Miami, located on Biscayne Bay in southeastern Florida, is the state's second-largest city with nearly 400,000 and the center of a large metropolitan area of 5.5 million that includes Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Named after a Native American word meaning "big water," Miami was founded in 1870 and quickly became (and still remains) one of America's top vacation spots. An influx of 250,000+ Cuban refugees in 1960 helped define the city's bilingual melting pot.
Today, Miami is a hip urban center with a multicultural ambience and a strong economy based on baking, tourism and a other industries as diverse as its population. Several top companies are headquartered in the area, including Burger King, Norwegian Cruise Line, Ryder and Lennar.
Miami is famous for its scintillating nightlife, easily making the Forbes list of the Best Places for Singles. Upscale South Beach is Miami's "it" place, with trendy clubs and bars open until dawn. Throughout the city, a young, diverse population and high number of college-age vacationers make Miami one of the hippest nightspots on the planet.
