MIA  is  Miami

By Verdina Roka
When asked “What is MIA?  the 5.5 million residents of the Miami metropolitan area will tell you:  Miami!  It would not seem that a five-letter name like Miami would need a three-letter abbreviation, but there it is — with affection — as mia also means “mine” in the romance languages.  With our large Latin population, it is a natural fit.  MIA and Miami are commonly used for the general urbanized area when specific boundaries are not required.

More than 30 airports around the world share the M-I-A initials, but the call letters are assigned to only one:  the MIA  Miami International Airport.  Thus MIA has become Miami’s globally recognized iconic ID, with 16+ Million annual passenger arrivals memorizing it as “destination Miami“.

All pronounceable three-letter combinations have numerous meanings*  However, at any given moment, when asked to define MIA, there are multiple-millions who will quickly reply:  MIA IS MIAMI !
 
*Acronym Finder