Miami

The Miami area was sparsely populated when resident, Julia Tuttle, lobbied to connect the southern most part of Florida with the rest of the state via rail. Railroad magnate Henry Flagler ignored her petitions to extend his Florida West Coast Railroad into the wilderness beyond Palm Beach. After a freeze destroyed most of the state's crops in 1895, Tuttle sent Flagler some frost-free orange blossoms from Miami. Flagler decided not only to extend rail service to Miami but to build a town as well.

By the 1920s the Gold Coast had blossomed and Miami soon became one of the most popular resorts on the continent. At first populated by wealthy socialites, not-so-wealthy retirees, and by working class blacks drawn by resort employment, Miami has experienced a new cultural affluence since 1959.

With the immigration of thousands of hispanics, mostly Cubans but also Puerto Ricans and Central and South Americans, Spanish if heard everywhere.

Tourism and a variety of industries support the economy. The Port of Miami, reputedly handling more cruise passengers than any other in the world, is a major trade gateway to Central and South America and the Caribbean. Miami is also a banking center, with offices of more than 76 international banking institutions and about 250 multinational corporations in the area.

Miami and Miami Beach, interchangeable in the minds of most tourists in reality are vastly different. Miami is a larger and more diverse metropolis that caters to tourism but also supports light industries. Miami Beach is almost exclusively tourist orientated, and consists mostly of condos and hotels.