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Victoria is a city in the United States located in the southeastern part of the state of Texas. The city is the administrative center of the county of the same name. Population – 62,592 people according to 2010 census. Victoria is sometimes called a “crossroads” because of the fact that the city is about a two-hour drive from Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi.
Victoria got its name after General Guadalupe Victoria, the first president of independent Mexico. The city is also the center of the diocese of Victoria.
In 1685, René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle established Fort St. Louis, a French colony that lasted until 1689. The fort was built at Matagorda Bay near Garcitas Creek near present-day Victoria. In 1722, a mission of Nuestra Señora del Espiritu Santo de Zuñiga and the fort of Presidio la Bahía was built near the former fort to protect the territory from the French. Unable to attract Indians to the mission, and because of tensions between Indians and Spanish soldiers, in 1726 the mission was moved to a more favorable location on the Guadalupe River. Artifacts from this settlement are now on display at the Coastal Museum in Victoria. The new site was located near Victoria, among the settlements of the Aranama Indians in the Mission Valley. Dams were built on the river and a water supply to the mission. An outpost of lime mortar and stone was built on the banks of the Tonkawa, and a little later a fort was built. The mission prospered for 26 years, producing enough grain and hay to trade with other Spanish settlements. Farmers also began raising cattle and horses.
In 1824 Martin De Leon established a colony near the mission, becoming the only predominantly Mexican colony in Texas. Victoria became the center of the colony, which was part of the Mexican government’s effort to repopulate Texas. From March to November 1840 the government of the Rio Grande Republic was based in Victoria.
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- Air quality: 32 US AQI Good. Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
- Tap water: Yes, safe to drink
- Religious government: Non-religious
- Population: 66,000 people
- GDP: $57,808 / year
- Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
- Power outlets: 115V60Hz
- Internet: 37 Mbps
- Best wireless: T-Mobile
- Pay without cash: Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
- Tipping: How much should I tip at a restaurant? A gratuity of 15 to 20 per cent on top of the bill (before sales tax) is standard, with 25 per cent given for topnotch service. Servers in America work hard for the money – they’re generally friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile for customers.
- Apartment listings: Craigslist
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best taxi: Uber
- Online electronics shop: Amazon
- Best hospital: Citizens Medical Center The Heart Hospital
- Best intl air carrier: United
- Monthly costs for expat: $1800
- Monthly costs for family: $4300
- Monthly costs for local: $1250
- Meal: $11
- Small Cola: $1.9
- Beer 1 Pint: $5.5
- Coffee: $4
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