- For other places with the same name, see California (disambiguation).
California is a state located in the western United
States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third
largest state in the U.S., California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The
Golden State", which may refer either to the discovery of gold in California in 1848 and the subsequent gold rush, or to the golden brown color of much of the state during
the summer. California's U.S. postal abbreviation is CA, and its Associated Press abbreviation is Calif.
Southern California is highly populated, while the larger northern
California is less densely populated. The vast majority of the population lives within 50 miles (80 km) of the Pacific Ocean.
California dominates American culture and economy, contributing significant advances in technology and legal reform, in addition
to paying significantly more to the federal system than it receives in benefits.
The name comes from Las sergas de Espladián (Adventures of Spladian), a 16th century novel, by Garci
Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. Some suggest that word may signify a place "hot
as an oven" (cali > hot, fornia > oven). The entire region originally known as California was composed of the Mexican
peninsula now known as Baja California and the
land in the current states of California and Nevada, known as California
del Norte. 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.
History
The first Europeans to explore parts of the coast were Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. The first to explore the entire coast and claim possession of it was Francis Drake in 1579. Beginning in the late 1700s, Spanish
missionaries set up tiny settlements on enormous grants of land in the vast territory north of Baja California. Upon Mexican
independence from Spain, the chain of missions became the
property of the Mexican government, and they were quickly dissolved and abandoned.
Following the Mexican-American War of 1847, 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, became the U.S. state of California in 1850.
In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000. But after gold was discovered, the
population burgeoned with Americans and a few Europeans in the great California gold rush. A California
Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown that
featured a golden bear and a star. The Republic came to a sudden end when
Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco
Bay and claimed California for the United States. In 1850, the state was admitted to
the Union.
During the American Civil War, popular support was divided
70% for the South and 30% for the North, and although California officially entered on the side of the North, many troops went
east to fight with the Confederacy.
The connection of the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers came in 1869
with the completion of the first
transcontinental railroad. Out West, residents were discovering that California was extremely well suited to fruit
cultivation and agriculture in general. Citrus, oranges in particular, were widely grown, and the foundation was laid for the
state's prodigious agricultural production of today.
In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the
Union, sending the most electors to the Electoral College to elect the President. From 1965 to the present, this population
completely changed and became one of the most diverse in the world. The state is liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally
savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry and, as mentioned above, American
agricultural production.
Law and government
The Governor of California and the other state
constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be reelected 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, i.e., presidential election years. The
Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election
cycle.
For the 2003-2004 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 the Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger,
whose current term lasts through January 2007. Schwarzenegger was only the second person 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 state's capital is Sacramento. In California's
early history, the capital was 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 moved to Sacramento for good on February 25, 1854, except for a four-month temporary move in
1862 to San Francisco due to severe flooding in Sacramento.
California's giant judiciary is supervised by the seven Justices of the
Supreme Court of California. California
judges are always appointed by the Governor but must be regularly reconfirmed by the electorate.
At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives. It has 55 electoral votes in the
U.S. Electoral College. California has the most
Congressmen and Presidential Electors of any state. 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.
See also: List of California
Governors, US Congressional Delegations from California, List of California counties, List of California ballot
propositions
Geography
California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and
the Mexican state of Baja
California. The state has striking natural features, including a huge fertile central valley, high mountains, and hot dry
deserts. With an area of 410,000 km² it is the third largest state in the U.S. Most major cities cling to the cool, pleasant seacoast along
the Pacific, notably San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San
Diego. However, the capital, Sacramento is in the Central Valley.
California has many types of geography. Down the center of the state lies the 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. With dredging, several of these rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities,
notably Stockton, California, are seaports.
In the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada, containing the highest peak in the continental U.S., 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. To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat.
In the south lie 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.
California is famous for its earthquakes due partly to the presence of the
San Andreas Fault. While more powerful earthquakes in the United
States have occurred in Alaska and along the Mississippi River, California earthquakes are notable due to their frequency and location in highly
populated areas. Popular legend has it that, eventually, a huge earthquake will result in the splitting of coastal California
from the continent, either to sink into the ocean or form a new landmass. The fact that this scenario is completely implausible
from a geologic standpoint does not lessen its acceptance in public conventional wisdom, or its exploitation by the producers of
science fiction and fantasy media. Notable movies in which the possible destruction of much of California by an earthquake
includes the titles Earthquake, A View to a Kill, Escape from L.A., and
Superman.
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.
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 cooler summers and warmer winters, and the cold oceanic
California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. As one moves away from the coast, the climate becomes more
continental, with hotter summers and colder winters. Westerly
winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher rainfall 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 15-40 inches (38-102 cm) per
year. 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 moderate heat in summer.
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.
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.
California has a 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.
Economy
California is responsible for 14% of the United States' gross domestic product, which at almost $2.0 trillion USD is greater than that of every other
inidividual U.S state, and every country in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity) save for the other combined 49 United States, China, Japan,
Germany, the United
Kingdom, and France.
The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next largest, 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; and light manufacturing including
computer hardware and software, and the mining of borax.
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, contrasted with farmers who frequently manage
multimillion-dollar farms. Most farm managers are highly educated, most with at least master's degrees. While some coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S.,
notably San Francisco and Marin County, the non-agricultural central counties have
some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic depression caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California
alone. Recent (Spring 2005) economic
data (http://uclaforecast.com) indicates that economic growth has resumed in
California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%.
See also: California
unemployment statistics
Demographics
With a population of 35,484,453 as of 2003 (according to Census Bureau estimates),
California is the most populous state in the U.S., and contains 12% of the total U.S. population.
According to the census, California lacks a majority ethnic group. Non-Hispanic Whites are still the largest group, but are no
longer a majority of the population due to high levels of immigration in recent years. Hispanics make up almost one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asian Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans.
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 around 2040.
Racial breakdown of the population of California:
49.8% of the population is male, and 50.2% is female.
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of California are:
- Protestant – 44%
- Roman Catholic – 32%
- Other Christian – 4%
- Other Religions (Judaism, Buddhism, Islam)– 4%
- Non-Religious – 14%
The three largest Protestant denominations in California are: Baptist (10% of
total state population), Methodist (4%), Lutheran (4%).
Important cities and towns
The state of California has many cities, and the majority of them are within one of the large metropolitan areas below.
- Main articles: List of cities in
California, List of cities in California (by population), List of urbanized areas in California (by population)
- Population greater than 10,000,000 (urbanized area)
- Population greater than 1,000,000 (urbanized area)
- Population greater than 500,000 (urbanized area)
- Important suburbs (within or near the above urbanized areas)
25 Richest Places in California
Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet, as evidenced by
large numbers of extravagant mansions, sports cars, and beautiful people. The following list is ranked by per capita income:
1 Belvedere, California $113,595
2 Rancho Santa Fe, California
$113,132
3 Atherton, California $112,408
4 Rolling Hills, California $111,031
5 Woodside, California $104,667
6 Portola Valley, California $99,621
7 Newport Coast, California $98,770
8 Hillsborough, California $98,643
9 Diablo, California $95,419
10 Fairbanks Ranch, California
$94,150
11 Hidden Hills, California $94,096
12 Los Altos Hills, California
$92,840
13 Tiburon, California $85,966
14 Sausalito, California $81,040
15 Monte Sereno, California $76,577
16 Indian Wells, California $76,187
17 Malibu, California $74,336
18 Del Monte Forest, California
$70,609
19 Piedmont, California $70,539
20 Montecito, California $70,077
21 Palos Verdes Estates,
California $69,040
22 Emerald Lake Hills, California
$68,966
23 Loyola, California $68,730
24 Blackhawk-Camino
Tassajara, California $66,972
25 Los Altos, California $66,776
See complete list of California
places
Education
California's educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be
spent on education.
The preeminent state university is the 9-campus University of California, which employs more Nobel
Prize winners than any other institution in the world. The eight general campuses are in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, and San Diego. A ninth campus, in
San Francisco,
teaches only health-sciences students. A tenth campus, in Merced, is scheduled to open in 2005.[1] (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/welcome.html) The UC system is intended to
accept students from the top 12.5% of college-bound students, and provide most graduate studies and research. The University of
California also administers federal laboratories for the Federal Department of Energy: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, and Los Alamos National
Laboratory.
The California State University system
provides education for teachers, the trades, agriculture and industry. With over 400,000 students, the CSU system is the largest
university system in the United States. It is intended to accept most college-bound high-school students, while carrying out some
research, especially in applied sciences. Lower-division course credits are frequently transferable to the University of
California.
The California community college system provides vocational
education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. It awards certificates and associate degrees. It also provides
lower division general-education courses, whose credit units are transferable to the CSU and UC systems. It is composed of 109
colleges organized into 72 districts. The system serves a student population of over 2.9 million.
Preeminent private institutions include Stanford
University, the University of
Southern California (USC), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA).
California has hundreds of private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions. This
leads to many unique entertainment and educational opportunities for residents. For example, Southern California, with one of the
highest densities of post-secondary institutions in the world, has a very large base of classically trained vocalists that
compete in large choir festivals. Near Los Angeles, there are numerous art and film institutes, including the prestigious
Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences and the CalArts Institute.
Secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective courses in trades, languages and liberal arts with tracks for
gifted, college-bound and industrial arts students. They accept students from roughly age 14 to 18, with mandatory education
ceasing at age 16. In many districts, junior high schools or middle schools teach electives with a strong skills-based
curriculum, for ages from 11 to 13. Elementary schools teach pure skills, history and social studies, with optional half-day
kindergartens beginning at age 5. Mandatory full-time instruction begins at age 6.
The primary schools are of varying effectiveness. The quality of the local schools depends strongly on the local tax base, and
the size of the local administration. In some regions, administrative costs divert a significant amount of educational monies
from instructional purposes. In poor regions, literacy rates may fall below 70%. One thing they all have in common is a state
mandate to teach fourth grade students about the history of California, including the role of the early missions; most schools
implement this by requiring students complete a multiple medium project.
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. Most Californians usually
resort to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, which is why California's cities have a reputation equalled in
the U.S. only by New York City for severe traffic congestion.
As for air travel, San
Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles 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.
California also has several excellent seaports. The giant seaport complex formed
by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern
California is 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.
Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. San Francisco and Los Angeles both have
rapid rail/subway networks, in addition to light rail. San Jose, Sacramento, and San Diego have only light rail. Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern
California, and Caltrain commuter rail connects San Jose to San Francisco. Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) connects Tracy, Livermore and other edge cities with Silicon
Valley. Nearly all counties operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus and
light rail lines as well.
Both Greyhound and Amtrak provide intercity bus service.
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.
See also
Miscellaneous information
External links
|
