Miami is the largest city in southeastern Florida and the second largest city in the United States. It is one of the youngest cities in Florida, located between the swamps of the Everglades National Park and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the inner city is around 400,000, but the entire metropolitan area has about 5.5 million inhabitants.
According to ehuacom.com, The city is an economic and cultural center of global importance. It is characterized by a subtropical climate, a lively nightlife, beach culture and elaborate bodies of local beauties and beauties. It differs from other American cities in many ways. Thanks to the massive population of Latin America, you can speak Spanish rather than English. These people make up 65% of the city’s population. That’s also why Miami earned the nickname “Gateway to Latin America”.
Tequesta Indians lived in present-day Miami until the 18th century. The name Miami is said to come from their language, the Indian word Mayaimi means “big water”. The area was not suitable for human settlement, there were only swamps covered with subtropical shrubs everywhere, where alligators lived and above which ubiquitous mosquito clouds hovered. The entire area was part of the Everglades aquatic ecosystem. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that it was completely drained.
Within a few decades, Miami began to become a tourist paradise, where American cream went to rest. During World War II, until then, only seasonal Miami had become a year-round city. People came here not only because of the economic possibilities, but also because of the year-round favorable weather. The architecture was largely inspired by the Mediterranean style of Spain, Portugal and Italy. Eventually, Miami, which was originally intended only to serve as an exotic holiday resort for Americans, became the home of Latin American immigrants. However, Miami’s interconnectedness with the countries of South and Central America also made the city one of the most dangerous places in the world in the 1980s. Miami was home to traffickers, drug traffickers, various gangs and criminals.
But still, the urban part of the coast called Miami Beach evokes the idea of a tourist paradise, a city of fun and relaxation with long sunny beaches and stylish nightclubs. Unfortunately, there are also places that prefer tourists to be forbidden. A good example is Overtown – a poor township with high crime and unemployment. Other parts of the city include the originally ethnic enclaves of Little Havana and Little Haiti, the affluent suburb of Coral Gables with its university campus or the Coconut Grove Alternative Culture Center. The local port is one of the busiest in the world – almost 4 million cruise ships and 9 million tonnes of cargo pass through it every year.
Castillo De San Marcos National Monument
On the northeast coast of Florida is the town of St. Augustine (Saint Augustine), which is the oldest city in the United States. Its history dates back to 1565, when it was founded by the Spaniards and therefore does not deny its European roots. Today Augustine attracts many tourists from all over the world. It is a very pleasant city where you feel like you have gone back in time.
To defend the city from more and more frequent attacks, the Spaniards had the stone fortress of Castillo de San Marcos built here in 1672. The construction was worked on for 23 long years, and the inhabitants were convinced that it was not unnecessary work during the attacks of 1702 and 1740. The fortress withstood and was never conquered. In 1845, it was renamed Fort Marion in honor of a revolutionary hero.
This fortress, which was used by the American army until 1899, is now one of the main monuments of St. Augustine. In 1924 it was declared a national monument and 9 years later it became part of the system of national parks. In 1942, Congress decided to restore its original name, Castillo de San Marcos. Interestingly, the fortress was built from a material called Coquina, which is a glue of crushed sea shells. Today, this historic, 35-foot-high fortress with its accompanying foundations lies in a 10-hectare park and is washed by the sea on one side.
In the dark dungeons of the fortress, it is possible to meet a representative of the period doctor, who willingly and gladly explains to everyone the individual medical procedures that were performed at that time. You can view medical instruments that you would easily mistake for torturous instruments. It should be borne in mind that there was no anesthetic or disinfectant at the time, so the explanation of how limb cutting, veining, skull drilling or tooth tearing were performed at the time is only for a stronger nature. With a little luck, you can witness a cannon shot in the fortress, which will certainly be an unforgettable experience for you, as well as a visit to this breathtaking city.
