Many other functions, such as fire protection and water supply, especially in unincorporated areas, are handled by special districts. California (/ˌkælɪˈfɔːrniə/) is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With almost 40 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the largest state by population and third-largest by area. California natural gas production typically is less than 2 percent of total annual U.S. production and satisfies less than one-fifth of state demand. California receives most of its natural gas by pipeline from production regions in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and western Canada.

• Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat.
• The California gold rush started in 1848 and led to social and demographic changes, including depopulation of Indigenous tribes.
• Explore theme parks, beaches, mountains, and other family-friendly California activities.
• One of the oldest radio stations in the U.S. still in existence, KCBS (AM) in the San Francisco Bay Area, was founded in 1909.
• However, its large, concentrated population creates strains on its natural resources and challenges the state to solve its pressing needs for water, energy, and clean air.

San Francisco Bay Area

It’s a stellar place for hiking, admiring avant-garde art at nearby Galleta Meadows, or camping out under the stars in one of the park’s developed or primitive campgrounds. Those seeking a chic, midcentury modern getaway should consider making a trip to Palm Springs. The average high temperature never falls below 69 degrees Fahrenheit, so no matter when you visit, you’ll get to enjoy some fun in the sun. Book a few nights at The Good House, a bungalow-style hotel that has an on-site spa and two pools fed by natural hot springs. The charming community of Solvang is well-known for its Danish-style architecture, which will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Europe.

Regions of California

In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence gave the Mexican Empire (which included California) independence from Spain. For the next 25 years, Alta California remained a remote, sparsely populated, northwestern administrative district of the newly independent country of Mexico, which shortly after independence became a republic. The missions, which controlled most of the best land in the state, were secularized by 1834 and became the property of the Mexican government.50 The governor granted many square leagues of land to others with political influence.

California is also home to the second lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere, Death Valley. The state’s widespread redistribution of water also invites the frequent scorn of environmentalists. To the east of the Sierra Nevada are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential migratory bird habitat.

Redwood National Park

Whether you’re a solo traveler seeking solitude in the desert or a couple planning a wine-filled getaway to a romantic vineyard, there’s something in the Golden State for every travel style and budget. From notable national parks to popular surf towns, here’s a look at the best places to visit in California. The largest lake of the Sierra Nevada is Lake Tahoe, astride the California-Nevada border at an elevation of 6,229 feet (1,899 meters). A mountain-ringed alpine lake about 193 square miles (500 square km) in area, it has among the world’s greatest average depth and a maximum depth of about 1,640 feet (500 meters).

The map can be downloaded, printed and used for geography education purposes like map-pointing and coloring activities. California, nicknamed the Golden State, sits on the United States Western coast. Additionally, it extends southward to Mexico and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west. One of the first U.S. cities to issue anti-discrimination ordinances on the basis of sexual preference was San Francisco, which had become a haven for gay men and lesbians in the years following World War II. Other California cities, including Los Angeles, also have significant gay and lesbian populations that are politically and culturally active. In May 2008, California’s Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage.

The roughly 1,100-mile- (1,800-km-) long coastline of California is mountainous, most dramatically so in the Santa Lucia Range south of San Francisco, where towering cliffs rise about 800 feet (240 meters) above the ocean. Hills of lesser elevation flank entrances to the coast’s three major natural harbors, at San Diego, San Francisco, and Eureka. Coastal mountains, made up of many indistinct chains, are from about 20 to 40 miles (30 to 65 km) in width and from 2,000 to 8,000 feet (600 to 2,400 meters) in elevation. California has an extensive system of local government that manages public functions throughout the state. Like most states, California is divided into counties, of which there are 58 (including San Francisco) covering the entire state. School districts, which are independent of cities and counties, handle public education.

• Vegetation includes the evergreen creosote bush, yucca, saltbush, burroweed, encelia, cottonwood, and mesquite.
• Grab a boat to Catalina Island, where you can hop on a bike and pedal for as far as your legs will take you around the jagged coast—we recommend renting an e-bike to help you take on the massive hills.
• Universal Music Group, one of the “Big Four” record labels, is based in Santa Monica, while Warner Records is based in Los Angeles.
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• But besides the beach, the city has its fair share of things to see, including The Queen Mary, docked at Queensway Bay; colorful pieces at the Museum of Latin American Art; and more than a few fish swimming at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
• Farming-related sales have more than quadrupled over the past three decades, from $7.3 billion in 1974 to nearly $31 billion in 2004.

Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with routine extreme high temperatures during the summer. The southeastern border of California with Arizona is entirely formed by the Colorado River, from which the southern part of the state gets about half of its water. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the Sierra Nevada in the east, the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Cascade Range to the north and by the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. California boasts an abundance of mountains, with the Sierra Nevada Range spanning the California-Nevada border for 400 miles (600 kilometers). california taxes are among the highest in the nation This mountain range is also home to the tallest peak in the continental United States, Mount Whitney, reaching an altitude of 14,494 ft (4,418 mt) above sea level. Additionally, Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta are notable landmarks, both of which are extinct volcanoes.

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California has a large Catholic population due to the large numbers of Mexicans and Central Americans living within its borders. California has twelve dioceses and two archdioceses, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the former being the largest archdiocese in the U.S.

Climate

In 2008, Californians passed Proposition 20 to empower a 14-member independent citizen commission to redraw districts for both local politicians and Congress. After the 2012 elections, when the new system took effect, Democrats gained four seats and held a 38–15 majority in the delegation. Following the 2018 midterm House elections, Democrats won 46 out of 53 congressional house seats in California, leaving Republicans with seven. The state’s trend towards the Democratic Party and away from the Republican Party can be seen in state elections.

The capital of California, Sacramento, is situated in the northern part of the state, while Los Angeles, California’s most populated city, sprawls along the southern Pacific coast. The fluid nature of the state’s social, economic, and political life—shaped so largely by the influx of people from other states and countries—has for centuries made California a laboratory for testing new modes of living. California’s population, concentrated mostly along the coast, is the most urban in the United States, with more than three-fourths of the state’s people living in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego metropolitan areas. Despite its urbanization and the loss of land to industry, California still leads the country in agricultural production. National parks located throughout the state are devoted to the preservation of nature and natural resources. California may conjure up images of sandy SoCal beaches, northern redwood forests, and iconic Hollywood sights, but its natural landscapes, towns, and cities are extraordinarily diverse.

These services are the busiest intercity rail lines in the U.S. outside the Northeast Corridor and ridership is continuing to set records. The routes are becoming increasingly popular over flying, especially on the LAX-SFO route.321 Integrated subway and light rail networks are found in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Metro Rail) and San Francisco (Muni Metro). Light rail systems are also found in San Jose (VTA light rail), San Diego (San Diego Trolley), Sacramento (SacRT light rail), and Northern San Diego County (Sprinter).

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The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, have emerged from the economic downturn caused by the dot-com bust. One of the oldest radio stations in the U.S. still in existence, KCBS (AM) in the San Francisco Bay Area, was founded in 1909. Universal Music Group, one of the “Big Four” record labels, is based in Santa Monica, while Warner Records is based in Los Angeles. Many independent record labels, such as Mind of a Genius Records, are also headquartered in the state.

Droughts and wildfires are an ongoing issue,13 while simultaneously, atmospheric rivers are turning increasingly prevalent and leading to intense flooding events—especially in the winter. The heartland of California is the Central Valley, which runs for 450 miles (725 km) through the center of the state, forming a trough between the Coast Ranges to the west and the Sierra Nevada to the east. Its single opening is the delta through which the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers drain into San Francisco Bay.

Snag a room at the historic Inn at Death Valley, which dates to 1927 and counts Clark Gable and Marlon Brando among its famous former guests. Then, it’s time to head to San Diego, the place to be for a surf lesson (or two) and lounge session on the warm, sandy shore. Beach activities aside, the city offers a ton of other things to do, from tasting local IPAs at fantastic breweries to visiting the famed San Diego Zoo, one of the best zoos in the world. Book a stay at Pendry San Diego, which features a rooftop pool and city skyline views.

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. Vast expanses of wheat and other cereal crops, vegetables, cotton, and nut and fruit trees were grown (including oranges in Southern California), and the foundation was laid for the state’s prodigious agricultural production in the Central Valley and elsewhere. Just south of the Mojave Desert is the lower Colorado Desert, an extension of the Sonoran Desert, which begins in the Coachella Valley. The Colorado Desert descends to the Imperial Valley adjacent to the Mexican border. The valley is a heavily irrigated agricultural area known for its winter crops. More than 4,000 square miles (10,500 square km) of the desert lie below sea level, including the 300-square-mile (800-square-km) Salton Sea, a lake with no outlet that was created in 1905–07 when the nearby Colorado River broke out of its channel.