Miami is a city on the Atlantic coast of South Florida in the southeastern United States.
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.
In 2016, the population is estimated to be just over 440,000. This makes Miami the 44th most populous city in the US.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami’s urban area is the fourth-largest in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million.
With just over 6 million inhabitants as of 2016, the Miami metropolitan area is the most populous in Florida and the eighth-largest in the southeastern United States.
Miami covers an area of 145 square kilometers (56 square miles) of which 93 square kilometers (36 square miles) are land and 52 square kilometers (20 square miles) is water.
The elevation of the area never rises above 12 meters (40 feet) and averages at around 1.8 meters (6 feet) above mean sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast.
A major transportation and business hub, Miami is a leading resort and Atlantic Ocean port situated on Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River.
Thousands of years before Europeans arrived, a large portion of south east Florida, including the area where Miami exists today, was inhabited by Tequestas.
An Indian village of hundreds of people dating to 500–600 B.C. was located at the mouth of the Miami River.
During the early 20th century, northerners were attracted to the city, and Miami prospered during the 1920s with an increase in population and infrastructure.
When World War II began, Miami, well-situated on the southern coast of Florida, became a base for US defense against German submarines. The war brought an increase in Miami’s population.
After Fidel Castro rose to power in 1959, many Cubans emigrated to Miami, further increasing the population.
During the 1980s Miami gained a reputation as a center of the illegal cocaine trade.
Today, Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade.