San Antonio, occupying over 3,000 square miles, is the seat of Bexar (pronounced "bear") County. The county was created in 1836 from an Old Mexican Municipality. Second largest city in Texas,  San Antonio is sometimes called Mexico's northernmost city. The city has retained its sense of history and tradition, while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress. The city has always been a crossroads and a meeting place. The city has sounds and flavors of Native Americans, Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans and the Deep South mingle and merge. San Antonio is a great city with many cultures and a proud heritage. A city made up of many cultures brought here by the 5 military installations as well as the native Latino culture, San Antonio offers many selections of museums and entertainment.

 
The map of Texas is retrieved  from http://www.yahoo.com/

1. Location : San Antonio is located in South Central Texas, at the edge of the Gulf coastal plains, approximately 140 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, 150 miles northeast of the city of Laredo on the Mexican border, 78 miles south of Austin, 270 miles south of Dallas, and 197 miles west of Houston. 

2. Location: San Antonio, at the head of the San Antonio River in Bexar County, is on Interstate Highway 10 (east-west) and Interstate Highway 35 and 37 (north-south).

The map of San Antonio is retrieved from http://www.yahoo.com/

3. The following map shows overall view of San Antonio, TX.

4. Demographics - urban density: The following map shows the level of urban density for the San Antonio area. Urban density is the average number of people living in a square mile area. The dark yellow areas (mustard color) indicate the highest density levels. The population density is about 3,200 per square mile. About 52% of San Antonians are women and 48% are men, 34% of women are under age of 35 and 27% are over 55.  From 1990 to 1997, San Antonio grew by more than 14% or nearly double the national average.

The map of urban density for San Antonio is  retrieved from http://www.ersys.com/usa/48/4865000/density.htm

5. Demographics - ethnicity: The following map shows the overall ethnic makeup of the San Antonio, TX area. In the case of this map, ethnic makeup is defined as an individual who falls within one of four categories --- White, Black, Asian, or Hispanic. Furthermore, the map indicates the density of each ethnic group by selectively color coding based on the dominate ethnic group. The dark colored   areas in each category is an indicator of where that ethnic group has the highest concentration of that group as compared to the other groups.

Concentration of Hispanic population: As you can see on the map, there is high concentration of Hispanic population, especially in South and Southwest region. San Antonio is the largest Hispanic-majority city in the U.S., which about 55% of the population are Hispanic, 37% White (what's often referred to as Anglo), 7% of African-American, and 1% of other racial groups. More than 41% of residents are native San Antonians, 21% are Texans from elsewhere, more than 25% come from another state, 8% claim to be from Mexico, and another 3% are from some other country.

The map of ethnic makeup in San Antonio is retrieved from http://www.ersys.com/usa/48/4865000/ethnic.htm

6. Growth - Census 2000 growth over 1990: The following map shows the level of growth (urban sprawl) for the San Antonio, TX area. City growth is the number of people living in the area in the year 2000 as a percent of the number of people living in that same area in 1990. The dark blue areas show the highest growth, where the light yellow areas represent no growth or an actual decrease in population.

(Sources: US Census Bureau and Synergos Technologies, Inc.)

The map of census 2000 growth over 1990 is retrieved from http://www.ersys.com/usa/48/4865000/growth.htm

    7. Religion: The following chart represents the principal country, the Bexar county, dominates and illustrates the percentage of those people who adhere to various religious beliefs in 2000 and compared to 1990 values. There are about 488,600 Catholics in Bexar County, close to one half-the entire population.

The chart of adherence of religious belief  is retrieved from http://www.ersys.com/usa/48/4865000/religion.htm

8. San Antonio Downtown - Downtown San Antonio is one of the liveliest and most revered downtown markets in the country. site of San Antonio's three oldest Spanish settlements, this area includes the Alamo and other historic sites, along with the River Walk, the Alamodome, the convention center, the Rivercenter Mall, and many high-rise hotels, restaurants, and shops. It's also the center of commerce and government; many banks and offices, as well as most city buildings, are located here. The Downtown San Antonio continues to experience terrific growth and development.

The map of San Antonio downtown is retrieved from http://sg.travel.yahoo.com/guide/americas/usa/san_antonio/map1.html

Tourism is an important industry in San Antonio. Close to seven million visitor a year delight in the discovery of San Antonio's charms. The tree-lined river meandering through the downtown, the huge Mexican quarter, the Franciscan missions, and the warm climate attract thousands of tourists annually. The Alamo and downtown Riverwalk are the most popular tourist attractions.

The map of Alamo is retrieved from http://www.worldexecutive.com/cityguides/san_antonio/maps.html

8-1. The Alamo - The Alamo is located at 300 Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio. Where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase "Remember the Alamo" originated. The Alamo is the cradle of Texas liberty and the state's most popular historic site. On the east side of Alamo Plaza is the most famous spot in Texas where 189 defenders fell on March 6, 1836, after repeated attacks by Mexican General Santa Anna’s army. Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo) was established in 1718 as the city’s first mission. The chapel, one of the most photographed facades in the nation, and the Long Barracks are all that remain of the original fort.

The map of downtown riverwalk  is retrieved from http://www.tripadvisor.com/

8-2. Riverwalk - the 3-mile or so paved a cobbled river level promenade, up to 15 feet below the street level, is a unique and romantic setting that has made the city famous worldwide. The lushly landscaped 2.5 mile stretch is an urban centerpiece lined with restaurants, hotels and shops. This beautiful jewel is San Antonio's most popular tourist attraction after Alamo and it certainly attracts many times more visitor, domestic, and foreign.

8-3. The following map shows the downtown parking and street car.

The map of downtown parking and street car is retrieved from http://www.downtownsanantonio/

9. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park- Four Spanish frontier missions, part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries, are preserved here. They include Missions San Jose, San Juan, Espada, and Concepcion. The park, containing many cultural sites along with some natural areas, was established in  1978. The park covers about 819 acres.

The map of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park  is retrieved from http://www.naps.gov/saan/saanmapa.htm

9-1. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Mission Trail - The Mission trail is 12 miles route along city street. Roadways connect each site in this mostly urban park. The Mission Trails project includes a hike and bike trail, and driving route from downtown to Espada, the southernmost mission site in the park. Some sections of the trail are presently open and parallel the San Antonio River in some places.

The map of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park mission trail  is retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/saan/maps/regional_city.htm

9-2. the map shows a location of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park visitor center.



The visitor center is located next to Mission San Jose and contains a theater showing a 20-minute depiction of early life at the mission, a museum and book shop.

The map of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park visitor center is retrieved from http://www.pickatrail.com/sun/s/america/visitor_center/san_antonio_missions.html

10. Military bases: San Antonio is one of the nation's largest military centers; Fort Sam Houston and Air Force Aerospace Medical Center are in the city, and nearby are Lackland and Randolph air force bases, both training command centers; Brooks Air Force Base, an aerospace medical headquarters; and Kelly Air Force Base, an air material and security service post.

10-1. Fort Sam Houston is located on the northeast side of San Antonio, Texas. Fort Sam Houston is the city's oldest military installation and home of the Fifth Army. It was activated in the mid-1800’s and still retains it’s historic roots. The primary mission at Fort Sam Houston is as a medical training and support post.

The map of Fort Sam Houston is retrieved from http://fshtx.army.mil/default.asp#

10-2. Brooks AFB is founded in 1918 and scene of history's first mass paratroop drop. Headquarters of Aerospace Medical Division with USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, first institution of its kind, and USAF Occupational and Environmental Health Lab and the Human Resources Lab

The map of Brooks AFB is retrieved from http://www.brooks.af.mil/directions.htm

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