Hawaii

Hawaii is known for its beautiful white sand beaches and luxurious resorts.  Well, so is Miami.  Although Miami's beaches do not spread for miles, they are still considered one of the best beaches in North America.  You can lay on the sand and tan, go surfing, snorkle, scuba dive, or even wind surf.  That is one great similarity between Miami and Hawaii.  Also the fact that both areas boast a tropical climate desired by so many.

Also when most people think of Hawaii they think of Waikiki, North Shore, and Pipeline.  Those are all famous surf spots that people travel thousands of miles to take part in.  In Miami, the surfing culture is not as big as Hawaii's but it is still very much alive.  And the perfect thing about both locations is that the water is warm year round.  So no matter if it is 85 degrees in August or 65 degrees in January, you can surf without fearing freezing to death...which is more than I can say about California's waters. 

The Noth PAcific Coast.

The North Pacific Coast is described in the chapter as having dense forests, high mountains, and excellent harbors.  Mt. McKinley is the highest point in the area, reaching heights of about 20,327 feet.  This is the complete opposite of Miami.  Miami has no mountain ranges and is barely above sea level.

It also says that the major economy in the area is agriculture and forest products.  Unlike the North Pacific Coast, Miami's main source of income is tourism.  Over a million of Miami's labor force work outside of agricultural jobs.  The most Most jobs are in the fields of: trade, transportation and utilities, government, public schools, and manufacturing.
Resources:
http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Miami-Economy.html

The South west Border Area

One similarity between Miami and the Southwest border states are that they both have a very dense Hispanic population.  In southern Texas some counties have a Hispanic population of 70.0%-99.7%.  The same could be said about counties in Southern California and New Mexico.  The main reason for Spanish involvement in the Southwest area was the abundance of gold and silver.

Like the Southwest, whose population is mostly Mexican, Miami also has a very dense Hispanic population.  The only difference is that the Hispanics found in Miami are of Cuban and Latin American descent.  Also Miami was not conquered for its raw materials but it was a strategic port for the Spanish to use to transport their goods from Cuba to the mainland safely.  Also like the Southwest border states, Miami and the rest of Florida are always fighting against illegal immigration.  In Miami most illegal immigrants are fleeing from Cuba.  The most famous of these immigrants was Elian Gonzalez.  In 1999 Elian was fleeing Cuba with his mother and her boyfriend.  His mother drowned on the way there and he was stuck in a custody battle with his grandparents, who lived in Miami, and his father who wanted him back in Cuba.  He was eventually sent back to Cuba.

California

One similarity I noticed right away between California and Miami was that both of the areas were formerly Spanish colonies before joining the United States.  One interesting thing about both of the areas being Spanish colonies is that both had an extensive mission system.  Like in most Spanish colonies Spanish missionaries were sent to convert the "savage" Indians and make them law abiding Spanish citizens.  But of course like mot colonial powers, they always had a hidden agenda.

Pedro Menendez de Aviles.  Founder of Miami

In the early 1500's Spanish colonists ventured into the depths of California claiming it for Spain.  In 1566 Miami was claimed for Spain by Pedro Menendez de Aviles.     

The Empty Interior

In the empty interior the dominant religion is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or more commonly known as the Church of Mormon.  The Mormons were first located in New York, but due to persecution they kept moving West.  In 1844 a mob killed the church's founder Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, so the church once again moved West and settled in the Utah area.  The Mormons, started to build their center in Salt Lake City, Utah and were really the first Americans to have to face problems of the Empty Interior.  Mormons' early efforts at large-scale irrigation was the start of an irrigation boom in the Empty Interior.

Unlike Mormonism in the Empty Interior, Catholicism is the most popular religion in Miami.  Because Florida was a Spanish colony before it entered the United States, there were many missions left along the Florida coast. The Natives were mostly converted into Catholicism and the people there kept the religion, even though most of America at the time was Protestant.  Another reason Catholicism is a major religion in Miami is because of the many Latinos that live in the city.  With an influx of immigrants coming from Cuba and other Latin American countries, Miami is predominantly Hispanic.

A Catholic mission in Palm Beach

The Great Plains and Praries

In this chapter there is a section that talks about the Plain Indians. It says that the Plains Indians were hunters and gatherers and their main food source was the buffalo.  They also lived along the streams in semi-permanent settlements.  But because the only domestic animal in the Americas pre-European contact was dogs, the Indians could not travel long distances to hunt buffalo because they could not abandon their settlements near the water for long periods of time.  That is until the Spaniards introduced horses to the Indians.  Once natives had horses, hunting buffalo was much easier and convenient 

Plains Indians using horses to hunt

Tequesta people

The Indians that inhabited the Miami area were known as the Tequesta.  The Tequesta like the Plains Indians were hunters and gatherers but their main source of food was fish. Like the Plains Indians the Tequesta formed settlements on the Miami River and the chief lived at the mouth of the river by Biscayne Bay.


Resources: Textbook, http://www.ocls.info/virtual/galleries/history/native_americans.asp#mayaimi

The Agricultural Core

Although Miami does not have a real Agricultural society, there is a major water way that runs through the city.  The Miami River much like the waterways in the agricultural core serve an important purpose in helping stimulate the city's growth. The River now creates the Port of Miami, which is a vital port in the state of Florida.  But because the river runs right through Miami-Dade County it has begun to become polluted.  But businesses relying on the river and the port have made efforts to keep it clean.  


The Miami River is now home to cargo ships which transport important materials to nearby islands like Haiti.  Their cargo usually consists of: beans and rice, canned goods, clothing, household appliances, used cars, trucks, and buses. 


Resources: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_River_(Florida)

A tugboat pulling a cargo ship through the River.

Resource for image: http://www.glamourgrannytravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/tug.jpg