Miami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. The United Nations estimated that in 2007, Miami had become the fourth largest urbanized area in the United States, behind New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Miami is well known as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts and international trade. The city is home to many company headquarters, banks, and television studios. It is an international center for popular entertainment in television, music, fashion, film, and the performing arts. The city's Port of Miami is known for accommodating the largest volume of cruise ships in the world and is home to many cruise line headquarters. Miami is also home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States.

Miami and Miami Beach are two different cities

Miami and Miami Beach are actually two distinctly different cities. Miami Beach, located on the outer bank is almost exclusively tourist orientated, and consists mainly of hotels and vacation apartments. Miami, located on the mainland, is a cosmopolitan city with a distinctly Latin American flavor.
The Art Deco district of Miami Beach occupies a compact one-square mile area roughly between Lincoln Road, Sixth Street, Ocean Drive and Alton Road. It is a showcase for this early twentieth century art movement and contains dozens of restored buildings with that characteristic architecture. To help find your way around, visit the Miami Design Preservation League's Welcome Center on 1001 Ocean Drive (305) 672-2014. Pick up the league's audiocassette for a self-guided introduction to the Art Deco Historic District. The South Beach section, where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and died, is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the world.

Miami offers good dining and good shopping

Both Miami and Miami Beach offer many excellent restaurants with a diverse selection of cuisine. Fresh seafood is the local specialty. Joe's Stone Crab restaurant is a very popular Miami Beach landmark known for its large portions of excellent food. Wherever you eat, be sure to try some Key Lime Pie, a famous Florida dessert.
There are plenty of good shopping opportunities in the Miami area. For exclusive shopping, go to the Ball Harbor Mall. Other shopping centers include Bayside Market Place, Coconut Grove, The Falls, Aventura Mall and Cocowalk. If you are a serious bargain hunter, don't miss the 173-store Sawgrass Mills Factory Discount Mall in Sunrise, Florida 40 min north of the city. In the Little Havana area, there are many small shops with unusual and interesting items, but you may have to speak Spanish to get the best deals.