Miami MIAMI IS A SEAPORT CITY AT THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE U.S. STATE OF FLORIDA AND ITS ATLANTIC COAST. AS THE SEAT OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, THE MUNICIPALITY IS THE PRINCIPAL, CENTRAL, AND MOST POPULOUS OF ITS METROPOLITAN AREA AND PART OF THE SECOND-MOST POPULOUS METROPOLIS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.
Miami area was inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous cultures. The Tequestas occupied the area for a thousand years before encountering Europeans. An Indian village of hundreds of people dating to 500–600 B.C. was located at the mouth of the Miami River.
In 1566 the explorer, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, claimed it for Spain. A Spanish mission was constructed one year later in 1567. Spain and Great Britain successively "controlled" Florida, and Spain ceded it to the United States in 1821. In 1836, the US built Fort Dallas as part of its development of the Florida Territory and attempt to suppress and remove the Seminole. The Miami area subsequently became a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War.
Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between the Florida Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east, which also extends from Florida Bay north to Lake Okeechobee.
Miami has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am)with a marked drier season in the winter.
Typical summer afternoon thunderstorm rolling in from the Everglades.
The wet season begins some time in May, ending in mid-October.
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop beyond those dates.
The wet season begins some time in May, ending in mid-October.
Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade.
Miami 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) in 2010 and based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations, Miami is considered a "Alpha minus world city".Miami has a Gross Metropolitan Product of $257 billion and is ranked 20th worldwide in GMP, and 11th in the United States.
Miami is home to many entertainment venues, theaters, museums, parks and performing arts centers.The city attracts a large number of musicians, singers, actors, dancers, and orchestral players.Miami is also a major fashion center, home to models and some of the top modeling agencies in the world.
The government of the City of Miami (proper) uses the mayor-commissioner type of system. The city commission consists of five commissioners which are elected from single member districts.
Miami International Airport 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. The airport is a major hub and the single largest international gateway for American Airlines.
Miami is home to one of the largest ports in the United States, the PortMiami. It is the largest cruise ship port in the world.