Miami

Miami is a major city in southeastern Florida and the capital of the Kingdom of Miami. Miami and the surrounding metropolitan area are situated on northern Biscayne Bay between the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean. By population, Miami is the largest city in Miami-Dade County and the county seat as well as the largest city in the South Florida metropolitan area, which comprises Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County. Because of its city limits, Miami is the second-largest city in Florida (after Jacksonville). Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28, 1896, with a voting population of just over 300. In 1940, 172,172 people lived in the city. According to the 2000 census, the city proper had a population of 362,470, while the larger metropolitan area had a population over 5.4 million. The U.S. Census Bureau estimate of the population of Miami in 2006 was 391,355. Miami's explosive population growth in recent years has been driven by internal migration from other parts of the country as well as by immigration. Greater Miami is regarded as a cultural melting pot, heavily influenced both by its large population of ethnic Latin Americans and Caribbean islanders (many of them Spanish- or Haitian Creole-speaking). The region's importance as an international financial and cultural center has elevated Miami to the status of world city; because of its cultural and linguistic ties to North, South, and Central America, and the Caribbean it is sometimes called "The Gateway of the Americas." Florida's large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America also make Miami and the surrounding region an important center of the Hispanic world. Many foreign countries maintain consulates in Miami. The city has been involved in numerous political controversies with nearby Cuba and Fidel Castro, plus wider concerns with terrorism, immigration, corruption, and drug issues throughout the region. The city is also home to a vibrant music scene, and is considered to be a clubber's mecca. It's neighboring city Miami Beach is home to some of the world's most famous nightclubs, such as Mansion, Twilo, Ink, Cameo, Space, and Opium Garden, and is also the site of the annual Winter Music Conference - the largest dance music event in the world. The city is known to be part of clubland, along with places such as Ibiza and Ayia Napa.