Miami is the largest city within the South Florida metropolitan area and the largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States with 5.5 million people. Miami and its surrounding area makes up the fifth-largest urban area in the United States. 

Florida's large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America make Miami an important financial center of the Hispanic world.

Miami is home to one of the largest ports in the United States, the Port of Miami.  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.

Miami has undergone a massive building boom and has a skyline that ranks third in the U.S. behind Chicago and New York City (and 18th in the world) according to the Almanac of Architecture and Design. 

In 2008, Miami was ranked #1 as "America's Cleanest City" according to Forbes Magazine for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets and city-wide recycling programs.

Miami is partitioned into many different sections, roughly into North, South, West and Downtown. The heart of the city is Downtown and is on the eastern side of the city. Downtown includes Brickell, Midtown Miami, Virginia Key, Watson Island, and the Port of Miami. Downtown is South Florida's central business district, and home of many major banks, financial headquarters, cultural attractions, and high-rise residential towers.

Tourism is an important industry in Miami. The beaches, conventions, festivals and events draw over 12 million visitors annually from across the country and around the world, spending $17.1 billion. The historical Art Deco district in South Beach (in Miami Beach), is widely regarded as one of the most glamorous in the world for its world-famous nightclubs, beaches, historical buildings, and shopping.