San Antonio is a major city in south-central Texas with a rich colonial heritage. The Alamo, an 18th-century Spanish mission preserved as a museum, marks an infamous 1836 battle for Texan independence from Mexico. Following the San Antonio River, the miles-long River Walk is a landmark pedestrian promenade lined with cafes and shops. Hemis Fair Park’s 750-ft. Tower of the Americas overlooks the city. With a population of 1,144,646, San Antonio is the 8th largest city in the United States. San Antonio is geographically large as well, with 368.6 square miles. The city is in South Central Texas, 140 miles northwest of the Gulf of Mexico, and 150 miles northeast of Laredo, which is on the Mexican border.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
San Antonio was founded on May 1, 1718, when a Spanish expedition from Mexico established the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission, later called the Alamo (Spanish: “Cottonwood”), was one of five found in the area and was named for St. Anthony of Padua. Founded as a Spanish outpost and the first civil settlement in Texas, San Antonio is heavily influenced by Mexican American culture due to Texas formerly being part of Mexico and, previously, the Spanish Empire. The city also has significant German, Anglo, and African American cultural influences.58.6% of the people in San Antonio are religious: – 7.5% are Baptist – 0.7% are Episcopalian – 32.1% are Catholic – 1.4% are Lutheran – 2.8% are Methodist.
Brief City History
San Antonio, city, seat (1837) of Bexar county, south-central Texas, U.S. It is situated at the headwaters of the San Antonio River on the Balcones Escarpment, about 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Austin. The second-most-populous city in Texas, it is the focus of a metropolitan area that includes Alamo Heights, Castle Hills, Converse, Kirby, Leon Valley, Live Oak, Schertz, Terrell Hills, Universal City, and Windcrest. Inc. 1809. Area city, 412 square miles (1,067 square km). Pop. (2000) 1,144,646; San Antonio Metro Area, 1,711,703; (2010) 1,327,407; San Antonio Metro Area, 2,142,508.Spanish explorers first visited the site, then a camp of the Payaya Indians, in 1691. San Antonio was founded on May 1, 1718, when a Spanish expedition from Mexico established the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission, later called the Alamo (Spanish: “Cottonwood”), was one of five found in the area and was named for St. Anthony of Padua. On May 5 a presidio (military garrison) known as San Antonio de Béxar was established nearby. The site, on the river’s west bank, was a stopping place on the trail through the Texas wilderness between missions on the Rio Grande and those in East Texas.
In 1731 settlers from the Canary Islands laid out the town of San Fernando de Béxar near the presidio, where a civilian community had been planned when the presidio and mission were established. During its early years, the settlement suffered from raids by Apache and Comanche tribes. The mission was secularized in 1793 and became a military post. San Fernando de Béxar functioned as provincial capital from 1773 to 1824, but in subsequent years its political authority waned. By 1837, when it became a county seat of the Republic of Texas, it had been renamed, San Antonio. At the time of Mexican independence in 1821, San Antonio was, along with Goliad and Nacogdoches, one of three established Spanish communities in Texas. In the summer of that year, Stephen Austin arrived in the city—then seat of the Spanish government in Texas—to follow through on a permit obtained by his father for the admission of 300 U.S. families into the territory. In December 1835, at the outset of the Texas Revolution, Texan forces occupied the Alamo. They remained there until March 1836, when they were massacred by Mexican troops under General Antonio López de Santa Anna following a 13-day siege. The presidio ceased to exist with the independence of Texas in April. In 1836 San Antonio was still the foremost city of Texas, with some 2,500 inhabitants. It grew rapidly after independence, led by large numbers of German immigrants. During the last decades of the 19th century, San Antonio, as the starting point for the Chisholm Trail, became a major cattle centre, where herds were assembled for the overland drives to the railheads in Kansas. The city quickly became the commercial hub of the Southwest. The arrival of the first railroad in 1877 brought migrants from the American South, and Mexican immigrants settled there after the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. San Antonio was a major military centre during World Wars I and II, a factor that continued to dominate its economy in subsequent decades. In 1968 a world’s exposition, known as HemisFair, was held there to commemorate the city’s 250th anniversary and to celebrate its cultural ties with Latin America. In 1981 Henry Cisneros was elected the city’s first Hispanic mayor since the mid-19th century; Cisneros served until 1989. In 2001 Ed Garza was elected the city’s second modern-era Hispanic mayor and was in office until 2005.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
56.63% of San Antonio residents speak only English, while 43.37% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 39.50% of the population.
Important Types of Commerce in San Antonio
Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Biosciences, Information, Technology, New-energy Economy, Financial Services, Military and Defence.
Language Services US and others will provide working with San Antonio
Spanish is the official language of San Antonio. For any industry to penetrate into San Antonio, it’s exceptionally important to use a professional translator when you want to translate Spanish. Many business sectors, including Automobile, Legal, Medical, Agriculture, Tech, Science, Government and so on utilize professional Spanish translation services to flawlessly translate their important documents. A professional Spanish translator with an expert understanding of the use of vocabulary and grammar is best equipped to handle the specific nuances of this unique language.
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