San Diego, the southernmost city in breathtaking California
Located on the southern Pacific coast of the US, is the second largest city in the State of California, and the ninth largest city in the Country.
Originally a Spanish settlement with the name of San Miguel, the City received its current name in 1602, when Sebastian Vizcaino named it after the Saint patron San Diego. San Diego was a Spanish.controlled territory for many years, and after the war between Mexico and the US (1846-1848), the area known as Alta California became a US territory in 1850.
The city of San Diego lies on deep canyons and hills separating its mesas, creating small pockets of natural parkland scattered throughout the city and giving it a hilly geography. Traditionally San Diegans have built their homes and businesses on the mesas, while leaving the canyons relatively wild. The San Diego River runs through the middle of San Diego from east to west, creating a river valley which serves to divide the city into northern and southern segments. Several reservoirs and green patches serve as natural oxigen supplies.
Downtown San Diego is located by the San Diego Bay, which is separated from the ocean shore by two large peninsulas: Coronado and Point Loma. On the eastern limits of the city, lie the Cuyamaca and Laguna mountains, and the large desert lies beneath. However, numerous farms can be fount towards the northeastern and southeastern city limits.