Located on the West Coast of California, Santa Barbara sits on what is known as California's "South Coast". This is the longest East to West stretch of coastline on the Western Coast of United States. To the North of the city lies the Santa Ynez Mountains, that causes Santa Barbara to have a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean. This area is often known as the "American Riviera". The neighboring cities include Goleta and Carpinteria. The city was named after Saint Barbara in the winter of 1602 by Sebastian Viscaino, a Spanish Explorer.According to the 2000 census, the city had a population of 92,325. Santa Barbara is a popular tourist destination, leading to 35% of employment in the service industry. To find out more about local tourism and local business, look at the Santa Barbara business directory or the California yellow pages. To help the flow of tourism, Santa Barbara has its own city airport, as well as an Amtrak Station. The city is easily reachable by neighboring cities, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, through U.S. Highway 101.In December of 1786, Mission Santa Barbarawas founded by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. The building of themission, El Presidio, was first denied by Governor de Neve but wasallowed once his term of over.Just north of the Santa Barbara, in the San Ynez Mountains, is the Los Padres National Forrest, where you can find lots of very remote wilderness locations. Once in Santa Barbara you'll find you won't have to look far for an institute for higher learning. The city is home to several schools, such as University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, Antioch University, as well as the Brooks Institute of Photography.