Miami, Florida: October 2011

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Changing South

Miami Florida, although it had joined the United States, after the main colonies to the north still had an impact on the plantation system in the South. Because of the tropical climate Miami was a perfect place to grow can sugar. Also because it was right next to the ocean it was an ideal place to set up trading docks so the merchants can bring in goods from the Caribbean.

But now that slavery no longer exists and Miami is a a developed, urban city there is no need for cane sugar plantations any more. Miami is actually one of the only cities that has more white collar jobs then blue collar jobs. Also the majority of the minority population in Miami is not black; the main demographic in Miami is Hispanic. Cubans migrated here in huge numbers after the Cuban revolution.

Miami Population Diversity
Race	Title Elements	# People of this race
White		275,731
Black		78,823
American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut		568
Asian or Pacific Islander		2,711
Other		15,424
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander		327
Hispanic		267,341

(Source)

What Mountain Ranges?

When you hear about the Appalachian mountains and the Ozarks you think tall rigid mountains But when you go to Miami Florida you will not see any of those. Miami is only 15 feel above sea level. That is nowhere near the heights reached in the Appalachia. But there is a region near Miami that differs from the typical beach geaography.(source)

Florida Everglades

The Everglades next to Miami Dade County are marshlands within the subtropical region of Southern Florida. The only problem with these marshlands being next to the big city Miami is that Miami's growth is starting to grow into the Everglades. This leads to people finding marshland animals such as alligators in their backyard. The waters from the Everglades also causes floods in Miami so in 1974 Florida crated the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project. This project helped build canals and levees to help prevent flooding. (source)

A gator in someone's pool

The Bypassed East

The bypassed East is a beautiful place filled with lush green forests and meadows, but Miami is the polar opposite of that. There is not an abundance of forests or meadows in Miami, but there is one thing Miami has and that is some of the beast beaches in the world. Miami is the third most visited city in the United States behind Los Angeles and new York. And everyone who visits Miami usually comes for the amazing beaches and beautiful weather. (source)

Miami Coastline

Thunderstorm over Miami

Just like the East there is rainfall in Miami but it is nothing like the rainfall in the North-East. Rainfall in Miami is tropical and usually occurs between the months of May and September. Even when the rain falls in Miami people do not run inside or put on their raincoats, the rain only last about 10-20 minutes.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Manufacturing

Miami oolite, or Miami limestone

Miami does not have a big manufacturing core like the East Coast and Central United States, but that is not to say no important natural resources exist in Miami. Miami's bedrock is made of all Miami limestone. The limestone was a result of the change in sea level starting about 130,000 years ago. About 4,00 years ago when the sea level had stabilized the limestone and a thin layer of soil were just above sea level creating the Southeast portion of Florida. besides the limestone Miami is also has a very important underground aquifer that provides fresh water for the Miami-Dade county. The Biscayner aquifer runs from Palm Beach county to the Florida Bay. (source)

A total of 6.1% of Miami's working population work in either mining or manufacturing. Most of Miami's jobs are in offices or in shipping.

http://www.miamidade.gov/planzone/library/narratives/EmploymentGlance.pdf

Megalopolis

Although Miami is not considered A megalopolis it is the second largest city in Florida. With a population of about 399,457 Miami is right after Jacksonville. From 1900 Miami's population has jumped from 1,681 to almost 400,000.

http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=95

Year	City proper^[65]	Metro area^[66]
Miami population
1900	1,681	N/A
1910	5,471	N/A
1920	29,549	66,542
1930	110,637	214,830
1940	172,172	387,522
1950	249,276	693,705
1960	291,688	1,497,099
1970	334,859	2,236,645
1980	346,865	3,220,844
1990	358,548	4,056,100
2000	362,470	5,007,564
2010	399,457^[67]	5,564,635

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami

Though Miami has yet to reach the heights of New York and Boston its economy is greatly improving. Before Miami's major source of income was tourism but starting in the early 2000s trade has been increasing in the Miami region. Because many companies choose to establish their Latin American headquarters in southern Florida, Miami-Dade County is known as the "Gateway to the Americas." In 2003 approximately 1,200 multinational corporations were established in the region. (source) International banking has also risen in the Miami area. With total deposits of $74.3 billion in 2003, about 100 commercial banks, thrift institutions, foreign bank agencies, and Edge Act banks are located in downtown Miami, representing the largest concentration of domestic and international banks on the East Coast south of New York. (source)

Miami is on its way to becoming a major factor in the American economy and I predict in a few years it will reach the levels of many megalopolises like New York and Los Angeles.

Downtown Miami

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Foundations of Human Activity

Native Americans arrived in the Miami region about 10,000 years ago. The area was covered in pine forests and had plenty of animals to hunt. They settled along the Miami River. The Tequesta Indians were the main tribe when the Spanish first ventured into Miami. The Tequesta had a lot control of almost all of South-eastern Florida. These Indians were not agricultural, but they did hunt, fish, and collect fruit and plants roots.

In 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon saw Miami from the his ship but he did not come ashore. The Spanish did not step foot into the Miami area until Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed in Miami looking for his son. While there the Spaniards set up a mission to try to convert the Tequesta. But by 1570 the missionaries went to look for more willing subject and left Miami. The Spanish did not come back to Miami until 1743 and this time they built a mission and a fort. However once again the mission was pulled in less than a year.

The first non-Europeans to migrate to Florida were the Cubans. After Fidel Castro had taken over Cuba many middle class and wealthy Cubans fled to Miami. Many people in Miami did not like this migration, especially the African Americans, because the Cubans were taking their jobs. in 1956 100,000 Cubans flew to Miami and settled in the Riverside region, which is now better known as "Little Havana".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Miami

Cuban wall art in Little Havana, Miami

Source for photo

Miami Florida now has a population of 362,470 people. Of that population about 65% of them are Hispanic or Latino and the remaining 35% are non-Hispanic or Latino; 11% of this is White. It is safe to say that the major religion within Miami is Catholicism. It is not only safe to say that...it is true. About 61% of Miami-Dade County is Catholic, 9% are Southern Baptist, and 30% are other religions.

Sources:
http://miamifl.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm
http://www.city-data.com/county/religion/Miami-Dade-County-FL.html

A Catholic Church in Miami

Source for Photo

Monday, October 10, 2011

Regions, Themes, and the Physical Environment.

The Miami Flag

Miami, Florida is located in the South-east United States.In terms of land area, It is on the South-east tip of Florida right along the Atlantic Coast. Miami is one of the smallest major cities in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau, the city encompasses a total area of 55.27 sq mi (143.1 km²). Of that area, 35.67 sq mi (92.4 km²) is land and 19.59 sq mi (50.7 km²) is water. That means Miami comprises over 400,000 people in a mere 35 square miles (91 km²), making it one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, along with New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago among others. Miami is also separated into sections. The sections are North, South, West, and Downtown. The one important physical feature of Miami is the Miami River. This river runs from the Everglades right through Downtown Miami. The mouth of the river is now home to the Port of Miami.

Different sections of Miami.

Climate:

Miami is classified as having a tropical Monsoon climate. The summers are long and humid while the winters are short and warm. But Miami is not all sunshine and rainbows. Between the months of June and November residents have to worry about hurricanes. The worst time during hurricane season is mid-August which is the peak of the Cape Verde season. According to the graph below much of the rain accumulated in Miami falls between the months of May and September. During these months the temperature vary from the mid 80's to the low 90's.