Miami is located in southern Florida, around the Miami River, between the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean.
It was founded on July 28, 1896 and according to the 2009 census has a population of 433,136. Its metropolitan area includes more than 5.4 million inhabitants, making it the seventh largest in the United States.
The United Nations has calculated that Miami became the ninth biggest metropolitan area in the country, behind Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, and Dallas.
It is considered a city of global importance in finance, commerce, communication media, entertainment, the arts, and international business.
It is the site of numerous company head offices, banks, and television studios. It is also an international center of popular entertainment in television, music, fashion, film, and the performing arts.