San Diego is a coastal southern California city located in the extreme southwestern corner of the continental United States. It is the county seat of San Diego County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,223,400; as of 2005, the California Department of Finance estimated the city to have 1,305,736 residents. The city is the second-largest in California and the seventh-largest in the United States and is noted for its temperate climate and many beaches. It is also the home of many U.S. military facilities, including U.S. Navy ports, Marine Corps bases, and Coast Guard stations. It is the home port of the largest naval fleet in the world, including two Navy supercarriers (the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan) five amphibious assault ships, several Los Angeles-class submarines, and many smaller ships. One of the Marine Corps' two Recruit Depots is located here. San Diego is also known as the "birthplace of naval aviation," though Pensacola, Florida makes a rival claim.
Several Navy vessels have been named USS San Diego in honor of the city.
San Diego is famous for its temperate climate. Onshore breezes from the Pacific Ocean tempers the local climate so that the summers are cooler and the winters are warmer. The average summer daytime highs are 25°C (76°F) with overnight lows of 19°C (66°F). Average winter daytime highs are 19°C (66°F) with overnight lows of 9°C (49°F). San Diego averages 10 inches of rain per year, with most of it falling from November to March.
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History
The area has long been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the region was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Sailing under the flag of Spain, in 1542, Cabrillo named what is now known as San Diego, San Miguel. The San Diego Bay and the area of present-day San Diego were given their current names by Sebastian Vizcaino when he was mapping the coastline of Alta California for Spain in 1602. The explorers camped near a Native American village called Nipaguay and celebrated Mass in honor of San Diego de Alcala (Saint Didacus of Alcalá). California was then part of the colony of New Spain.
In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà and his expedition founded the Presidio of San Diego (military post), and on July 16, Franciscan friars Junípero Serra, Juan Viscaino and Fernando Parron raised and blessed a cross, establishing the first mission in Upper California, Mission San Diego de Alcala. Colonists began arriving in 1774; the following year, the native people rebelled. They killed the priest and two others, and burned the mission. Father Serra organized the rebuilding and two years later a fire-proof adobe structure was built. By 1797 the mission had become the largest in California, with over 1,400 natives associated with it.
In 1821, Spain recognized Mexico's independence. The governor of Alta California and Baja California moved the capital to San Diego from Monterey. The mission was secularized in 1834 and 432 people petitioned Governor José Figueroa to form a pueblo. Commandant Santiago Arguello endorsed it. Juan Maria Osuna was elected the first alcalde (mayor), winning over Pio Pico in the 13 ballots cast. However, the population of the town shrank to little over a hundred persons, and by the late 1830s it lost its township until the province of Alta California became part of the United States in 1850 following the Mexican defeat in the Mexican-American War. The village was designated the seat of the newly-established San Diego County and incorporated as a city.
In 1885, San Diego was linked to the rest of the nation by railroad. San Diego was reincorporated as a city in 1886.
Significant U.S. Naval presence began in 1907 with the establishment of the Navy Coaling Station.
San Diego hosted two World's Fairs, the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935.
Since World War II, the military has played a leading role in the local economy. Following the end of the Cold War the military presence has diminished considerably. San Diego has since become a center of the emerging biotech industry and is home to telecommunications giant Qualcomm.
Largely because of their city's strong military presence, San Diegans have a reputation for being more politically conservative than residents of California's other two large coastal cities. This reputation is still true when San Diego is compared to San Francisco and Los Angeles, but the city is changing and it is not nearly as conservative as Orange County to the north, or even the northern portion of San Diego County itself. Indications are that while suburban areas of San Diego County are fairly Republican, the city of San Diego itself tilts toward Democrats, for example Al Gore and John Kerry both won the city of San Diego despite losing San Diego County narrowly; notably, reports [1] show that as of 2005 registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans, 39% to 34%, within the city itself.
Beginning in 2003, the public became aware of an ongoing pension fund scandal which has left the city with an estimated $1.4 billion pension fund gap. Despite mounting problems with city finances the incumbent Mayor Dick Murphy narrowly won re-election with a plurality of votes. Some controversy ensued during and after the election when, contrary the San Diego City Charter, current city councilmember Donna Frye was allowed to run as a write-in candidate one month before election day. While more may have intended to vote for her than Dick Murphy, many did not fill in the "bubble" next to her written name and thus these were not counted as legitimate votes.
With mounting pressure, Mayor Dick Murphy, in April 2005, announced his intent to resign by mid-July. A few days after his resignation two city councilmembers, Ralph Inzunza and deputy mayor Michael Zucchet, who was to take Murphy's place, were convicted for taking bribes in a scheme to get the city's "no touch" laws at strip clubs repealed. Both subsequently resigned.
On July 26, 2005, city councilmember Donna Frye finished first in the special election to replace Dick Murphy with 43% of the vote, but was without the majority required to win outright. She lost the run-off election to the second place finisher, former San Diego police chief Jerry Sanders on a November 8, 2005 ballot.
Because of its many recent scandals, San Diego briefly removed references to its longtime nickname, "America's Finest City," from its official city website, as reported by the Associated Press. As of December 5, 2005, the nickname appeared on San Diego's website once again, as pledged by mayor Jerry Sanders at his inauguration ceremony.
What to do : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Diego Zoo, San Diego
Considered one of America's best, this famous zoo is home to some of the rarest animals in the world including giant pandas and koalas. Visitors explore animal habitats organized into 10 bioclimatic zones, from arctic tundra to rainforest.
Attraction type: Zoo; Garden; Wildlife park; Tram
SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego
Home to a plethora of fabulously talented sea creatures including the famous killer whale Shamu.
Attraction type: Amusement/theme park; Aquarium; Wildlife park
Balboa Park, San Diego
One of the most popular urban parks in the United States, this bucolic paradise is packed with an array of attractions, including the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Attraction type: Garden; Park; Sports complex; Urban park; Museum complex; Playground; Zoo; Theater; Golf course
Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego
A 16-block national historic district that offers visitors a variety of restaurants and shops, as well as an eyeful of Victorian architecture.
Attraction type: Neighborhood; Scenic/historic walking area; Specialty shop; Historic walking area; Historic village
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego
Historic site in downtown San Diego that recreates life in the Mexican and early American periods of 1821 to 1872.
Attraction type: Historic walking area; Scenic/historic walking area; State park; Neighborhood
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