Tucson
has been continuously settled for over 12,000 years. It
celebrates a diversity of cultures, architecture, and
peoples. Yet, it is one of the "Mega-Trend"
cities of the 21st Century: the Optics Valley, premier
health services center for the Southwest, the astronomy
center of the world, home of a premier research institution
- University of Arizona, and a tourism destination.
Tucson,
too SAHN or TOO sahn, is one of the oldest
towns in the United States. Tucson was orginally
an Indian village called Stook-zone, meaning
water at the foot of black mountain. Hugo
O'Conor established the Tucson Presidio in
1775. August 20th, 1775 is considered Tucson's
birthday. Spanish settlers arrived in the
area in 1776. Tucson officially became part
of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase
of 1854. Tucson served as capital of the Arizona
Territory from 1867 to 1877.
Tucson boasts the best of both worlds...the progress
and innovation of a metropolitan community and the
friendly, caring atmosphere of a small town. Tucson's
rich cultural heritage centers around a unique blend
of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American
influences. |
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Blessed
with the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert and an
unsurpassed climate of 360 sunny days a year, Tucsonans
embrace a rare lifestyle and are committed to preserving
that quality of life.
Tucson's
climate varies from the 2400 foot desert basin to the
9100 foot forests of the Santa Catalina mountains. The
City's dry desert air and winter sunshine make it a
popular health and winter resort. The City is home to
the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base. The City's industries include electronics and
missile production. Tucson is the seat of Pima County
and has a Council-Manager form of government.
The
Tucson metropolitan area supports over 750,000 residents.
As metropolitan Tucson continues to grow by nearly 2,000
new residents each month, the challenge of meeting citizen
expectations also increases.
The
City of Tucson is committed to providing quality municipal
services which promote a healthy community, offer opportunities
for participation and leisure and enable citizens to
prosper at work and at home.
(courtesy of the City of Tucson website)
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