Portal:Florida/Selected article/1
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The Miami River is a river flowing through Florida that drains out of the Everglades and runs through downtown Miami, Florida. The 5.5 mile (8.9 km) long river flows from Miami International Airport (Miami Canal) to Biscayne Bay. The river was originally a natural river inhabited at its mouth by the Tequesta Indians, but it was dredged and is now polluted because of its proximity to the Miami-Dade metropolis. The mouth of the river is now home to the Port of Miami and many other businesses whose pressure to maintain it has helped to improve the rivers condition. While it is widely believed that the name is derived from a Native American word that means "sweet water", the earliest mention of the name comes from Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, who was held captive by Indians in southern Florida for 17 years, when he referred to what is now Lake Okeechobee as the Lake of Mayaimi, which is called Mayaimi because it is very large. The river has also been called the Garband River, Rio Ratones, Fresh Water River, Sweetwater River and Lemon River. It has also been known as the Miami River since the Second Seminole War of 1835–42.
