Overview
An Indian tribe lived in the area of modern Miami before the Europeans. The first permanent European settlements in southern Florida appeared in the early 19th century, and these communities were called the Village of Miami. In addition to Europeans and Indians, the population consisted of runaway black slaves. On July 28, 1896, as a result of voting at the unification meeting, it was decided to give Miami the status of a city, and 444 people became the first residents of Miami as a city (Carr, 2012). Since then, the active industrial development of the community began, as well as agricultural improvement.
During World War II, several military bases were located in the Miami area. In the late 1950s and 1960s and 1980, waves of Cuban emigration regularly flooded Miami, which influenced the cultural and social structure of the city (Carr, 2012). In the 1980s, people actively immigrated from Haiti, and Haitian and Cuban languages became legal in official documents along with English (Carr, 2012). The socio-cultural development of the community was interrupted continuously by hurricanes which led to jumps in the population count. The represented community belongs to the urban type, as it has a high population density, a high level of infrastructure development, and a population of over 100,000 citizens.
Physical Environmental Considerations
The Community as a Place
Miami is placed on the Atlantic coast of the southeastern part of the Florida peninsula on flat terrain between the wetlands of the Everglades and Biscayne Bay. The average height of the city fluctuates at the level of 0.91 m in most areas, especially near the coast (Carr, 2012). The main territory of the community is settled either on the coast or artificial barrier islands in the bay. According to topographic characteristics, Miami is a plain, the geological basis of which is oolitic limestone. The central water resource of the community is the Miami River.
The warm oceanic Gulf Stream flows close to the shoreline of Miami, which makes its climate sunny and mild. The weather in Miami is tropical monsoon with hot and humid summers and short, warm winters, with a distinct drought season in winter. The rainy season begins in May and ends in October. Most annual precipitation falls during this period. The tropical season usually lasts from June to November, and this is the most expected time for the appearance of a hurricane. According to its territory, Miami is one of the smallest large cities in the United States. The area of the community is 143.15 km², and only 92.68 km² of them relate to land, the rest is water (Carr, 2012). Moreover, Miami borders with Cuba and the Bahamas through the Strait of Florida.
Environment
Nowadays, governmental services provide purified drinking water and improve wastewater services. The official website claims “Miami-Dade County maintains more than 7,700 miles of underground water lines, as well as about 6,200 miles of sewer lines, serving some 2.3 million residents and thousands of visitors” (Miami-Dade County, 2020). In Miami, water waste and sewage go to an ocean outfall and underground irrigation since government promotes water conservation and work to protect public health and the environment.
The state has several natural zones at once, such as grassy swamps, salt marshes, lowland forests, savannas, pine and deciduous forests. In addition to plant wealth, wild boar and dogs, foxes, marsh rabbits, and raccoons inhabit here. Freshwater fish, as well as crabs and lobsters, live there, and variety of reptiles and snakes, are equally widespread. According to the latest air pollution reports, Miami registered no days of air classified as unhealthy or very unhealthy during the last year, and particle contamination was not detected as well (American Lung Association, 2020). The community is provided with various types of food supplies, from supermarkets of multiple levels to cafes and restaurants. The main threat to the Miami population is the high probability of damage caused by a hurricane. Although the danger is possible, the regularity of storms has prepared the locals for such situations. Now, most of the citizens have a specific algorithm of actions during a disaster.
In Miami, multiple programs are providing many segments of the population with public housing. 53% of all real estate is public buildings, and most buildings in Miami are in stable or satisfactory condition (Housing, 2020). At least 70% of Miami real estate is rented buildings (Housing, 2020). There are public buildings for low-income people or special social groups, and homeless veterans and their families are prioritized for housing for unhoused people. Miami is one of the most important financial centers in the USA. Firstly, Miami contains a port in which a large number of liners and merchant ships entering. Secondly, the banking industry is highly developed and provides a considerable amount of occupations. Thirdly, tourism and services are well developed, and Miami has one of the largest television markets in the nation.
The People of the Community
Miami’s population, according to the latest data, is 470,900, and its population density is 4,866 people per square kilometer. Over the past ten years, the Miami population has increased by 80,000 people. Since the coefficient of urbanization has been growing recently, migrations within the community have occurred from the suburbs to the city center. The average number of people per house holding is three, and about 30% of families are beyond poverty. Moreover, the middle-class family type predominates in the community presented.
The most significant part of the population is people from 25 to 34 years old, and the smallest group is people over 80 years old; however, the average age of the community is 40,5. The distribution by gender is almost even, 50.6% are male, and 49.4% are female. 70% of the population are white Hispanics, 19% are African-American, 11.9% are white non-Hispanics, 1% are Asians, and other nationalities are 4.2%. The average number of deaths is 165,000 per year, and the average number of births is 182,000 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). Lately, age-related mortality has decreased as the number of deaths due to heart disease in middle-aged people has increased. Such indicators as six infant deaths per 1000 live births and 0.4 maternal deaths per 1000 births are also observed. Leading causes of death are heart disease, various types of cancer and stroke.
Significant historical events are the constant struggle for the rights of people of color, and despite their numerical advantage, discrimination still exists. The community is in continuous economic development, and over the past twenty years, Miami from one of the poorest cities has become one of the wealthiest cities in the USA; moreover, the community continues to increase its performance. As in many megacities, communication between members of a population occurs at workplaces or in places of residence. Only 0.8% of all deaths result from homicides and 2% from suicides, which is one of the lowest rates in the country. State structures that ensure orders are well developed and cope with their duties, although previously Miami was known as the criminal capital. Despite all the positive aspects of the community, there are familiar sources of stress, such as job shortages and low incomes for some segments of the population.
Greater Downtown households earn more than the average families of the City of Miami. Average households in Greater Downtown make $31,258 more than City of Miami houses, and on average, community residents earn $54,723 (Martinez & Angleton, 2018). The three largest employment industries in the population are educational services, public administration, and professional, scientific, and technical services. According to the latest data, the part of unemployed citizens is 3.3%, and 25.8% of the population are people for whom poverty status is determined in Miami. Since Miami has a high standard of living, retired people can also rely on social protection and all sorts of benefits. Christianity is the most prevalent religion in Miami as 68% of citizens practice it, 24% of the population consider themselves as atheists, and 8% profess other faiths. Miami presents the ratio of marriage status as 7.3 marriages per 1000 people and 3.6 divorces per 1000 people. 73% of Miami’s population uses a language other than English (mostly Spanish), 22% practice English, and 5% speak other Indo-European and Asian languages.
The current head of government in Miami is Mayor Francis Suarez. Miami-Dade County Public Schools run Miami’s public schools. There are a large number of public schools and universities so that all their populations have the opportunity to get a reliable education. In Miami, there are several prestigious Catholic, Jewish, as well as non-confessional private schools. The community includes various state libraries for different representatives of the population, for example, children’s libraries, university libraries for students of many specialities, as well as public libraries for everyone. The Miami government also provides all people at risk with specialized services, for example, provides financial and psychological support to pregnant teens, provides disabled people with the necessary medicines and equipment. The primary mode of transport is personal cars that are used by 72% of the population, and the rest use public transport (Metrorail).
Furthermore, every day more and more community representatives use the bike as their primary way of transportation. Miami population has average health and well-being in the country. The city has a large number of museums and art objects, as well as nearby natural monuments. Moreover, Miami is known for its beaches, and community representatives have the opportunity to use these facilities as they wish. Additionally, about 13% of the population have a smoking habit, and 19% do not have health insurance. Indeed, medicine in Miami is at the highest level, and the development of the health care sector in recent years has led to a high level of medical tourism, which negatively affects prices for residents.
References
American Lung Association. (2020). Miami-Dade. Web.
Carr, R. S. (2012). Digging Miami. University Press of Florida.
Housing. (2020). Web.
Martinez, N., & Angleton, K. (2018). Demographics report. Web.
Miami-Dade County. (2020). Water and Sewer Department. Web.
National Center for Health Statistics. (2020). Florida. Web.