for niche markets...
, RCTV International, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines,
Ryder SystemsRyder System, Inc. , or Ryder, is an American-based provider of transportation and supply chain management products, and is especially known for its fleet of rental trucks. Ryder specializes in fleet management, supply chain management and dedicated contracted carriage. Ryder operates in North...
,
Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn Cruise Line is a luxury cruise line headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The line operates all around the world, from short seven-day Caribbean cruises to exotic 100+ day cruises around the world...
,
Sedano'sSedano's Supermarket is the largest Hispanic-owned supermarket chain in the United States. It was founded by Rene Sedano in Hialeah, Florida, a Miami suburb, in 1961. The very first Sedano's Supermarket was a store in Hialeah, Florida. Rene Sedano sold the store to Armando Guerra, Sr. because...
,
Telefónica USATelefónica, S.A. is a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America. Operating globally, it is the third largest provider in the world...
,
TeleFuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
,
TelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
,
UnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
,
U.S. Century BankU.S. Century Bank is a community bank in the U.S. state of Florida, locally owned and headquartered in Miami. U.S. Century Bank is a company that provides consumer and business banking services to communities throughout south Florida...
,
Vector GroupVector Group Ltd. is a Miami, Florida-based, publicly traded holding company founded by its Chairman, Bennett S. LeBow. Howard Lorber serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Vector Group Ltd.. The company is headquartered in the Miami Tower in Downtown Miami.The company's holdings...
and
World Fuel ServicesWorld Fuel Services is a Fortune 500 company that is based in Miami, Florida. It provides marketing and financing of aviation, marine and ground transportation fuel products and related services to commercial and corporate aircraft, petroleum distributors and ships at more than 2,500 locations...
. Because of its proximity to Latin America, Miami serves as the headquarters of Latin American operations for more than 1400 multinational corporations, including
AIGAIG is American International Group, a major American insurance corporation.AIG may also refer to:* And-inverter graph, a concept in computer theory* Answers in Genesis, a creationist organization in the U.S.* Arta Industrial Group in Iran...
,
American AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
,
CiscoCisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
,
DisneyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
,
ExxonExxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
,
FedExFedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
,
Kraft FoodsKraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, LEO Pharma Americas,
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Yahoo,
OracleOracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
, SBC Communications,
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
,
SymantecSymantec Corporation is the largest maker of security software for computers. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 stock market index.-History:...
, Visa International, and
Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
.
Television and music production
Miami is a major television production center, and the most important city in the U.S. for Spanish language media.
UnivisiónUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
,
TelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
and
TeleFuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
have their headquarters in Miami, along with their production studios. The
Telemundo Television StudiosTelemundo Television Studios is a division of NBC Universal that develops original programming in Spanish.-History:In 2005, Telemundo Communications Group, announced the acquisition of the totality of its property next to RTI Colombia, Telemundo-RTI, to create Telemundo Studios Television and...
produces much of the original programming for Telemundo, such as their telenovelas and talk shows. In 2011, 85% of Telemundo's original programming was filmed in Miami. Miami is also a major music recording center, with the
Sony Music LatinSony Music Latin is a record label owned by Sony Music Entertainnment. The label focuses on artists for Latin music.-Labels distributed by Sony Music Latin:*Pina Records*Top Stop Music*Premium Latin Music-List of artists on Sony Music Latin:...
and
Universal Music Latin EntertainmentUniversal Music Latin Entertainment is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. The music label was created with the acquisition of Univision Music Group and combining it with Universal's top Latin artists, along with much of the Latin back catalog of UMG.UMLE includes famous Latin music...
headquarters in the city, along with many other smaller
record labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s. The city also attracts many artists for music video and film shootings.
Real estate development
Since 2001, Miami has been undergoing a large
building boomManhattanization is a neologism coined to describe the construction of many tall or densely situated buildings which transforms the appearance and character of a city. It was a pejorative word used by critics of the highrise buildings built in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s, who claimed...
with more than 50 skyscrapers rising over 400 feet (122 m) built or currently under construction in the city.
Miami's skyline is ranked third most impressive in the U.S., behind
New York City and
Chicago, and 19th in the world according to the Almanac of Architecture and Design. The city currently has the eight tallest (as well as thirteen of the fourteen tallest) skyscrapers in the state of Florida, with the tallest being the 789 feet (240 m)
Four Seasons Hotel & TowerThe Four Seasons Hotel and Tower, also known as the Four Seasons Hotel Miami or simply the Four Seasons Tower, is a skyscraper in Miami, Florida, United States. It is located in Downtown Miami's Brickell Financial District. The tower contains a Four Seasons Hotel, office space and several...
.
During the mid-2000s, the city witnessed its largest real estate boom since the
Florida land boom of the 1920sThe Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble, which burst in 1925, leaving behind entire new cities and the remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City in south Miami-Dade County and Isola di Lolando in north Biscayne Bay...
. During this period, the city had well over a hundred approved high-rise construction projects in which 50 were actually built. In 2007, however, the housing market crashed causing lots of foreclosures on houses. This rapid high-rise construction, has led to fast population growth in the city's inner neighborhoods, primarily in
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
,
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
and Edgewater, with these neighborhoods becoming the fastest-growing areas in the city. The Miami area ranks 8th in the nation in foreclosures. In 2011, Forbes Magazine named Miami the second most miserable city in the United States due to its high foreclosure rate and past decade of corruption among public officials.
International trade
Miami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
and the
Port of MiamiThe Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
are among the nation's busiest ports of entry, especially for cargo from South America and the Caribbean. The Port of Miami is the world's busiest cruise port, and MIA is the busiest airport in Florida, and the largest gateway between the United States and Latin America. Additionally, the city has the largest concentration of international banks in the country, primarily along
Brickell AvenueBrickell Avenue is the name given to the stretch of U.S. Route 1 in Miami, Florida just south of the Miami River. North of the Brickell Avenue Bridge, US Route 1 is known as Biscayne Boulevard...
in
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
, Miami's financial district. Due to its strength in international business, finance and trade, many international banks have offices in Downtown such as
Espírito Santo Financial GroupThe Espírito Santo Financial Group is a portuguese holding company with headquarters in Luxembourg, founded in 1984. The group represents the interests of the Portuguese Espirito Santo Group, which has major investments in Portugal and Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia.The company is listed on the...
, which has its U.S. headquarters in Miami. Miami was also the host city of the 2003
Free Trade Area of the AmericasThe Free Trade Area of the Americas , , ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. In the last round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal...
negotiations, and is one of the leading candidates to become the trading bloc's headquarters.
As of 2011, the
Port of MiamiThe Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
accounts for 176,000 jobs and has an annual economic impact in Miami of $18 billion. It is the 11th-largest cargo container port in the United States. In 2010, a record 4.33 million passengers traveled through the Port of Miami. One in seven of all the world’s cruise passengers start from Miami.
Tourism
Tourism is also an important industry in Miami. Along with finance and business, the beaches, conventions, festivals and events draw over 38 million visitors annually into the city, from across the country and around the world, spending $17.1 billion. The
Art Deco DistrictThe Miami Beach Architectural District is a U.S. historic district located in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida...
in
South BeachSouth Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
, is reputed as one of the most glamorous in the world for its nightclubs, beaches, historical buildings, and shopping. Annual events such as the Sony Ericsson Open,
Art BaselArt Basel is an international contemporary art fair held each June in Basel, Switzerland. Similar to the Venice Biennale, it has been called "the Olympics of the art world". Art Basel features nearly 300 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa...
,
Winter Music ConferenceThe Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
,
South Beach Wine & Food FestivalThe Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival is an annual wine and spirits events showcasing many of the world's top chefs, spirits producers, and culinary personalities. The event is hosted by Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management...
, and
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week MiamiMercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami is an annual fashion week held in Miami, Florida, United States. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami, not to be confused with Miami Fashion Week, is held every year during the Summer at the Raleigh Hotel at 1775 Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami Beach...
attract millions to the metropolis every year.
Industry, science and environment
Miami is the home to the
National Hurricane CenterThe National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
and the headquarters of the
United States Southern CommandThe United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
, responsible for military operations in Central and South America. In addition to these roles, Miami is also an industrial center, especially for stone quarrying and warehousing. These industries are centered largely on the western fringes of the city near
DoralDoral is a city located in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. A suburb of Miami, it lies north-west of Miami International Airport. It takes its name from the famous golf and spa resort located within its municipal boundaries. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa was originally built...
and
HialeahHialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2004, Miami had the third highest incidence of family incomes below the federal poverty line in the United States, making it the third poorest city in the USA, behind only Detroit, Michigan (ranked #1) and
El Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
(ranked #2). Miami is also one of the very few cities where its local government went bankrupt, in 2001. However, since that time, Miami has experienced a revival: in 2008, Miami was ranked as "America's Cleanest City" according to
Forbes for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets and city-wide recycling programs. In a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States (of four U.S. cities included in the survey) and the world's fifth-richest city, in terms of
purchasing powerPurchasing power is the number of goods/services that can be purchased with a unit of currency. For example, if you had taken one dollar to a store in the 1950s, you would have been able to buy a greater number of items than you would today, indicating that you would have had a greater purchasing...
.
Geography
At only 35.68 square miles (92 km²) of land area, Miami has the smallest land area of any major U.S. city with a metro area of at least 2.5 million people. The city proper is home to less than 1 in 13 residents of South Florida. Additionally, 52% of Miami-Dade County's population doesn't live in any incorporated city.
Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between the Florida Everglades to the west and
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
to the east that also extends from
Florida BayFlorida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland and the Florida Keys. Its area is variously stated to be , or , or . Nearly all of Florida Bay is included in Everglades National Park. The southern edge, along the Florida Keys is in the Florida Keys National Marine...
north to
Lake OkeechobeeLake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
. The elevation of the area never rises above 40 ft (12.2 m) and averages at around 6 ft (1.8 m) above mean sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast. The highest undulations are found along the coastal
Miami Rock RidgeThe Miami Rock Ridge is a continuous limestone outcropping which formerly encompassed a large extent of far southern Florida, including portions of the Everglades ecosystem...
, whose substrate underlies most of the eastern Miami metropolitan region. The main portion of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains several hundred natural and artificially created
barrier islandBarrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s, the largest of which contains
Miami BeachMiami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
and
South BeachSouth Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
. The
Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
, a warm
ocean currentAn ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, Coriolis effect, cabbeling, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun...
, runs northward just 15 miles (24.1 km) off the coast, allowing the city's climate to stay warm and mild all year.
Geology
The surface bedrock under the Miami area is called
Miami ooliteOolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. The name derives from the Hellenic word òoion for egg. Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 mm; rocks composed of ooids larger than 2 mm are called pisolites...
or
Miami limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. This bedrock is covered by a thin layer of soil, and is no more than 50 feet (15.2 m) thick. Miami limestone formed as the result of the drastic changes in sea level associated with recent glaciations or
ice ageAn ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
s. Beginning some 130,000 years ago the Sangamonian Stage raised sea levels to approximately 25 feet (7.6 m) above the current level. All of southern Florida was covered by a shallow sea. Several parallel lines of reef formed along the edge of the submerged Florida
plateauIn geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
, stretching from the present Miami area to what is now the
Dry TortugasThe Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about west of Key West, and west of the Marquesas Keys, the closest islands. Still further west is the Tortugas Bank, which is completely submerged. The first Europeans to discover the islands were the...
. The area behind this reef line was in effect a large lagoon, and the Miami limestone formed throughout the area from the deposition of oolites and the shells of bryozoans. Starting about 100,000 years ago the
Wisconsin glaciationThe last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
began lowering sea levels, exposing the floor of the lagoon. By 15,000 years ago, the sea level had dropped to 300 to 350 feet (106.7 m) below the contemporary level. The sea level rose quickly after that, stabilizing at the current level about 4000 years ago, leaving the
mainlandMainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
of South Florida just above sea level.
Beneath the plain lies the
Biscayne AquiferThe Biscayne Aquifer, named after Biscayne Bay, is a surficial aquifer. It is a shallow layer of highly permeable limestone under a portion of South Florida...
, a natural underground source of fresh water that extends from southern
Palm Beach CountyPalm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
to
Florida BayFlorida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland and the Florida Keys. Its area is variously stated to be , or , or . Nearly all of Florida Bay is included in Everglades National Park. The southern edge, along the Florida Keys is in the Florida Keys National Marine...
, with its highest point peaking around the cities of
Miami SpringsMiami Springs is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates...
and
HialeahHialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
. Most of the
South Florida metropolitan areaThe South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
obtains its drinking water from this aquifer. As a result of the aquifer, it is not possible to dig more than 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6.1 m) beneath the city without hitting water, which impedes underground construction. For this reason, the
mass transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
systems in and around Miami are elevated or
at-gradeGrading in civil engineering and construction is the work of ensuring a level base, or one with a specified slope, for a construction work such as a foundation, the base course for a road or a railway, or landscape and garden improvements, or surface drainage...
.
Most of the western fringes of the city extend into the
EvergladesThe Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
, a subtropical marshland located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. This causes occasional problems with local wildlife such as
alligatorsThe American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
venturing into Miami communities and major highways.
In terms of land area, Miami is one of the smallest major cities in the United States. According to the
US Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city encompasses a total area of 55.27 sq mi (143.1 km²). Of that area, 35.67 sq mi (92.4 km²) is land and 19.59 sq mi (50.7 km²) is water. That means Miami comprises over 400,000 people in a mere 35 square miles (90.6 km²), making it one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, along with New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago among others. Miami is located at 25°47′16"N 80°13′27"W.
Climate
Miami has a
tropical monsoon climateTropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...
(
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Am) with hot and humid summers and short, warm winters, with a marked drier season in the winter. Its sea-level elevation, coastal location, position just above the
Tropic of CancerThe Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
, and proximity to the
Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
shapes its climate. With January averaging 67.2 °F (19.6 °C), winter features mild to warm temperatures; cool air usually settles after the passage of a cold front, which produces much of the little amount of rainfall. Lows sometimes fall below 50 °F (10 °C), but very rarely below 35 °F (1.7 °C). Highs generally range between 70–77 °F (21.1–25 C). The wet season begins some time in May, ending in mid-October. During this period, temperatures are in the mid 80s to low 90s (29–35 °C), accompanied by high humidity, though the heat is often relieved by afternoon
thunderstormA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s or a
sea breezeA sea-breeze is a wind from the sea that develops over land near coasts. It is formed by increasing temperature differences between the land and water; these create a pressure minimum over the land due to its relative warmth, and forces higher pressure, cooler air from the sea to move inland...
that develops off the Atlantic Ocean, which then allow lower temperatures, but conditions still remain very muggy. Much of the year's 55.9 inches (1,420 mm) of rainfall occurs during this period.
Extremes range from 27 °F (-2.8 °C) on Feb 3, 1917 to 100 °F (38 °C) on July 21, 1940. Miami has never recorded an accumulation of snow, and has only once recorded snow flurries, on January 19, 1977.
Hurricane seasonA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop beyond those dates. The most likely time for Miami to be hit is during the peak of the
Cape VerdeA Cape Verde-type hurricane is an Atlantic hurricane that develops near the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa. The average hurricane season has about two Cape Verde-type hurricanes, which are usually the largest and most intense storms of the season because they often have plenty of...
season which is mid-August through the end of September. Although tornadoes are uncommon in the Miami area, a tornado struck the city in
1925The 1925 Miami tornado was a strong tornado that struck Dade County, Florida on April 5, 1925. It remains the deadliest tornado to affect the south Florida county, and it is estimated to have been the most intense tornado to strike the Miami area. The tornado caused five deaths and produced damage...
and again in 1997.
Neighborhoods
Miami is partitioned into many different sections, roughly into North, South, West and Downtown. The heart of the city is
Downtown MiamiDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
and is technically on the eastern side of the city. This area includes
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
,
Virginia KeyVirginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
, Watson Island, and the
Port of MiamiThe Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
. Downtown is South Florida's central business district, and Florida's largest and most influential central business district. Downtown has the largest concentration of international banks in the U.S. along
Brickell AvenueBrickell Avenue is the name given to the stretch of U.S. Route 1 in Miami, Florida just south of the Miami River. North of the Brickell Avenue Bridge, US Route 1 is known as Biscayne Boulevard...
. Downtown is home to many major banks,
courthouseA courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
s, financial headquarters, cultural and tourist attractions, schools, parks and a large residential population. East of Downtown, across
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
is
South BeachSouth Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
. Just northwest of Downtown, is the
Civic CenterCivic Center is a neighborhood in the city of Miami, Florida USA. The Civic Center is bound roughly by Northwest 20th Street and 14th Avenue to the northwest, the Dolphin Expressway and the Miami River to the south and west, and the Midtown Interchange and I-95 to the east.The Civic Center has the...
, which is Miami's center for hospitals,
research instituteA research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
s and
biotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
with hospitals such as
Jackson Memorial HospitalJackson Memorial Hospital is a non-profit, tertiary care teaching hospital and the major teaching hospital of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida...
, Miami VA Hospital, and the
University of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
's
Leonard M. Miller School of MedicineThe University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is the school of medical education of the University of Miami. The main medical campus is located in the Civic Center, Miami, Florida within the UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center complex...
.
The southern side of Miami includes
Coral WayCoral Way is a primarily east-west street that begins in the Brickell neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States, ending in Westchester.-Route description:...
, The Roads and Coconut Grove. Coral Way is a historic residential neighborhood built in 1922 connecting Downtown with Coral Gables, and is home to many old homes and tree-lined streets. Coconut Grove was established in 1825 and is the location of Miami's City Hall in
Dinner KeyDinner Key is a marina complex in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida along the shore of Biscayne Bay on South Bayshore Drive. It was originally an island, but was connected to the mainland in 1914 by filling in the intervening space...
, the
Coconut Grove PlayhouseThe Coconut Grove Playhouse was a legitimate theater in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States.The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It first opened on January 3, 1927 as a part of the Paramount chain. The movie house...
,
CocoWalkCocoWalk is an upscale lifestyle center in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The center houses over thirty stores and services, including a movie theater, shops, and multiple restaurants. Subsequently renamed The Gallery at CocoWalk by its former owners, Thor Equities, the mall is...
, many
nightclubA nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s, bars, restaurants and
bohemianBohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
shops, and as such, is very popular with local college students. It is a historic neighborhood with narrow, winding roads, and a heavy tree canopy. Coconut Grove has many parks and gardens such as
Villa VizcayaVizcaya, now named the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida...
,
The KampongThe Kampong is an 11-acre tropical garden in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida United States. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden , and is open to visitors. An admission fee is charged.-History:The Kampong was bought as their winter...
,
The Barnacle Historic State ParkThe Barnacle Historic State Park is a Florida State Park in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida at 3485 Main Highway.Built in 1891, it is the oldest house in its original location in Miami-Dade County. The Barnacle was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s...
, and is the home of the Coconut Grove Convention Center, as well as many of the country's most prestigious private schools, and numerous historic homes and estates.
The western side of Miami includes
Little HavanaLittle Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban immigrant residents, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba. The approximate boundaries are the Miami River , SW 16th Street , SR 9/West 27th Avenue and I-95...
, West Flagler, and
FlagamiFlagami is a neighborhood in the Miami, Florida, United States, roughly defined as south and east of the Tamiami Canal, north of the Tamiami Trail , and west of Red Road , bisected by Flagler Street....
, and is home to many of the city's traditionally immigrant neighborhoods. Although at one time a mostly Jewish neighborhood, today western Miami is home to immigrants from mostly Central America and
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, while the west central neighborhood of
AllapattahAllapattah is a neighborhood mostly in the city of Miami, Florida, and partly in metropolitan Miami, United States. , the county-owned portion of Allapattah, from State Road 9 to LeJeune Road, is being annexed by the city proper.-History:...
is a multicultural community of many ethnicities.
The northern side of Miami includes
MidtownMidtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
, a district with a great mix of diversity with many West Indians,
HispanicsHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, European Americans,
bohemiansBohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
, and artists.
EdgewaterEdgewater is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States, located north of Downtown and Omni, and south of the Upper East Side. It roughly bound by North 17th Street to the south, North 37th Street to the north, the Florida East Coast Railway and East First Avenue to the west and Biscayne Bay...
, and
WynwoodThe Wynwood Art District is a district of the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is home to over 70 galleries, museums and collections...
, are neighborhoods of Midtown and are made up mostly of high-rise residential towers and are home to the
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing ArtsAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States...
. The wealthier residents usually live in the northeastern part, in Midtown, the
Design DistrictThe Design District, historically a part of the Buena Vista, is a neighborhood of greater Midtown, Miami, Florida, United States, south of Little Haiti...
, and the Upper East Side, with many sought after 1920s homes and home of the
MiMo Historic DistrictMiami Modernist Architecture or better known as MiMo, is a style of architecture from the 1950s and 1960s that originated in Miami, Florida as a resort vernacular unique to Miami and Miami Beach...
, a style of architecture originated in Miami in the 1950s. The northern side of Miami, also has notable African American and Caribbean immigrant communities such as
Little HaitiLittle Haiti or La Petite Haïti, and traditionally known as Lemon City, is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States known as a traditional center for Haitian immigrants, and Francophone culture in the city.-Lemon City, early farming days:...
, Overtown (home of the Lyric Theater), and
Liberty CityLiberty City is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. The area is roughly bound by NW 79th Street to the north, NW 27th Avenue to the west, the Airport Expressway to the south, and Interstate 95 to the east. The Miami neighborhood is home to one of the largest concentrations of black...
.
Entertainment and performing arts
Miami is home to many entertainment venues, theaters, museums, parks and performing arts centers. The newest addition to the Miami arts scene is the
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing ArtsAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States...
, the second-largest performing arts center in the United States after the Lincoln Center in New York City, and is the home of the
Florida Grand OperaFlorida Grand Opera is an American opera company based in Miami, Florida. FGO was created in 1994 from the consolidation of two opera companies in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale region:...
. Within it are the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the center's largest venue, the Knight Concert Hall, the Carnival Studio Theater and the Peacock Rehearsal Studio. The center attracts many large scale operas, ballets, concerts, and musicals from around the world and is Florida's grandest performing arts center. Other performing arts venues in Miami include the
Gusman Center for the Performing ArtsThe Olympia Theater and Office Building is a historic theater in Miami, Florida. It is located at 174 East Flagler Street. The original architect was theatre designer John Eberson, in his 'atmospheric' style, and extensive renovations in the 1970s were overseen by architect Morris Lapidus.On...
,
Coconut Grove PlayhouseThe Coconut Grove Playhouse was a legitimate theater in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States.The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It first opened on January 3, 1927 as a part of the Paramount chain. The movie house...
, Colony Theatre, Lincoln Theatre,
New World Symphony HouseThe New World Symphony is the United States' only full-time orchestral academy preparing musicians for careers in symphony orchestras and ensembles...
, Actor's Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Jackie Gleason Theatre, Manuel Artime Theater,
Ring TheatreThe Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, located on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, United States, is the student theatre of the University of Miami....
, Playground Theatre, Wertheim Performing Arts Center, the Fair Expo Center and the
Bayfront Park AmphitheaterBayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay.-History:The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist...
for outdoor music events.
The city attracts a large number of musicians, singers, actors, dancers, and orchestral players. Miami has numerous orchestras, symphonies and performing art conservatories. Some of these include the
Florida Grand OperaFlorida Grand Opera is an American opera company based in Miami, Florida. FGO was created in 1994 from the consolidation of two opera companies in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale region:...
,
Frost School of MusicThe Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music or Frost School of Music of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, known from 1926 to 2003 as University of Miami School of Music, is a music school in the United States....
,
Miami City BalletMiami City Ballet is an American ballet company based in Miami Beach, Florida. It was created in 1986 by former New York City Ballet principal dancer Edward Villella and flourishes today as one of America's most respected ballet companies...
,
Miami ConservatoryThe Miami Conservatory is a school of ballet and classical dance, located in South Miami, Florida. Founded in 1949 by Thomas Armour, it is the oldest school of ballet in South Florida....
, Miami Wind Symphony,
New World School of the ArtsNew World School of the Arts is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of...
,
New World Symphony OrchestraThe New World Symphony is the United States' only full-time orchestral academy preparing musicians for careers in symphony orchestras and ensembles...
, as well as the music, theater and art schools of the city's many universities and schools.
The city is home to numerous museums as well, many of which are in
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
. These include the
Bass MuseumThe Bass Museum of Art is an art museum located in Miami Beach, Florida in the United States located at 2100 Collins Avenue. The museum specializes in art from around the world from the Renaissance to modern art...
, Coral Gables Museum,
Frost Art MuseumThe Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum or simply known as the Frost Art Museum is a Florida International University museum located on-campus in Modesto A. Maidique in Miami, Florida....
,
Historical Museum of Southern FloridaHistoryMiami formerly known as the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, is a museum located in Miami, Florida, USA, specializing in the history of southeastern Florida, including Greater Miami, the Floria Keys, and the Everglades...
,
Jewish Museum of FloridaThe Jewish Museum of Florida is located in two restored historic buildings that were formerly synagogues, at 301 & 311 Washington Ave., in Miami Beach, Florida. The main Museum building, at 301 Washington Ave., was built in 1936, is on the National Register of Historic Places, has Art Deco...
,
Lowe Art MuseumThe Lowe Art Museum is an art museum located in Coral Gables, Florida, a Miami suburb in Miami-Dade County. The museum is run and operated by the University of Miami and opened in 1950. The museum has an extensive collection of art with permanent collections in Greco-Roman antiquities, Renaissance,...
,
Miami Art MuseumThe Miami Art Museum is an art museum located in Downtown Miami, Florida, in the United States. It was founded in 1984 as the Center for the Fine Arts, and in 1996 became the Miami Art Museum...
,
Miami Children's MuseumThe Miami Children’s Museum is a non-profit educational institution located on Watson Island, in the city of Miami, Florida.-About the museum:Founded in 1983, the museum opened its current building on Watson Island to the public on September 7, 2003...
,
Miami Science MuseumThe Miami Science Museum is an attraction located in the city of Miami, Florida USA. The museum itself also contains the Space-Transit Planetarium, Weintraub Observatory and a wildlife center. The museum is currently working to transplant the museum from its current location to Park West at...
,
Museum of Contemporary ArtThe Museum of Contemporary Art is a museum located in the heart of downtown North Miami, Florida. The structure was designed by the internationally acclaimed architecture firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, New York, which worked in conjunction with the Miami firm of Gelabert-Navia to...
, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Wolfsonian-FIU Museum and the Miami Cultural Center, home of the
Miami Main LibraryThe Miami-Dade Public Library System is a system of libraries in Miami, Florida and Miami-Dade County in the United States.-Early years:...
.
Miami is also a major fashion center, home to models and some of the top modeling agencies in the world. Miami is also host to many fashion shows and events, including the annual
Miami Fashion WeekMiami Fashion Week is an annual fashion week held in Miami, Florida, United States. Miami Fashion Week, not to be confused with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami, is held every year during the spring in Wynwood Arts District of Miami. Miami Fashion Week was started in 1998 and is the world's...
and the
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week MiamiMercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami is an annual fashion week held in Miami, Florida, United States. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami, not to be confused with Miami Fashion Week, is held every year during the Summer at the Raleigh Hotel at 1775 Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami Beach...
held in the
Wynwood Art DistrictThe Wynwood Art District is a district of the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is home to over 70 galleries, museums and collections...
. Miami is also the home of the world's largest art exhibition, dubbed the "Olympics of Art", Art Basel Miami Beach. The event is held annually in December, and attracts thousands of visitors from around the world.
Parks
Miami's tropical weather allows for year-round outdoors activities. The city has numerous marinas, rivers, bays, canals, and the Atlantic Ocean, which make boating, sailing, and fishing popular outdoors activities.
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
has numerous
coral reefCoral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s which make
snorkelingSnorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
and
scuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
popular. There are over 80 parks and gardens in the city. The largest and most popular parks are
Bayfront ParkBayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay.-History:The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist...
and
Bicentennial ParkBicentennial Park is a public, urban park in downtown Miami, Florida. The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It was named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States in that same year...
(located in the heart of Downtown and the location of the American Airlines Arena and
Bayside MarketplaceBayside Marketplace is a festival marketplace in Downtown Miami, Florida. It's in between Bayfront Park to the south end, and the American Airlines Arena to the north. As Bayside's name suggests, it wraps along the banks of the Biscayne Bay....
),
Fairchild Tropical Botanic GardenFairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a botanic garden, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines. It is located in metropolitan Miami, just south of Coral Gables, Florida, United States, surrounded at the south and west by Matheson...
,
Key BiscayneKey Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
(
Crandon ParkCrandon Park is a urban park in metropolitan Miami, occupying the northern part of Key Biscayne. It is connected to mainland Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway.-History:...
and
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State ParkBill Baggs Cape Florida State Park occupies approximately the southern third of the island of Key Biscayne, at coordinates . The park is home to the Cape Florida Light, the oldest standing structure in Greater Miami...
),
Tropical ParkTropical Park is a urban park in metropolitan Miami, Florida. The park is located just southwest of the intersection of the Palmetto Expressway and Bird Road , just east of South Miami.-History:...
,
Peacock ParkPeacock Park is a public, urban park in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida on the shore of Biscayne Bay.-History:Among the first permanent settlers in South Florida were grocers Charles and Isabella Peacock who arrived in Coconut Grove encouraged to establish a hotel...
, Morningside Park,
Virginia KeyVirginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
, and Watson Island.
Other popular cultural destinations in the area include
Jungle IslandJungle Island is an interactive zoological park in Watson Island, Miami, Florida, United States. It was originally Parrot Jungle and moved from its original suburban Pinecrest to its present location just east of Downtown Miami renamed as Parrot Jungle Island...
, Zoo Miami,
Miami SeaquariumThe Miami Seaquarium is a oceanarium located on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States and is located near downtown Miami. It is the longest operating oceanarium in the United States. In addition to the marine mammals, the Miami Seaquarium also...
,
Coral CastleCoral Castle is a stone structure created by the Latvian American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin north of the city of Homestead, Florida in Miami-Dade County at the intersection of South Dixie Highway and West 157th Avenue. The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones , each weighing several...
,
St. Bernard de Clairvaux ChurchSt. Bernard de Clairvaux Church is a medieval Spanish monastery cloister which was built in the town of Sacramenia in Segovia, Spain, in the 12th century but dismantled in the 20th century and shipped to New York in the United States. It was eventually reassembled in North Miami Beach, Florida,...
, and the
Charles Deering EstateCharles Deering Estate was the Florida home of Charles Deering until 1927 when he died at the estate.-Description:...
.
Music
Miami music is varied.
CubansCubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
brought the
congaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
and
rumbaRumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.In some contexts, "rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó...
to Miami from their homelands instantly popularizing it in American culture. Dominicans brought bachata, and
merengueMerengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
, while
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
ns brought
vallenatoVallenato, along with cumbia, is currently a popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in...
and
cumbiaCumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
, and
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ians brought
sambaSamba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
. West Indians and
Caribbean peopleThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
have brought
reggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
,
socaSoca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
, kompa,
zoukZouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the...
,
calypsoCalypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
, and steel pan to the area as well.
In the early 1970s, the Miami
discoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
sound came to life with
TK RecordsTK Records was an American record label started by record distributor, Henry Stone in Miami, Florida, one of several labels that he founded in the 1960s and 1970s...
, featuring the music of
KC and the Sunshine BandKC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
, with such hits as "Get Down Tonight", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" and "That's the Way (I Like It)"; and the Latin-American disco group,
Foxy (band)Foxy is a Latin Dance/disco group formed in 1976 in Miami, Florida.The group consisted of vocalist-guitarist Ish "Angel" Ledesma , percussionist Richard "Richie" Puente, keyboardist Charlie Murciano, bass guitarist Arnold Paseiro and drummer Joe Galdo...
, with their hit singles "Get Off" and "Hot Number". Miami-area natives
George McCraeGeorge McCrae is an American soul and disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby".-Early life and career:...
and
Teri DeSarioTeri DeSario is a singer/songwriter from Miami, Florida. DeSario worked within several music genres out of high school. She was vocalist, played recorder and harp from 1970 - 1977 with a Medieval and Renaissance music group, the Early Music Consort, headed by scholar and Pro Musica member Arnold...
were also popular music artists during the 1970s disco era. The
Bee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
moved to Miami in 1975 and have lived here ever since then. Miami-influenced,
Gloria EstefanGloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
and the Miami Sound Machine, hit the popular music scene with their Cuban-oriented sound and had huge hits in the 1980s with "Conga" and "Bad Boys".
Miami is also considered a "hot spot" for
dance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
,
FreestyleFreestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
, a style of dance music popular in the 80's and 90's heavily influenced by
ElectroElectro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
, hip-hop, and disco. Many popular Freestyle acts such as
Pretty TonyTony "Pretty Tony" Butler was an influential 1980s electro and freestyle artist based out of Miami, Florida.He recorded a string of popular club tracks on Jam Packed in the mid-'80s. Butler's tracks with his primary group Freestyle Express include such club staples as "It's Automatic", "Don't Stop...
,
Debbie DebDeborah Claire Wesoff - Kowalski, better known as Debbie Deb, is an American dance-pop singer, best known for 1980s freestyle dance songs such as "Lookout Weekend" and "When I Hear Music".-Biography:...
,
Stevie BStevie B is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who was influential in the Latin freestyle and High-Energy, mostly from Miami dance music scene of the late 1980s...
, and
ExposéExposé is an American vocal group. Primarily consisting of lead vocalists Ann Curless, Jeanette Jurado, and Gioia Bruno, the group achieved much of their success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming the first group to have four top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from their debut...
, originated in Miami.
IndieIn music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
/
folkFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
acts
Cat PowerCharlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
and
Iron & WineSamuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
are based in the city, while
alternative hip hopAlternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
artist
Sage FrancisPaul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...
, electro artist
UffieAnna-Catherine Hartley , better known by her stage name Uffie , is a Paris-based underground electronic musician, rapper, fashion designer and socialite signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records. She has been described as a muse for French DJs, and is known for working with...
, and the
electroclashElectroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
duo
Avenue DAvenue D was a female electroclash duo from Miami, Florida, based out of New York City and consisting of Debbie and Daphne D. The band are proteges of Larry Tee, and perform for his parties. Their music is an energetic, humorous and sexually-explicit mix of rap, electro and new wave...
were born in Miami, but musically based elsewhere. Also,
ska punkSka punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
band
Against All AuthorityAgainst All Authority is an American punk band, formed in Florida in 1992. Playing in the ska punk style, their business practice follows a stringent DIY ethic.-History:...
is from Miami, and rock/metal bands
NonpointNonpoint is an American nu metal band formed in 1997. The band consists of Elias Soriano and Rob Rivera . Currently they are signed to Razor & Tie and working on new a record which is expected to be released in Spring 2012....
and
Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
each formed in neighboring Fort Lauderdale. Popular Cuban American female recording artist,
Ana CristinaAna Cristina Álvarez Ana Cristina, is an Cuban American singer-songwriterAna was born in Miami, Florida, United States and is of Cuban descent and of Spanish and French ancestry. Ana Cristina showed exceptional talent at a very young age...
, was born in Miami in 1985, and became the first Hispanic person in history to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" at a presidential inauguration.
The 80's and 90's also brought the genre of high energy
Miami BassMiami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
to dance floors and car subwoofers throughout the country.
Miami BassMiami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
spawned artists like 2 Live Crew (featuring Uncle Luke), 95 South, Tag Team, 69 Boyz, Quad City DJ's, and Freak Nasty. Examples of these songs are "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team in 1993, "Tootsee Roll" by 69 Boyz in 1994, and "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" by the Quad City DJ's in 1996. These songs all reached the top 10 in the pop charts and gave Miami Bass a new commercial success.
Miami is also home to a vibrant techno and dance scene and hosts the
Winter Music ConferenceThe Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
, the largest dance event in the world,
Ultra Music FestivalUltra Music Festival is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that occurs in March in the city of Miami usually during the annual Winter Music Conference. It is held in Downtown Miami in Bicentennial Park. It was a 1-day festival from 1999-2006, a 2-day festival from 2007-2010, and was a...
and many
electronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
music-themed celebrations and festivals. Along with neighboring
Miami BeachMiami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, Miami is home to nightclubs such as
SpaceClub Space is a large nightclub located in the downtown area of Miami, Florida, owned by Louis Puig.In the nine years of operation, Space has resided in two buildings. was a one-story renovated warehouse, consisting of three rooms, as well as an outdoor patio area, which was one of the primary...
, Mansion, Parkwest, Ink, and Cameo. The city is known to be part of clubland, along with places such as
MykonosMykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
,
IbizaIbiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
and
Ayia NapaAyia Napa is a resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a 'party capital' together with Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos...
.
There are also several
rapHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and
hip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artists out of Miami. They include
Trick Daddy Maurice Young , better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is a certified platinum American rapper and producer from Miami, Florida.-Music career:...
,
TrinaKatrina Laverne Taylor , better known by her stage name Trina, is an American rapper, songwriter and model from Miami, Florida. Trina first gained notoriety in 1998 with her appearance on Trick Daddy's second studio album www.thug.com to the single "Nann Nigga"...
,
PitbullArmando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
,
Pretty RickyPretty Ricky is an American R&B/hip hop group originally made up of Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith, Spectacular Smith, Corey "Slick 'em" Mathis, and Marcus "Pleasure P" Cooper. In 2007, Pleasure P left the group to pursue a solo career...
,
DJ KhaledKhaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
, Flo-Rida, Jackie-O,
Rick RossWilliam Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
,
DJ LazLazaro Mendez, better known by his stage name DJ Laz is a Cuban-American rapper and DJ from Miami, Florida.He is best known for his albums DJ Laz and Category 6, which charted on U.S. Billboard album charts...
, and the Miami Bass group
2 Live Crew2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
.
Media
Miami has one of the largest television markets in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. Miami has several major newspapers, the main and largest newspaper being
The Miami HeraldThe Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
.
El Nuevo HeraldEl Nuevo Herald is a McClatchy newspaper published daily in Spanish in Miami, Florida, in the United States. El Nuevo Heralds sister paper is The Miami Herald, also produced by the McClatchy Company.-About El Nuevo Herald:...
is the major and largest Spanish-language newspaper. Both
The Miami Herald and
El Nuevo Herald are Miami's and South Florida's main, major and largest newspapers and are both headquartered in
Downtown MiamiDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
in Herald Plaza.
Other major newspapers include
Miami TodayMiami Today is a weekly Miami newspaper headquartered in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The newspaper specializes in uncovering important news about business, real estate development, government and civic life in Miami...
, headquartered in
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
,
Miami New TimesThe Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
, headquartered in
MidtownMidtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
,
Miami Sun Post,
South Florida Business JournalSouth Florida Business Journal is a newspaper printed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the Miami, Florida area, covering general business news, major events in Miami, Florida, and around the world, with sections on global news and local news, business news and political news, Florida cultural life...
,
Miami Times, and
Biscayne Boulevard Times. An additional Spanish-language newspapers,
Diario Las Americas also serve Miami.
The Miami Herald is Miami's primary newspaper with over a million readers and is headquartered in Downtown in Herald Plaza. Several other student newspapers from the local universities, such as the oldest, the
University of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
's
The Miami HurricaneThe Miami Hurricane, founded in 1929, is the official student newspaper at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States. It is published twice weekly by a staff of mostly undergraduate students...
,
Florida International UniversityFlorida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
's
The Beacon, Miami-Dade College's
The Metropolis,
Barry UniversityBarry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
's
The Buccaneer, amongst others. Many neighborhoods and neighboring areas also have their own local newspapers such as the
Aventura News,
Coral Gables Tribune,
Biscayne Bay Tribune, and the
Palmetto Bay News.
A number of magazines circulate throughout the greater Miami area, including
Miami Monthly, Southeast Florida's only city/regional;
Ocean Drive, a hot-spot social scene glossy, and
South Florida Business Leader.
Miami is also the headquarters and main production city of many of the world's largest television networks,
record labelIn the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
companies, broadcasting companies and production facilities, such as
TelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
,
TeleFuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
, Galavisión, Mega TV,
UnivisiónUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, Univision Communications, Inc.,
Universal Music Latin EntertainmentUniversal Music Latin Entertainment is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. The music label was created with the acquisition of Univision Music Group and combining it with Universal's top Latin artists, along with much of the Latin back catalog of UMG.UMLE includes famous Latin music...
, RCTV International and
Sunbeam TelevisionSunbeam Television Corporation is a broadcasting company based in Miami, Florida, and owns three television stations in the United States.-History:...
. In 2009, Univisión announced plans to build new production studios in Miami, dubbed 'Univisión Studios'. Univisión Studios will be headquartered in Miami, and will produce programming for all of Univisión Communications' television networks.
Miami is the twelfth largest radio market and the seventeenth largest television market in the United States. Television stations serving the Miami area include:
WAMIWAMI-DT is the TeleFutura Network-owned television station for the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market. This station is currently owned by Univision and transmits Spanish language programming on channel 69.- Channel 69, WCIX translator channel :...
(
TelefuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
),
WBFSWBFS, or Wii Backup File System, is a file system developed by Wii homebrew coders kwiirk and Waninkoko. It uses Waninkoko's cIOS and works by creating a WBFS partition on a SD or USB device. A Wii homebrew application may then be run to dump a Wii game to the partition...
(My Network TV),
WSFLWSFL-TV, channel 39, is a The CW Television Network-affiliated television station located in Miami. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station shares studios with co-owned newspaper the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, and has its transmitter based in Miramar, Florida.It is a television station in...
(
The CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
),
WFORWFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
(
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
), WHFT (
TBNThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
),
WLTVWLTV-DT is a Univision owned and operated station serving Spanish-speaking viewers in South Florida. The station is located in Doral, where Univision's production facilities are also located. The transmitter is located in Miami Gardens...
(
UnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
),
WPLGWPLG, channel 10, is an ABC network affiliated television station located in Miami, Florida. WPLG is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. The station's studios are located in Pembroke Park, and its transmitter is located at the massive broadcast...
(
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
),
WPXMWPXM-TV 35, is the local affiliate for the Ion Television network in the South Florida area . Formerly known as Pax TV and i, Ion is the smallest of the seven national commercial TV networks in the United States....
(ION),
WSCVWSCV Telemundo 51 is the Telemundo O&O that serves the Miami - Fort Lauderdale area and licensed to Fort Lauderdale. The transmitter is located in Miramar. The station also serves as the de facto Telemundo affiliate for the West Palm Beach market. The station is owned by NBCUniversal along with NBC...
(
TelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
),
WSVNWSVN, channel 7, is a television station located in Miami, Florida, USA. WSVN is owned by Sunbeam Television, and is an affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company. The station has its studio facilities located in North Bay Village and transmitter based in north Miami-Dade County.WSVN operates a Key...
(
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
),
WTVJWTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
(
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
),
WPBTWPBT is a PBS member public television station that serves the entire South Florida region, and even including portions of the Treasure Coast, the only television station to serve the entire metropolis...
(
PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
), and
WLRNWLRN-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member public television station broadcasting on channel 17 in Miami, Florida.WLRN-TV signed on the air as WSEC-TV in 1962 as a second educational non-profit television station, licensed to the Dade County School Board, and affiliated with National...
(also PBS).
Cuisine
The cuisine of Miami is a reflection of its diverse population, with a heavy influence especially from
Caribbean cuisineCaribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Amerindian, British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. These traditions were brought from the many homelands of this region's population...
and from
Latin American cuisineLatin American Cuisine refers to typical foods, beverages, and cooking styles common to many of the countries and cultures in Latin America...
. By combining the two with
American cuisineAmerican cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in the United States of America.American cuisine may also refer to:* American Cuisine , a 1998 French film...
, it has spawned a unique South Florida style of cooking known as
FloribbeanFloribbean cuisine is found in varying forms in Florida restaurants and in the homes of many Floridians throughout the state. The essence of what makes a particular dish "Floribbean" is similar to many other aspects of Floridian culture: that it is heavily influenced by visitors and immigrants from...
cuisine. Floribbean cuisine is widely available throughout Miami and South Florida, and can be found in restaurant chains such as
Pollo TropicalPollo Tropical is a restaurant chain specializing in the Floribbean cuisine of South Florida . The chain has its headquarters in Kendall, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.The first Pollo Tropical opened in November 1988, in Miami...
.
Cuban immigrants in the 1960s brought the
Cuban sandwichA Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese originally created in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Cuba and in the early Cuban immigrant communities of Florida: Key West and Ybor City, Tampa. Later on, Cuban exiles and expatriates brought it to Miami where it is also still very popular...
,
medianocheA medianoche is a type of sandwich that originated in Havana, Cuba and is now served in many Cuban-American communities in the United States...
,
Cuban espressoCafé Cubano is a type of espresso which originated in Cuba after espresso machines were first imported there from Italy...
, and croquetas, all of which have grown in popularity to all Miamians, and have become symbols of the city's varied cuisine. Today, these are part of the local culture, and can be found throughout the city in window cafés, particularly outside of supermarkets and restaurants. Restaurants such as
Versailles restaurantVersailles Restaurant , cafeteria, restaurant, and bakery, is a landmark eating establishment located on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, Miami. The large restaurant seats 370 people and has ornate etched glass and statuettes and features a bakery, a takeout area, a counter window and the ability to...
in
Little HavanaLittle Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban immigrant residents, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba. The approximate boundaries are the Miami River , SW 16th Street , SR 9/West 27th Avenue and I-95...
is a landmark eatery of Miami. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, and with a long history as a seaport, Miami is also known for its seafood, with many seafood restaurants located along the
Miami RiverThe Miami River is a river in the United States state of Florida that drains out of the Everglades and runs through the Downtown and the city of Miami. The long river flows from the terminus of the Miami Canal at Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay...
, and in and around
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
. Miami is also the home of restaurant chains such as
Burger KingBurger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
,
Tony Roma'sTony Roma's is a casual dining chain restaurant specializing in baby back ribs . The first location was established in 1972 in North Miami, Florida, by the founder, and today there are roughly 260 locations in 27 countries comprising 32 territories...
and
BenihanaBenihana can refer to:*Benihana, Benihana's Hibachi Restaurant*Benihana * Benihana, the Japanese word for safflower...
.
Accent
In Miami, a unique accent, commonly called the "Miami accent", is widely spoken. It developed mostly by second- or third-generation
HispanicsHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, mostly Cuban-Americans, whose first language was English. It is very similar to accents in the
NortheastThe Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, but contains a rhythm and pronunciation heavily influenced by Spanish.
Sports
Miami's main four sports teams are the
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the NFL team,
Miami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, the NBA team, Miami Marlins, the MLB team, and the
Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, the NHL team. As well as having all four major professional teams, Miami is also home to
Miami FCFort Lauderdale Strikers is an American professional association football team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
,
Miami TropicsThe Miami Tropics were a team in the Premier Basketball League that began to play in 2007 in Miami, Florida. The team was owned by the Imperiali Organization, which also owns the Palm Beach Imperials. They originally played their inaugural season in the American Basketball Association, but moved...
, the
Sony Ericsson OpenThe Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
for professional tennis, numerous
greyhound racingGreyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
tracks, marinas,
jai alaiJai alai is a sport involving a ball bounced off a walled space. It is a variety of Basque Pelota. The term, coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also often loosely applied to the fronton where the sport is played...
venues, and golf courses.
As of 2011, the
Miami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
is currently the only major professional sports team that plays its games within Miami's city limits at the American Airlines Arena. The team recently won the
2006 NBA FinalsThe 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
, winning the series 4-2 over the
Dallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. The
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
play their games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Orange Bowl, a member of the
Bowl Championship SeriesThe Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
, hosts their college football championship games at Sun Life Stadium. The stadium has also hosted the
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
; the Miami metro area has hosted the game a total of nine times (four Super Bowls in Dolphin Stadium, including
Super Bowl XLISuper Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
and five at the
Miami Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
), tying New Orleans for the most games. In 2009, construction began on a new ballpark for the Miami Marlins within the city limits of Miami on the site of the old
Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
stadium. The ballpark will open in 2012.
Miami FC, Florida's only professional soccer team, plays at
Tropical Park StadiumTropical Park Stadium is a 10,000-seat stadium located in Olympia Heights, Florida, a CDP near Miami, Florida. The stadium is located in Tropical Park and was the home field of Miami FC of the United Soccer Leagues...
. Miami signed world-famed soccer player
RomarioRomário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown...
in March 2006 to a one year deal. The
Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
team plays in neighboring
Broward County-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
at the
BankAtlantic CenterThe BankAtlantic Center is an indoor arena located in Sunrise, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and adjacent to the popular Sawgrass Mills Mall.The arena features 70 suites & 2,623 club seats.The arena is directly accessible from the Sawgrass Expressway...
in the city of
Sunrise-Overview:Sunrise is a city in southwestern Broward County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1961 by Norman Johnson – a developer whose World Famous Upside-Down House attracted buyers to what was then a remote area...
. Miami is also home to Paso Fino horses, where competitions are held at Tropical Park Equestrian Center.
Miami is also the home of many college sports teams. The two largest are the
University of Miami HurricanesThe Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
, whose
football teamThe Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
formerly played at the
Miami Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
from 1937 until 2008, moving to Sun Life Stadium subsequently, and
Florida International UniversityFlorida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
Golden PanthersThe FIU Panthers are the athletic teams of Florida International University , a public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I athletics, and are currently members of the Sun Belt Conference...
whose
football teamThe FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
plays at
FIU StadiumFIU Stadium, popularly known as "The Cage", is the on-campus American football stadium of Florida International University in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the home field of the FIU Golden Panthers football team. The stadium opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for...
.
A number of defunct teams were located in Miami, including the
Miami FloridiansThe Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 when they became simply The Floridians...
(ABA),
Miami MatadorsThe Miami Matadors were an ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League. They played in Miami, Florida, USA at the Miami Arena for one season before folding. The Matadors franchise would resurface several years later as the Cincinnati Cyclones.-History:...
(
ECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
),
Miami ManateesThe Miami Manatees were a minor league ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association 2. The Manatees originally played their home games at Miami Arena; however, owner David Waronker had an out clause in the teams lease that stated that if the team's attendance average was under 1,500 after 20 of...
(WHA2), Miami Gatos (
NASLNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
),
Miami Screaming EaglesThe Miami Screaming Eagles were Miami's first attempt at a professional ice hockey team.Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from NHL clubs, such as Bernie Parent from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins...
(
WHAThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
),
Miami SeahawksThe Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...
(
AAFCThe All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
),
Miami SolThe Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
(
WNBAThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
),
Miami TorosThe Miami Gatos were a soccer team based out of Miami that played in the North American Soccer League. The club was previously known as the Washington Darts. After the 1972 season, the team was renamed the Miami Toros...
(
NASLNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
),
Miami TropicsThe Miami Tropics were a team in the Premier Basketball League that began to play in 2007 in Miami, Florida. The team was owned by the Imperiali Organization, which also owns the Palm Beach Imperials. They originally played their inaugural season in the American Basketball Association, but moved...
(
SFLThe Spring Football League was a professional American football that existed for only part of one mini-season in 2000. Founded by several ex-NFL players such as Eric Dickerson, Drew Pearson, Bo Jackson, and Tony Dorsett, the SFL planned to use the four game mini-season to test cities, fans,...
),
Miami TropicsThe Miami Tropics were a team in the Premier Basketball League that began to play in 2007 in Miami, Florida. The team was owned by the Imperiali Organization, which also owns the Palm Beach Imperials. They originally played their inaugural season in the American Basketball Association, but moved...
(ABA), and the
Miami HootersThe Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.-Sacramento Attack :...
(Arena Football League). The
Miami FusionMiami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
, a defunct
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team, played at
Lockhart StadiumLockhart Stadium is a stadium located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. It is currently used by Fort Lauderdale High School, Stranahan High School, Northeast High School and Dillard High School for home high school football games, and previously served as the home of the Florida Atlantic...
in nearby Broward County.
Miami professional sports teams
| Club |
Sport |
League |
Venue |
League Championships |
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|
FootballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
|
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
|
Sun Life Stadium |
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
(2)
- VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
1972 – defeated Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 14-7
- VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
1973 – defeated Minnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, 24-7 |
Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
|
HockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
|
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
|
BankAtlantic CenterThe BankAtlantic Center is an indoor arena located in Sunrise, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and adjacent to the popular Sawgrass Mills Mall.The arena features 70 suites & 2,623 club seats.The arena is directly accessible from the Sawgrass Expressway...
|
none |
Miami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
|
Basketball |
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
|
American Airlines Arena |
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
(1)
2006The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
– defeated Dallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, series 4-2 |
| Miami Marlins |
Baseball |
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
|
Miami Ballpark (2012) |
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(2)
1997-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
– defeated Cleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, series 4-3
2003The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
– defeated New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, series 4-2 |
Miami college sports teams
| College / Athletics |
Football |
Football
venue |
Basketball |
Basketball
venue |
Conference |
National Championships
(Most Recent) |
MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
HurricanesThe Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
|
Miami footballThe Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
|
Sun Life Stadium |
Miami basketball |
BankUnited Center The BankUnited Center is a 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The venue hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, university events and sporting events, including all University of Miami men's and women's basketball...
|
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
|
30 (2001 – FootballThe Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
& BaseballThe Miami Hurricanes baseball team is the college baseball program that represents the University of Miami.Since 1973, the program has been one of college baseball's elite with 23 College World Series appearances, winning four national championships and advancing to the NCAA regionals a record 39...
) |
FIUFlorida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
Golden PanthersThe FIU Panthers are the athletic teams of Florida International University , a public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I athletics, and are currently members of the Sun Belt Conference...
|
FIU footballThe FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
|
FIU StadiumFIU Stadium, popularly known as "The Cage", is the on-campus American football stadium of Florida International University in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the home field of the FIU Golden Panthers football team. The stadium opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for...
|
FIU basketball |
U.S. Century Bank Arena |
Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
|
4 (1984 – Men's Soccer) |
| Barry Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
Buccaneers |
– |
– |
Barry basketball |
Health & Sports Center |
Sunshine State Conference The Sunshine State Conference was originally formed in 1975 as an NCAA Division II men's basketball conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball,...
|
7 (2007 – Men's Golf) |
NSUNova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
SharksThe Nova Southeastern Sharks are the athletic teams representing Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida The currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference...
|
– |
– |
NSU basketball The NSU Sharks Men's Basketball team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.-History:...
|
Don Taft UC Arena Nova Southeastern University’s 366,000 square-foot Don Taft University Center is a critical piece in the infrastructure of the university. It was constructed over a period of 2 years. The inaugural event hosted comedian Jamie Kennedy on August 23rd, 2006. It provides a focal point for campus life...
|
Sunshine State Conference The Sunshine State Conference was originally formed in 1975 as an NCAA Division II men's basketball conference. It has since expanded to sponsor championships in 14 sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball,...
|
12 (2010 – Women's Golf The NSU Sharks Women's Golf team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.-History:...
) |
Demographics
| Miami population |
| Year | City
proper | Metro
area |
| 1900 |
1,681 |
N/A |
| 1910 |
5,471 |
N/A |
| 1920 |
29,549 |
66,542 |
| 1930 |
110,637 |
214,830 |
| 1940 |
172,172 |
387,522 |
| 1950 |
249,276 |
693,705 |
| 1960 |
291,688 |
1,497,099 |
| 1970 |
334,859 |
2,236,645 |
| 1980 |
346,865 |
3,220,844 |
| 1990 |
358,548 |
4,056,100 |
| 2000 |
362,470 |
5,007,564 |
| 2010 |
399,457 |
5,564,635 |
Miami is the 42nd most populous city in the U.S. The
Miami metropolitan areaThe South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
, which includes
Miami-DadeMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
,
Broward-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
and
Palm BeachPalm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
counties, had a combined population of more than 5.5 million people, ranked seventh largest in the United States, and is the largest
metropolitan areaThe term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
in the Southeastern United States. As of 2008, the United Nations estimates that the Miami
Urban AgglomerationThis article ranks the world's largest cities, in population or land area, using a variety of ranking methods.-Ambiguities in measuring the "size" of a city:...
is the 44th-largest in the world. As of the census of 2000, there were 362,470 people, 134,198 households, and 83,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,160.9 per square mile (3,923.5/km
2). There were 148,388 housing units at an average density of 4,159.7 per square mile (1,606.2/km
2) or a density of 7 units per acre.
As of 2010, the ethnic composition of Miami was as follows:
| Miami Demographics |
| 2010 Census The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
|
Miami |
Miami-Dade County |
Florida |
| Total population |
399,457 |
2,496,435 |
18,801,310 |
| Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 |
10.2%
10.8%
17.6%
| Population density |
11,135.9/sq mi |
1,315.5/sq mi |
350.6/sq mi |
| White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) |
72.6% |
73.8% |
75.0% |
| (Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
) |
11.9% |
15.4% |
57.9% |
| Black or African-American |
19.2% |
18.9% |
16.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) |
70.0% |
65.0% |
22.5% |
| Asian |
1.0% |
1.5% |
2.4% |
| Native American or Native Alaskan |
0.3% |
0.2% |
0.4% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
Two or more races (Multiracial)Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
|
2.7% |
2.4% |
2.5% |
| Some Other Race |
4.2% |
3.2% |
3.6% |
As of 2000, in terms of national origin and/or ethnic origin, 34.1% of the populace was
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n, while 5.6% of the city's population was
NicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n, 5.5% of the population was
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an, 3.3% of the population was
HonduranHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, 1.7% of all residents were
DominicanThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and 1.6% of the population was
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n. In 2004, the
United Nations Development ProgramThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UNDP) ranked Miami first in terms of percentage of residents born outside of the country it is located in (59%), followed by Toronto (50%).
In 2009, there were 158,297 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 18.7% have a female head of household with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.25. The age distribution was 21.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
In 2009, the median income for a household in the city was $29,812, and the median income for a family was $33,814. The per capita income for the city was $19,846. About 21.7% of families and 26.3% of the population were below the poverty line.
Miami's explosive population growth has been driven by internal migration from other parts of the country, primarily up until the 1980s, as well as by
immigrationImmigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
, primarily from the 1960s to the 1990s. Today, immigration to Miami has slowed significantly and Miami's growth today is attributed greatly to its fast urbanization and high-rise construction, which has increased its inner city neighborhood population densities, such as in
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
,
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
, and Edgewater, where one area in Downtown alone saw a 2,069% increase in population in the 2010 Census. Miami is regarded as more of a
multicultural mosaicMulticulturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, than it is a
melting potThe melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
, with residents still maintaining much of, or some of their
cultural traitsCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. The overall culture of Miami is heavily influenced by its large population of Hispanics, and Blacks, mainly from the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands.
Today, the Miami area has a sizable community of citizens,
illegal immigrantsAn illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
, and permanent residents, of Americans,
ArgentinesArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, ,
BahamiansThe Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
,
BarbadianBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Bolivians,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ians,
CanadiansCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Chileans, Chinese, Colombians,
Costa RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
ns,
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
ns,
DominicansThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Ecuadorans, French, Germans, Greeks, Guatemalans,
GuayaneseGuyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, Haitians,
HonduransHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Jamaicans, Koreans,
IndianIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
s,
ItaliansThe Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
,
MexicansThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Nicaraguans,
PanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nians,
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vians,
RussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Salvadoran, Spanish,
Trinidadians and TobagoniansTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
,
TurksTurkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
, South Africans,
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
ns, and
Puerto RicansStateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
. While commonly thought of as a city mainly of Latino and Black Caribbean immigrants, the Miami area is home to large
FrenchFrench Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
,
French CanadianFrench Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
,
GermanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
,
ItalianAn Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
, and
RussianRussian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
communities. The communities have grown to a prominent place in Miami and its suburbs, creating ethnic enclave neighborhoods such as
Little Buenos AiresLittle Buenos Aires is a neighborhood that occupies the northern part of Miami Beach. Its boundaries are generally considered to be between 65th & Collins Avenue and 85th & Collins. A once poor area of Miami Beach, many Argentine immigrants settled in the area in the late 1990s, sparking its...
, Little Haiti, Little Havana, Little Managua,
Little BrazilNorth Bay Village is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,733. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 7,137.North Bay Village is located at ....
,
Little MoscowSunny Isles Beach is a city located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The City is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west...
,
Little San JuanThe Wynwood Art District is a district of the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is home to over 70 galleries, museums and collections...
, and Little Tel Aviv.
Languages
As of 2000, speakers of Spanish as their
first languageA first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
accounted for 66.75% of residents, English by 25.45%,
Haitian CreoleHaitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Kreyòl, is a language spoken in Haiti by about twelve million people, which includes all Haitians in Haiti and via emigration, by about two to three million speakers residing in the Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, France, Cayman Islands, French...
by 5.20%, and French speakers comprised 0.76% of the population.
Other languages that were spoken throughout the city include Portuguese at 0.41%, German at 0.18%, Italian at 0.16%,
ArabicArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
at 0.15%, Chinese at 0.11%, and
GreekGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
at 0.08% of the population. Miami also has one of the largest percentage populations in the U.S. that have residents who speak
first languageA first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
s other than English at home (74.55%).
Due to the increase in Spanish-speaking residents, by 2008 some English-speakers felt marginalized due to difficulties in conducting business.
Civic engagement
Organizations such as the Miami-Dade
Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
and its iconic Red Kettle Christmas Campaign,
Hands On MiamiHands On Miami is a volunteer service organization in Miami, Florida. The organization was founded in 1993 by people who wanted to make volunteering easy in Miami-Dade County...
,
City YearCity Year is an education-focused nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to provide full-time targeted intervention keeping students in school and on track to graduate...
Miami, Human Services Coalition of South Florida, and Citizens for a Better South Florida, among many other organizations have been working to engage Miamians in volunteerism.
Government
The government of the City of Miami (
properCity proper is defined as a "locality with legally fixed boundaries and an administratively recognized urban status that is usually characterized by some form of local government", or the area within the corporate limits. This definition has been consistently used since the United Nations...
) uses the
council-managerThe council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
system. The city commission consists of five commissioners, are elected from single member districts. The city commission constitutes the governing body with powers to pass ordinances adopt regulations and exercise all powers conferred upon the city in the city charter.The mayor is elected at large and appoints a city manager. The City of Miami is governed by Mayor
Tomás RegaladoTomás Pedro Regalado is a former broadcast journalist and current mayor of Miami, Florida.He served as the news director for Radio Mambi WAQI and as a reporter for Univision...
and 5 City commissioners which oversee the five districts in the City. It holds regular meetings in the
City HallIn local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
of Miami located in
3500 Pan American Drive Miami, Florida 33133 in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove on
Dinner KeyDinner Key is a marina complex in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida along the shore of Biscayne Bay on South Bayshore Drive. It was originally an island, but was connected to the mainland in 1914 by filling in the intervening space...
.
City council
- Tomás Regalado
Tomás Pedro Regalado is a former broadcast journalist and current mayor of Miami, Florida.He served as the news director for Radio Mambi WAQI and as a reporter for Univision...
– Mayor of the City of Miami
- Wifredo "Willy" Gort – City of Miami Commissioner, District 1
- Marc Sarnoff – City of Miami Commissioner, District 2
- Frank Carollo – City of Miami Commissioner, District 3
- Francis Suarez – City of Miami Commissioner, District 4
- Richard P. Dunn – City of Miami Commissioner, District 5
Public schools
Public schools in Miami are governed by
Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsMiami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
, which is the largest school district in Florida and the fourth-largest in the United States. As of September 2008 it has a student enrollment of 385,655 and over 392 schools and centers. The district is also the largest minority public school system in the country, with 60% of its students being of Hispanic origin, 28%
BlackAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
or West Indian American, 10%
White (non-Hispanic)White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
and 2% non-white of other minorities. Miami is home to some of the nation's best high schools, such as
Design and Architecture High SchoolDesign and Architecture Senior High School is a magnet secondary school in the heart of the Design District in Miami, Florida, United States. US News & World Report ranked DASH as the 15th best public high school in the nation in 2009....
, ranked the nation's best
magnet schoolIn education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
,
MAST AcademyMaritime and Science Technology Academy, commonly referred to as MAST Academy, or MAST, is a public high school in Miami, Florida, on Virginia Key. MAST Academy is a magnet school under the governance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The school's principal is Jane Garraux, appointed in August...
,
Coral Reef High SchoolCoral Reef Senior High School is a secondary school located at 10101 S.W. 152nd Street in Miami, Florida; its principal is currently Mrs. Adrianne F. Leal. Coral Reef is locally known as "Miami's Mega Magnet School" since it offers six different magnet programs.According to Newsweek's List of the...
, ranked 20th-best public high school in the U.S.,
Miami Palmetto High SchoolMiami Palmetto Senior High School is a secondary school located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street in Pinecrest, Florida, USA, a Miami suburb; its principal is Allison Harley. The school is on 23 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district....
, and the
New World School of the ArtsNew World School of the Arts is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of...
. M-DCPS is also one of a few public school districts in the United States to offer optional
bilingual educationBilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Mandarin Chinese.
Private schools
Miami is home to several prestigious Roman Catholic, Jewish and non-denominational private schools. The Archdiocese of Miami operates the city's Catholic private schools, which include: St. Hugh Catholic School, St. Agatha Catholic School,
St. Theresa SchoolSt. Theresa School is a private Catholic school located at 2701 Indian Mound Trail, Coral Gables, Florida. It is the parish school for the Church of the Little Flower.-History:...
,
Immaculata-Lasalle High SchoolImmaculata-LaSalle High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami and located between Mercy Hospital and Vizcaya on South Bayshore Drive....
,
Our Lady of Lourdes AcademyOur Lady of Lourdes Academy is a Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Miami, Florida founded in 1963.It is run by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. Lourdes has a long standing tradition in both academics and athletics.The current principal is Sister Kathryn Donze IHM Lourdes was named one...
,
Monsignor Edward Pace High SchoolMonsignor Edward Pace High School is a Catholic secondary school in Miami Gardens, Florida.It was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2002 and one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the country in 2004 and 2005 by the Catholic High School Honor Roll. Pace is member of the National Catholic...
,
Carrollton School of the Sacred HeartCarrollton School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic college preparatory day school for girls founded in 1961 in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida...
,
Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High SchoolArchbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States...
,
St. Brendan High SchoolSt. Brendan High School is a co-educational private Roman Catholic high school in the Westchester neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. The school is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.- History :...
, amongst numerous other elementary and high schools.
All-boy Catholic college preparatory schools are Christopher Columbus High School and
Belen Jesuit Preparatory SchoolBelen Jesuit Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic preparatory school in Miami, Florida operated by The Society of Jesus. It was established in Cuba by the Jesuits in 1854, but moved to the United States after the communist government of Fidel Castro, himself an alumnus, took power and expelled...
; which are one of the top Catholic high school's in the nation.
Non-denominational private schools in Miami are
Ransom EvergladesRansom Everglades is an independent, non-profit, co-educational, college-preparatory day school serving grades six to twelve in Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida. It formed with the merger in 1974 of the Everglades School for Girls and the Ransom School for Boys...
,
Palmer Trinity SchoolPalmer Trinity School is an independent, university preparatory, coeducational Episcopal day school located on in Palmetto Bay, Florida . The school currently enrolls 600 students in grades 6-12....
,
Gulliver Preparatory SchoolGulliver Schools is a group of private co-educational schools. Its management offices are in Coral Gables, Florida. Its campuses are across Miami-Dade County.- Campuses :Campuses operated by Gulliver schools include:...
, and
Miami Country Day SchoolMiami Country Day School is a private, non-denominational, co-ed Preschool–12 college preparatory school near Miami Shores, just north of the city of Miami, Florida. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.- History :...
. Other schools in the outlying areas include
Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day SchoolThe Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day Schools is a private, Jewish, co-ed pK–12 school near Aventura, Florida just north of the city of Miami. It is located adjacent to the Michael-Ann Russel Jewish Community Center. It is currently the second largest Jewish Day school in the country.- About the...
,
Dade Christian SchoolDade Christian School is a private school located in Country Club, Florida and operated by New Testament Baptist Church. DCS has a 2011-2012 enrollment of 793. In 2008, it was the second largest private school in Miami-Dade. The school was named a Blue Ribbon School in 1984...
, and Westminster Christian School.
Colleges and universities
Colleges and universities in and around Miami:
- Barry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
(private)
- Carlos Albizu University
Carlos Albizu University is a private non-profit university offering undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology, business, and education. It has two campuses: one in San Juan, Puerto Rico , and the other in Doral, Florida, near Miami...
(private)
- Florida International University (FIU)
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
(public)
- Florida Memorial University
Florida Memorial University is a private coeducational four-year university in Miami Gardens, Florida. One of the 39 member institutions of the United Negro College Fund, and a historically Black, Baptist-related institution which is ranked second in Florida and ninth in the United States for...
(private)
- Johnson and Wales University (private)
- Keiser University
Keiser University is a private university that provides educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in traditional and online delivery formats...
(private)
- Manchester Business School
Manchester Business School is the largest department of the University of Manchester in Manchester, England. According to Bloomberg Business Week's ranking of the world's best business schools the MBS MBA is ranked third in the world...
(satellite location, UK public)
- Miami Culinary Institute (public)
- Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...
(public)
- Miami International University of Art & Design
Miami International University of Art & Design – is a for-profit institution and one of The Art Institutes, a corporate system of more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media and visual arts, fashion, and culinary arts...
(private)
- Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
(private)
- St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University is a private Roman Catholic university in the Miami, Florida, United States suburb of Miami Gardens.-History:The University traces its roots to the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, founded in 1946 in Havana, Cuba, named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, by...
(private)
- Talmudic University (private)
- University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
(private)
Overall, amongst Miamians 25 years and older, 67% had a
high school diplomaA high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
, and 22% had a bachelors degree or higher.
In 2011, Miami was ranked as the sixth most-read city in the U.S. with high book sales.
Professional training programs
Miami is also home to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations that offer a range of professional training and other, related educational programs.
Per scholasPer Scholas is a United States registered 501 nonprofit organization based in Bronx, New York. Per Scholas was founded in 1995 by a consortium of leading foundations and corporations to build and distribute computers at a significant discount to schools serving low-income neighborhoods...
, for example is a nonprofit organization that offers free professional certification training directed towards successfully passing
CompTIAThe Computing Technology Industry Association , a non-profit trade association, was created in 1982 as the Association of Better Computer Dealers, Inc. by representatives of five microcomputer dealerships...
A+ and Network+ certification exams as a route to securing jobs and building careers.
Airports
Miami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, serves as the primary international airport of the Greater Miami Area. One of the busiest international airports in the world, Miami International Airport caters to over 35 million passengers a year. Identifiable locally, as well as several worldwide authorities, as MIA or KMIA, the airport is a major hub and the single largest international gateway for
American AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, the world's second-largest passenger air carrier. Miami International is the busiest airport in Florida, and is the United States' second-largest international port of entry for foreign air passengers behind New York's
John F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
, and is the seventh-largest such gateway in the world. The airport's extensive international route network includes non-stop flights to over seventy international cities in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Alternatively, nearby
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International AirportFort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
also serves commercial traffic in the Miami area.
Opa-locka AirportOpa-locka Airport , also known as Opa-locka Executive Airport, is a general aviation airport and joint civil-military airfield 10 miles north of Downtown Miami, primarily in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States, with a portion within the city proper of Opa-locka.The airport's control tower...
in
Opa-lockaOpa-locka is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the mid decade census, the population was 15,376 as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau....
and Kendall-Tamiami Airport in an unincorporated area serve general aviation traffic in the Miami area.
Port of Miami
Miami is home to one of the largest ports in the United States, the
Port of MiamiThe Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
. It is the largest cruise ship port in the world. The port is often called the "Cruise Capital of the World" and the "Cargo Gateway of the Americas". It has retained its status as the number one cruise/passenger port in the world for well over a decade accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines. In 2007, the port served 3,787,410 passengers. Additionally, the port is one of the nation's busiest cargo ports, importing 7.8 million tons of cargo in 2007. Among North American ports, it ranks second only to the
Port of South LouisianaThe Port of South Louisiana is the largest volume shipping port in the Western Hemisphere and 9th largest in the world. It is the largest bulk cargo port in the world....
in New Orleans in terms of cargo tonnage imported/exported from Latin America. The port is on 518 acre (2 km²) and has 7 passenger terminals. China is the port's number one import country, and
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
is the number one export country. Miami has the world's largest amount of cruise line headquarters, home to:
Carnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
,
Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
,
Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
,
Oceania CruisesOceania Cruises is a Miami, Florida, United States-based shipping company that operates four luxury cruise ships on world-wide itenaries. It is currently the world’s largest upscale cruise line, offering good-quality food and itineraries at a cheap price when compared to other upscale cruise lines...
, and
Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
.
On May 24, 2010, construction began on the $1 billion
Miami port tunnelThe Port of Miami Tunnel is a major construction project in Miami, Florida, with an estimated cost of 1 billion US dollars. The project includes a 3/4 mile long split portal automotive traffic tunnel connecting the MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island and the Port of Miami on Dodge Island, as well...
that will serve the Port of Miami.
Public transportation
Public transportation in Miami is operated by
Miami-Dade TransitMiami-Dade Transit is the primary public transit authority of Miami, Florida, United States and the greater Miami-Dade County area. It is the largest transit system in Florida and the 12th-largest transit system in the United States....
and
SFRTAThe South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is a tri-county public transit authority operating out of Pompano Beach, Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The organization was created on July 1, 2003 by the Florida Legislature and enacted by the Florida Department...
, and includes commuter rail (
Tri-RailTri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
), heavy-rail
rapid transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
(
MetrorailThe Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
), an elevated
people moverA people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
(
MetromoverThe Miami Metromover, officially Metromover, is a free rapid transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail at...
), and buses (Metrobus). Miami has Florida's highest transit ridership as about 17% of Miamians use transit on a daily basis.
Miami's heavy-rail rapid transit system,
MetrorailThe Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
, is an elevated system comprising 22 stations on a 22 miles (35.4 km)-long line. Metrorail runs from the western suburbs of
HialeahHialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
and
MedleyMedley is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The community was named after its founder, Sylvester Medley. The population was 1,098 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,059...
through the
Civic CenterCivic Center is a neighborhood in the city of Miami, Florida USA. The Civic Center is bound roughly by Northwest 20th Street and 14th Avenue to the northwest, the Dolphin Expressway and the Miami River to the south and west, and the Midtown Interchange and I-95 to the east.The Civic Center has the...
,
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
,
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, South Miami and ends in the southern suburban neighborhood of
KendallKendall is a suburban neighborhood of metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the area had a total population of 75,226....
; construction on a direct
MetrorailThe Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
connection to
Miami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
began in 2009 with expected passenger service beginning in early 2012. A free, elevated
people moverA people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
,
MetromoverThe Miami Metromover, officially Metromover, is a free rapid transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail at...
, operates 21 stations on three different lines in
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
, with a station at roughly every two blocks of Downtown and
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
. Several expansion projects are being funded by a transit development sales tax surcharge throughout Miami-Dade County.
Tri-RailTri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
, a commuter rail system operated by the
South Florida Regional Transportation AuthorityThe South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is a tri-county public transit authority operating out of Pompano Beach, Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The organization was created on July 1, 2003 by the Florida Legislature and enacted by the Florida Department...
(SFRTA), runs from
Miami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
northward to
West Palm BeachWest Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, making eighteen stops throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
Construction is currently underway on the
Miami Intermodal CenterFor the rail station next to the MIC, see Miami Central StationMiami Intermodal Center is a transportation hub under construction by the Florida Department of Transportation in Miami, Florida, in the United States. It will offer centralized transfer between Metrorail, Amtrak, Tri-Rail, buses,...
and
Miami Central StationMiami Central Station, also called Miami Airport Station, is a rapid transit, commuter rail, intercity rail, and intercity bus union station currently under construction in Miami, Florida, United States, in the Grapeland Heights neighborhood....
, a massive transportation hub servicing
MetrorailThe Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
,
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
,
Tri-RailTri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
, Metrobus,
Greyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
,
taxisA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, rental cars,
MIA MoverThe MIA Mover is an automated people mover system which opened at the Miami International Airport in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States on September 09th, 2011...
, private automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians adjacent to Miami International Airport. Completion of the Miami Intermodal Center is expected to be completed by winter 2011, and will serve over 150,000 commuters and travelers in the Miami area. Phase I of Miami Central Station is scheduled to begin service in the spring of 2012, and Phase II in 2013.
Two new light rail systems, Baylink and the Miami Streetcar, have been proposed and are currently in the planning stage. BayLink would connect
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
with
South BeachSouth Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
, and the Miami Streetcar would connect Downtown with
MidtownMidtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
.
Rail
Miami is the southern terminus of
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Atlantic Coast services, running two lines, the
Silver MeteorThe Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...
and the Silver Star, both terminating in New York City. The Miami Amtrak Station is located in the suburb of Hialeah near the
Tri-Rail/Metrorail StationTri-Rail and Metrorail Transfer Station is a Metrorail and Tri-Rail interchange station in Hialeah, Florida, in metropolitan Miami.This station is located near the intersection of East 25th Street and 11th Avenue, officially opening to service March 6, 1989. The station was built as a connection...
on NW 79 St and NW 38 Ave. Current construction of the
Miami Central StationMiami Central Station, also called Miami Airport Station, is a rapid transit, commuter rail, intercity rail, and intercity bus union station currently under construction in Miami, Florida, United States, in the Grapeland Heights neighborhood....
will move all Amtrak operations from its current out-of-the-way location to a centralized location with Metrorail,
MIA MoverThe MIA Mover is an automated people mover system which opened at the Miami International Airport in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States on September 09th, 2011...
,
Tri-RailTri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
,
Miami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, and the
Miami Intermodal CenterFor the rail station next to the MIC, see Miami Central StationMiami Intermodal Center is a transportation hub under construction by the Florida Department of Transportation in Miami, Florida, in the United States. It will offer centralized transfer between Metrorail, Amtrak, Tri-Rail, buses,...
all within the same station closer to Downtown. The station is expected to be completed by 2012.
Florida High Speed RailFlorida High Speed Rail was a proposed high-speed rail project in the U.S. state of Florida. Initial service would have run between the cities of Tampa and Orlando, with plans to then extend service to South Florida, terminating in Miami. Trains with a top speed of to would have run on dedicated...
was planned to connect Miami with
OrlandoOrlando is a major city in the U.S. state of Florida.Orlando may also refer to-Places:* in Florida** Orlando, a major city** Greater Orlando, the 27th-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and
TampaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
in a single line, but was canceled in 2011.
Road
Miami's road system is based along the numerical "Miami Grid" where Flagler Street forms the east-west
baselineIn the United States Public Land Survey System, a baseline is the principal east-west line that divides survey townships between north and south. The baseline meets its corresponding meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the land survey...
and Miami Avenue forms the north-south
meridianA meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations along it with a given longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by its latitude. Each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude...
. The corner of Flagler Street and Miami Avenue is in the middle of
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
in front of the Downtown
Macy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(formerly the Burdine's headquarters). The Miami grid is primarily numerical so that, for example, all street addresses north of Flagler Street and west of Miami Avenue have "NW" in their address. Because its point of origin is in
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
which is close to the coast, therefore, the "NW" and "SW" quadrants are much larger than the "SE" and "NE" quadrants. Many roads, especially major ones, are also named (e.g.,
Tamiami Trail/SW 8th StThe Tamiami Trail is the southernmost of U.S. Highway 41 from State Road 60 in Tampa to U.S. Route 1 in Miami. The road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90....
), although, with a few notable exceptions (e.g.,
Coral WayCoral Way is a primarily east-west street that begins in the Brickell neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States, ending in Westchester.-Route description:...
), the number is in more common usage among locals.
All streets and avenues in Miami-Dade County follow the Miami Grid, with a few exceptions, most notably Coral Gables, Hialeah, and Miami Beach. Some neighborhoods, such as The Roads, is thusly named because its streets run off the Miami Grid in a 45-degree angle, and therefore all named roads.
Miami-Dade County is served by four Interstate Highways (I-75,
I-95Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
,
I-195Interstate 195 is a spur expressway connecting Interstate 95 in the west with Miami Beach in the east, crossing Biscayne Bay by traveling over the Julia Tuttle Causeway, named after Miami founder Julia Tuttle....
,
I-395Interstate 395 is a long, elevated Interstate Highway that connects Interstate 95 in the west with the MacArthur Causeway in the east in the Miami area via the Midtown Interchange...
) and several U.S. Highways including U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 27, U.S. Route 41, and U.S. Route 441.
Some of the major Florida State Roads (and their common names) serving Miami are:
- SR 112 (Airport Expressway): Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
to MIAMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
- SR 821 (The HEFT
Heft and similar can mean:*Robert G. Heft, a designer of the 50-star and 51-star versions of the USA flag*HEFT, the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike...
or Homestead Extension of the Florida Turnpike): SR 91/Miami GardensMiami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
to U.S. Route 1/Florida CityFlorida City is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States and is the southernmost municipality in the South Florida metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 5,413,212 in 2007. The population was 7,843 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S....
)
- SR 826
State Road 826, also known as the Palmetto Expressway, is a bypass route around the greater Miami area, extending from U.S. Route 1 in Pinecrest, going through the inner Miami suburbs in a north-east semicircle to the Golden Glades Interchange, reverting to a surface street to its terminus at...
(Palmetto Expressway): Golden Glades InterchangeThe Golden Glades Interchange, located in Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach, Florida, United States, is the confluence of five major roads serving eastern and southern Florida.-Description:The five highways the come together at the interchange are U.S...
to U.S. Route 1/PinecrestPinecrest is a suburban village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States of America. The population was 19,055 as of the census of 2000. Pinecrest is governed by a five-member Village Council and operates under the Council-Manager form of government....
- SR 836
State Road 836, locally known as the Dolphin Expressway, is a 19-mile-long six-lane divided expressway, with the westernmost 14 miles being a tollway, currently extending from just north of the intersection of Southwest 137th Avenue and U.S...
(Dolphin Expressway): Downtown to SW 137th Ave via MIAMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
- SR 874
State Road 874, also known as the Don Shula Expressway, is an electronic toll road extending , connecting the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike and SR 826 in central Miami-Dade County, Florida. Despite its even number designation, the divided limited access toll road runs...
(Don Shula Expressway): 826/Bird Road to Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike/KendallKendall is a suburban neighborhood of metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the area had a total population of 75,226....
- SR 878
State Road 878 , named the Snapper Creek Expressway, is a short east–west electronic toll road south of Miami, Florida, United States, named for the adjoining Snapper Creek. It provides a spur from State Road 874 east to U.S. Highway 1 , as well as local access in Kendall and South Miami...
(Snapper Creek Expressway): SR 874/KendallKendall is a suburban neighborhood of metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the area had a total population of 75,226....
to U.S. Route 1/Pinecrest & South MiamiSouth Miami is a Miami suburban city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,741 at the 2000 census and as of 2007, according to the U.S...
- SR 924
State Road 924 is a east–west highway connecting Interstate 75 and the Palmetto Expressway in Hialeah and SR 909 in North Miami...
(Gratigny Parkway) Miami LakesMiami Lakes is a Miami suburban incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
to Opa-lockaOpa-locka is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the mid decade census, the population was 15,376 as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau....
Miami has six major
causewayIn modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
s that span over
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
connecting the western mainland, with the eastern barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean. The
Rickenbacker CausewayThe Rickenbacker Causeway connects Miami, Florida, United States to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay.-Background:...
is the southernmost causeway and connects
BrickellBrickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
to
Virginia KeyVirginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
and
Key BiscayneKey Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States on the island of Key Biscayne. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324....
. The
Venetian CausewayThe Venetian Causeway crosses Biscayne Bay between Miami on the mainland and Miami Beach on a barrier island in south Florida. The man-made Venetian Islands and non-bridge portions of the causeway were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the...
and
MacArthur CausewayThe General Douglas MacArthur Causeway is a six-lane causeway which connects Downtown, Miami, Florida and South Beach, Miami Beach via Biscayne Bay....
connect
DowntownDowntown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
with
South BeachSouth Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
. The Julia Tuttle Causeway connects
MidtownMidtown Miami is the collective term for the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods of Miami, Florida, United States, north of Downtown and south of the Miami Design District. It is roughly bound by North 29th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east.In...
and Miami Beach. The 79th Street Causeway connects the Upper East Side with
North BeachNorth Beach is a section of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the northernmost section of the city, roughly border by 63rd Street and Indian Creek Drive to the south and 87th Terrace to the north. It collectively refers to neighborhoods including Isles of Normandy, Biscayne...
. The northernmost causeway, the Broad Causeway, is the smallest of Miami's six causeways, and connects
North MiamiNorth Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, and the North Miami campus of Johnson & Wales University...
with
Bal HarbourBal Harbour is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,305 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bal Harbour is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of...
.
In 2007, Miami was identified as having the rudest drivers in the United States, the second year in a row to have been cited, in a poll commissioned by automobile club AutoVantage. Miami is also consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States for pedestrians.
Bicycling
In recent years the city government, under Mayor Manny Diaz, has taken an ambitious stance in support of bicycling in Miami for both recreation and commuting. Every month, the city hosts "Bike Miami", where major streets in Downtown and Brickell are closed to automobiles, but left open for pedestrians and bicyclists. The event began in November 2008, and has doubled in popularity from 1,500 participants to about 3,000 in the October 2009 Bike Miami. This is the longest running such event in the US. In October 2009, the city also approved an extensive 20-year plan for bike routes and paths around the city. The city has begun construction of bike routes as of late 2009, and ordinances requiring bike parking in all future construction in the city became mandatory as of October 2009.
In 2010, Miami was ranked as the 44th most bike-friendly city in the US according to
Bicycling Magazine.
Walkability
A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Miami the eighth most walkable of the fifty largest cities in the United States.
In popular culture
In film and television
Miami is a center for television and film production. The city has acted as the backdrop for many movies, and many television shows, telenovellas, and awards shows have been set or filmed in Miami. In the mid-2000s, Miami started to become a popular backdrop for reality television shows. Additionally, Miami is a major center, worldwide, for Spanish-language television and film production.
In music
See
Miami (Music)
Miami has inspired the names of musical groups as well as of numerous albums and song titles. For example, the late country singer
Keith WhitleyJackie Keith Whitley , known professionally as Keith Whitley, was an American country music singer. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 until his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters...
(1955–1989) sang a song called "Miami, My Amy", about a special woman from Miami; the song is one of his biggest hits to this day.
In video games
The video games,
Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
(which became one of the best selling video games in history) and
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a 2006 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North. It was published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 and later for the PlayStation 2 in March 2007. The game is the eighth...
, take place in
Vice CityVice City is a fictional city in the Grand Theft Auto series, based on Miami, Florida. Two versions of the city have appeared in different generations of the series: The Grand Theft Auto rendition is geographically very similar to Miami...
, a fictional city inspired by Miami, which includes some of the same architecture and geography. The game also includes characters who speak Haitian Creole and Spanish, as do many people found in Miami.
Sister cities
AmmanAmman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan (since 1995)
AnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey
BogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia (since 1971)
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina (since 1979)
CochabambaCochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, Bolivia
HavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba (since 1926) Kagoshima, Japan (since 1990)
LimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru (since 1977)
ManaguaManagua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
, Nicaragua (since 1991)
Murcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, Spain
PalermoPalermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Italy (since 2001)
Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti (since 1991)
Qingdao' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, People's Republic of China (since 2005)
SalvadorSalvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
, Brazil (since 2006)
SantiagoSantiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile (since 1986)
Santo DomingoSanto Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic (since 1987)
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, Bulgaria
See also
- List of people from Miami
- List of tallest buildings in Miami
- Miami Fire Department
The City of Miami Fire Rescue Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Miami, Florida. This professional fire department protects the city 24/7, 365 and operates out of 14 Fire Stations, located throughout the city's...
- Miami Police Department
The Miami Police Department or MPD, often referred to as the City of Miami Police, is the chief police department of the U.S. city of Miami, Florida. Their jurisdiction lies within the actual city limits of Miami, but have mutual aid agreements with neighboring police departments. The current...
- Miami port tunnel
The Port of Miami Tunnel is a major construction project in Miami, Florida, with an estimated cost of 1 billion US dollars. The project includes a 3/4 mile long split portal automotive traffic tunnel connecting the MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island and the Port of Miami on Dodge Island, as well...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, Florida
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, Florida.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Miami, Florida, United States...
External links