NationMaster - Encyclopedia: California, United States

California is a state spanning the southern half of the west coast of the contiguous United States. With a population of 37 million and an area of 158,402 square miles (410,000 km²), California is the largest U.S. state in population and the third largest in area. File links The following pages link to this file: California Dana Rohrabacher Los Angeles, California San Francisco Peninsula San Francisco Bay Area Silicon Valley San Diego, California Sacramento, California Sacramento County, California Orange County, California Death Valley San Francisco, California Sierra Nevada (US) Oakland, California Fremont, California San Jose, California... Image File history File links Seal_of_California. ... The modern Bear Flag of California The flag of California was first flown during the Bear Flag Revolt and was adopted by the California state legislature in 1911. ... The Great Seal of the U.S. state of California. ... This is a list of U.S. state nicknames: (official state nicknames in bold) See also Lists of U.S. state insignia External link Information about U.S. State Nicknames Categories: | ... Public domain map courtesy of The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin, modified to highlight state boundaries. ... // Although the United States currently has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the de facto official language. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This is a list of United States state capitals: Trivia - Jefferson City (Missouri) has the longest name of the U.S. state capitals - Only two of the U.S. state capitals are named for their state: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Indianapolis, Indiana retard See also List of current and former... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Trees Location Location of Sacramento in California Government County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Geographical characteristics Area City 99. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... The Flag of The United States of America US states by land area US states by water area This is a list of the states of the United States in order of their total area, land area, and water area. ... This is a list of United States of America states by population as of 2005, according to the 2005 Census estimates taken by the United States Census Bureau. ... The 22nd United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... Map of states showing population density This is a list of the 50 U.S. states, ordered by population density. ... This is a list of United States states by elevation. ... This is a list of United States states by elevation. ... Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States. ... This is a list of United States states by elevation. ... This is a list of United States states by elevation. ... Badwater Basin elevation sign Badwater is a site in Californias Death Valley noted as the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, with an elevation of 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. ... ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis with President George W. Bush (2003) Seal of the Governor of California (without the Roman numerals designating the governors sequence) See also: List of pre-statehood governors of California, List of Governors of California The Governor of California is the highest executive authority... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian bodybuilder, actor, and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into U.S. Congressional Delegations from California. ... Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is a Democratic U.S. Senator from California, a position she has held since 1992. ... Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. ... List of U.S. states by time zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... PST is UTC-8 The Pacific Standard Time Zone (PST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) resulting in UTC-8. ... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... Areas in blue which observe daylight saving time. ... The following is a list of abbreviations used by the United States Postal Service. ... U.S. states This is a list of traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territorries, which were in wide use prior to the U.S. postal abbreviations. ... ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard. ... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... This is a list of United States of America states by population as of 2005, according to the 2005 Census estimates taken by the United States Census Bureau. ... The Flag of The United States of America US states by land area US states by water area This is a list of the states of the United States in order of their total area, land area, and water area. ...

The area was inhabited by Native Americans before European explorers started to make sporadic visitations during the 16th Century. Spain colonized the coastal areas of the territory starting in 1769 before it temporarily became part of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). At the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the state was captured by 500 U.S. soldiers and sailors. Following the war, the area was bought by the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The California Gold Rush of 1848-49 brought about 90,000 additional U.S. immigrants into the state, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850. This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... The Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) was Mexicos struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio LÃ³pez de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia Strength 60,000 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 killed or wounded (Mexican government estimate) The Mexican-American... The Mexican Cession (red) and the Gadsden Purchase (orange) The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was the peace treaty that ended the Mexican-American War (1846â€“1848). ... The California Gold Rush was a period in American history marked by great world-wide interest concerning a gold discovery in Northern California. ...

Although the state's sunny climate has given it a historic reputation for being laid back compared to the East Coast of the United States, California's economy is larger than all but the top 7 national economies in the world, $1.55 trillion (as of 2004), and is responsible for 13% of the United States 13 trillion dollar gross domestic product (GDP). The state's major predominant industries include agriculture, entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. California is also the home of several significant economic regions such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and the Wine Country (wine). Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The numeral trillion refers to one of two number values, depending on the context of where and how it is being used. ... A regions gross domestic product, or GDP, is one of several measures of the size of its economy. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Recreation. ... Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, by means of tools and a processing medium, and including all intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of component parts (semi-manufactures). It is a large branch of industry and of secondary production. ... Taipei 101, the worlds tallest building, also a popular tourist destination in Asia, located in Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The California Central Valley Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U.S. state of California. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... A computer is a machine designed for manipulating data according to a list of instructions known as a program. ... High tech refers to high technology, technology that is at the cutting-edge and the most advanced currently available. ... Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States, known as a wine-growing region since 1838. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of fruit, typically grapes though a number of other fruits are also quite popular - such as plum, elderberry and blackcurrant. ...

Name

California originally referred to the entire region composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and land in the current U.S. state of California. The states of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming, were claimed by Spain and Mexico but were almost totally undeveloped, with about 100 settlers in Arizona. The toponym California is currently used by three subnational entities â€“ the U.S. state of California and the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur â€“ and by a string of cities in other parts of the English-speaking world. ... Baja California (highlighted) Alternative use: Baja California (state) Baja California or Lower California is a peninsula in the west of Mexico. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Carson City Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 110,567 sq mi 286,367 kmÂ² 322 miles 519 km 490 miles 788 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area Ranked 13th - Total 84,876 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area Ranked 6th - Total 113,998 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area Ranked 10th - Total 97,872 sq. ...

The name is thought to have derived from the mythical paradise of Calafia portrayed in Amadís de Gaula, a 16th century Spanish romance by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, which in the book was a difficult to reach land with gold in plenty, free-loving Amazons living in caves, and strange beasts. AmadÃs de Gaula (English, Amadis of Gaul) is a landmark work among the knight-errantry tales which were in vogue in 16th century Spain, and formed the earliest reading of many Renaissance and Baroque writers. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Garci RodrÃguez de Montalvo (or Garci OrdoÃ±ez de Montalvo) was a Spanish author (d. ... In Greek mythology, the , Amazons were either an ancient legendary nation of female warriors or a land dominated by women at the outer edges of their known world. ...

Some suggest that the word California may come from the early Spanish explorers who entered California via the hot southern regions and referred to California as being "hot as an oven" or a "lime oven" ("cali > hot", "fornus->forno > oven" + ending "ia" for a place; or with "cal > lime", which, ..., which is a usual form of Spanish to form new words out of Latin roots with Spanish new words). It may be derived from caliente fornalia, Spanish for hot furnace, or it may come from calida fornax, Latin for hot climate.

Geography

California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. The state has strikingly beautiful natural features, including an expansive central valley, tall mountains, hot deserts, and hundreds of miles of scenic coastline. With an area of 160,000 square miles (411,000 km²) it is the third largest state in the U.S and is larger than Germany in size. Most major cities are at or near the Pacific coastline, notably Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Long Beach, Oakland, Santa Ana/Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. However, the capital, Sacramento, is in the Central Valley. The geographic center of the state is located in North Fork, California. Digitally colored elevation map of California The geography of California is rich and diverse. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Salem Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Carson City Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 110,567 sq mi 286,367 kmÂ² 322 miles 519 km 490 miles 788 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area Ranked 6th - Total 113,998 sq. ... // {| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding= 2 width=240 style=margin-left:3px align=right !align=center bgcolor=#ccccff colspan=3|Estado de Baja California |- |align=center colspan=3| |- !align=center bgcolor=#ccccff colspan=3|Location |- |align=center colspan=3| |- !align=center bgcolor=#ccccff colspan=3|Municipalities |- |align=center colspan=3... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The City by the Bay; The City That Knows How; Golden Mountain (historic Chinese name) Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates , Government City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Geographical characteristics Area City 600. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Beverly ONeill (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 170. ... Oakland, founded in 1852, is a major American city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. ... Santa Ana is the largest city and the county seat of Orange County, California. ... Official website: http://www. ... Riverside is the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders Michael Aguirre City Council Representatives, Scott... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital â€” although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Trees Location Location of Sacramento in California Government County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Geographical characteristics Area City 99. ... The California Central Valley The California Central Valley dominates the central portion of the state of California. ... North Fork is a small town located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite National Park. ...

California's geography is rich, complex, and varied. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, a huge, fertile valley bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the granite Sierra Nevada to the east, the volcanic Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley. The water supply for much of the state is provided by the State Water Project. The Central Valley Project supports some municipal water supplies, though it primarily provides water to irrigated agriculture. With dredging, several rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities (notably Stockton) are seaports. The hot, fertile Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows a large portion of America's food, yet near freezing temperatures are not uncommon during winter which sometimes wipe out portions of crops. The southern part of the valley, which is part desert, is known as the San Joaquin Valley (drained by the San Joaquin River), while the northern half is known as the Sacramento Valley (drained by the Sacramento River). The Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta is a major estuary that supports a brackish ecosystem while serving as the water supply hub for much of the state's population. The Channel Islands are located in the southern part of the state, stretching from Santa Barbara to Orange County. These islands have few inhabitants, but the northernmost islands are a national park. They and the largest island, Santa Catalina Island are attractive to visitors. The California Central Valley The California Central Valley dominates the central portion of the state of California. ... Fljótsdalur in East-Iceland A valley is a landform, which can range from a few square miles (square kilometers) to hundreds or even thousands of square miles (square kilometers) in area. ... The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along west coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico. ... If you have been redirected here after viewing any statistical information, note that as defined by the Census Bureau, the western United States includes 13 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. ... The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is almost entirely in eastern California. ... The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST, internally called HT-7U) is a project being undertaken to construct an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, in eastern China. ... Mount Adams in Washington The Cascade Range is a mountainous region famous for its chain of tall volcanoes called the High Cascades that run north-south along the west coast of North America from British Columbia to the Shasta Cascade area of northern California. ... Northern California, refers to the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Tehachapi Mountains The Tehachapi Mountains are a short transverse range in southern California in the United States, running SW-NE to connect the Coast Ranges on the west with the southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountains on the east. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... The Murray River in Australia. ... The California Department of Water Resources is responsible for the management of water resources in California. ... The Central Valley Project (CVP) is a federal water project undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1935 as a long-term plan to use water in Californias Central Valley. ... |} Stockton is a city in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the 5th largest agricultural county in the United States). ... Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ... The San Joaquin River, 330 miles (530 km) long, is the second-longest river in California, United States. ... A spring at the Sacramento River headwater The Sacramento River is the longest river in the state of California. ... The Sacramento Delta. ... The Channel Islands of California, also called the Santa Barbara Islands, are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... Santa Catalina Island, location relative to the coast of Southern California Santa Catalina Island, often called simply Catalina Island, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. ...

In the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada (meaning Snowy Range in Spanish), which include the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4421 m). Also located in the Sierra are the world-famous Yosemite National Park and a deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume. To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat. To the west is Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake by area. The Sierra Nevada reaches arctic temperatures in the winter and has several dozen small glaciers, including the most southern glacier in the United States (Palisade Glacier). Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States. ... Yosemite redirects here. ... Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay State Park Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada, on the border between the U.S. states of California and Nevada, near Carson City. ... Owens Valley is the arid ranching valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. ... Mono Lake, showing nearby Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park Mono Lake is an alkaline and hypersaline lake in California, United States that is a critical nesting habitat for several bird species and is one of the most productive ecosystems in North America. ... Seabirds are birds that spend much of their lives, outside the breeding season at least, at sea. ... Clear Lake is the largest (by area) freshwater lake wholly in California. ...

About 35% of the state's total surface area is covered by forests. California's diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state. Though other states have a higher percentage of their land area covered by forests, in terms of total area, California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska. Most of the forest is found in 2 areas: the northwestern part of the state and along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Smaller forests, mainly consisting of oaks, can be found along the coast ranges of California closer to the coast, and also in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Smaller areas of pine forests can be found in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains of Southern California and also in the mountain areas of central San Diego County. Deserts in California make up about 25% of the total surface area. In the south lay the Transverse Ranges and a large salt lake, the Salton Sea. The south-central desert is called the Mojave. To the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in North America, Badwater Flat. The lowest point of Death Valley and the peak of Mount Whitney are less than 200 miles apart. The hiking trek between the two points has been attempted, several times, most notably by Lee Bergthold. Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley routinely experiencing extreme high temperatures during the summer. These large deserts kept travel between California and Mexico to a bare minimum during the colonial period. The Coachella Valley in Riverside County is famous for its popular tourist destination Palm Springs, California. Other Coachella Valley communities include Bermuda Dunes, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, and Rancho Mirage. Image File history File links Wiki_california. ... Image File history File links Wiki_california. ... The Transverse ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. ... The Salton Sea (with local/regional cities) The Salton Sea is an inland saline lake, located in the Colorado Desert in Southern California, north of the Imperial Valley. ... Looking across from Emigrant Pass towards the Kingston Range in the eastern Mojave. ... Death Valley and Panamint Range Death Valley is a valley in California that is located southeast of the Sierra Nevada range in the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert, comprising much of Death Valley National Park. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Coachella Valley The Coachella Valley is an irrigated agricultural and recreational desert valley in southern California east of Los Angeles. ... The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sea, as seen from the Space shuttle. ... Palm Springs is a famed Riverside County, California, desert resort city, approximately 110 miles east of Los Angeles. ...

Along the densely populated and long California coast are several major metropolitan areas, including San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Santa Ana-Irvine-Anaheim, Riverside-San Bernardino, California and San Diego. Climates near the Pacific Ocean are remarkably moderate compared with inland climates. Winter temperatures seldom reach freezing and summer temperatures rarely reach above the high 80's Fahrenheit (low 30's Celsius). Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The City by the Bay; The City That Knows How; Golden Mountain (historic Chinese name) Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates , Government City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Geographical characteristics Area City 600. ... Oakland, founded in 1852, is a major American city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Beverly ONeill (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 170. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders Michael Aguirre City Council Representatives, Scott...

California is famous for earthquakes due to the presence of a number of faults, in particular the San Andreas Fault. While powerful earthquakes in the United States have occurred in other states such as Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Missouri (along the New Madrid fault), people are more aware of California's earthquakes due to their frequency and tendency to strike in highly populated areas. An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stress in rocks that radiates seismic waves. ... View of the San Andreas Fault on the Carrizo Plain in central California San Andreas Fault is a geological fault that runs a length of roughly 800 miles (1287 kilometres) through California, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area Ranked 1st - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 kmÂ²) - Width 808 miles (1,300 km) - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km) - % water 13. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area Ranked 18th - Total 71,342 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Salem Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St. ... Seismic map New Madrid Seismic Zone - USGS The New Madrid Seismic Zone, also known as the Reelfoot Rift or the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone, located in the mideastern United States. ...

California is also home to several volcanoes, some active such as Mammoth Mountain. Other volcanoes include Lassen Peak, which erupted from 1914 and 1921, and Mount Shasta. A volcano is a geological landform usually generated by the eruption through a planets surface of magma, molten rock welling up from the planets interior. ... Mammoth Mountain is a volcano that lies to the west of the town of Mammoth Lakes, California in the Inyo National Forest. ... Lassen Peak, in Shasta County, California USA, is the largest single lava dome volcano also known as a plug dome in the world and is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. ... Mount Shasta, a 14,162-foot (4,322 m) stratovolcano, is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range and the seventh-highest peak in California. ...

A state mammal is the official or representative animal of a U.S. state. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 Brown Bear range The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach masses of 130â€“700 kg (300â€“1500 pounds). ... Binomial name Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861 Gray Whale range The Gray Whale or Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus), more recently called the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale, is a whale that travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Callipepla californica (Shaw, 1798) The California Quail, Callipepla californica, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. ... This is a list of official U.S. state butterflies: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Binomial name Zerene eurydice Boisduval, 1855 The California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice, or Colias eurydice Boisduval) has been the state insect of the U.S. state of California since 1972. ... This is a list of official U.S. state fish: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Binomial name Oncorhynchus aguabonita (Jordan, 1892) The Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family (family Salmonidae) of order Salmoniformes. ... Binomial name Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard, 1854) The Garibaldi or Garibaldi damselfish (Hypsypops rubicundus) is a fish of the damselfish family that is native to the northern subtropical parts of the Pacific Ocean, ranging from Monterey Bay to Guadalupe Island, Baja California. ... This is a list of U.S. state flowers: External links Juelies State Flower Garden of Gifs List of state flowers See also List of U.S. state trees Lists of U.S. state insignia Categories: ‪Lists of flowers‬ | ‪United States state insignia‬ ... Binomial name Eschscholzia californica Cham The California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a popular garden flower of the family Papaveraceae. ... This is a list of official U.S. state grass: See also Lists of U.S. state insignia Categories: U.S. state insignia ... Species Stipa arundinacea Stipa avenacea - black oat grass Stipa brachytricha - Korean feather grass Stipa calamagrostis - Spear Grass Stipa canadensis Stipa capillata Stipa comata Stipa gigantea - giant feather grass, golden oats Stipa joannis Stipa mollis Stipa pennata - feather grass Stipa pulchra - purple stipa Stipa spartea - porcupine grass Stipa splendens Stipa tenacissima... This is a list of U.S. state insects: See also Lists of U.S. state insignia List of U.S. state butterflies Categories: ... Binomial name Zerene eurydice Boisduval, 1855 The California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice, or Colias eurydice Boisduval) has been the state insect of the U.S. state of California since 1972. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Gopherus agassizii (Cooper, 1863) The Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. ... This List of U.S. state trees includes official trees of the following states and U.S. possessions: See also Lists of U.S. state insignia National Grove of State Trees External link USDA list of state trees and flowers Categories: | | ... Binomial name Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Binomial name Eschscholzia californica Cham The California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a popular garden flower of the family Papaveraceae. ... This is a list of official state beverages:[1] This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of fruit, typically grapes though a number of other fruits are also quite popular - such as plum, elderberry and blackcurrant. ... This is a list of United States state capitals: Trivia - Jefferson City (Missouri) has the longest name of the U.S. state capitals - Only two of the U.S. state capitals are named for their state: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Indianapolis, Indiana retard See also List of current and former... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Trees Location Location of Sacramento in California Government County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Geographical characteristics Area City 99. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Blue is any of a number of similar colors. ... Gold is a shade of the color yellow closest to that of gold metal. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance derived from Lindy Hop. ... Square dance is a folk dance where four couples (eight dancers) begin and end each sequence in a square formation, with one couple on each side of a square. ... Though every state in the United States has a State Bird and a State Flower, not every state in the United States has a State Fossil. ... Species Smilodon (Greek: Knife-Tooth) is an extinct genus of large machairodontine saber-toothed cats that are understood to have lived between approximately 3 million to 10,000 years ago in North and South America. ... List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones, and gemstones. ... Benitoite or barium titanium silicate, BaTiSi3O9, is the state gemstone of California. ... List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones, and gemstones. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Here is a list of state mottos for the states of the United States. ... Eureka (or Heureka; Greek ) is a famous exclamation attributed to Archimedes. ... This is a list of official U.S. state neckwear: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This is a list of U.S. state nicknames: (official state nicknames in bold) See also Lists of U.S. state insignia External link Information about U.S. State Nicknames Categories: | ... List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones, and gemstones. ... Serpentine Serpentine is a group of common rock-forming hydrous magnesium iron phyllosilicate ((Mg, Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4) minerals; it is also often rich in other metal ores, including chromium, manganese, cobalt and nickel. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Californias official state song I Love You, California was written by F. B. Silverwood, a Los Angeles merchant. ... This is a list of official U.S. state soils: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This is a list of official U.S. state tartans: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... The California State Tartan is the official tartan of the State of California. ...

Climate

Different regions of California have very different climates, depending on their latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers, and the cold oceanic California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. Further inland, the climate becomes more continental with colder winters and markedly hotter summers. The temperature gradient between immediate coast and low-lying inland valleys in the north is about 39°F (4 °C) in winter (the coast being warmer) and in summer roughly 57°F (14 °C) (the interior being warmer). In the south, the figures are approximately 35°F and 55°F (2 °C and 13 °C), respectively; however 35°F and 68°F (2 °C and 20 °C) between Santa Barbara and Death Valley. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles those of the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea. ... Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... For other senses of this word, see Summer (disambiguation). ... The worlds oceans as seen from the South Pacific Oceans (from Okeanos, Greek for river, the ancient Greeks noticed that a strong current flowed off Gibraltar, and assumed it was a great river) cover almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth, and nearly half of the... The California Current is a Pacific Ocean current that moves south along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia, and ending off southern Baja California. ... Sunlight filters through a thin layer of fog on a crisp winter morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... A continental climate is the climate typical of the middle-latitude interiors of the large continents of the Northern Hemisphere in the zone of westerly winds; similar climates exist along the east coasts (but not the west coasts) of the same continents, and also at higher elevations in certain other... Mission Santa Barbara, known as the queen of the missions. Santa Barbara is a city in California, United States. ... Death Valley and Panamint Range Death Valley is a valley in California that is located southeast of the Sierra Nevada range in the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert, comprising much of Death Valley National Park. ...

Westerly winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher annual rainfall amounts than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well: moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15–50 inches (400–1270 mm) per year. Some areas of Coast Redwood forest receive over 100 inches of precipitation per year (2540 mm). The Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate but with greater temperature extremes than the coastal areas: parts of the valley are often filled with thick fog, similar to that found in the coastal valleys. The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to moderate heat in summer. In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... Binomial name Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. ... The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is almost entirely in eastern California. ... Mountain climate (also highland climate) is something of a crude geographical term used for the kind of climate in the mountains and generally in the high country. ... For other uses, see Snow (disambiguation). ...

On the east side of the mountains is a drier "rain shadow." California's desert climate regions lie east of the high Sierra Nevada and Southern California's Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains, including the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the lower Colorado River, are part of the Sonoran Desert, with hot summers and mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California, including the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, are part of the Great Basin region, with hot summers and cold winters. // A rain shadow (or more accurately, precipitation shadow) is a dry region on the surface of the Earth that is leeward or behind a mountain with respect to the prevailing wind direction. ... A dune in the Egyptian desert In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation. ... The Transverse ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. ... The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges which stretch 900 miles from southern California to the southern tip of Baja California, part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico. ... Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from Desert View The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately 1,450 mi (2,333 km) long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. ... Sonoran Desert wildlife Mountains in the Sonoran Desert 3D photograph of Saguaro National Park at dusk. ... Eastern California is not a well-defined term. ... Looking across from Emigrant Pass towards the Kingston Range in the eastern Mojave. ... Owens Valley is the arid ranching valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. ... The Modoc Plateau lies in the northeast corner of California as well as parts of Oregon and Nevada. ... Drainage map showing the Great Basin in orange The Great Basin is a large, arid region of the western United States, commonly defined as the contiguous watershed region, roughly between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, that has no natural outlet to the sea. ...

In the northern portion of the Mojave Desert on the east side of the state is Death Valley, which is the hottest spot on the Western Hemisphere. It is common in the summer for temperatures in the valley to reach 120°F (49 °C). The highest temperature in the Western Hemisphere, 134°F (56.6 °C), was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Temperatures of 130°F (54 °C) or higher have been recorded as recently as 2005. The 24-hour average July temperature in Death Valley is 101°F (38 °C) (1961—1990 standard). Looking across from Emigrant Pass towards the Kingston Range in the eastern Mojave. ... Death Valley and Panamint Range Death Valley is a valley in California that is located southeast of the Sierra Nevada range in the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert, comprising much of Death Valley National Park. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Ecology

Ecologically, California is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities. California's diverse geography, geology, soils and climate have generated a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life. The State of California is part of the Nearctic ecozone, and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions, and is perhaps the most ecologically diverse state in the United States. The ecology of California is amazingly diverse. ... The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earths land surface. ... Ecozones are global divisions which have their own characteristic interplay of climatic factors, morphodynamics, soil-forming processes, living conditions for plants and animals, and production potentials for agriculture and forestry. ... Ecoregions are defined by the World Wildlife Fund as relatively large units of land or water containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities and species, with boundaries that approximate the original extent of natural communities prior to major land-use change. Terrestrial ecoregions are land ecoregions, as distinct from freshwater...

California has a rather high percentage of endemic species. California endemics include relict species that have died out elsewhere, including the redwoods and the Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus). Many other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions. California's great abundance of species of California lilac (Ceanothus) is an example of adaptive radiation. Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. Furthermore, California is home to the largest trees in the world, the Giant Sequoias. In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... Redwood is a name used for several species of trees with red or reddish coloured wood; see each species for individual details. ... Adaptive radiation describes the rapid speciation of a single or a few species to fill many ecological niches. ... Species See text Ceanothus L., is a genus of about 50-60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. ... Binomial name Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl. ...

California's native grasses were perennials, which stayed green year-round in most of the state's subclimates^[1]. After European contact, these were generally replaced by invasive species of European annual grasses; and, in modern times, California's hills turn a characteristic golden brown in summer and fall. California's nickname The Golden State is in reference to the California Gold Rush, and not to the golden brown summer hillsides as is sometimes stated.^[1] A Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ... The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species or non-indigenous species. ... The California Gold Rush was a period in American history marked by great world-wide interest concerning a gold discovery in Northern California. ...

National Parks

The National Park System maintains control over many different places of California: The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ...

Alcatraz Island is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... California Trail The California Trail was a major overland emigrant route across the American West from Missouri to California in the middle 19th century. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ... Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid national park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County, California, USA with a small extension and exclave (Devils Hole) in Nevada. ... The longer fragments of basalt at the base of the cliff can be larger than a person. ... Mammoth Lakes is a town located in Mono County, California. ... Tao House in winter The Eugene ONeill National Historic Site, located in Danville, California, preserves Tao House, the hillside home of Americas only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Eugene ONeill, where he and his wife lived from 1937 to 1944. ... Danville is a town located in a part of Contra Costa County, California called the San Ramon Valley, United States. ... Fort Point is a location at the south entrance to San Francisco Bay. ... The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, which surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. ... John Muirs home in Martinez, California. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... A Joshua tree silhouetted by a rock Joshua Tree National Park is located in south-eastern California. ... Twentynine Palms is a city located in San Bernardino County, California. ... The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a 1,210 mile United States national historic trail that runs from Nogales, Arizona on the Mexican border to San Francisco, California. ... This Article is about Kings Canyon National Park, USA. For Kings Canyon, Australia, see Kings Canyon, Northern Territory. ... Map of Lassen area showing hydrothermal features (red dots) and volcanic feature or remnant (yellow cones). ... Mineral is a census-designated place located in Tehama County, California. ... Lava Beds National Monument, located in Siskiyou and Modoc Counies, California, is the site of the largest concentration of lava tube caves in the United States. ... Tulelake is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. ... Manzanar sign Manzanar National Historic Landmark (better known as Manzanar War Relocation Center) was a Japanese American internment camp during World War II that operated near Independence, California. ... The Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert in Southern California, USA. It covers 1. ... Barstow is a city located in San Bernardino County, California. ... Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service in Marin County, California, 12 miles (19 km) north of San Francisco. ... Mill Valley is a city located in Marin County, California. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pinnacles National Monument is protected mountainous area located east of central Californias Salinas Valley. ... McClures Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, looking south on an overcast winters afternoon Point Reyes National Seashore is 70,000 acre (283 kmÂ²) park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin county, California, USA. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US National Park... Point Reyes Point Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States. ... The Pony Express National Historic Trail was used by young men on fast paced horses to carry the nations mail across the country, from St. ... Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial at the Concord Naval Weapons Station near Concord, California recognizes the critcal role Port Chicago played in World War II by serving as the main facility for the Pacific Theater. ... Concord is a city located in Contra Costa County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,780. ... Established in 1968 from unprotected land as well as small portions of existing state parks, Redwood National Park is a United States National Park on the northern coast of California between Eureka and Crescent City. ... Richmond is a city located in Contra Costa County, California, USA. It is north of El Cerrito and Albany in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The historic fleet moored at Hyde Street Pier, with Alcatraz and Angel Island in the background. ... The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, located in Los Angeles. ... Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Yosemite redirects here. ...

History

The area was inhabited by Native Americans before European explorers started to make sporadic visits during the 16th Century. Spain colonized the territory during the late 1700s before it became part of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21). During the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), in the town of Sonoma 40 U.S. settlers revolted and established the so-called "California Republic", which lasted about 30 days but did produce the model for the state flag. The state was captured by the U.S. Army and Navy, as the Mexican officials fled without a fight. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought a huge population of immigrants into the area, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850. A field of California golden poppies circa 1910. ... This article continues the history of California in the 20th century after its first 50 years of statehood. ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... Sonoma is a town located in Sonoma County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,128. ... The California Gold Rush was a period in American history marked by great world-wide interest concerning a gold discovery in Northern California. ...

The entire region originally known as California was composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and much of the land in the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Wyoming, known as Alta California. In these early times, the boundaries of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast were only partially explored and California was shown on early maps as an island. The name comes from Las sergas de Esplandián (Adventures of Splandian), a 16th century novel, by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. (For further discussion, see: Origin of the name California.) Baja California (highlighted) Baja California or Lower California is a peninsula in the west of Mexico. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... The Island of California is shown on a 1650 map by Nicolas Sanson The Island of California refers to a long-held European misconception, dating from the 16th century, that California was not part of mainland North America but rather a large island separated from the continent by the Mare... The toponym California is currently used by three subnational entities â€“ the U.S. state of California and the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur â€“ and by a string of cities in other parts of the English-speaking world. ...

Pre-European California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in Native northern America. Large, settled populations lived on the West Coast and hunted sea mammals, fished for salmon, and gathered shellfish, while more mobile hunters and gathering groups in the California interior hunted terrestrial game and gathered nuts, acorns, and berries. California groups also were diverse in their political organization with bands, tribes, tribelets, and on the resource-rich coasts large chiefdoms, such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. Trade, intermarriage, and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups. Except for the Mojave Indians living along the Colorado River no California Indians grew any domesticated crops. Pomo girl photographed by Edward S. Curtis in 1924. ...

The first European to explore parts of the coast was the Portuguese João Rodrigues Cabrilho in 1542 working for the Spanish Hernan Cortes. The first to explore the entire coast and claim possession of it was the English man Francis Drake in 1579. Beginning in 1769, Spanish missionaries set up California Missions along the California coast. In addition four small towns or presidos were set up. Upon Mexican independence from Spain, the chain of missions became the property of the Mexican government, and were quickly dissolved and abandoned in 1832. Friends of the Mexican government officials got most of the livestock and property. The total Spanish speaking population in California in 1846, when the U.S. took over, was about 4000. Many of California's major cities were settled by non-Spanish immigrants around these missions and presidios. They preserved only their religious names (Los Angeles for the Virgin Mary. San Francisco for St. Francis of Assisi, San Jose for St. Joseph of Nazareth and San Diego for St. Didacus). For a quarter century after the achievement of Mexican independence in 1821, California was a remote northern province of the nation of Mexico. Cattle and horses introduced into California in the 1770's and doubled in population with minimal care about every five years. cattle ranches, or ranchos, emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican California. Traders and settlers from the United States began to arrive, harbingers of the great changes that would sweep California. The Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, CA JoÃ£o Rodrigues Cabrilho, (ca 1499 â€“ January 3, 1543) was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America while sailing for Spain. ... Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... nd civil engineer of the Elizabethan era. ... Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... Postcard of the reconstructed Mission Santa Bárbara The California missions are a series of settlements established by Spanish Catholic Franciscans, to Christianize the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier land. ... The Spanish Missions of California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans, to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier... This article is about the largest city in California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ...

In this period, some nobles of Imperial Russia made brief attempts to explore and claim parts of California, but these were limited by a lack of Imperial interest. Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start...

California was poorly settled until modern public health eliminated the endemic outbreaks of yellow fever, malaria and plague, caused from the area’s lack of frosts, which kills mosquitoes and fleas. Red blood cell infected with Malaria, derived from mala aria (Medieval Italian for bad air) and formerly called ague or marsh fever in English, is an infectious disease which causes about 350-500 million infections with humans and approximately 1. ... This article concerns the epidemic of the mid-14th century. ...

In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown, which featured a golden bear and a star. The Republic came to a sudden end, however, when Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States. Following the war, the region was divided between Mexico and the United States. The Mexican portion, Baja (lower) California was later divided into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The western part of the U.S. portion, Alta (upper) California, was to become the U.S. state of California. Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio LÃ³pez de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia Strength 60,000 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 killed or wounded (Mexican government estimate) The Mexican-American... The modern Bear Flag of California The flag of California was first flown during the Bear Flag Revolt and was adopted by the California state legislature in 1911. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 Brown Bear range The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach masses of 130â€“700 kg (300â€“1500 pounds). ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ...

In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000. But after gold was discovered, the population burgeoned with U.S. citizens, Europeans, and other immigrants in the great California Gold Rush. In 1850, the state was admitted to the union USA as a free state (one in which slavery was prohibited). The California Gold Rush was a period in American history marked by great world-wide interest concerning a gold discovery in Northern California. ...

At first, travel between the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers was time consuming and dangerous, requiring either long ocean voyages or difficult transcontinental passages by stagecoach and on foot. A more direct connection came in 1869 with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. After this rail link was established, hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens came west, where new Californians were discovering that land in the state, if irrigated during the dry summer months, was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. Citrus was widely grown (especially in the form of oranges), and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production of today.

During the early 20th century, migration to California accelerated with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the Union. From 1965 to the present, the population demographic changed radically and became one of the most diverse in the world. The state is generally liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry, music industry, and as mentioned above, U.S. agricultural production. U.S. Highway 66 or Route 66 was a highway in the U.S. Highway system. ...

Demographics

Population

Racial and ancestral makeup

Interpreting U.S. Census Bureau data can be difficult for two reasons. First, it is difficult due to the Bureau's policy of considering race and Hispanic origin to be two separate categories. Hispanics must not only select "Hispanic"; they must also select a race such as White or Black, or, simply "some other race." Second, a significant portion [~17%] of Hispanics have illegal immigrant status. For other senses of this word, see race (disambiguation). ... Illegal immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently, in violation of the law or without documents permitting an immigrant to settle in that country. ...

Thus, for the sake of simplicity, the data below does consider Hispanic origin to be its own category. It shows only non-Hispanic members of each group: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Eskimos, non-Hispanic people of two or more races, etc. For more information on race and the Census, see Race (U.S. Census). The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

California lacks a majority ethnic group. It is the third minority-majority state, after Hawaii and New Mexico. Non-Hispanic Whites are still the largest group while Hispanics make up over one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asians, Blacks, and Native Americans. Who is a white American? The definition of a white American has differed from time to time throughout U.S. history. ... The Hispanic world Hispanic (Spanish: Hispano) is a term denoting a derivation from Spain, her people and culture. ... The English word Latino derives from the Spanish word latinoamericano (the Portuguese word is also latinoamericano) and refers to inhabitants of Latin America, and their descendents living outside of Latin America. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... For other senses of this word, see race (disambiguation). ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... Inuit (Inuktitut syllabics: áƒá“„áƒá‘¦, singular Inuk / áƒá“„á’ƒ) is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic coasts of Siberia, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Labrador and Greenland (see Eskimo). ... In April of 1990, Daniel K. Akaka became the first native Hawaiian and Chinese American to serve in the United States Congress as a Senator from the State of Hawaii. ... // Demographics in 2000 US Census Pacific Islander Americans represent the smallest group counted on the 2000 US Census. ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,941 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize US citizens, permanent residents and temporary immigrants, whose background hail either from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America or relating to a Spanish-speaking culture. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ...

Because of high levels of immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, and higher birth rates among the Hispanic population, Hispanics are predicted to become a majority in the state around 2040. California has the second-largest Asian population (percentage-wise) of any state, Hawaii having the largest.

The largest named ancestries in California are Mexican (25%), Filipino, German, Irish, and Asian^{[citation needed]}. Mexicans and Chicanos predominate in Southern California, the Central Valley, Salinas, and parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. Spanish and German ancestries are dominant in the eastern Sierra Nevada, the far north, and the North Coast. San Francisco has the greatest concentration of Asians in the continental United States, with Chinese numerous in San Francisco, Alameda, and Santa Clara counties. The San Francisco Bay Area has a greater concentration of Cantonese-speaking Chinese. Southern California has perhaps the largest Taiwanese-American community in the United States particularly in San Gabriel Valley, and communities such as Cerritos, Irvine (in Orange County), and some in the South Bay, Los Angeles Area. Filipinos are particularly numerous in San Mateo and Solano counties, and in communities such as Baldwin Park, Covina, West Covina, and the community of Eagle Rock in Los Angeles. There are large Korean Communities in Koreatown of Los Angeles as well as East San Gabriel Valley, Cerritos, South Bay, Los Angeles, and in North Orange County. South Bay, Los Angeles also has a large Japanese community too. The City of Long Beach has one of the largest Cambodian-American communities in the United States. Westminster has one of the largest Vietnamese communities and is often dubbed "Little Saigon". The community of Artesia and nearby Cerritos have a large Asian Indian/South Asian community. In 2000, California also had the largest number of people with Bulgarian heritage than any other state in the US according to the US census. California also has one of the largest numbers of people of Armenian heritage and Persian heritage, with estimates of up to 500,000 persons in Southern California, and 20% of Beverly Hills being of Persian origin.[3] Chicano is a cultural identity used primarily by people of Mexican descent in the United States. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... The California Central Valley Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Nickname: Americas Salad Bowl Official website: http://www. ... USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Sierra Nevada, meaning snowy range in Spanish, is the name of at least three mountain ranges: Sierra Nevada (Spain) in Andalusia, Spain Sierra Nevada (US) in California and Nevada, United States Sierra Nevada (Mexico) in Mexico There are also two single mountains named Sierra Nevada in the Andes which are... This article is about the city in California. ... Official website: http://www. ... Location of Santa Clara County within California. ... A Taiwanese American is an American of Taiwanese ancestry. ... San Gabriel Valley within Southern California The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. ... City nicknames: The Geographic Center of Southern California The Freeway City County: Los Angeles County, California Mayor: Paul W. Bowlen (re-elected 2003) Mayor Pro Tem: Laura Lee (elected 2003) City Council: Jim Edwards (elected 2005) Gloria A. Kappe (re-elected 2003) John F. Crawley (re-elected 2005) Mottos: A... Location Location of Irvine within Orange County, California. ... The South Bay and surrounding regions in Southern California The South Bay is a region in the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Official website: http://www. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Baldwin Park is a city located in the central San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California about 22 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. ... West Covina is a city located in eastern Los Angeles County, California, in the San Gabriel Valley region. ... For the neighborhood in Los Angeles, see Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California Eagle Rock, was an early name for Idaho Falls, Idaho. ... Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown Koreatown, also known as Wilshire Center, is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California. ... San Gabriel Valley within Southern California The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. ... The South Bay and surrounding regions in Southern California The South Bay is a region in the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... The South Bay and surrounding regions in Southern California The South Bay is a region in the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Beverly ONeill (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 170. ... A Cambodian-American is an American who is of ethnic Cambodian descent. ... Westminster is a city located in Orange County, California. ... Little Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States. ... Artesia is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... City nicknames: The Geographic Center of Southern California The Freeway City County: Los Angeles County, California Mayor: Paul W. Bowlen (re-elected 2003) Mayor Pro Tem: Laura Lee (elected 2003) City Council: Jim Edwards (elected 2005) Gloria A. Kappe (re-elected 2003) John F. Crawley (re-elected 2005) Mottos: A... South Asian Americans are Americans who can trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent, often known as South Asia. ... The Persians are an Iranian people who speak the Persian language and share a common culture and history. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... For other uses, see: Beverly Hills (disambiguation). ... Persian may refer to more than one article: the Western name for Iranian (see Iran/Persia naming controversy) Persian, an Iranian language the Persians, an ethnic group a Persian, a breed of cat Persian, a PokÃ©mon character Etymology English Persian < Old English, < Latin *Persianus, < Latin Persia, < ancient Greek Persis...

Languages

As of 2000, 60.5% of California residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 25.8% speak Spanish. Chinese is the third most spoken language at 2.6%, followed by Tagalog at 2.0% and Vietnamese at 1.3%. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Tagalog (pronunciation: ) is one of the major languages of the Republic of the Philippines. ...

The indigenous languages of California number more than one hundred and show great diversity making California one of the most linguistically diverse areas in the world. However, all indigenous languages are endangered although there are now efforts toward language revitalization. An endangered language is a language with so few surviving speakers that it is in danger of falling out of use. ... Language revival is the revival, by governments, political authorities, or enthusiasts, to recover the spoken use of a language that is no longer spoken or learned at home. ...

Since 1986, the California Constitution has specified that English is the common and official language of the state. The politics of language is a major political issue in the state, especially in regard to language policy controlling the teaching and official use of immigrant languages. In actual practice, California's official-English law is not strictly enforced; many state, city, and local government agencies continue to print official public documents in numerous languages. [4] The California Constitution is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of California. ... Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. ...

Religion

As with many other western states, the percentage of California's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is comparatively high in relation to the rest of the U.S. Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... Protestantism is one of three primary branches of Christianity. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... Presbyterianism is a form of Protestant Christianity, primarily in the Reformed branch of Christendom, as well as a particular form of church government. ... Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Mr wadawits smells Luthers seal Lutheranism is a Christian tradition based upon the main theological insights of Martin Luther. ... Roman Catholicism in the United States has flourished since its colonial era, previous to the establishment of the nation. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people with around 15 million followers as of 2006. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ...

Economy

As of 2005, California's economy is larger than all but five national economies in the world. Although the state historically has a reputation as being more sunny and laid back compared with the East Coast of the United States, it is responsible for 13% of the United States gross domestic product (GDP). The gross state product (GSP) is about $1.55 trillion ($1,550,000,000,000, as of 2004), making it greater than that of every other U.S. state, and most countries in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity). The economy of California is a dominant force in the nations economy, with California paying significantly more to the federal system than it receives in benefits. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 121 KB) Taken from http://pdphoto. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 121 KB) Taken from http://pdphoto. ... The Hollywoodland sign in the 1920s The HOLLYWOOD sign is a famous landmark in Los Angeles, California that dates back to 1923, with periodic restoration since then. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x352, 232 KB) Summary Â© Matthew Hendricks Photo of the San Jose skyline in 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x352, 232 KB) Summary Â© Matthew Hendricks Photo of the San Jose skyline in 2006. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x671, 369 KB) Summary A vineyard and mansion seen in Mendocino County, California, next to U.S. Highway 101. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x671, 369 KB) Summary A vineyard and mansion seen in Mendocino County, California, next to U.S. Highway 101. ... A vineyard Vineyard with bird netting Wine grapes with netting as protection against birds A vineyard (vignoble in French, vigna or vigneto in Italian, vinha in Portuguese, viÃ±a or viÃ±edo in Spanish, Weinberg in German) is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table... A status symbol is something, usually an expensive or rare object, that indicates a high social status for its owner. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... A regions gross domestic product, or GDP, is one of several measures of the size of its economy. ... Gross state product is a measurment of the economic output of a U.S. state or an Australian state. ... The numeral trillion refers to one of two number values, depending on the context of where and how it is being used. ... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

California is also the home of several significant economic regions such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and wine producing regions such as Santa Barbara and Northern California's Wine Country (wine). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The California Central Valley Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U.S. state of California. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... A computer is a machine designed for manipulating data according to a list of instructions known as a program. ... High tech refers to high technology, technology that is at the cutting-edge and the most advanced currently available. ... Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States, known as a wine-growing region since 1838. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of fruit, typically grapes though a number of other fruits are also quite popular - such as plum, elderberry and blackcurrant. ...

The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next, is agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine). This is followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar volume, although many movies are still made in California; light manufacturing, including computer hardware and software; and the mining of borax. Fruit stall in Barcelona, Catalonia. ... Vegetables in a market Venn diagram representing the relationship between (botanical) fruits and vegetables. ... Dairy farm near Oxford, New York A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk (mostly from cows, sometimes from buffalo, sheep or goats) and other farm animals, for human consumption. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of fruit, typically grapes though a number of other fruits are also quite popular - such as plum, elderberry and blackcurrant. ... Look up aerospace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Recreation. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... Flash point non-flammable Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ...

Per capita personal income was $33,403 as of 2003, ranking 12^th in the nation. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The Central Valley has the most extreme contrasts of income, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage. Recently, the San Joaquin Valley was characterized [5] as one of the most economically depressed regions in the U.S., on par with the region of Appalachia. 2003 USPS stamp featuring ChÃ¡vez and the fields that were so important to him According to the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, a migrant worker is a person who is to be engaged, is engaged or... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... Appalachian Region of the U.S., as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission Appalachian zones of the US - USGS Appalachia is a term used to include a region stretching from the state of New York to Alabama that surrounds the Appalachian mountains. ...

Many coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S., notably San Francisco and Marin County. The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic downturn caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data indicate that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%. The international boom in housing prices has been most pronounced in California, with the median property price in the state rising to about the half-million dollar mark in April 2005. Flag Seal Nickname: The City by the Bay; The City That Knows How; Golden Mountain (historic Chinese name) Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates , Government City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Geographical characteristics Area City 600. ... Official website: http://www. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... Location of Santa Clara County within California. ... Official website: http://www. ... Dot-com (also dotcom or redundantly dot. ...

California levies a 9.3% maximum variable rate income tax, with 6 tax brackets. It collects about 40 Billion dollars in Income tax. California's minimum combined state, county and local sales and use tax is 7.25%. It collects about 28 Billion in sales tax. The rate is higher in cities and counties with special taxing districts. All real property is taxable and shall be assessed at fair market value. California collects a total of 33 Billion dollars in property tax. Any homestead exemptions are handled at the county level and residents must contact the local County Tax Assessors office to inquire. The property tax postponement program allows eligible homeowners (senior citizens and blind or disabled residents) to postpone payment of property taxes on their principal place of residence. To secure the postponed amount, a lien is recorded against the property. Interest is charged on the postponed taxes. The state offers a homeowner and renter assistance program under which a once-a-year payment is allowed to qualified individuals based on part of the property taxes assessed and paid on their homes or paid indirectly as part of their rent. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Tax brackets are the divisions at which tax rates change in a progressive tax system (or an explicitly regressive tax system, although this is much rarer). ... A use tax is a type of excise tax levied in the United States. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... A homestead is: A farm with the buildings around it, see homestead (buildings) Ones legal residence, see homestead (law) An area measure of 160 acres (650,000 mÂ²), see homestead (area) and Homestead Act To homestead is to establish ownership of previously unowned property (usually but not exclusively land... Old age consists of ages nearing the average lifespan of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. ... // Property tax is an ad valorem tax that an owner of real estate or other property pays on the value of the thing taxed. ...

These are the California unemployment statistics from 1967-2002: Categories: California history ...

Transportation

California's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of freeways, expressways, and highways, all maintained by Caltrans and patrolled by the California Highway Patrol, except for the numbered expressways in Santa Clara County which were built and maintained by the county itself. The main north-south arteries are U.S. Route 101, which runs close to the coast from the state's border with Oregon to downtown Los Angeles, and Interstate 5, which runs inland from the Oregon to Mexico borders, bisecting the entire state. California is known for its car culture, and its residents typically take to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, giving California's cities a reputation for severe traffic congestion. Almost all California highways are non-toll roads. Notable exceptions are any major bridges. The lovely Glendale Freeway (Highway 2), as photographed on July 7, 2004 from the transition ramp that connects the eastbound Ventura Freeway (Highway 134) to the northbound Glendale Freeway. ... The lovely Glendale Freeway (Highway 2), as photographed on July 7, 2004 from the transition ramp that connects the eastbound Ventura Freeway (Highway 134) to the northbound Glendale Freeway. ... High-capacity freeway interchange in Los Angeles, California. ... High-capacity freeway interchange in Los Angeles, California. ... An expressway is a divided highway, usually 4 lanes or wider. ... Highway in Pennsylvania, USA For other uses, see Highway (disambiguation). ... Caltrans logo The soaring ramps in the stack interchanges favored by Caltrans often provide stunning views. ... CHP Uniform insignia The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is the state police force of California, originally set up as a highway patrol agency created in 1929 to ensure road safety in California, it assumed greater responsibility as time went on. ... Location of Santa Clara County within California. ... Highway 101 redirects here. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Salem Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Interstate 5 (abbreviated I-5) is the westernmost interstate highway in the continental United States. ... Over the course of the 20th century, the automobile rapidly developed from an expensive technological wonder into the de facto standard for passanger transport. ... Traffic jams are common in heavily populated areas. ...

As for air travel, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport are major hubs for trans-Pacific and transcontinental traffic. There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more general aviation airports throughout the state's 58 counties. Runway layout at LAX LAX redirects here. ... FAA diagram of SFO SFO redirects here. ... General aviation (abbr. ...

California also has several important seaports. The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United States. The Port of Oakland handles most of the ocean containers passing through Northern California. Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ... General Information Founded December 9, 1907 Coordinates - Latitude - Longitude 33Âº4239 N 118Âº1459 W Area - Total - Land - Water 7500 acres 4200 acres 3300 acres Available Berths 270 Vessel Arrivals 2,813 (FY 2004) Annual container volume 7. ... Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Beverly ONeill (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 170. ... The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. ...

Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. Los Angeles and San Francisco both have subway networks, in addition to light rail. San Jose and Sacramento have only light rail, though portions of San Jose light rail serve as EL Trains. Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern California, and Caltrain commuter rail connects San Jose and Gilroy (commute hour only) to San Francisco. Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) connects Tracy, Livermore and other edge cities with San Jose. BART, an express rail service, connects San Francisco and Oakland to Millbrae in the southwest, Fremont in the southeast, Dublin and Pleasanton in the east, Richmond in the north, and Pittsburg in the northeast. Despite its name, it does not encompass the entire Bay Area; the North Bay and South Bay regions are not currently included in the system. San Diego has Trolley light rail and Coaster commuter rail services. Nearly all counties operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus lines as well. Los Angeles, California. ... Los Angeles, California. ... High-capacity freeway interchange in Los Angeles, California. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida Amtrakâ€™s high-speed Acela Express at Penn Station New York, NY For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... Metrolink is a commuter rail system that serves the Southern California region. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... Caltrain is a commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. ... Gilroy is a city located in Santa Clara County, California, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 41,464. ... The Altamont Commuter Express leaving Pleasanton station. ... Tracy is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. ... The city of Livermore highlighted within Alameda County Livermore is a city located in Alameda County, California. ... BART (in full, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District) is a rapid transit electric train service that serves parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, and Walnut Creek. ... The North Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, in the U.S. state of California. ... The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... San Diego, California has a light rail system, which until 2004 was known as the San Diego Trolley, because of the trolley-style German-built vehicles from Siemens-Duwag. ... The San Diego Coaster, or Coaster, is a commuter rail service administered by North County Transit District of San Diego County, California and operated by Amtrak. ... An early motorized bus - a Benz truck modified by Netphener company (1895) A bus is a large automobile intended to carry numerous persons in addition to the driver and sometimes a conductor. ...

Both Greyhound and Amtrak provide intercity travel services. Greyhound Lines is the largest intercity common carrier of passengers by bus in North America, serving 2200 destinations in the United States. ...

The rapidly growing population of the state is straining all of its transportation networks. A regularly recurring issue in California politics is whether the state should continue to aggressively expand its freeway network or concentrate on improving mass transit networks in urban areas.

The California High Speed Rail Authority was created some years back by the state to implement an extensive 700 mile (1127 km) rail system. Construction is pending approval of the voters during next November's general election, in which a $9 billion state bond would have to be approved. If built, the system would provide a TGV-style high-speed link between the state's four major cities, and would allow travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco's Transbay Terminal in two and one half hours. California High Speed Rail is a proposed high speed rail system in the state of California. ... This article is about the French high-speed railway system. ... San Francisco Transbay Terminal or simply Transbay Terminal, is a transportation complex in San Francisco, California which is located roughly in the center of the rectangle bounded north-south by Mission Street and Howard Street, and east-west by Beale Street and Second Street. ...

Law and government

California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other independently elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate; and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, recall, and ratification. This article is about California government and politics. ... ImageMetadata File history File links California State Capitol in Sacramento See http://www. ... ImageMetadata File history File links California State Capitol in Sacramento See http://www. ... Image File history File links Supremecourtofcaliforniamaincourthouse. ... Image File history File links Supremecourtofcaliforniamaincourthouse. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ... The separation of powers (or trias politica, a term coined by French political thinker Montesquieu) is a model for the governance of the state. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis with President George W. Bush (2003) Seal of the Governor of California (without the Roman numerals designating the governors sequence) See also: List of pre-statehood governors of California, List of Governors of California The Governor of California is the highest executive authority... The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. ... California state Senate chamber California State Senate Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. ... Justices of the Supreme Court of California (circa May 2005). ... In political science, the initiative (also known as popular or citizens initiative) provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendment or ordinance. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office. ... Ratification is the process of adopting an international treaty, or a constitution or other nationally binding document (such as an amendment to a constitution) by the agreement of multiple subnational entities. ...

The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be re-elected only once. The California State Legislature consists of a 40 member Senate and 80 member Assembly. Senators serve four year terms and Assembly members two. The terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years. The Senators representing the odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four, which corresponds to presidential election years. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. California's legislature is organized in such that the party caucus leaders wield great power and can usually speak on behalf of their caucuses. Many important legislative decisions are thus not made on the floor of the legislature but in back-room deals by the "Big Five," which comprises the governor and the Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber. Members of the Assembly are subject to term limits of 3 terms, and members of the Senate are subject to term limits of 2 terms. Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis with President George W. Bush (2003) Seal of the Governor of California (without the Roman numerals designating the governors sequence) See also: List of pre-statehood governors of California, List of Governors of California The Governor of California is the highest executive authority... Californias Capitol, where the State Legislature meets California State Assembly chamber California state Senate chamber The California Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of California. ... California state Senate chamber California State Senate Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. ... California State Assembly Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. ... The Big Five is an informal institution of California state government, consisting of the governor, the Assembly speaker, the Assembly minority leader, the Senate president pro tempore, and the Senate minority leader. ... A term limit is a provision of a constitution, statute, or bylaw which limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ...

For the 2005–2006 session, there are 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans in the Assembly. In the Senate, there are 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans. The current governor is action film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose current term lasts through January 2007. Most government elected offices are not considered competitive due to extensive gerrymandering. Schwarzenegger was only the second governor in the history of the United States to be put into office by a recall of a sitting governor (the first was the 1921 recall of North Dakota Governor Lynn J. Frazier). Schwarzenegger replaced Governor Gray Davis (1999–2003), who was removed from office by the October 2003 California recall election. The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian bodybuilder, actor, and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Bismarck Fargo Area Ranked 19th - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 340 miles (545 km) - % water 2. ... Lynn Frazier Lynn Joseph Frazier (December 21, 1874 - January 11, 1947) was a U.S. Senator from North Dakota (1923-1941) and the Governor of that state from 1917 until being recalled in 1921. ... Joseph Graham Davis Jr. ... The 2003 California recall was a special election permitted under California law. ...

The state's capital is Sacramento. During California's early history under European control, the capital was successively located in Monterey (1775–1849), San Jose (1849–1851), Vallejo (1852–1853), Benicia (1853–1854), and San Francisco (1862). The capital moved to Sacramento temporarily in 1852 when construction on a State House could not be completed in time in Vallejo. The capital's final move to Sacramento was on February 25, 1854 where it has been located since, except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco, which was due to severe flooding in Sacramento. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Trees Location Location of Sacramento in California Government County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Geographical characteristics Area City 99. ... Looking north from Cannery Row toward Fishermans Wharf The City of Monterey is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in northern California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Vallejo is a city located in Solano County, California. ... Benicia is a city located in Solano County, California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The City by the Bay; The City That Knows How; Golden Mountain (historic Chinese name) Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates , Government City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Geographical characteristics Area City 600. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

California's judiciary is the largest in the United States (with a total of 1,600 judges, while the state's federal system has only about 840). It is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of California. Justices of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal are appointed by the Governor, but are subject to retention by the electorate every 12 years. Judges of the trial courts, the Superior Courts in each county, may be appointed by the Governor or elected directly by the voters, depending on when the vacancy occurs. Superior Court judges serve six-year terms, after which they may run for re-election. Unlike the retention elections for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal justices, Superior Court judges run for re-election in open races, in which other qualified candidates may run as challengers. In law, the judiciary or judicature is the system of courts which administer justice and provide a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... Justices of the Supreme Court of California (circa May 2005). ...

California's legal system, like all other states, is explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from Spanish civil law. Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment and the state has the largest "Death Row" population in the country (though Texas is far more active in carrying out executions). This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... Civil law is a codified system of law that sets out a comprehensive system of rules that are applied and interpreted by judges. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in the U.S. state of California. ... Death Row is a term used in some countries, including the United States, which refers to the section of a prison that houses individuals awaiting execution. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 268,581 sq. ...

At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives, as of 2005. It has 55 electoral votes in the U.S. Electoral College. (Since California is the most populous state in the Union, its counts of Congressmen and Presidential Electors are also the largest.) The two U.S. Senators from California are Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. The United States Electoral College is the electoral college that chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is a Democratic U.S. Senator from California, a position she has held since 1992. ... Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as...

California is considered a reliably Democratic state. Once very conservative, having elected conservatives such as Ronald Reagan as governor and William Knowland as senator, California has flipped sides in recent decades and became a Democrat voting state, having elected statewide liberals such as Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to the Senate. The latter is known for being one of the most liberal members of the US Senate and has been vibrant in left-leaning operations and progressive campaigns. The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 â€“ June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981â€“1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967â€“1975). ... William Fife Knowland (June 26, 1908 â€“ February 23, 1974) was a U.S. politician and newpaperman. ... Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is a Democratic U.S. Senator from California, a position she has held since 1992. ... Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of...

Even some recent Republican politicians elected statewide, such as Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger are considered members of the more moderate to liberal wing of the national party. In general however, Californians tend to be middle of the road politically. Having been the second state to legalize abortion in the 1960's and one of the first states to legalize domestic partnerships for gay couples, California also was the first state where voters said that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized. Other recent initiatives passed by voters eliminated racial preferences. The state also voted as well as denial of social services to illegal immigrants living in the state (although this initiative was essentially blocked by the vote of one judge). California's Republican dominance in the mid-20th century had to do with strong GOP support outside San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles, however these counties, especially in the Bay Area, now lean strongly Democratic. This is due to a number of factors from more "left leaning" Americans moving to the California coast from the Northeast to immigrants who now have become citizens and vote mostly Democratic. The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian bodybuilder, actor, and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ...

California is among the most Democratic states in the nation because of the relatively larger population of urban (more Democratic) voters than rural voters; but geographically, like the rest of the nation, much of California is politically conservative inland of the coastal counties, notably the Central Valley, the Inland Empire, Orange and San Diego counties, and most inland, eastern, and rural areas. Democratic bastions are mostly located on the coast, including the entire San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Salinas, Santa Barbara, and Imperial County. The state has supported Democrats in the last four presidential elections. In 2004, Republican President George W. Bush received a majority of votes in more than half the state's 58 counties, but still lost California's 55 electoral votes to John Kerry, who won 54.3% of the popular vote, by a margin of 10 percentage points due to Kerry's overwhelming totals in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

Ballot qualified political parties

American Independent Party is a United States political party. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... In United States politics, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. ... The Libertarian Party is an American political party founded in 1971. ... The United States Natural Law Party was a United States political party affiliated with the international Natural Law Party. ... United States Peace and Freedom Party logo The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a United States political party founded in 1967 as a leftist organization opposed to the Vietnam War. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... This is a list of Governors of California since statehood. ... It has been suggested that List of United States Senators from California be merged into this article or section. ... The following is a list of California ballot propositions broken down by decade. ...

Important cities and towns

The state of California has 478 cities, the majority of which are within one of the large metropolitan areas. Sixty-eight percent of California's population lives in its two largest metropolitan areas, Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large city and its adjacent zone of influence, or of several neighboring cities or towns and adjoining areas, with one or more large cities serving as its hub or hubs. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the city of Los Angeles, California. ... USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | California | States of the American West | 1850 establishments | States of the United States | Divided regions This is a list of United States state capitals: Trivia - Jefferson City (Missouri) has the longest name of the U.S. state capitals - Only two of the U.S. state capitals are named for their state: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Indianapolis, Indiana retard See also List of current and former... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Trees Location Location of Sacramento in California Government County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Geographical characteristics Area City 99. ... This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... A truck passes eastbound along the busy Highway 58 through the Antelope Valley. ... View of Lucia, Big Sur. ... The California Central Valley Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U.S. state of California. ... The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, extending from Santa Cruz in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, but centering primarily on Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. ... The Channel Islands of California, also called the Santa Barbara Islands, are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America. ... Coachella Valley The Coachella Valley is an irrigated agricultural and recreational desert valley in southern California east of Los Angeles. ... The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California. ... Death Valley and Panamint Range Death Valley is a valley in California that is located southeast of the Sierra Nevada range in the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert, comprising much of Death Valley National Park. ... Eastern California is not a well-defined term. ... The Emerald Triangle is a collection of three counties in Northern California, consisting of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity. ... Gold Country (also Mother Lode Country) is a region of northeastern California famed for the mines and mineral deposits which so famously brought the 49ers west for the California Gold Rush. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the city of Los Angeles, California. ... The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sea, as seen from the Space shuttle. ... The Inland Empire and its regions within For residents of Southern California, the Inland Empire is a popular informal name for a region located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. ... Looking across from Emigrant Pass towards the Kingston Range in the eastern Mojave. ... Northern California, refers to the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... North San Diego County (locally referred to as North County) refers to the northern portion of San Diego County, a suburban and rural area far from the urban center of San Diego. ... Owens Valley is the arid ranching valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. ... The Pomona Valley, a part of the Inland Empire (the Pomona Valley is its own georgraphical area, and should not be bundled in with the Inland Empire. ... USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The Redwood Empire (also Redwood Coast or North Coast) is a region of California that stretches from San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon coast. ... The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. ... San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley in southern California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles. ... USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... San Gabriel Valley within Southern California The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. ... The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. ... The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. ... The eight-county San Joaquin Valley is the part of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton. ... The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, north of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. ... The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is almost entirely in eastern California. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States, known as a wine-growing region since 1838. ... In the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas. ... City nickname:Californias Country Music Capital County Kern County, California Area - Total - Water 296. ... Chico is a city located in Butte County, California. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government Country State County United States California Los Angeles County Mayor Beverly ONeill (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 170. ... Nickname The Jewel City Location Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ... Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. ... Napa is the county seat of Napa County, California. ... Oakland, founded in 1852, is a major American city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. ... Fremont (IPA: ) is a city in California which was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, and Warm Springs. ... The city of Hayward highlighted within Alameda County Hayward is a city located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County. ... Nickname: The City that Cares Location Location of Oxnard, California Government Country State County United States California Ventura County Mayor Dr. Thomas E. Holden Geographical characteristics Area - City kmÂ² (36. ... Thousand Oaks (commonly referred to by locals as T.O.) is a city in Ventura County, California, in the United States. ... Official website: http://www. ... Riverside is the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Ontario Mills Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Trees Location Location of Sacramento in California Government County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Geographical characteristics Area City 99. ... Roseville is a city incorporated in Placer County, California adjacent to the state capital of Sacramento. ... Nickname: Americas Salad Bowl Official website: http://www. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders Michael Aguirre City Council Representatives, Scott... Location Location of Carlsbad within San Diego County, California. ... San Marcos is a city located in the northern portion of San Diego County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,977. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The City by the Bay; The City That Knows How; Golden Mountain (historic Chinese name) Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates , Government City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Geographical characteristics Area City 600. ... Hillsdale Inn, Honeymoon Suite (demolished 5 April 2001) San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA. It is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the East, and Belmont to the south. ... The skyline of downtown Redwood City Redwood City is the county seat of San Mateo County, California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Official website: http://www. ... San Luis Obispo, San Luis, or SLO (Spanish for ) is a city in California. ... Paso Robles (full name: El Paso de Robles) is a city located in San Luis Obispo County, California. ... Santa Ana is the largest city and the county seat of Orange County, California. ... Flag Seal Location Location within Orange County, California Government Country State County United States California Orange Mayor Curt Pringle Geographical characteristics Area City 50. ... Location Location of Irvine within Orange County, California. ... Mission Santa Barbara, known as the queen of the missions. Santa Barbara is a city in California, United States. ... Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, California. ... Santa Cruz is the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. ... Watsonville is a city located in Santa Cruz County, California. ... The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center Luther Burbank Gardens, part of California Historical Landmark No. ... Petaluma is a city with a well preserved historic city center [1] in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. ... |} Stockton is a city in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the 5th largest agricultural county in the United States). ... Vallejo is a city located in Solano County, California. ... Fairfield, Court House, California Fairfield is a city located in Northern California, USA, near San Francisco and Sacramento. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Porterville is a city located in Tulare County, California. ... Yuba City is the county seat of Sutter County, California. ... The U.S. state of California is divided into 58 counties. ... Official website: http://www. ... Alpine County is the smallest county, by population, in the U.S. state of California. ... Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California. ... Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of state capital Sacramento. ... Calaveras County is a county located in Californias Gold Country. ... Colusa County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, northwest of Sacramento. ... Official website: http://www. ... Del Norte County is Californias northwesternmost county, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat Placerville Area - Total - Water 4,631 kmÂ² (1,788 miÂ²) 200 kmÂ² (77 miÂ²) 4. ... Fresno County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. ... Glenn County is a county located in the California Central Valley north of Sacramento County. ... Humboldt County is a county located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific Ocean. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1907 Seat El Centro Area - Total - Water 11,608 kmÂ² (4,482 miÂ²) 795 kmÂ² (307 miÂ²) 6. ... Inyo County is a county located in east-central California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite National Park. ... Kern County is a county located in the southern Central Valley of California. ... Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of California, southeast of Fresno County. ... Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Lassen County is a county located in northeastern California. ... Los Angeles County is a county in California, and the most populous county in the United States, with 10,179,716 residents (as of July 2004)[1]. The county seat is the city of Los Angeles. ... Madera County is a county of California, located in the Central Valley north of Fresno County. ... Official website: http://www. ... Mariposa County is a county in California located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. ... Mendocino County is a county located on Californias north coast, north of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma County and west of the Central Valley. ... Merced County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. ... Modoc County is a county located in Californias far northeast corner, bounded by Oregon to the north and Nevada to the east. ... Mono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. ... Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. ... Napa Valley is most famous for its wine. ... Nevada County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada, in the Mother Lode country. ... Official website: http://www. ... Placer County is a county located in California, USAs Sierra Nevada, in the Gold Country. ... Plumas County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... Sacramento County is a county of the U.S. state of California. ... San Benito County is a county located in the California Coast Range Mountains south of San Jose. ... Official website: http://www. ... Official website: http://www. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The City by the Bay; The City That Knows How; Golden Mountain (historic Chinese name) Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates , Government City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Geographical characteristics Area City 600. ... San Joaquin County is a county located in the United States of America in Californias Central Valley, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat San Luis Obispo Area - Total - Water 9,364 kmÂ² (3,616 miÂ²) 806 kmÂ² (311 miÂ²) 8. ... Official website: http://www. ... Santa Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, just west of Ventura County. ... Location of Santa Clara County within California. ... Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area, it forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. ... Shasta County is a county located in northern California, in the Cascade Mountains. ... Sierra County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. ... Siskiyou County is a county located in far northernmost California, USA, in the Cascade Mountains on the Oregon border. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Sonoma County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Stanislaus County is a county located in Californias California Central Valley, between Stockton and Fresno. ... Sutter County is a county located along the Sacramento River in the California Central Valley north of Sacramento. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1856 Seat Red Bluff Area - Total - Water 7,672 kmÂ² (2,962 miÂ²) 29 kmÂ² (11 miÂ²) 0. ... Trinity County is a county located in northwestern California, along the Trinity River and among the Klamath Mountains. ... Tulare County is a county located in U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, south of Fresno. ... Tuolumne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Californias Sierra Nevada. ... Official website: http://www. ... Yolo County is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat Marysville Area - Total - Water 1,667 kmÂ² (644 miÂ²) 34 kmÂ² (13 miÂ²) 2. ... The political units and divisions of the United States include: the fifty states, which units are typically divided into counties and townships, and incorporate cities, villages, towns, and other types of municipalities, and other autonomous or subordinate public authorities and institutions; and the federal state, which unit is the United... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area Ranked 30th - Total 52,423 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area Ranked 1st - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 kmÂ²) - Width 808 miles (1,300 km) - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km) - % water 13. ... Official language(s) None Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area Ranked 6th - Total 113,998 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area Ranked 29th - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 261 miles (420 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 8th 104,185 sq mi 269 837 kmÂ² 280 miles 451 km 380 miles 612 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Area Ranked 48th - Total 5,549 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Area Ranked 49th - Total 2,491 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,794 sq mi (170,451 kmÂ²) - Width 162 miles (260 km) - Length 497 miles (800 km) - % water 17. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area Ranked 43rd - Total 10,941 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Boise Largest city Boise Area Ranked 14th - Total 83,642 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area Ranked 38th - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 kmÂ²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 270 miles (435 km) - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area Ranked 26th - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 kmÂ²) - Width 199 miles (320 km) - Length 310 miles (500 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area Ranked 15th - Total 82,277 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 kmÂ²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area Ranked 31st - Total 51,885 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 39th 33,414 sq mi 86,542 kmÂ² 190 miles 305 km 320 miles 515 km 13. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area Ranked 42nd - Total 12,417 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area Ranked 44th - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 kmÂ²) - Width 183 miles (295 km) - Length 113 miles (182 km) - % water 13. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area Ranked 11th - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 kmÂ²) - Width 239 miles (385 km) - Length 491 miles (790 km) - % water 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area Ranked 12th - Total 87,014 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Area Ranked 32nd - Total 48,434 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St. ... Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area Ranked 4th - Total 147,165 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Area Ranked 16th - Total 77,421 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Carson City Las Vegas Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 7th 110,567 sq mi 286,367 kmÂ² 322 miles 519 km 490 miles 788 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area Ranked 46th - Total 9,359 sq. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area Ranked 47th - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (110 km) - Length 150 miles (240 km) - % water 14. ... Official language(s) None Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area Ranked 5th - Total 121,665 sq. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area Ranked 27th - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 kmÂ²) - Width 285 miles (455 km) - Length 330 miles (530 km) - % water 13. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area Ranked 28th - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 kmÂ²) - Width 500 miles (805 km) - Length 150 miles (240 km) - % water 9. ... Official language(s) English Capital Largest city Bismarck Fargo Area Ranked 19th - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 340 miles (545 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Columbus Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area Ranked 34th - Total 44,825 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area Ranked 20th - Total 69,960 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Salem Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 kmÂ²) - Width 160 miles (255 km) - Length 280 miles (455 km) - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Area Ranked 50th - Total 1,214 sq mi (3,144 kmÂ²) - Width 37 miles (60 km) - Length 48 miles (77 km) - % water 32. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1760-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Area Ranked 40th - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 260 miles (420 km) - % water 6 - Latitude 32Â°430N to 35Â°12N - Longitude 78Â°030... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area Ranked 17th - Total 77,163 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 kmÂ² 195 km 710 km 2. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 268,581 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area Ranked 13th - Total 84,876 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area Ranked 43rd - Total 9,620 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area Ranked 35th - Total 42,793 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area Ranked 18th - Total 71,342 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area Ranked 41st - Total 24,244 sq. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area Ranked 23rd - Total 65,498 sq. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area Ranked 10th - Total 97,872 sq. ... Federal districts are subdivisions of a federal system of government. ... Flag Seal Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... An insular area is United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nations federal district. ... National motto: Official languages English, Chamorro, Carolinian. ... Motto: Latin: Joannes Est Nomen Eius; Spanish: Juan es su nombre (English: John is his name) Anthem: La BorinqueÃ±a Capital San Juan Largest city San Juan Official language(s) Spanish, English Government Commonwealth Governor AnÃbal Acevedo VilÃ¡ Independence None (U.S. Commonwealth) Area - Total 9,104 kmÂ² (Ranked... National motto: United in Pride and Hope Official language English Capital Charlotte Amalie Governor Charles Wesley Turnbull Area - Total - % water Ranked N/A 352 kmÂ² 1% Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked N/A 124,778 (July 2003 est. ... The United States Minor Outlying Islands, defined by ISO 3166-1, consists of the following list of islands: Baker Island Howland Island Jarvis Island Johnston Atoll Kingman Reef Midway Atoll Navassa Island Palmyra Atoll Wake Island All of these islands are in the Pacific Ocean except Navassa Island, which is... Howland Island Howland Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean at 0Â°48â€²N 176Â°38â€²W, about 3,100 km (1,675 nautical miles) southwest of Honolulu. ... The flag of the US is used on Jarvis Island Map of Jarvis Island Jarvis Island is an uninhabited 4. ... Johnston Atoll is a 130 kmÂ² atoll in the North Pacific Ocean at 16Â°45â€²N 169Â°30â€²W, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands. ... The flag of the US is used for Kingman Reef Kingman Reef Kingman Reefâ€”NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Kingman Reef is a one-square-kilometer tropical coral reef located in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly half way between Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa at 6Â°24... Orthographic projection centred over Midway Midway Atoll (also known as Midway Island or Midway Islands, Hawaiian: Pihemanu) is a 6. ... Navassa Island map from The World Factbook Navassa Island - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Navassa Island (La Navase in French, Lanavaz in Haitian KreyÃ²l) is a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea. ... Map of Palmyra Atoll Palmyra Atoll, is an incorporated but uninhabited territory with a unique status of being privately owned (by The Nature Conservancy), but administered by the United States government. ... Wake Island - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Wake Island (also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll (having a coastline of 12 miles (19. ...

Contents

Name

Geography

Climate

Ecology

National Parks

History

Demographics

Population

Racial and ancestral makeup

Languages

Religion

Economy

Transportation

Law and government

Ballot qualified political parties

Important cities and towns

25 wealthiest places in California

30 poorest places in California

Education

Professional sports teams

Major league teams

Other teams

See also

References

External links

Contents

Name GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Geography

Climate

Ecology

National Parks

History

Demographics

Population

Racial and ancestral makeup

Languages

Religion

Economy

Transportation

Law and government

Ballot qualified political parties

Important cities and towns

25 wealthiest places in California

30 poorest places in California

Education

Professional sports teams

Major league teams

Other teams

See also

References

External links

Name