San Diego, California
San Diego is one of the few internationally renowned tourist destinations where the city is ideal for visitors in terms of the weather and the attractions it has to offer. The city is home to sunshine year round, with near-perfect weather throughout the year. The city is home to natural attractions such as wonderful beaches and abundant parks and also natural wonders such as the La Jolla caves, which bring people from all over the world to this remarkable city.
Besides natural attractions; San Diego has some of the most popular zoos, Animal Parks, SeaWorld, and numerous world class museums that are sure to keep anyone busy for the period of their stay here. San Diego ranks highly in terms of shopping, dining and arts when compared with other major cities in United States. People here are fond of outdoor activities and are rated among the most fittest and the most beautiful people in United States.
When most people think of a tourist destination such as San Diego, the first thing that comes to mind is the enormous expense that it will cost. However, the city is not as expensive as most people consider it to be, there are numerous fun things to do that are absolutely free. The city is an inexpensive getaway for anyone who is looking to indulge in the time of their lives. The city's proximity to the Mexico border gives it an interesting mixture of culture and cuisine that is not found anywhere else in United States.
San Diego is a quintessential all-round international tourist destination and at the same time a great place to live and work. The city ranks highly among the fitness of its residents and is generally a very healthy city. The city has a huge population, of which the majority includes white population mixed with Latino or Hispanic race.
The city gets more than 30 million tourists every month who flock here throughout the year. The city boasts of diverse variety of attractions and 70 miles of Pacific coastlands.
San Diego enjoys a year round pleasant climate with mild winters and sun year round. The city has great shopping destinations with numerous open malls, boutiques and stores that are the perfect form of retail therapy. The real estate market is highly competitive and the price of properties is among the highest in United States.
The city has a strong presence of the Navy and the Navy building contractors who make the majority of the businesses. The city has great schools and hospital facilities that assure new residents the best of both. The libraries are well maintained and sufficiently stocked to keep any book lover occupied.
San Diego History
San Diego, California's history was first recorded with the arrival of the Spanish into the area which is now known as California in the early 16th century. The area was initially occupied by Native Americans popularly known as Kumeyaay and a few other tribes. Juan Rodríguez was the first European to visit this region, and became a long-term resident of America. Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy commissioned him to continue his explorations into California.
San Diego Bay was discoved in 1542 by Cabrillo, which was named as San Miguel. Cabillo went ashore, in the area that is known today as Ballast Point area of Point Loma. Cabillo's first landing is reenacted at the Cabrillo Festival every year, a festival which is sponsored by the Cabrillo National Monument.
After a period of Sixty years, the bay and the area of present day city of San Diego were christened with their current name by Sebastián Vizcaíno. Vizcanio in 1602 was given the responsibility of mapping the coastline of Alta California for Spain. The Spanish explorers for the first time camped in the Native American village of Nipaguay nearby and tool part in celebrations in honor of San Diego de Alcala. After this the state of California under the Audiencia of Guadalajara, was part of the Viceroyalty of Spain.
Gaspar and his expedition founded the first military post in the city called as the Presidio of San Diego in 1769. In the same year Franciscan friars Juan Viscaino, Junípero Serra and Fernando Parron establishing the first mission in the city of San Diego called as the Mission San Diego de Alcala.
In the 17th century A.D. the Colonists started arriving and in same year the Spanish suffered rebellion from the Native indigenous people and attacked the mission, killing the priest and two others, which led to the termination of the mission. Two years later the mission was re-ercted with fire-proof walls and tile-roofed structure built by Father Serra. This new mission had successfully become the biggest mission in California by the end of the 17th century, with a population of more than a thousand people of which the maximum were presumably the Native Americans who converted and choose to be associated with the mission. These Indians were known as the "Mission Indians".
In the 1821 Mexican War of Independence, the Mexicans defeated the Spanish and annexed the area now occupied by San Diego into the Alta California. Jose Figueroa was petitioned by close to 400 people to become the Governor. Juan Maria was the first Mayor of the city, The town gained the name of Presidio Hill; this area today is called as the Old Town San Diego State. The city was miles away from navigable water, which led to the imported goods and exports to be forced to be carried over the La Playa Trail. The location of the city was not ideal and the city did not grow at the same speed as other cities. The population of the city in 1830 remained at about 600 and by 1838 due to further reduction in population was estimated to be around 100 to 150 permanent residents.
Only after the victory of the United States troops in1850 in the Mexican-American War and the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Alta California became a part of U.S. San Diego at this time was still small and was the size of a village. It was integrated as a city and was also named as the county seat of the newly established County of San Diego. At that time the population of the city was around 650 and grew in 1860 to 731.
About San Diego, California
The city of San Diego is the eight largest city in United States and also the second largest city in the state of California. The city is the birthplace of the state of California and is located in the Southern part of California on Pacific Ocean. The city is about 10 minutes away from the international borders of Mexico and is situated immediately adjacent to the borders. San Diego is also the county seat of the San Diego County and acts as the economic center of the San Diego - Carlsbad - San Marcos metropolitan area.
The city is famous for its year round mild climate that has made it a favorite tourist destination. The city has also had a long connection with the United States Navy. The city has a population of approximately 1.3 million people according to the 2010 United States Census. The city is governed by an 8 member city council and mayor. The city has a strong mayor form of government, from the earlier used city manager form of system. The city is well connected city with buses, trolleys and trains.
The metro area lies in a mountainous region with deep canyons and hills that separate its various neighborhoods. This has created a segmented form of a city that has created distinctions between neighborhoods and business destinations. The River San Diego runs through the city from east to west, dividing the city into north and south. The city has 52 individual areas that are designated as Community Planning Areas and more than 100 identified neighborhoods. The city has among the most impressive ocean front skyline in the world that competed with the skyline of cities such as New York, Sydney, Melbourne, etc.
The economy of San Diego is largely based on military, international trade, research and tourism. The city has a deep water port that is the only major shipbuilding yard and submarine yard in the West Coasts that is used by major national defense contractors. The city also hosts that biggest naval fleet in the world. There is a huge presence of Naval soldiers and businesses who depend on the navy directly or indirectly. The United States Navy is the largest employer in San Diego with more than 55,300 employees.
The city was designated as an iHub Development Center in 2010 for the large number of wireless businesses, medical device and pharmaceutical research centers. The city has headquarters of Qualcomm and U.S. headquarters of LG Electronics, Novatel Wireless and Kyocera International. The city gets a large number of highly educated graduated from the University of California and other research institutions. The city has been rated as the top biotech cluster in the country and one of the top biotech cities in the world. Tourism is also a major industry in Sand Diego, with the perfect climate, and loads of tourist attractions year round attracting 30 million people every year.
San Diegans love outdoor activities and take part in numerous sports. The city has till now hosted three NFL Super Bowl championships and also the World Baseball Classic. The NFL's San Diego Chargers and the San Diego Padres hail from San Diego. The city's Universities also have a good presence in college sports. The city is also host to the annual PGA Farmers Insurance Open golf tournaments and also played host once to the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship.
About San Diego County, California
The city of San Diego serves as the seat of the San Diego County. The county is located in the southwestern side of California and is situated adjacent to the Mexican Border. San Diego is the largest city of the county. The county has a population of close to 3 million people according to the 2010 United States Census, making it the fifth most populated county in United States. The county is the second largest county in the state of California after the Los Angeles County in terms of population. San Diego's county neighbors include Imperial County, Riverside County, Orange County and Pacific County.
The county has about 70 miles of coastline, with a semi-arid to mild Mediterranean climate. The county has a significant presence of military and navy. Major based of the U.S. Marine Corps, the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Naval Air Station North Island and the Naval Base San Diego are all located in the Sand Diego County.
The county area had been for more 10,000 years been inhabited by Cupeno, Cahuilla, Luiseno and Kumeyaay Native Indian tribes. The county began when the Mission San Diego was founded by the Europeans in 1769. The County was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain for a long time after formation. The County was annexed during the Mexican revolution into the Mexican territory. The county again became part of United States in 1848 after the treaty of Guadalups Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican war. Initially the San Diego County was very large and was subjected to reduction to reduce the size of the county.
The San Diego county has since a very long time been a Republican stronghold. Only in 2008 did the Democrats for the first time were able to gain a large share and get their candidate selected. The county is well developed economic zone, with the Navy being a major source of income and employment. Three of the public state universities are located in the county such as San Diego State University, University of California and the California State University.