Miami (Florida), ...
... city in Florida. The seat of Miami-Dade County, Miami is the largest city of a metropolitan region that dominates southern Florida. Miami grew rapidly in the early 20th century because of its resort and recreational opportunities. Since 1980, however, a more diversified economy has emerged in the city and the surrounding area. Miami’s population and economy are increasingly international in their orientation; the city’s connections to Latin America are particularly vital.

Miami is located at the southeastern corner of the United States near the tip of the Florida peninsula. Its climate is marginally tropical, with hot, moist summers and warm, drier winters and an average annual temperature of about 24°C (about 76°F). The city is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, and its geographic position makes it vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes.

The population of Miami was 362,470 in 2000. According to the 2000 census, whites constitute 66.6 percent of Miami’s population; blacks, 22.3 percent; Asians, 0.7 percent; Native Americans, 0.2 percent; and people of mixed heritage or not reporting race, 10.2 percent. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders numbered 130 at the time of the census. In recent decades the Hispanic, and especially the Cuban, population in Miami and the metropolitan area has grown rapidly. Hispanics, who may be of any race, make up 65.8 percent of the city’s people.

The city of Miami covers a land area of 92 sq km (36 sq mi). Miami is the seat of Miami-Dade county, which blankets a land area of 5,040 sq km (1,946 sq mi) and is bounded by Broward County on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Monroe County on the south and west, and Collier County on the west. Miami-Dade county had a population of 2,253,362 in 2000 and is made up of 31 municipalities of which Miami is the largest, followed by Hialeah, Miami Beach, North Miami, and Coral Gables.

"Miami (Florida)," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2004
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