Miami is a vibrant city teaming with Cuban culture, lush everglade wildlife and magnificent beaches bordering the Atlantic Coastline. Miami is the only major U.S. city to be founded and planned by a woman, Julia Tuttle, who hailed from Cleveland. Upon her father's death in 1891, she took over his citrus plantation along the Miami River.

Miami is a thriving tourist hub, offering Latin flavor and Art Deco surroundings. The city thrives on its cool and hip mystique and its nightclub scene is vibrant and happening. It is the second largest city in Florida behind Jacksonville, and the state's proximity to Mexico and the Caribbean makes for an eclectic melting pot of Latin spice and excitement. Known as the "Gateway to the Americas," Miami has many cultural and linguistic ties to North, South and Central America and to the Caribbean, and almost all major foreign countries have consulates in Miami.

Part of Miami's popularity may lie in its subtropical climate and Gulf Stream warmth. The pleasant year-round temperatures provide the perfect medium for the area's plethora of activities, attractions and beaches.