For those of us who grew up reading or hearing about the Gold Rush, the Donner Party, Death Valley, the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland, Sea World and Haight-Ashbury – California is indeed a fascinating place to visit. As an introduction, here are some facts and figures.
Origination of Name: Upon landing on the current day Baja California Peninsula, Spanish explorers under Cortez thought they had found the fictional island of beautiful women, gold and pearls ruled by Queen Califía.
Capitol City : Sacramento since 1854
Previous capitols: Benicia, Vallejo, San Jose
Population: 36,457,549 (based on 2006 US Census Bureau Statistics)
Largest Cities by Population: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach
Climate: as diverse as its geography and its population. The State of California describes its climate as Mediterranean-like, sun and warmth, with rain mainly in the winter. There are five main climatic zones, each with their own personality: Coastal, Desert, Foothill, Mountain and Valley.
Geography: With 158,693 square miles, California is the 3rd largest state in the Union (behind Alaska and Texas). Its coastline is 1,264 miles long.
Elevation ranges from 14,495 feet atop Mt. Whitney in the Sequoia National Park (the highest point in the contiguous US) to 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley (the lowest point in the US).
There are three active volcanoes in California: Mt. Lassen, Mt. Shasta and Mt. Mammoth.
Tourism: Travel spending in California in 2007 generated $2.2 billion in local taxes and $3.6 billion in state taxes, and directly supported 924,100 jobs
Natural Claims to Fame
- The Monterey sanctuary encompasses 5,312 square miles (4,024 square nautical miles), making it the largest marine sanctuary in the United States.
- The San Francisco Bay is the largest natural harbor and estuary on the west coast.
- The largest trees in the world, a species of Redwood known as Sequoia gigantea, can be found in the Sierra Nevada.
- The oldest living thing in the world, the Bristlecone Pine tree, aged at nearly 5,000 years, can be found at an altitude of 11,000 feet in California.
- The tallest living thing in the world is the California Redwood found along the North and Central Coast area.
Famous Attractions: Disneyland, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Napa Valley, Sea World, San Diego Zoo and so many more.
A few California Sports Teams:
- Major League Baseball Teams: Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants
- National Football League Teams: Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers
- Women's Professional Football League: Los Angeles Amazons and So Cal Scorpions
- Major League Soccer: Los Angeles Galaxy
- National Basketball Association: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings
- Women's National Basketball Association: Los Angeles Sparks and Sacramento Monarchs
- National Hockey League: Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks
- World Team Tennis: Sacramento Capitals
State Symbols
Animal: Grizzly Bear
Bird: California Quail
Colors: Yale Blue and Golden Yellow
Dance: The West Coast Swing
Fish: California Golden Trout
Flag: The Bear Flag – A Grizzly Bear on a field of white
Flower: Golden Poppy
Fossil: The Saber-toothed Cat
Gemstone: Benitoite, a sapphire blue gemstone
Marine Mammal: California Gray Whale
Mineral: Native Gold
Motto: Eureka! It is Greek for "I have found it."
Nickname: The Golden State
Reptile: The Desert Tortoise
Rock: Serpentine
Tree: The California Redwood
Song: I Love You, California I -Love You, California, written by F.B. Silverwood
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, State of California, California Tourism Industry
Happy Travels!
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