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San Antonio, Texas
Originally founded by Canary Islanders in 1731 (although a small Indian community had already been established in the San Pedro Springs area called Yanaguana), San Antonio de Béxar was an early Spanish settlement in the Americas. The Battle of the Alamo took place nearby in 1836, and eventually the town would grow to encompass the embattled mission. Today, the Alamo is in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Famous for its Riverwalk and the Alamo, the Tower Life Building and being home to SeaWorld and Six Flags theme parks, San Antonio is visited by 20 million tourists per year. The city is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Brooks City Base. San Antonio is home to the state's first art museum (Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum). SBC Communications, Valero Energy Corp, United Services Automobile Association, Tesoro Petroleum Corp , and Clear Channel Communications are headquartered in San Antonio. San Antonio is served by San Antonio International Airport. The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the heaviest buildings ever moved intact. It was placed in its new location, three blocks south of the Alamo, over 4 days in 1985, and cost $650,000 to move.
Tourism San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. The jewel of the city is the Paseo del Rio, or River Walk, which meanders through the downtown area. Lined with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants as well as the Arneson River Theater, this attraction is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.  The downtown area also features HemisFair Park (home of the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures), La Villita, El Mercado, and the city's most widely recognized landmark, the Alamo. Other places of interest include Brackenridge Park (home of the San Antonio Zoo), the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the Witte Museum, the McNay Art Museum, SeaWorld of Texas, and the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park. Every April, San Antonio hosts Fiesta San Antonio, a 10-day celebration of the city's diverse cultures and of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Visitors can also experience something of the cowboy culture every February at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo; year round, they can also see the 40 ft. tall cowboy boots at North Star Mall. Beyond taking in the sights and sounds of San Antonio, tourists can sample some of its world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants located throughout the city. San Antonio also has no shortage of establishments offering Texas style barbecue, and for the truly intrepid barbecue aficionado, a day trip to some of the more renowned barbecue pits and smokehouses of Central Texas is both necessary and easily manageable. GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,067.3 km² (412.07 mi²). 1,055.6 km² (407.56 mi²) of it is land and 11.7 km² (4.51 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% water. The city sits on the Balcones Escarpment. WeatherSan Antonio's weather can be described as somewhat dry air, hot in the summer, cool in the winter, and rather comfortable in the spring and fall. Only a few freezes occur each year and snow is almost unheard of. Monthly Averages (in degrees Fahrenheit) Jan 62 High, 39 Low In San Antonio, July is the average warmest month. The highest temperature ever to be recorded was 108°F in 1986. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0°F in 1949. May, June and October have quite a bit of precipitation. Note: These are averages provided from www.weather.com. DemographicsAccording to the 2000 census, San Antonio is the 9th largest city in the United States and the third largest in Texas. There are 1,144,646 people, 405,474 households, and 280,993 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,084.4/km² (2,808.5/mi²). There are 433,122 housing units at an average density of 410.3/km² (1,062.7/mi²). According to Texas.com, the current racial make up of San Antonio is: 32% non-Hispanic White, 7% African-American, 2% Asian, 1% Native American; 58% of the population is Hispanic. Whites tend to settle on the North and Northwest side, Blacks generally on the East side, Hispanics in the West, Central and South sides. In the city the population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population are Males, and 52% of the population are Females. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city is $36,214, and the median income for a family is $41,331. Males have a median income of $30,061 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,487. 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. GovernmentSan Antonio operates on the council-manager form of government. Voters elect 11 representatives. This includes 10 district representatives and 1 mayor to pass laws and establish policies for the city. San Antonio Politics is non-partisian. Representatives are paid $20 dollars a meeting, while the Mayor earns $4040 dollars a year. The council hires a City Manager to serve as the City's chief administrator. TransportationThe San Antonio International Airport is located in north central San Antonio, approximately eight miles from downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 12 airlines serving 28 destinations including 3 in Mexico. An extensive bus and trolley system is provided by the city's metropolitan transit system, VIA. VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four trolley routes, including express routes from downtown to the theme parks. VIA also offers a special service to city events, including Spurs games and city parades, from its Park and Ride locations. CommunicationNewspaperSan Antonio has one major newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News , which has been in service since 1865. The Express-News currently circulates as the largest newspaper service in South Texas. A second newspaper, the San Antonio Light , existed, but it went out of business in 1993. TelevisionCBS: KENS-5 NBC: WOAI-4 (Formerly KMOL) ABC: KSAT-12 FOX: KABB-29 PBS: KLRN-9 WB: KRRT-35 UPN: KBEJ-2 RadioThere are about 40 radio stations that can be heard in the San Antonio area with 30 of these located inside San Antonio. Perhaps the most visible station in San Antonio is WOAI AM-1200 (affiliated with the TV Station), who are the radio home of the San Antonio Spurs. EducationSan Antonio hosts several institutions of higher education offering associate's degrees or higher, including:
And many other institutions that offer courses and trainings for individuals Libraries
Sports TeamsThe city's only top-level professional sports team, and consequentialy the team most San Antonians follow, is the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. The Spurs have been playing in San Antonio since 1973 and have won two NBA Championships. Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, which was built for football, but the Spurs built and moved into the SBC Center in 2002. One of the immedeate consequences for the SBC Center is the creation of two new teams, The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. San Antonio is also home to the Double-A Minor League affilate of the Seattle Mariners, the San Antonio Missions who play at Nelson Wolff Stadium on the East-side of town.
NightlifeSan Antonio has a robust nightlife that centers on several key areas:
NeighborhoodsSan Antonio has several neighborhoods of interest:
Notable NativesHenry Cisneros was the mayor of San Antonio from 1981 to 1989. He was the first Hispanic mayor of a major U.S. city, and later went on to serve as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton. San Antonio NFL players include Keith Cash and Kerry Cash (Holmes High School), Priest Holmes and Ndukwe "N.D." Kalu (Marshall High School). Shaquille O'Neal graduated from Cole High School, having led his team to a 36-0 record and a state championship his senior year. Native actors include Carol Burnett and Ann Prentiss. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Josh Davis was born in San Antonio on September 1, 1972, the same day Mark Spitz won one of his seven 1972 gold medals and made Olympic history. Syndicated advice columnist Heloise was born and still lives in San Antonio. Professional wrestler Shawn Michaels grew up on Lackland Air Force Base, where his father, an Air Force colonel, was stationed. Country Music Star George Strait Actor Tommy Lee Jones External links
The contents of this article are licensed from Wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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