Neptune's Needle

City (1990 pop. 1,110,549; 2000 pop. 1,223,400), (cap.) San Diego co., S Calif., 110 miles SSE of Los Angeles on San Diego Bay; 32º49'N 117º08'W. It is the 2d-largest city in Calif. and has an excellent natural harbor. Hot, dry climate modified by ocean currents from N and W. It is an important port of entry; a shipping and receiving point for S Calif., Ariz., N.Mex., and Mexico’s Baja California; and hq. for the 11th U.S. naval dist. Major Navy and Marine Corps training bases are located there. In addition to military personnel and dependents, many military people retire here and establish permanent residency. San Diego has large aerospace, electronic, and shipbuilding industries, and is an important center for biomedical research and oceanography. It is also a leading high-tech center, with mfg. of software, telecommunications, and bio-tech and medical industries. Tourism is an important element in San Diego’s economy; the city’s delightful climate, its 17 miles of ocean beaches, and many historic attractions, as well as its proximity to Mexico, draw visitors, convention groups, artists, and retirees. It is the site of the 1st Eur. settlement in Calif. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed into San Diego Bay in 1542 and claimed the land for Spain. In 1769 Junopero Serra, a Franciscan missionary, established Mission San Diego de Alcala and dedicated the Presidio, the 1st Span. fort in Calif. By 1830 most of the people were living in what is now Old Town. It was under Mex. jurisdiction from 1822, when Mexico won independence from Spain, until 1846, when it was captured by a U.S. naval force. The city’s pop. surged when the Santa Fe RR arrived in 1884. San Diego became an important U.S. naval base during World War I; later, other branches of the military established bases there. In the 1950s, this concentration of military installations gave rise to San Diego’s booming aerospace industry, which has experienced some decline since the 1970s but remains central to the local economy. The diversification of San Diego’s economic base contributed to its rapid growth during the 1980s, when its downtown witnessed an urban revitalization effort.

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Peter Richards