Miami is a major city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. With a population of over 404,048, 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

Miami is ranked a global city for its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts and international trade, and is referred to as “The Financial Capital of the Americas”. Because of Miami's cultural and linguistic ties to North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, Florida's large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America, also make Miami an important financial center of the Hispanic world.

Miami is also home to one of the largest ports in the United States, the Port of Miami. The port is often called the “Cruise Capital of the World” and the “Cargo Gateway of the Americas”. 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.

As of 2008, Miami is undergoing a massive building boom that ranks second worldwide (and first in the United States) for the most buildings under construction that will be over 492 feet (150 m), with over 24 of such buildings currently under construction. Miami's skyline 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. Including other nearby neighborhoods and cities, Miami has over 80 high-rise towers under construction. Miami currently has the five tallest skyscrapers in the state of Florida with the tallest being the Four Seasons Hotel & Tower.

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 also 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.

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