San formerly Bushmen Group of peoples now living mainly in and around the Kalahari Desert region of southern Africa, chiefly Botswana, Namibia, and northwestern South Africa. They are closely related to the Khoekhoe. San languages belong to the Khoisan family. Two well-known San groups are the !Kung (Ju) and the IGui. The San are, for the most part, physically indistinguishable from the Khoekhoe or from their Bantu¬ speaking neighbours. Traditional San society centres on the nomadic band of related families. San shelters are semicircular structures of branches, twigs, and grass; their equipment is portable, their possessions few and light. They have traditionally hunted, using bows and snares, and gath¬ ered wild vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Numbering in the tens of thousands, most San have been restricted, because of historical and political factors, to harsh, semiarid areas, and they work for wages on European farms or serve other Africans, notably the Tswana.
San Vsan\, Saya orig. Ya Gyaw (b. Oct. 24, 1876, East Thayetkan, Shewbo district, Burma—d. Nov. 16, 1931, Tharrawaddy) Political leader of Burma (Myanmar). A Buddhist monk, physician, and astrologer in Siam (Thailand) and Burma, he joined an extreme nationalist group dedi¬ cated to organizing peasant discontent. Claiming the throne of Burma, he had himself crowned in 1930 and initiated an anti-British revolt in the Tharrawaddy district. Within two years the rebels, armed only with spears and swords and protected by charms they believed would make them invulnerable to bullets, were defeated by British troops with machine guns; Saya San was captured, tried, and hanged. The revolt exposed the precarious and unpopular position of the British in Burma.
San Andreas \,san-an-'dra-3s\ Fault Zone of transform faults at the boundary between two tectonic plates in the western U.S. The fault runs along the coast of northern California for more than 800 mi (1,300 km) and passes seaward in the vicinity of San Francisco. Movement along the fault is characterized by frequent earthquakes, including the major San Francisco quake of 1906, when parts of the fault line moved as much as 21 ft (6.4 m); the less serious earthquake of 1989; and a destructive quake centred in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge in 1994.
San Antonio City (pop., 2000: 1,144,646), south-central Texas, U.S. It is situated at the headwaters of the San Antonio River. Founded in 1718 by the Spanish as a mission on the site of a Coahuiltecan Indian village, it was laid out as a town in 1731. The mission, called the Alamo, became a military post in 1794; it was the site of a historic siege in 1836. In the late 19th century, as the starting point of the Chisholm Trail, the town became a major cattle centre. Military installations, especially for avia¬ tion and aerospace, spurred the city’s rapid growth after 1940. The
economy is now diversified—government, business, manufacturing, edu¬ cation, and tourism are all important aspects of San Antonio’s growth.
San Bernardino City (pop., 2000: 185,410), southern California, U.S. Located east of Los Angeles, it was laid out as a town by Mormons in 1852 and developed as a trade centre chiefly for the surrounding citrus groves and vineyards. Other industries, including aerospace and electron¬ ics, are now the economic mainstays. It is part of the San Bernardino- Riverside-Ontario metropolitan complex.
San Bernardino Pass Mountain pass, Lepontine Alps, southeastern Switzerland. Its altitude is 6,775 ft (2,065 m). The village of San Bernar¬ dino, just south of the pass, is a popular year-round resort. A tunnel beneath the pass was opened in 1967, improving travel through the region. The pass was named for St. Bernardine of Siena, who preached in the area in the early 15th century.
San Cristobal \,san-kres-'t6-bal\ Island One of the Galapagos Islands, eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador. It is the most populated and fertile island of the archipelago, producing sugar, coffee, cassava, and limes. Volcanic in origin and with an area of 195 sq mi (505 sq km), it is the only island of the group that has a regular supply of fresh water. Charles Darwin landed there at the settlement of San Cristobal in 1835 and compiled data that he later used in his book On the Origin of Species (1859).
San Diego City (pop., 2000: 1,223,400) and port, southern California, U.S. It is located on San Diego Bay, the site of major naval and military bases. Sighted by the Spanish in 1542 and named San Miguel, the area was renamed San Diego in 1602. In 1769 the Spanish established a mili¬ tary post on the site, and Junipero Serra dedicated the first California mis¬ sion there. The U.S. acquired it from Mexico in 1846, and a new city was laid out in 1867. The arrival of the Santa Fe railroad in 1885 stimulated the city’s growth. Industrial development is dominated by aerospace, elec¬ tronics, and shipbuilding, and the city is the main commercial outlet for the farm produce of southern California. Balboa Park and its San Diego Zoo are renowned, as are the area universities.
San Diego Zoo One of the world’s largest collections of mammals, birds, and reptiles, located in San Diego, Calif., and administered by the Zoological Society of San Diego. The 100-acre (40.5-hectare) zoo, founded in 1916, has more than 800 animal species and more than 6,500 plant species. The 1,800-acre (730-hectare) San Diego Wild Animal Park opened in 1972 some 30 mi (50 km) northeast, in the San Pasqual Val¬ ley; there some 400 species of animals roam through simulated Asian and African habitats. The research department Conservation and Research for Endangered Species has contributed to the zoo’s success in managing and breeding endangered species.
San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Sus- ana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Originally an agri¬ cultural area, it occupies 260 sq mi (670 sq km) and now contains several residential suburbs of Los Angeles, including Encino, North Hollywood, Studio City, and Van Nuys.
San Francisco City (pop., 2000: 776,733) and port, northern Califor¬ nia, U.S. San Francisco lies on the northern end of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The Golden Gate Bridge spans the strait to the north that separates San Francisco from Marin county. Founded in the 18th century by the Spanish, it came under Mexican con¬ trol after Mexican independence in 1821. Occupied by U.S. forces in 1846, it grew rapidly after the discovery of gold in nearby areas (see gold rush). San Francisco suffered extensive damage from the earthquake and fire of 1906 and from an earthquake in 1989. The city was prominent in the American cultural revolution of the 1960s. It is a commercial, cul¬ tural, educational, and financial centre and one of the country’s most cos¬ mopolitan cities.
San Francisco Bay Large, nearly landlocked bay indenting west- central California, U.S. A drowned river valley paralleling the coastline, it is connected with the Pacific Ocean by the Golden Gate Strait, which is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge. The bay is one of the world’s fin¬ est natural harbours. Treasure, Yerba Buena, Angel, and Alcatraz islands are there; the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley are nearby.
San Gabriel Mountains Segment of the Pacific Coast Ranges, south¬ ern California, U.S. Many peaks exceed 9,000 ft (2,700 m); the highest is San Antonio Peak, or Old Baldy, at 10,080 ft (3,072 m). The range also
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1678 I San Jacinto Mountains ► San Marino
includes Mount Wilson Observatory, northeast of Pasadena. The moun¬ tains are largely within the Angeles National Forest.
San Jacinto \,san-j9-'sin-to\ Mountains Segment of the Pacific Coast Ranges, southwestern California, U.S. San Jacinto Peak is the highest point in these mountains, at 10,804 ft (3,293 m); the city of Palm Springs lies at its eastern base. The range is largely within conservation areas, including the Mount San Jacinto State Park and a division of the San Ber¬ nardino National Forest. The mountains attract tourists, provide outdoor recreation, and are an important watershed for the surrounding area.