Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Miami

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Miami is a large coastal city in the state of Florida. It sits on a broad, flat plain between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay.

Mouth of Miami River 20100211
Mouth of Miami River 20100211

To the west lies the Everglades, which is a huge tropical marshland. To the east, the city meets the water of the bay. A warm ocean current called the Gulf Stream flows just off the coast. This warm water helps the weather stay mild all year long.

Miamisummershower
Miamisummershower

The city is a major center for many different things. It is a leader in finance, culture, and international trade.

PortMiami main channel with city skyline in the background (March 11, 2024)
PortMiami main channel with city skyline in the background (March 11, 2024)

PortMiami is the busiest cruise port in the entire world. The city also has a very famous skyline with over 300 high-rise buildings.

Miami-florida-royal-caribbean-building
Miami-florida-royal-caribbean-building

This makes it the third-largest skyline in the United States. Many people visit the area, with over four million visitors in 2022.

Long before the city was built, the Tequesta tribe lived here. They occupied the area for about 2,000 years.

Mouth of Miami River 20100211
Mouth of Miami River 20100211

Later, Spain claimed the land in 1566. The United States eventually took control of Florida in 1821. A woman named Julia Tuttle helped the city grow very quickly. She is often called the "mother of Miami."

MiamiAvenue1896
MiamiAvenue1896

She convinced a railroad tycoon to bring trains to the region. This helped the city become an official city in 1896.

Miami has many interesting facts and numbers. The city has a population of 442,241 people.

Miami Senior High School July 2013
Miami Senior High School July 2013

Many more people live in the larger metropolitan area. About 70.2 percent of the people identify as Hispanic or Latino. This strong connection is why people call it the "Gateway to Latin America."

Logo of Miami, Florida
Logo of Miami, Florida

The city's economy is very large and successful. In 2023, its gross domestic product was $533.674 billion.

The ground beneath Miami is very special. It is made of a rock called Miami limestone.

Mouth of Miami River 20100211
Mouth of Miami River 20100211

This rock formed a long time ago from shells and other materials. Deep underground, there is a fresh water source called the Biscayne Aquifer.

Mouth of Miami River 20100211
Mouth of Miami River 20100211

Most people in the area get their drinking water from this aquifer. Because the water is so close to the surface, many trains and buses run on elevated tracks. This helps people move around the city easily.

361 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (14)
File:MiamiAvenue1896.jpg
MiamiAvenue1896.jpg
File:Mouth of Miami River 20100211.jpg
Mouth of Miami River 20100211.jpg
File:Miamisummershower.png
Miamisummershower.png
File:Cathedral of Saint Mary - Miami 08.jpg
Cathedral of Saint Mary - Miami 08.jpg
File:PortMiami main channel with city skyline in the background (March 11, 2024).jpg
PortMiami main channel with city skyline...
File:Miami-florida-royal-caribbean-building.jpg
Miami-florida-royal-caribbean-building.jpg
File:Knightconcerthall.jpg
Knightconcerthall.jpg
File:Lowe.jpg
Lowe.jpg
File:Bayfront Park - panoramio (5).jpg
Bayfront Park - panoramio (5).jpg
File:Miami FL Pan Am Bldg city hall02.jpg
Miami FL Pan Am Bldg city hall02.jpg
File:Logo of Miami, Florida.svg
Logo of Miami, Florida.svg
File:Miami Senior High School July 2013.jpg
Miami Senior High School July 2013.jpg

+ 2 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.