U.S.A.
U.S.A.
facts & history in brief
U.S.A.
Map
Miami, is a world renown resort
city in southern United States.
Miami's recreational opportunities,
like surfing and beaches
and healthy warm weather attracts
many visitors and retired people
from all over the United States.
The city lies on Biscayne Bay,
about 6 kilometres west of the Atlantic Ocean,
on Florida's south-eastern coast,
at the mouth of the Miami River.
Tequesta Indians lived in today's
Miami area before white settlers arrived.
The first European settlements were at
Biscayne Bay and they
named it after the Miami River.
Miami developed rapidly and is now
Florida's second largest city and the
county seat of Dade County, which
covers about 140 square kilometres
(52 square kilometres of inland water).
The economy of the Miami metropolitan
area depends mostly on tourism,
which produces about 4.5
billion U.S. Dollars annually.
The city's temperature varies little,
averaging 27 °C in summer and 22 °C in winter.
The city is one of the largest centres for
the production of clothing.
Other products include furniture, metal
goods and transportation equipment.
Since 1959, when Fidel Castro became dictator
of Cuba, thousands of Cubans have
fled to Miami, about 320 kilometres away.
In the late 1970's, many refugees from
Haiti settled in the Miami area.
Cubans make up a large
proportion of the population.
Their culture has attracted many businesses
and banks that handle Latin-American trade.
The city attracts more than
11 million tourists a year.
The City's main attractions are:
Miami Beach is a city built on a 19
km (12 miles) long sandbar across
Biscayne Bay and attached to
Miami, by a series of causeways.
The people come here to retire or the tourist
for the beaches, clubs and bars,
and the largest collection of bright pink,
lavender and turquoise Art Deco
buildings from the 1920s at the South Beach,
the southwestern section of Miami Beach.
Miami Beach is one of the best in the U.S. The
water is clear and warm, the sand
relatively white, wide enough and long enough
to accommodate the crowds.
Here you can see many in-line skaters,
bicyclists, skateboarders, dog walkers
and people watchers doing what they do best.
Little Havana is a colourful section of town
where Spanish is the predominant language
and the picturesque Calle Ocho (SW 8th St)
lined in the entire length with Cuban shops,
cafes, record stores, pharmacies,
clothing and bridal shops
and old men playing dominoes in Máximo Gómez Park.
Little Havana occupies 10 square blocks,
southwest of downtown Miami.
Key Biscayne is south of downtown Miami,
along Biscayne Bay's shore.
It has the city's many best attractions.
The Miami Museum of Science &
Space Transit Planetarium are at Miami's
southern city limit, near the
bridge that connects Miami with Key Biscayne
and has excellent displays
on the Everglades and the local coral reefs.
The hands-on exhibits are a
popular with kids and adults alike.
The Miami Seaquarium, is further east on the
Virginia Key causeway, with Lolita,
the 7000-pound (3150-kg) killer whale,
as the main attraction.
Hear explanations how West Indian
manatees, injured by boat
propellers are nursed back to
health and some are released.
Watch the very popular Flipper
Dolphin Show and Salty's Sea Scoundrels,
starring Salty the Sea Lion.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area,
at the southern end of Key Biscayne, with its
acres of exotic plants and nature
trails along white-sand beaches.
The Cape Florida Lighthouse, built in 1845,
is at the
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State
Recreation Area's southern tip is.
A rapid transit system, Metrorail, began
operating in Miami in 1984.
Metromover, a central elevated
shuttle line, was added in 1986.
The Metropolitan area has a
population of over 2 million people.
Hui Chin and I enjoyed Miami very much.
From the Airport we caught one of
the local buses after our arrival
at our hotel at Miami Beach.
We chose the Tropics Hostel from
the Lonely Planet Guide, but their
rates were double the advertised one.
Disappointing, on a shoestring budget.
It is one of the many Art Deco
buildings, for which Miami Beach is so
well known for.
We did all the touristic things
while we were in Miami.
Walked on the beaches on the streets.
Joined a city sightseeing tour.
Saw the 'Freedom Tower', 'Little
Havanna', 'Little Haiti', Coconut Grove,
Coral, Gables, Everglades National
Park and 'boated', around some of
its 10 thousand islands,, the
Florida Keys, Key West, Fort Lauderdale,
Golden Beach, Sunny Isles, South Beach,
Key Biscayne and many other
places and sights in the city and around.
Rode on the Metrorail and
the Metromover for hours.
We did get wet a couple of times too.
You can click on these photos for an enlargement.
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