Global InformationCalifornia information
California | |
|---|---|
State | |
| State of California | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: The Golden State[1] | |
| Motto: "Eureka"[2] | |
| Anthem: "I Love You, California" | |
 Map of the United States with California highlighted | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Mexican Cession unorganized territory |
| Admitted to the Union | September 9, 1850 (31st) |
| Capital | Sacramento |
| Largest city | Los Angeles |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Greater Los Angeles |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Gavin Newsom (D) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Eleni Kounalakis (D) |
| Legislature | State Legislature |
| • Upper house | State Senate |
| • Lower house | State Assembly |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of California |
| U.S. senators | Alex Padilla (D) Laphonza Butler (D) |
| U.S. House delegation |
|
| Area | |
| • Total | 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2) |
| • Land | 155,959 sq mi (403,932 km2) |
| • Water | 7,737 sq mi (20,047 km2) 4.7% |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 760 mi (1,220 km) |
| • Width | 250 mi (400 km) |
| Elevation | 2,900 ft (880 m) |
| Highest elevation (Mount Whitney[3][4][note 1][note 2]) | 14,505 ft (4,421.0 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Badwater Basin[5]) | −279 ft (−85.0 m) |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Total |  38,940,231[6] |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Density | 251.3/sq mi (97/km2) |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Median household income | $78,700[7] |
| • Income rank | 5th |
| Demonym(s) | Californian Californio (archaic Spanish) Californiano (Spanish) |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English |
| • Spoken language |
|
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | CA |
| ISO 3166 code | US-CA |
| Traditional abbreviation | Calif., Cal., Cali. |
| Latitude | 32°32′ N to 42° N |
| Longitude | 114°8′ W to 124°26′ W |
| Website | ca |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
 Flag of California | |
 Seal of California | |
| Living insignia | |
| Amphibian | California red-legged frog |
| Bird | California quail |
| Fish |
|
| Flower | California poppy |
| Fruit | Avocado |
| Grass | Purple needlegrass |
| Insect | California dogface butterfly |
| Mammal |
|
| Mushroom | California Golden Chanterelle |
| Reptile | Desert tortoise |
| Tree | Coast redwood & giant sequoia[10] |
| Vegetable | Artichoke |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Colors | Blue & Gold[9] |
| Dance | West Coast Swing |
| Dinosaur | Augustynolophus |
| Folk dance | Square dance |
| Fossil | Sabre-toothed cat |
| Gemstone | Benitoite |
| Mineral | Native gold |
| Rock | Serpentine |
| Ship | Californian |
| Soil | San Joaquin |
| Sport | Surfing |
| Tartan | California state tartan |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| State quarter | |
 Released in 2005 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
California (/ˌkælɪˈfɔːrnjəˌ -ni.ə/ ⓘ KAL-ih-FORN-yə, -FOR-nee-ə)[11] is a state in the Western United States, lying on the American Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With over 38.9 million residents[6] across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2),[12] it is the most populous U.S. state, the third-largest U.S. state by area, and the most populated subnational entity in North America.
The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas in California are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions respectively. Greater Los Angeles has over 18.7 million residents and the San Francisco Bay Area has over 9.6 million residents.[13] Los Angeles is the state's most populous city and the nation's second-most populous city, after New York City. San Francisco is the second-most densely populated major city in the country, after New York City. Los Angeles County is the country's most populous county, and San Bernardino County is the nation's largest county by area. Sacramento is the state's capital city.
California's economy is the largest of any state within the United States, with a $3.6 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2022[update].[14] It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were a sovereign nation, it would rank as the world's fifth-largest economy as of 2022[update],[15][16] just ahead of India and the United Kingdom,[17] as well as the 37th most populous.[18] The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco area are the nation's second- and fourth-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.6 trillion respectively as of 2020[update]).[19] The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018,[20] and is home to four of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization[21] and four of the world's ten richest people.[22]
Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America, and the indigenous peoples of California constituted the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including the depopulation of indigenous peoples in the California genocide. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, as a free state, following the Compromise of 1850.
Notable contributions to popular culture, ranging from entertainment, sports, music, and fashion, have their origins in California. The state also has made substantial contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, education, environmentalism, entertainment, economics, politics, technology, and religion.[23][24][25] California is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, profoundly influencing global entertainment. It is considered the origin of hippie counterculture, blue jeans, the internet, the personal computer, Barbie, skateboarding, Mission burritos, and the fortune cookie, among other inventions.[26][27][28][29] The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as the centers of the global technology and U.S. film industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse.[30]
California's agricultural industry has the highest output of any U.S. state,[31][32][33] and is led by its dairy, almonds, and grapes.[34] With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles), California plays a pivotal role in the global supply chain, hauling in about 40% of all goods imported to the United States.[35] Slightly over 84 percent of the state's residents 25 or older hold a high school degree, the lowest high school education rate of all 50 states.[36] Despite a continuing exodus of businesses from Downtown San Francisco[37][38] and Downtown Los Angeles[39] since the COVID-19 pandemic, California still retains one of the largest number of Fortune 500 companies.[40]
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. Two-thirds of the nation's earthquake risk lies in California.[41] The Central Valley, a fertile agricultural area, dominates the state's center. California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate along the coast and monsoon seasonal weather inland. The large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. Droughts and wildfires are an ongoing issue for the state.[42]
- ^ "California". www.americaslibrary.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Chapter 2 of Division 2 of Title 1 of the California Government Code". California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Mount_Whitneywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
USGSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 meter Downloadable Data Collection from The National Map 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)—National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) National Elevation Data Set (NED)". United States Geological Survey. September 21, 2015. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
CaliforniaDecline2023was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Median Annual Household Income". The US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ "Languages Spoken at Home". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
- ^ "California Government Code § 424". California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ "California Government Code § 422". California Office of Legislative Counsel. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ "California". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ "United States by Area". 2022 World Population by Country. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "American FactFinder—Results". factfinder.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bea2022was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "ICYMI: California Poised to Become World's 4th Biggest Economy". California Governor's Office. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ Winkler, Matthew A. (October 24, 2022). "California Poised to Overtake Germany as World's No. 4 Economy". Bloomberg News. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Lansner, Jonathan (December 16, 2023). "Southern California's $1.6 trillion economy bigger than 18 states combined". The Orange County Register. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "World Population Prospects—Population Division—United Nations". esa.un.org. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ Ghosh, Iman (September 24, 2020). "This 3D map shows the U.S. cities with the highest economic output". World Economic Forum. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
Coming in fourth place is San Francisco on the West Coast, with $549 billion in total economic output each year.
- ^ "GDP by Metropolitan Area | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)". Bea.gov. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Largest Companies by Market Cap Today • Dogs of the Dow". Dogs of the Dow. June 17, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ "Bloomberg Billionaires Index". Bloomberg. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "Opinion: California is Still America's Future". NBC News. January 19, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ McNamara, Melissa (October 30, 2006). "California Is A Political Trendsetter". CBS News. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Schwarz, Benjamin (July 1, 2009). "California Dreamers". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Post, Robert C. (January 1998). "Hot Rods and Customs: The Men and Machines of California's Car Culture, at the Oakland Museum of California". Technology and Culture. 39 (1): 116–121. doi:10.2307/3107006. ISSN 0040-165X. JSTOR 3107006. S2CID 112735878.
- ^ Weller, Chris (June 8, 2017). "The most important invention from every state". Business Insider.
- ^ "Some People Don't Know These 10 Things Came From Southern California". OnlyInYourState. June 18, 2016.
- ^ "15 Things the world needs to be thanking California for". Matador Network.
- ^ "California Gross domestic product (GDP) (millions of current dollars)". U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ Palmer, Brian (July 10, 2013). "The C-Free Diet". Slate.
- ^ "CDFA—Statistics". CDFA.CA.gov. California Department of Food and Agriculture.
- ^ "California farms produce a lot of food—but what and how much might surprise you". Orange County Register. July 27, 2017.
- ^ Vic Tolomeo; Kelly Krug; Doug Flohr; Jason Gibson (October 31, 2012). "California Agricultural Statistics: 2011 Crop Year" (PDF). National Agricultural Statistics Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ^ Karlamangla, Soumya (November 4, 2021). "The Busiest Port in the U.S." The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
But despite its glitzy image, L.A. is home to the busiest port in the Western Hemisphere. It plays a major role in the global supply chain
- ^ "EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ J.D. Morris (October 30, 2023). "London Breed vs. the 'doom loop': How will S.F.'s mayor solve her biggest political problem?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Wiley, Hannah (April 21, 2024). "All is lost in San Francisco? City loyalists take issue with naysayers. Data may back them up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Roger Vincent (April 21, 2024). "Downtown L.A. is hurting. Frank Gehry thinks arts can lead a revival". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Frank Holmes (May 26, 2022). "Texas Is Now Home To More Fortune 500 Companies Than Any Other State, And I'm Not Surprised". Forbes. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "What is the Earthquake Risk in California?". California Earthquake Authority. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
CALIFORNIA IS HOME TO TWO-THIRDS OF OUR NATION'S EARTHQUAKE RISK.
- ^ Elassar, Alaa (April 3, 2022). "California once prohibited Native American fire practices. Now, it's asking tribes to use them to help prevent wildfires". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
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