| The
City of St. Louis, is an independent city completely
surrounded by St. Louis County on the west, and the
Mississippi River on the east, in the U.S. state of
Missouri. Sometimes written as Saint Louis, the city, which is named after Louis IX of France, is adjacent to but not part of St. Louis County, Missouri, thus giving it an almost-unique situation similar to Baltimore, Maryland in comparison to other metropolitan areas. St. Louis is known for its long standing French and German heritage and Victorian past. While St. Louis has embraced its deep roots as the Gateway to the West, it also has modernized into a globally known contributor in the health care and scientific research fields.The city has several common nicknames, including the "Gateway City", "Gateway to the West", and "Mound City". It is called "Gateway to the West" because of the many people who moved west starting near St Louis;. The Mound City name originated with the Native American burial mounds that once were common in the city. |

