In the US state of Missouri, St. Louis is the second-largest city next to Kansas City. It was founded and developed along the Mississippi River’s western bank in 1764 by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau. Its name originated from the then reigning king of France, Louis IX. Because it was conveniently located by the Mississippi River, it became a major port for trade and other businesses. In 1877, it separated from the St. Louis County and became an independent city with its own political branch. It further gained recognition when it got the opportunity to host the Louisiana Purchase Exposition as well as the Summer Olympics. This is one factor that paved the way for more immigrants to settle there. In fact, it has the largest number of Bosnian residents in the world. Read more about St. Louis History.
Now an established city and inland port, the St. Louis population has reached over 300,000 in 2015, putting it in the 60th spot for the most populous city in the United States. The city, as well as neighboring Missouri and Illinois, is included in the St. Louis metropolitan area which has the 19th largest population in the US at an estimated 2,916,447. Their economy relies heavily on trade, manufacturing, service, transportation of good, and the tourism industry. It houses several large-scale companies and corporations, including:
- Anheuser-Busch
- Express Scripts
- Peabody Energy
- Ameren
- Ralcorp
- Monsanto
- Sigma-Aldrich
The city also has a large community related to the medical and research industries.
St. Louis residents are huge sports fans, especially in baseball and hockey. The city takes pride of two professional sports teams: St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League and the St Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball.
The landmark that is commonly identified with the city is the 630-foot stainless steel monument called the Gateway Arch. It is recognized as the tallest monument in the Western Hemisphere that was made by man and it is also the tallest arch in the world. It has reached the status of being the internationally famous symbol of the city of St. Louis.
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