light, they travel more easily than most
other kinds of rock.Wind, water, and
ice can carry sand far away from the
place where it first formed.
#More to explore
Mineral • Rock • Sand Dune • Soil
Sand Dune
A hill or ridge of sand piled up by the
wind is called a sand dune. Dunes may
form wherever there is a lot of loose
sand and enough wind to move it.
Beaches and deserts are common places
for dunes.
Most windblown sand is made up of the
mineral quartz. However, near volcanoes,
dunes may be built of volcanic ash
particles. In some very dry regions, particles
of the mineral gypsum can form
gypsum dunes.
Dunes are always changing. The wind
shifts the sand into a variety of shapes
and heights. As wind containing sand
comes to the peak of a dune’s slope, the
speed of the wind drops. The wind then
releases the sand it was holding. The
sand falls down the dune’s steeper side.
As this action keeps happening, the
dune moves in the direction that the
wind blows.
#More to explore
Desert • Sand
Building sand castles is a popular beach
activity.
Death Valley National Park in California
has sand dunes.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Sand Dune 27
San Jose
Population
(2006
estimate), city,
344,750;
(2003
estimate), urban
area,
1,085,000
San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, a
country in Central America. It is the
largest city in Costa Rica by far.
The economy of San Jose is very important
to Costa Rica. Many people in the
city work in government or business
offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, and
shops. Factories in San Jose make food
and tobacco products, cloth, chemicals,
software, and electronics.
American Indians have lived in the San
Jose region for many thousands of
years. In the 1500s Spain took control
of what is now Costa Rica. Spanish
settlers founded a town called Villa
Nueva in 1736. It was later renamed
San Jose.
Costa Rica became free from Spanish
rule in 1823. San Jose was made the
capital. San Jose grew rapidly in the second
half of the 20th century.
..More to explore
Costa Rica
San Juan
San Juan is the capital of the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is an
island in theWest Indies that belongs to
the United States. San Juan is the largest
city in Puerto Rico.
San Juan is the oldest city in U.S. lands.
The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de
Leon founded the city in 1508. The city
grew into an important port and trade
center. The United States took control
in 1898. Tourism, government, shipping,
and printing became important
parts of the city’s economy.
..More to explore
Ponce de Leon, Juan • Puerto Rico
A park in the center of San Jose, Costa
Rica, has a bandstand that is sometimes
used by musical groups.
The city of San Juan is protected by walls
that are more than 200 years old.
28 San Jose BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
San Marino
San Marino is one of the smallest countries
in the world. It is surrounded by
the country of Italy. Its capital is also
called San Marino.
Geography
San Marino lies in the Apennine Mountains
in central Italy. Mount Titano rises
in the center of the country. Hills cover
the southwest. A grassy plain slopes
down in the northeast. San Marino has
cold winters and warm summers.
Plants and Animals
Olive, pine, oak, ash, and other trees
grow in San Marino. The country’s animals
include moles, hedgehogs, foxes,
badgers, weasels, and hares.
People
The people of San Marino are similar
in culture and background to their
Italian neighbors. Italian is the main
language. Most of the people are
Roman Catholics.
Economy
Banking and tourism are very important
to San Marino’s economy. More than 3
million people visit San Marino each
year. San Marino also sells postage
stamps to collectors.
History
Stories say that a Christian named Marinus
founded San Marino in the early AD
300s. He and his followers wanted freedom
to practice the Christian religion.
The people of San Marino built mountain
forts that protected the country
against invaders. This allowed San
Marino to remain independent.
A group of representatives called the
Great and General Council governs San
Marino today. SanMarino does not
belong to the European Union (EU), but
it uses the EU’s form of money, the euro.
..More to explore
Italy
Mount Titano is the highest point in San
Marino. It is 2,424 feet (739 meters) tall.
Facts About
SAN MARINO
Population
(2008 estimate)
31,000
Area
24 sq mi (61 sq
km)
Capital
San Marino
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Serravalle/
Dogano, San
Marino, Borgo
Maggiore,
Murata,
Domagnano
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA San Marino 29
San Salvador
Population
(2007 census),
city, 316,090;
urban area,
1,433,000
San Salvador is the capital of El Salvador,
a country in Central America. It is
the largest city in El Salvador by far.
Over the years it has suffered many
natural disasters, including earthquakes,
floods, and hurricanes.
San Salvador is El Salvador’s center of
manufacturing, transportation, and services
such as banking and trade. However,
in the late 20th century a civil war
in El Salvador hurt the city’s economy
greatly.
A Spanish explorer founded San Salvador
in 1525. Spain ruled El Salvador as a
colony from the early 1500s until 1823.
