| San Francisco, a city in western California is | | | | downtown financial district contains the Pacific Coast |
| coextensive with San Francisco County. Famous for | | | | Stock Exchange; the headquarters of the 12th Federal |
| its beautiful setting, San Francisco is primarily located | | | | Reserve District; and numerous banks and corporate |
| on the northern tip of a peninsula at the entrance to | | | | office buildings, including the home office of the Bank |
| San Francisco Bay. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean | | | | of America, one of the largest banks in the world. |
| on the west, the strait known as Golden Gate on the | | | | Tourism is also important to the city's economy. The |
| north, San Francisco Bay on the east, and San Bruno | | | | San Francisco region is also home to many companies |
| Mountain on the south. Alcatraz, Angel, Farallon, | | | | developing computer software and hardware. Several |
| Treasure, and Yerba Buena islands are part of the | | | | national apparel manufacturers also have |
| city. | | | | headquarters in the city. |
| POPULATION | | | | EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS |
| The population of San Francisco increased from | | | | The main institutions of higher education in San |
| 678,974 in 1980 to 723,959 in 1990; the population was | | | | Francisco are San Francisco State University (1899), |
| 735,315 in 1996. According to the 1990 census, whites | | | | the University of San Francisco (1855), Golden Gate |
| constitute 53.6 percent of San Francisco's population; | | | | University (1853), the University of California-San |
| Asians and Pacific Islanders, 29.1 percent; blacks, 10.9 | | | | Francisco (1864), the New College of California (1971), |
| percent; and Native Americans, 0.5 percent. Hispanics, | | | | the University of California Hastings College of Law |
| who may be of any race, represent 13.3 percent of | | | | (1878), the San Francisco Art Institute (1871), the |
| the population. San Francisco is part of a major | | | | Academy of Art College (1929), the San Francisco |
| metropolitan region that also includes Oakland and San | | | | Conservatory of Music (1917), and a large community |
| Jose. The region's population increased from 5,368,000 | | | | college. San Francisco has many performing-arts |
| in 1980 to 6,253,000 in 1990, reaching an estimated | | | | organizations. Among the best known are the San |
| 6,940,000 in 2004. | | | | Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco |
| ECONOMY | | | | Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, and the American |
| San Francisco is a leading financial and international | | | | Conservatory Theater. |
| trade center for the western United States. The | | | | |