General Information about
San Antonio, Texas

South Texas is home to the big city of San Antonio which also happens to be the seventh biggest US city at present. Americans consider San Antonio, Texas to be the cultural portal to the American Southwest. According to the 2006 US Census, there are estimated to be less than 1.3 million people living within San Antonio right now. San Antonio is based within Bexar County and is believed to be the city with the fourth fastest growth rates throughout the US based on percentage, between year 2000 to year 2006.

Many US military installations exist in San Antonio, Texas, such as the Brooks City-Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston. Right outside San Antonio are two other military installations called Camp Stanley and Camp Bullis.
Strangely enough, there is only one medical research and healthcare service provider within South Texas which is named the South Texas Medical Center.

Ironically, though San Antonio was named after Saint Anthony de Padua (an Italian saint whose feast day is the same day that the Spanish explorers set up camp in the area back in 1691), many people may be more familiar with San Antonio history because of the Alamo. The Alamo itself is a former mission compound set up for the Catholic education of local natives but which is better known as the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. This battle was a crucial battle during the fight of the Texians for independence during the Texas Revolution against the Republic of Mexico. Another reason the Battle of the Alamo was so significant was that “The King of the Wild Frontier” – Davy Crockett – died during the Battle of the Alamo as well. Davy Crockett is a folk hero who was a member of the US House of Representatives (representing the 9th District of the State of Tennessee.) Crockett was among a group of volunteers who served as back up forces for the Alamo when the Mexican government forces attacked. There were only up to around 250 troops defending the Alamo against the 8000 troops of the Mexican army, which explains why the Alamo troops were routed so decisively. Still, despite the overwhelming odds, the Alamo commander in charge at that time (William B. Travis) did not agree to any terms of surrender which was very brave of him and his troops. And so they all died, except for some slaves in the Alamo. Eyewitness accounts of the fierce battle confirm that Davy Crockett died in the fighting.

But modern day San Antonio also has many other places for visitors and residents to explore such as the Cathedral of San Fernando, which has been cited in the National Register of Historic Places. It is believed by some to be the oldest cathedral in the country and represents the long history of the Roman Catholic Church and the country of Spain in San Antonio, in Texas and in the United States of America.