San Diego is a city located in the southwestern corner of the state of California (and thus in the southwestern corner of the continental United States). It is the county seat of San Diego County, California. The city is noted for its temperate climate and beautiful beaches. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,223,400. The city is the second largest in California and the seventh largest in the United States.

San Diego is the home of numerous military facilities including Navy ports and Marine bases. It is the home port of three Navy supercarriers, the USS John C. Stennis, the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan, five amphibs, several nuclear submarines, and numerous smaller ships. One of the United States Marine Corps' two Recruit Depots is located here. Several Navy vessels have been named USS San Diego in honor of the city.

History
San Diego was discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, sailing for Spain, in 1542. He named it San Miguel. The San Diego Bay and the area of present day San Diego were named 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 (or Saint) Diego de Alcala (Saint Didicus of Alcala). California was then part of the colony of New Spain.

In 1769, Gaspar de Portolá and his expedition founded a presidio (or military post) and on Sunday July 16, Franciscan Fathers Junípero Serra, Juan Viscaino and Fernando Parron raised and blessed a cross, establishing the first mission in Upper California, which was named for San Diego de Alcala.

In 1822, New Spain became Mexico. San Diego was incorporated as a town in 1834 and Juan Maria Osuna elected the first alcalde (or mayor). The province of Alta California became part of the United States of America after the Mexican-American War.

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.

Attractions
San Diego is a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. Noted San Diego tourist attractions include:


San Diego Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park
Mission Bay
Old Town
SeaWorld
Gaslamp Quarter
Petco Park
Qualcomm Stadium
Balboa Park
San Diego is about two and a half hours south of Los Angeles and about half an hour north of Tijuana, Mexico.

Geography
San Diego is located at 32°46'46" North, 117°8'47" West (32.779541, -117.146344)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 963.6 km˛ (372.0 mi˛). 840.0 km˛ (324.3 mi˛) of it is land and 123.5 km˛ (47.7 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 12.82% water.

The city's borders are very irregularly shaped because of the absorption of many suburbs into the city limits.

Demographics (2000 census)
As of the census of 2000, there are 1,223,400 people, 450,691 households, and 271,315 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,456.4/km˛ (3,771.9/mi˛). There are 469,689 housing units at an average density of 559.1/km˛ (1,448.1/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 60.18% White, 7.86% African American, 0.62% Native American, 13.65% Asian, 0.48% Pacific Islander, 12.39% from other races, and 4.83% from two or more races. 25.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 450,691 households out of which 30.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% are non-families. 28.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.61 and the average family size is 3.30.

In the city the population is spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $45,733, and the median income for a family is $53,060. Males have a median income of $36,984 versus $31,076 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,609. 14.6% of the population and 10.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 20.0% are under the age of 18 and 7.6% are 65 or older.

Colleges and Universities
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
San Diego State University (SDSU)
University of San Diego (USD) (Roman Catholic)
Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) (Nazarene)
Alliant International University (AIU)
New School of Architecture & Design (NSAD)

Sports Teams
San Diego Padres (Major League Baseball)
San Diego Chargers (National Football League)
San Diego Gulls (East Coast Hockey League) (minor league)


Airports
San Diego International Airport, also Lindbergh International Airport or Lindbergh Field


Localities
La Jolla
Mission Beach
Pacific Beach
Ocean Beach
Miramar
Mira Mesa
Rancho Bernardo
Mission Valley
Poway
Scripps Ranch
University Towne Center