 San Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population of over 1.2 million. As of 2006, the eight-county metropolitan area has a population of 1.9 million and is the 29th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. San Antonio, which is the county seat of Bexar County, covers over 400 square miles on the northern edge of the South Texas region of the state. It has influences of both the American South and Southwest.
San Antonio was named for the Portuguese Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day it was (June 13) when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. The city has a strong military presence—it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Brooks City-Base, with Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley right outside the city. San Antonio is home to the South Texas Medical Center, the largest and only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region. |
