SAN DIEGO, a city of California, U.S.A., on the Pacific ocean, 132 m. S.E. of Los Angeles and io m. from the Mexican border; a port of entry, the county seat of San Diego county, and the site of extensive activities of the United States army and navy. It is the terminus of the Pacific Coast highway and of the several transcontinental highways from the Atlantic coast which proceed westward from El Paso over practically the same route, and is served by the San Diego and Arizona (of the Southern Pacific) and Santa Fe railways, motor-coach lines, and nearly two score coastal, inter-coastal, and foreign steamship lines. A municipal airport (Lindbergh Field) of 287 ac., to accommodate both sea and land planes, was under construction (1928) on the bay, within five minutes' drive of the business section of the city; and there are several commercial aviation fields, from one of which daily passenger service is provided to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Pop. 79% native white; in 1930 it was The city has a level site of 91 sq.m., lying around the bay and extending back 8 m. at the extreme width. The climate is equable, with an average annual mean temperature of 61° F and an aver age annual precipitation (nearly all falling in the winter) of 10 inches. San Diego bay is a crescent-shaped basin 14 m. long, separated from the ocean by a low, narrow sandspit extending west from the mainland below the city and expanding at its west ern end into two peninsulas, one of which is occupied by the city of Coronado, directly opposite San Diego, the other (North Island) by aviation bases. The business district of the city has, since the World War, assumed a metropolitan appearance, with many tall and massive stores, office buildings and hotels. The resi dential section is built around Balboa park (1,40o ac.), the site of the Panama-California exposition of 1915-16, which contains an archaeological institute with valuable exhibits of ancient Ameri can art, architecture and anthropology; a replica of a Pueblo Indian village, constructed for the exposition and now used by the Boy Scouts ; zoological and botanical gardens; a natural his tory museum ; a pavilion with a great outdoor organ on which recitals are given daily throughout the year; and a stadium seat ing 30,000, occupying a natural amphithe4re. At La Jolla, on the
ocean 15 m. N.N.W., is the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (affiliated with the State university), the only institution of its kind in the country. The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society (founded in 1875 at New York by Mme. Blavatsky) has had its international headquarters since 1900 on a beautiful estate on Point Loma, where it conducts several schools. Since 1909 the city has operated under a commission form of government, and since 1915 it has had a "manager of operations." The assessed valuation of property in 1927 was $198,000,000.
The roomy natural harbour (landlocked, free from currents and accessible at all seasons) is the first U.S. port of call for vessels operating through the Panama Canal. It has an area of 21 sq.m. A channel 1,5o0 ft. wide, with a controlling depth of 32-35 ft. at mean low water, has been provided by govern ment improvements begun in 1875. Terminal facilities include 41 wharves, two of which are large municipal piers, and 11,775 ft. of berthing space. Since 1911, when the tidelands were ceded to the city by the State, about $4,250,000 has been spent in improve ments. The cargo handled in 1927 amounted to 966,476 tons, valued at $46,803,718, and represented largely domestic com merce. The fisheries are an important industry, engaging over Boo fishermen and 25 wholesale houses. The total catch for 1927 was lb., including 800,000 lb. of lobsters and 8-10,000,00o lb. of sardines. The manufactures are numerous and diversified.
including some i,000 different articles, of which canned fish, cotton-seed products, furniture, aeroplanes, parachutes and build ing materials are among the most important. The aggregate out put of factories in the city in 1927 was valued at the sum of San Diego is the headquarters for the Eleventh Naval District, with a personnel of about 1,800 officers and men, and the site of the largest naval operating base on the Pacific coast, embracing a naval air station, marine base, fuel depot, supply depot, de stroyer base, radio stations, hospital and training station. Ft.