Yosemite Valley

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This article has been tagged since November 2006.State of California Flag of California Seal of California Nickname(s): The Golden State Motto(s): Eureka Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) -% water 4.7 - Latitude 32°30'N to 42°N - Longitude 114°8'W to 124°24'W Population Ranked 1st - Total (2000) 33,871,648 - Density 217.2/sq mi 83.85/km² (12th) - Median income $49,894 (13th) Elevation - Highest point Mount Whitney[1] 14,494 ft (4418 m) - Mean 2,900 ft (884 m) - Lowest point Badwater[1] -282 ft (-86 m) Admission to Union September 9, 1850 (31st) Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Time zone Pacific: UTC-8/-7 Abbreviations CA Calif. US-CA Web site www.ca.gov California Portal California (pronounced [ˌkæ.lɪ.ˈfɔɹ.njə]) is the most populous state of the United States. Located on the Pacific coast of North America, it is bordered by Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico. The state's four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco. California is known for its pleasant climate and ethnically diverse population. The state has 58 counties. Inhabited by indigenous people for millennia, California was first colonized by the Spanish in 1769, and after Mexican independence in 1821, continued as part of Mexico. Following a brief period as the independent California Republic in 1846, California was annexed by the United States that same year, and was admitted to the Union as the thirty-first state on September 9, 1850. California's diverse geography ranges from the sandy beaches of the Pacific to the rugged, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. The central portion of the state is dominated by the California Central Valley, one of the most vital agricultural areas in the country. The Sierra Nevada contain Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially-carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the largest living things on Earth, the Giant Sequoia trees, and the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. The tallest living things on Earth, ancient Redwood trees, dot the Northern California coastline. California is also home to the lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere, Death Valley. Bristlecone pines located in California's White Mountains are the oldest known trees in the world; one has an age of 4,700 years. The California Gold Rush, beginning in 1848 dramatically changed California with an influx of population and an economic boom. The early part of the 20th century was marked by California's becoming the center of the entertainment industry, in addition to the beginning of growth of a large tourism sector. The Central Valley is home to California's important large agricultural industry. Other important industries have included the aerospace and oil industries. In recent decades, California has become a global leader in computers and information technology. Indeed, if California were a country, it would rank among the largest 10 economies of the world.[2]Contents [hide] 1 Name 2 Geography 2.1 Adjacent states 2.2 Climate 2.3 Ecology 2.4 National Parks and Monuments 2.5 Rivers 3 History 4 Demographics 4.1 Population 4.2 Racial and ancestral makeup 4.3 Languages 4.4 Religion 5 Economy 6 Transportation 7 State politics and government 7.1 Political culture 7.2 Ballot qualified political parties 8 California state law 9 Important cities and towns 10 Education 11 Professional sports teams 11.1 Major league teams 11.2 Minor leagues 12 See also 13 References 14 External links [edit] Name Main article: Origin of the name California California originally referred to the entire region composed of the current U.S. state of California, plus all or parts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming, and the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California. The name California is most commonly believed derived from a storied paradise peopled by black Amazons and ruled by Queen Califia. The myth of Califia is recorded in a 1510 work The Exploits of Esplandian, written as a sequel to Amadís de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer García Ordonez Rodriguez de Montalvo.[3] The kingdom of Queen Califia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a remote land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts and rich in gold. Know ye that at the right hand of the Indies there is an island named California, very close to that part of the terrestrial Paradise, which was inhabited by black women, without a single man among them, and that they lived in the manner of Amazons. They were robust of body, with strong and passionate hearts and great virtues. The island itself is one of the wildest in the world on account of the bold and craggy rocks. Their weapons were all made of gold. The island everywhere abounds with gold and precious stones, and upon it no other metal was found.[4]It is thought that the myth of Califia later helped fuel Spanish exploration in the New World.[5] [edit] Geography Main article: Geography of California CaliforniaCalifornia borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. The state has many natural features, including an expansive central valley, tall mountains, arid 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/Moreno Valley, 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. 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. The Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows a large portion of the United States's food, occasional near-freezing temperatures sometimes damage crop yields. The northern half is known as the "Sacramento Valley" (drained by the Sacramento River), while southern part of the valley, which is part desert, is known as the "San Joaquin Valley" (drained by the San Joaquin River). Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley, often through the Central Valley Project water system. With dredging, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers have remained sufficiently deep that several inland cities (notably Stockton and Sacramento) are seaports. 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 drinking water supply for much of the state is provided by the State Water Project. The Channel Islands are located off the southern coast, 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 attract many visitors. The Sierra Nevada (meaning "snowy range" in Spanish) include the highest peak in the contiguous forty-eight states, Mount Whitney, at 14,494 ft (4418 m), 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 Nevada are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential migratory bird habitat. In the western part of the state 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 southernmost glacier in the U.S. (Palisade Glacier). 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 mountains of Southern California. Deserts in California make up about 25% of the total surface area. In the south are the Transverse Ranges and a large inland 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 o