MIAMI

Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast, at the southeast of the state of Florida. It is ranked the sixth most populous city in the United States with an estimated population of 470,914 as of 2018 and 6.1 million people in the metropolitan area.

The city is a major transportation and business hub situated on Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River.

Greater Miami, the state’s largest urban concentration, includes the cities of Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah, North Miami, and many smaller municipalities.

The climate in this area is Tropical monsoon with a marked dry season in the winter. January is the coldest month with an average daily temperature of 20.1 °C.

Miami has been ranked as a global city for its importance in finance, entertainment, arts, and international trade. The city is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States and home to many corporate headquarters.

• The city of Miami gets its name from one of the natives tribes that lived in the region in the 1600 and 1700s, the Mayaim.
• It’s the only US city that was founded by a woman, a local businesswoman called Julia Tuttle, in 1896.
• 70% of the population are Latino of any race and 11.9% of the population are non-Hispanic whites.
• The ethnic makeup of the city is 34.1% Cuban, 19.2% African American, 5.7% Nicaraguan, 5.5% Haitian, and 3.3% Honduran.
• Miami has a Gross Metropolitan Product of $257 billion, ranking 11th in the United States and 20th worldwide in GMP
• In 2008, Miami was ranked as "America's Cleanest City" according to Forbes magazine.
• Miami is home to the world’s largest collection of art deco architecture.
   

The government of the City of Miami uses the mayor - commissioner type of system.

The offices, headquartered in downtown Miami. are headed by a strong executive mayor, a country manager, and a county commission. This commission consists of five commissioners that are elected by districts and constitutes the governing body with powers to pass ordinances, adopt regulations, and exercise all powers conferred upon the city. Each of the 29 municipalities in the county also has its own government.

Currently The City of Miami is governed by Mayor Francis X. Suarez.

Miami has a highly diversified economy with over 170 multinational companies headquartered in the city. The main economic sectors include commerce, finance, tourism, services, trade, manufacturing, real estate, and construction. It has a very international business community.

Because of its proximity, Miami also serves as the headquarters of Latin American operations for more than 1400 multinational corporations. This access to Latin America has made the city a top international banking and investment center, with most bank offices located in the city's financial district.

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was followed by a building boom during the mid 2000s and the construction industry remains very active today, with rising demand for single-family homes.

Other top industries in the manufacturing sector showing a rapid growth are metal fabrication, printing, medical products, and the biomedical sector.

Agriculture remains an important part of the Greater Miami economy. The region, with its subtropical climate, is the nation's leading supplier of vegetables and tropical fruits during the winter season, with crops valued at $81 million annually.

The film and entertainment industry is another major generator of income for Miami. Together, movies, television, and fashion photography generated more than $212 million in income in the area.

Finally tourism is also an important industry in Miami accounting more than 144,800 jobs. The beaches, conventions, festivals, and events draw over 12 million visitors annually from across the country and around the world, spending $17.1 billion.
 

Miami is ranked seventh in the United States and 31st among global cities in terms of business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. The state's favourable business tax structure, government policies and competitive cost make planning for future growth easy. More than 82,000 small businesses employ 53% of Miami-Dade County's workforce, according to a study commissioned by the Florida SBDC.

Greater Downtown Miami has one of the largest concentrations of international banks in the United States, and is home to many large national and international companies.

According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 72.3% of working city of Miami residents commuted by driving alone, 8.7% carpooled, 9% used public transportation, and 3.7% walked.

Public transportation in Miami is operated by Miami-Dade Transit and SFRTA, and includes commuter rail (Tri-Rail), heavy- rail (Metrorail), an elevated people mover (Metromover) and buses.Â

Airports
Miami International Airport is one of the busiest international airports in the world. It is the main airport serving the Miami metropolitan area, catering to over 45 million passengers a year. Miami International is a major hub, the third largest international port of entry for foreign air passengers in the United States and the seventh largest in the world.

Nearby the area we can also find Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, that also serves commercial traffic in the Miami area. Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in Opa-locka and Miami Executive Airport in southwest Miami that serves general aviation traffic in the Miami area.

Seaports
Miami is often called the Cruise Capital of the World due to being home to one of the largest ports in the United States, the PortMiami. It has retained its status as the number one cruise and passenger port in the world for over a decade, accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines. Additionally, the port is one of the nation's busiest cargo ports, importing 9,162,340 tons of cargo in 2017.
 

Miami is a city of many traits. Historically recognized for the sun, beach and tourists, it has now become much more than that. With one of the most diverse populations in the country, Miami is the strategic capital of America, binding Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America to the U.S. Market. In fact, eMerge Americas, the first tech-focused conference uniting the U.S. and Latin America, is based in Miami.

This diversity has piqued the interest of many programs and investors. More than 500 Startups and an early-stage venture fund and seed accelerators operate in the heart of Miami. This group opines that Miami will become an inclusive and global hub for entrepreneurs and their ultimate goal is to connect South Florida, East Coast, and Latin America to support underrepresented founders.

Specifically, Miami’s startup ecosystem is seeing success in Edtech and Life Sciences startups. In fact, Miami is in the top 30 global ecosystem for Life Sciences.

Miami and its metropolitan area has several noteworthy startups. For example, Hero K12 who built student behavior applications and received $150 million in 2017, or Nearpod, a mobile app that enables teachers to create interactive multimedia presentations together with their students, and has raised more than $21 million in the last year.