The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate - the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States, and certainly a wonder of civil engineering. br/br/San Francisco was founded in 1776, when colonists from Spain established a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for St. Francis of Assisi a few miles away. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time. Due to the growth of its population, San Francisco became a consolidated city-county in 1856 and today is one of the top tourist destinations in the world.