Chapter Five: San Diego Manufacturing

Manufacturing in the United States is the world’s leading manufacturer and produces goods that are valued at $1.6 trillion in a 2007 study. San Diego has an economy that benefits and contributes to the United States world dominance in manufacturing. The economy is continually growing and developing as a military and defense manufacturer to a leader in advance technology’s developer around the world. Today, San Diego’s economy has supplied thousands of new jobs due to the increase in military and science based manufacturing goods.

Employment

Employment opportunities abound in San Diego. Independent studies indicate San Diego is one of the top 10 cities in the country for job growth through 2025, and many of the high-tech jobs are being created by emerging high-tech companies in the region.

Industry

The top four industries in San Diego are manufacturing, defense, tourism, and agriculture. In addition, the City of San Diego focuses on six main industry clusters:

Biotechnology/Biosciences

Defense and Space Manufacturing

Electronics Manufacturing

Financial and Business Services

Software

Telecommunications

These "economic engines" indicate San Diego's future growth.

Other industries showing significant growth include environmental, transportation, recreational goods, and international trade. San Diego is home to one-third of the country's top 20 environmental design firms, has more than 1,000 companies concentrating on transportation technologies and services, and has more than 600 companies in the region with binational operations [1]

[1] http://www.sandiego.gov/economic-development/glance/economy.shtml

[image] http://www.treebiotech2009.com/biotechnology-and-its-meaning.html

Chapter Four: San Diego and Being a Megalopolis

The term megalopolis is referred to as a very dense and populated city and or area. In the United States , 17% of the total population exists as a megalopolis; however, that population only represents 1.5% of the total land area in the U.S. A great example of a megalopolis is the rich and densely populated California region. It contains 3 of the most populated cities in the United States and includes: Los Angeles , San Diego , San Jose , San Francisco , Las Vegas , Fresno , Sacramento , Long Beach and Oakland .

San Diego is in the top three of the most populated city in the U.S. and has a population of 3,001,072 people according to a July 2008 census. This vast population contributes to the California megalopolis and the California region as a whole.

The city’s economy used to be dominated by military and national security activities; however, the once military/defense controlled harbors are now taking a second best position to the cities now growing manufacturing, industrial machinery and computers, and metals production. San Diego is also in an ideal position for trade and export that also contribute to its vast manufacturing endeavors and its population growth.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-191501888-san_diego_vacations-i

http://geography.about.com/cs/urbansprawl/a/megalopolis.htm

http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/San-Diego-Economy.html

Chapter Three: Foundations of Human Activities

The native Kumeyaay and Luiseño/Juaneño peoples were the first to populate San Diego until the first European to step foot on the sunny beaches of San Diego . Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 and later Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portola would arrive in 1769. Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portola were the first Europeans to settle into the city and became the first European settlement in California .  

In 1840 the United States obtained California from Mexico and with it San Diego ; however, San Diego did not prosper right away and was nothing more than a small seaside town. Over the next couple of years San Diego prospered with hosting two world fairs, discovery of gold in 1869, and promotions of its promising harbors and climate; however, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor San Diego became the central hub for the U.S. military. The presence of the Pacific fleet in San Diego allowed the city to grow into the second largest city and most industrial city in California .

Population, 1960-2000
	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000
Total	1,033,011	1,357,854	1,861,846	2,498,016	2,813,833
Change		324,843	503,992	636,170	315,817
Percent Change		31.45%	37.12%	34.17%	12.64%

The above graph was taken from censusscope.org and represents the population growth of San Diego from the 1960’s to 2000.

 http://www.censusscope.org/us/m7320/chart_popl.html

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/san-diego/history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_San_Diego,_California

Chapter Two: Physical Features

San Diego is located just 17 miles north of Mexico and runs along the Pacific Ocean for 70 miles to the west. The Southern California city also boasts a mild climate year-round. The city’s geography is best known for its hillsides, canyons, and beach areas. It’s divided by canyons and hills that allow for parkland and entertaining areas. San Diego is divided from a northern and southern area by a river valley known as the San Diego River that runs through the middle.

Downtown San Diego is located on San Diego Bay. Balboa Park lies on a mesa to the northeast, surrounded by dense urban communities including Hillcrest to the north. The Coronado and Point Loma peninsulas separate San Diego Bay from the ocean. Ocean Beach is on the northwest side of Point Loma. Mission Beach and Pacific Beach lie between the ocean and Mission Bay, a man-made aquatic park. La Jolla lies north of Pacific Beach and west of Mira Mesa. The city contains more than 100 identified neighborhoods. [3]

The Cuyamaca Mountains and Laguna Mountains rise to the east of the city, and beyond the mountains are desert areas. Cleveland National Forest is a half-hour drive from downtown San Diego. Numerous farms are found in the valleys northeast and southeast of the city. San Diego County has one of the highest counts of animal and plant species that appear on the endangered species list among counties in the United States.[1]

The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting in microclimates. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/June gloom" period, a thick "marine layer" cloud cover will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5–10 miles (8.0–16 km) inland. This happens every year in May and June. Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much more significant temperature variations than coastal areas, where the ocean serves as a moderating influence. Thus, for example, downtown San Diego averages January lows of 50°F and August highs of 78°F. The city of El Cajon, just 10 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of 42°F and August highs of 88°F. However sometimes the June gloom can last for several days even into July causing cloudy skies for San Diego for the entire day. Rainfall along the coast averages about 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation annually, which occurs mainly during the cooler months of December through April. Though there are few wet days per month during the rainy period, rainfall can be heavy when it does fall. Rainfall is usually greater in the higher elevations of San Diego; some of the higher elevation areas of San Diego can receive 11–15 inches (280–380 mm) of rain a year. [2]

[1] http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/san-diego-california/

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego#Geography

[3] http://www.answers.com/topic/san-diego-geography-and-climate

Chapter One: Region Introduction

Beautiful Southern California is home to San Diego and is best known for its 70 miles of supreme beaches, famous weather, a world renowned zoo, and naval history. It is the eighth largest city in the United States and the second largest city in California. The city’s recent economy boost, supported by biotech and telecom industries, has created an influx of money to the city and created a city to grow in the art scene and flourish the dining scene. San Diego now is home to a diverse and thriving scene of restaurants, hotels, and outdoor recreation destinations. 

Future Topics

Chapter Ten: The Southern Coastlands 

Chapter Eleven: The Agricultural Core 

Chapter Twelve: The Great Plains and Prairies

Chapter Thirteen: The Empty Interior

Chapter Fourteen: The Southwest Border Area

Chapter Fifteen: California

Chapter Sixteen: The North Pacific Coast

Chapter Eighteen: Hawaii