California: Difference between revisions

California
California
State
Country	United States
Admitted to the Union	September 9, 1850 (31st)
Capital	Sacramento
Largest city	Los Angeles
Government
• Governor	Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)
• Upper house	{{{Upperhouse}}}
• Lower house	{{{Lowerhouse}}}
U.S. senators	Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D)
Population
• Total	33,871,648
• Density	217.2/sq mi (83.85/km2)
Language
• Official language	English
Traditional abbreviation	Calif.
Latitude	32°30'N to 42°N
Longitude	114°8'W to 124°24'W

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California is a state covering most of the west coast of the contiguous United States. With a population of 36 million and an area of 158,402 square miles (410,000 km²), California is the largest U.S. state in population and the third largest in area.

The area was inhabited by Native Americans before European explorers started to make sporadic visits during the 16th Century. Spain colonized the territory during the late 1700s before it became part of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21). During the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), American settlers revolted and established the California Republic. Following the war, the area was given to the United States. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought a huge population of immigrants into the area, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850.

Although the state historically has a reputation as being more sunny and laid back compared to the East Coast of the United States, California has the sixth largest economy in the world and is responsible for 13% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP). The state's major predominant industries include agriculture, entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. California is also the home of several significant economic regions such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and the Wine Country (wine).

Geography

California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. The state has strikingly beautiful natural features, including an expansive central valley, tall mountains, hot 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, and San Diego. However, the capital, Sacramento, is in the Central Valley. The geographic center of the state is located in North Fork, California.

With a population of 36 million and an area of 158,402 square miles (410,000 km²), California is the largest U.S. state in population and the third largest in area.

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. Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley. The water supply for much of the state is provided by the State Water Project. The Central Valley Project supports some municipal water supplies, though it primarily provides water to irrigated agriculture. With dredging, several rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities (notably Stockton) are seaports. The hot, fertile Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows a large portion of America's food, yet near freezing temperatures are not uncommon during winter which sometimes wipe out portions of crops. The southern part of the valley, which is part desert, is known as the San Joaquin Valley (drained by the San Joaquin River), while the northern half is known as the Sacramento Valley (drained by the Sacramento River). 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.

In the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada (meaning Snowy Range in Spanish), which include the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states, 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, the largest lake in the state by volume. To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat. To the west 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 most southern glacier in the United States (Palisade Glacier).

File:Wiki california.jpg

Greetings from California

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 San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains of Southern California and also in the mountain areas of central San Diego County. Deserts in California make up about 25% of the total surface area. In the south lay 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, Badwater Flat. The lowest point of Death Valley and the peak of Mount Whitney are less than 200 miles apart. The hiking trek between the two points has been attempted, several times, most notably by Lee Bergthold. Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with the Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley routinely experiencing extreme high temperatures during the summer.

Along the densely populated and long California coast are several major metropolitan areas, including San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Santa Ana-Irvine-Anaheim, and San Diego. Climates near the Pacific Ocean are remarkably moderate compared with inland climates. Winter temperatures never reach freezing (snow is virtually unheard of) and summer temperatures rarely reach above the high 80's Fahrenheit (low 30's Celsius).

California is famous for earthquakes due to the presence of a number of faults, in particular the San Andreas Fault. While powerful earthquakes in the United States have occurred in other states such as Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Missouri (along the New Madrid fault), people are more aware of California's earthquakes due to their frequency and tendency to strike in highly populated areas.

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 warmer winters and substantially cooler summers, and the cold oceanic California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. Further inland, the climate becomes more continental with colder winters and markedly hotter summers. The temperature gradient between immediate coast and low-lying inland valleys in the north is about 7°F (4°C) in winter (the coast being warmer) and in summer roughly 25°F (14°C) (the interior being warmer). In the south, the figures are approximately 4°F and 23°F (2°C and 13°C), respectively; however 4°F and 35°F (2°C and 20°C) between Santa Barbara and Death Valley.

Westerly winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher annual rainfall amounts 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 15–50 inches (400–1270 mm) per year. Some areas of Coast Redwood forest receive over 100 inches of precipitation per year (2540 mm). 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 mild to 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.

In the northern portion of the Mojave Desert on the east side of the state is Death Valley, which is the hottest spot on the Western Hemisphere. It is common in the summer for temperatures in the valley to reach 120°F. The highest temperature in the Western Hemisphere, 134°F (56.6°C), was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Temperatures of 130°F or higher have been recorded as recently as 2005. The 24-hour average July temperature in Death Valley is 101°F (38°C) (1961—1990 standard).

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 rather 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. Furthermore, California is home to the largest trees in the world, the Giant Sequoias.

California's native grasses were perennials, which stayed green year-round in most of the state's subclimates^[1]. After European contact, these were generally replaced by invasive species of European annual grasses; and, in modern times, California's hills turn a characteristic golden brown in summer and fall. California's nickname The Golden State is in reference to the California Gold Rush, and not to the golden brown summer hillsides as is sometimes stated.^[1]

National Parks

The National Park System maintains control over many different places of California:

Alcatraz Island near San Francisco
Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego
California National Historic Trail
Channel Islands National Park near Ventura
Death Valley National Park
Devils Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Lakes
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site in Danville
Fort Point National Historic Site in Presidio
Golden Gate National Recreation Area within San Francisco
John Muir National Historic Site at Martinez
Joshua Tree National Park headquartered in Twentynine Palms
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
Kings Canyon National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park near Mineral
Lava Beds National Monument near Tulelake
Manzanar National Historic Site at Independence
Mojave National Preserve headquartered in Barstow
Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Pinnacles National Monument near Paicines
Point Reyes National Seashore near Point Reyes
Pony Express National Historic Trail
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial at the Concord Naval Weapons Station
Redwood National Park
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park at Richmond
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Sequoia National Park
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area near Whiskeytown
Yosemite National Park

How Geography Defines Southern California's Suburbs

Geography is the primary definition of the wealth and status of a community, especially in Southern California. The majority of your upper class communities are set up in the hilly terrains of Southern California. Areas such as Anaheim Hills, Villa Park, Rancho Santa Fe, Bel Air, California.and Beverly Hills are all communities set high up in their counties, and probably because of their elevation isolation they are generally wealthier and nicer places to live. Other cities that are in their counties’ basin (the lower elevated cities) tend not to be as renowned for their wealth and prestige. This is something that is unique to Southern California especially, and is probably due to the master plan scheme to give the wealthier homes the best views of their counties.

See also: List of California counties

History

Main articles: History of California, History of California (20th century)

The area was inhabited by Native Americans before European explorers started to make sporadic visits during the 16th Century. Spain colonized the territory during the late 1700s before it became part of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21). During the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), American settlers revolted and established the California Republic. Following the war, the area was given to the United States. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought a huge population of immigrants into the area, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850.

The entire region originally known as California was composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and much of the land in the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Wyoming, known as Alta California. 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. The name comes from Las sergas de Esplandián (Adventures of Splandian), a 16th century novel, by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. (For further discussion, see: Origin of the name California.)

Pre-European California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in Native North America. Large, settled populations lived on the West Coast and hunted sea mammals, fished for salmon, and gathered shellfish, while more mobile hunters and gathering groups in the California interior hunted terrestrial game and gathered nuts, acorns, and berries. California groups also were diverse in their political organization with bands, tribes, tribelets, and on the resource-rich coasts large chiefdoms, such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. Trade, intermarriage, and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups.

The first European to explore parts of the coast was the Portuguese João Rodrigues Cabrilho 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. However, many of California's major cities grew around these missions, leading to their religious names (Los Angeles for the Virgin Mary, San Francisco for St. Francis of Assisi, San Jose for St. Joseph of Nazareth and San Diego for St. Didacus). For a quarter century after the achievement of Mexican independence in 1821, California was a remote northern province of the nation of Mexico. Huge cattle ranches, or ranchos, emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican California. Traders and settlers from the United States began to arrive, harbingers of the great changes that would sweep California.

In this period, some nobles of Imperial Russia made brief attempts to explore and claim parts of California, but these were limited by a lack of Imperial interest.

California was poorly settled until modern public health eliminated the endemic outbreaks of yellow fever, malaria and plague, caused from the area’s lack of frosts, which kills mosquitoes and fleas.

In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown, which featured a golden bear and a star. The Republic came to a sudden end, however, when Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States. Following the war, 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, was to become the U.S. state of California.

In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000. But after gold was discovered, the population burgeoned with Americans, Europeans, and other immigrants in the great California gold rush. In 1850, the state was admitted to the USA as a free state (one in which slavery was prohibited).

At first, travel between the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers was time consuming and dangerous, requiring either long ocean voyages or difficult transcontinental passages by stagecoach and on foot. A more direct connection came in 1869 with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. After this rail link was established, hundreds of thousands of Americans 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. Citrus was widely grown (especially in the form of oranges), and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production of today.

During the early 20th century, migration to California accelerated with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the Union. From 1965 to the present, the population demographic changed radically and became one of the most diverse in the world. The state is generally liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry, music industry, and as mentioned above, American agricultural production.

Demographics

Population

Historical populations
Census year	Population

1850	92,597
1860	379,994
1870	560,247
1880	864,694
1890	1,213,398
1900	1,485,053
1910	2,377,549
1920	3,426,861
1930	5,677,251
1940	6,907,387
1950	10,586,223
1960	15,717,204
1970	19,953,134
1980	23,667,902
1990	29,760,021
2000	33,871,648

As of 2005, California has an estimated population of 36,132,147, which is an increase of 290,109, or 0.8%, from the prior year and an increase of 2,260,494, or 6.7%, since the year 2000, making California the 13th fastest-growing state (after Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington State). This includes a natural increase since the last census of 1,557,112 people (that is 2,781,539 births minus 1,224,427 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 751,419 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 1,415,879 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 664,460 people.

California is the most populous state—more than 12 percent of Americans live in the state. California's population is larger than all but 33 countries. About four million more people live in California than in all of Canada.

Racial and ancestral makeup

Interpreting U.S. Census Bureau data can be difficult, due to the Bureau's policy of considering race and Hispanic origin to be two separate categories. Hispanics must not only select "Hispanic"; they must also select a race such as White or Asian, or, simply "some other race."

Thus, for the sake of simplicity, the data below does consider Hispanic origin to be its own category. It therefore shows only non-Hispanic members of each group: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Eskimos, non-Hispanic people of two or more races, etc. For more information on race and the Census, see here.


	2000 Census [2]	2003 Estimate [3]
White	47.4%	45.2%
Hispanic/Latino	32.4%	34.3%
Asian	11.0%	11.4%
Black	6.5%	6.3%
Two or More Races	1.9%	1.9%
Native American and Inuit	0.5%	0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.3%	0.3%

California lacks a majority ethnic group. It is the third minority-majority state, after Hawaii and New Mexico. 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 over one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asians, Blacks, 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 in the state around 2040. California has the second-largest Asian population (percentage-wise) of any state, Hawaii having the largest.

The largest ancestries in California are Mexican (25%), Filipino, German, Irish, and Asian. Mexicans and Chicanos predominate in Southern California, the Central Valley, Salinas, and parts of the San Francisco Bay area. Irish and German ancestries are dominant in the eastern Sierra Nevada, the far north, and the North Coast. San Francisco has the greatest concentration of Asians in the continental United States, with Chinese numerous in San Francisco, Alameda, and Santa Clara counties and Filipinos particularly numerous in San Mateo county. In 2000, California also had the largest number of people with Bulgarian heritage than any other state in the US according to the US census.

Languages

As of 2000, 60.5% of California residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 25.8% speak Spanish. Chinese is the third most spoken language at 2.6%, followed by Tagalog at 2.5% and Vietnamese at 1.3%. The indigenous languages of California number more than one hundred, but most are in danger of language death, despite revitalization efforts. Since 1986, the California Constitution has specified that English is the common and official language of the state. The politics of language is a major political issue in the state, especially in regard to language policy controlling the teaching and official use of immigrant languages

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of California:

Christian – 75%
- Protestant – 38%
  - Baptist – 8%
  - Presbyterian – 3%
  - Methodist – 2%
  - Lutheran – 2%
  - Other Protestant or general Protestant – 23%
- Roman Catholic – 34%
- Other Christian – 3%
Jewish – 2%
Muslim – 2%
Other Religions – 3%
Non-Religious – 20%

As with many other western states, the percentage of California's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is comparatively high in relation to the rest of the U.S.

Economy

Silicon Valley is the center of California's computer industry.

As of 2005, California has the sixth largest economy in the world. Although the state historically has a reputation as being more sunny and laid back compared to the East Coast of the United States, it is responsible for 13% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP). The gross state product (GSP) is about $1.55 trillion ($1,550,000,000,000, as of 2004), making it greater than that of every other U.S. state, and most countries in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity).

California is also the home of several significant economic regions such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and wine producing regions such as Santa Barbara and Northern California's Wine Country (wine).

The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next, 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; light manufacturing, including computer hardware and software; and the mining of borax.

Per capita personal income was $33,403 as of 2003, ranking 12^th in the nation. 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. Recently, the San Joaquin Valley was characterized [4] as one of the most economically depressed regions in the U.S., on par with the region of Appalachia.

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 downturn caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data indicate that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%. The international boom in housing prices has been most pronounced in California, with the median property price in the state rising to about the half-million dollar mark in April 2005.

California levies a 9.3% maximum variable rate income tax, with 6 tax brackets. California's minimum combined state, county and local sales and use tax is 7.25%. The rate is higher in cities and counties with special taxing districts. All real property is taxable and shall be assessed at fair market value. Any homestead exemptions are handled at the county level and residents must contact the local County Tax Assessors office to inquire. The property tax postponement program allows eligible homeowners (senior citizens and blind or disabled residents) to postpone payment of property taxes on their principal place of residence. To secure the postponed amount, a lien is recorded against the property. Interest is charged on the postponed taxes. The state offers a homeowner and renter assistance program under which a once-a-year payment is allowed to qualified individuals based on part of the property taxes assessed and paid on their homes or paid indirectly as part of their rent.

Transportation

Caltrans builds tall "stack" interchanges whose soaring ramps offer stunning views.

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, except for the numbered expressways in Santa Clara County which were built and maintained by the county itself. The main north-south arteries are U.S. Route 101, which runs close to the coast from the state's border with Oregon to downtown Los Angeles, and Interstate 5, which runs inland from the Oregon to Mexico borders, bisecting the entire state. California is known for its car culture, and its residents typically take to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, giving California's cities a reputation for severe traffic congestion. Almost all California highways are non-toll roads. Notable exceptions are any major bridges.

As for air travel, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco 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 important seaports. The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and 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. Los Angeles and San Francisco both have subway networks, in addition to light rail. San Jose and Sacramento have only light rail, though portions of San Jose light rail serve as EL Trains. Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern California, and Caltrain commuter rail connects San Jose and Gilroy (commute hour only) to San Francisco. Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) connects Tracy, Livermore and other edge cities with San Jose. BART, an express rail service, connects San Francisco and Oakland to Millbrae in the southwest, Fremont in the southeast, Dublin and Pleasanton in the east, Richmond in the north, and Pittsburg in the northeast. Despite its name, it does not encompass the entire Bay Area; the North Bay and South Bay regions are not currently included in the system. San Diego has Trolley light rail and Coaster commuter rail services. Nearly all counties operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus 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.

The California High Speed Rail Authority was created some years back by the state to implement an extensive 700 mile (1127 km) rail system. Construction is pending approval of the voters during next November's general election, in which a $9 billion state bond would have to be approved. If built, the system would provide a TGV-style high-speed link between the state's four major cities, and would allow travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco's Transbay Terminal in two and one half hours.

Law and government

California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other independently elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate; and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by referendum, recall, and ratification.

The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be re-elected 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, which corresponds to presidential election years. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. California's legislature is organized in such that the party caucus leaders wield great power and can usually speak on behalf of their caucuses. Many important legislative decisions are thus not made on the floor of the legislature but in back-room deals by the "Big Five," which comprises the governor and the Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber. Members of the Assembly are subject to term limits of 3 terms, and members of the Senate are subject to term limits of 2 terms.

For the 2005–2006 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 action film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican, 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. During California's early history under European control, the capital was successively 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's final move to Sacramento was on February 25, 1854 where it has been located since, except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco, which was due to severe flooding in Sacramento.

California's giant judiciary is the largest in the United States (with a total of 1,600 judges, while the federal system has only about 840). It is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of California. Justices of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal are appointed by the Governor, but are subject to retention by the electorate every 12 years. Judges of the trial courts, the Superior Courts in each county, may be appointed by the Governor or elected directly by the voters, depending on when the vacancy occurs. Superior Court judges serve six-year terms, after which they may run for re-election. Unlike the retention elections for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal justices, Superior Court judges run for re-election in open races, in which other qualified candidates may run as challengers.

California's legal system is explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from Spanish civil law. Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment and the state has the largest "Death Row" population in the country.

At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives, as of 2005. It has 55 electoral votes in the U.S. Electoral College. (Since California is the most populous state in the Union, its counts of Congressmen and Presidential Electors are also the largest.) 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.

California is considered a reliably Democratic state. Once very conservative, having elected conservatives such as Ronald Reagan as governor and William Knowland as senator, California has flipped sides in recent decades and became a Democrat voting state, having elected statewide liberals such as Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to the Senate. The latter is known for being one of the most liberal members of the US Senate. Even some recent Republican politicians elected statewide, such as Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzeneggar are considered members of the more moderate to liberal wing of the national Republican Party. In general however, Californians tend to be middle of the road politically. Having been the second state to legalize abortion in the 1960's and one of the first states to legalize civil unions for gay couples, California also was the first state where voters said that only marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized. Other recent initiatives passed by voters eliminated affirmitive action in the state as well as denial of social sevices to illegal immigrants living in the state (although this initiative was essentially blocked in the court system). California's Republican dominance in the mid 20th century had to do with strong GOP support outside San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles, however these counties, especially in the Bay Area now lean strongly Democratic. This is due to a number of factors from more "left leaning" Americans moving to California from the Northeast to immigrants who now have become citizens and vote mostly democratic. California is among the most Democratic states in the nation because of the relatively larger population of urban (more democratic) voters than rural voters; but geographically, like the rest of the nation, much of California is politically conservative, notably the Central Valley, the Inland Empire, Orange and San Diego counties, and most inland, eastern, and rural areas. Democratic bastions are mostly located on the coast, including the entire San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Salinas, Santa Barbara, and Imperial County. The state has supported Democrats in the last four presidential elections. In 2004, Republican President George W. Bush received a majority of votes in more than half the state's 58 counties, but still lost California's 55 electoral votes to John Kerry, who won 54.3% of the popular vote, by a margin of 10 percentage points.

Ballot qualified political parties

Important cities and towns

The state of California has 478 cities, the majority of which are within one of the large metropolitan areas. 68% of California's population lives in its two largest metropolitan areas, Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rank	City	Population within city limits	Land Area sq. miles	Population Density per sq mi	County
1	Los Angeles	3,957,875	469.1	7,876.8	Los Angeles
2	San Diego	1,305,736	324.3	3,771.9	San Diego
3	San Jose	945,000	174.9	5,117.9	Santa Clara
4	San Francisco	799,263	46.7	16,634.4	San Francisco
5	Long Beach	491,564	50.5	9,149.8	Los Angeles
6	Fresno	464,727	104.4	4,097.7	Fresno
7	Sacramento	452,959	97.2	4,189.2	Sacramento
8	Oakland	412,318	56.1	7,126.6	Alameda
9	Santa Ana	351,697	27.1	12,451.9	Orange
10	Anaheim	345,317	48.9	6,702.0	Orange

Rank	County	Population within county limits	Land Area sq. miles	Population Density per sq mi	Largest city
1	Los Angeles	10,226,506	4,061	2,344	Los Angeles
2	Orange	3,056,865	789	3,606	Santa Ana
3	San Diego	3,051,280	4,200	670	San Diego
4	San Bernardino	1,946,202	20,052	85	San Bernardino
5	Riverside	1,877,000	7,207	214	Riverside
6	Santa Clara	1,759,585	1,291	1,304	San Jose
7	Alameda	1,507,500	738	732	Oakland
8	Sacramento	1,369,855	966	1,267	Sacramento
9	Contra Costa	1,020,898	720	492	Concord
10	Fresno	883,537	5,963	134	Fresno

Note: table was compiled using California State estimates from 2005 for population and Census 2000 for area and density

For a list of important suburbs within the above areas, see List of urbanized areas in California (by population).

25 wealthiest places in California

Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet. Please note that this statistical measure can be misleading. The following list is ranked by per capita income:

Belvedere, California – Marin County – $113,595
Rancho Santa Fe, California – San Diego County – $113,132
Atherton, California – San Mateo County – $112,408
Rolling Hills, California – Los Angeles County – $111,031
Woodside, California – San Mateo County – $104,667
Portola Valley, California – San Mateo County – $99,621
Newport Coast, California – Orange County – $98,770
Hillsborough, California – San Mateo County – $98,643
Diablo, California – Contra Costa County – $95,419
Fairbanks Ranch, California – San Diego County – $94,150
Hidden Hills, California – Los Angeles County – $94,096
Los Altos Hills, California – Santa Clara County – $92,840
Tiburon, California – Marin County – $85,966
Sausalito, California – Marin County – $81,040
Monte Sereno, California – Santa Clara County – $76,577
Indian Wells, California – Riverside County $76,187
Malibu, California – Los Angeles County – $74,336
Del Monte Forest, California – Monterey County – $70,609
Piedmont, California – Alameda County – $70,539
Montecito, California – Santa Barbara County – $70,077
Palos Verdes Estates, California – Los Angeles County – $69,040
Emerald Lake Hills, California – San Mateo County – $68,966
Loyola, California – Santa Clara County – $68,730
Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara, California – Contra Costa County – $66,972
Los Altos, California – Santa Clara County – $66,776

Note: Marin County ranks as the wealthiest county in the United States based on per capita personal income.

30 poorest places in California

Many California communities rank among the poorest in the western world according to the measure of per capita income. Please note that this statistical measure can be misleading. The following list is ranked by increasing per capita income, first number is state ranking:

Education

California's public educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education.

The elementary schools (primary schools in Commonwealth English) 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 to complete a multiple medium project.

Public 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 preeminent state research university is the University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the finest public higher-education systems in the country. The nine general UC campuses are in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, and Merced. The University of California, San Francisco, teaches only graduate health-sciences students, and the Hastings College of Law, also in San Francisco, is one of UC's four law schools. 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 Community Colleges system provides lower division "General Education" courses, whose credit units are transferable to the CSU and UC systems, as well as vocational education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. It awards certificates and associate degrees. It is composed of 109 colleges organized into 72 districts, serving a student population of over 2.9 million.

Notable private universities include Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), Santa Clara University (SCU), the Claremont Colleges, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA).

California has hundreds more 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 CalArts Institute.

Professional sports teams

California's large population has helped to make it home to many professional sports teams, including fifteen major professional sports league franchises, far more than any other state. However, since the re-location of the Los Angeles Raiders and Los Angeles Rams in the 1990s, it could be argued that no one city is able to lay claim to a "Grand Slam" (i.e. having a team in each of the four leagues) unless Oakland and San Jose are counted as being in a single metropolitan area. California hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, as well as the 1994 FIFA World Cup and several Superbowls. Each year, the California State Games take place here.

Major league teams

Miscellaneous topics

Origin of the name

California originally referred to the entire region composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and land in the current U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming, known as Alta California.

The name is thought to have derived from the mythical paradise of Calafia portrayed in Amadis de Gaula, a 16th century Spanish romance by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo, which in the book was a difficult to reach land with gold in plenty, free-loving amazons living in caves, and strange beasts.

References

^ ^a The California Secretary of State's statement on the origin of 'The Golden State' as California's nickname.
^ United States Department of Agriculture article on California's perennial native grasses
^ "Cal Facts 2004". California Legislative Analyst's Office. Retrieved 2005-08-02.

Chartkoff, Joseph L. (1984). The archaeology of California. Stanford: Stanford University Press. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Fagan, Brian (2003). Before California: An archaeologist looks at our earliest inhabitants. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Moratto, Michael J. (1984). California archaeology. Orlando: Academic Press. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

United States

@@ Line 173: / Line 173: @@
 *[[Whiskeytown National Recreation Area]] near [[Whiskeytown, California|Whiskeytown]]
 *[[Yosemite National Park]]
+== How Geography Defines Southern California's Suburbs ==
+Geography is the primary definition of the wealth and status of a community, especially in [[Southern California |Southern California]]. The majority of your upper class communities are set up in the hilly terrains of Southern California. Areas such as [[Anaheim Hills, California |Anaheim Hills]], [[Villa Park, California|Villa Park]], [[Rancho Santa Fe, California |Rancho Santa Fe]], [[Bel Air, California |Bel Air]], [[Rolling Hills, California|California]].and [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]] are all communities set high up in their counties, and probably because of their elevation isolation they are generally wealthier and nicer places to live. Other cities that are in their counties’ basin (the lower elevated cities) tend not to be as renowned for their wealth and prestige. This is something that is unique to Southern California especially, and is probably due to the master plan scheme to give the wealthier homes the best views of their counties.
 ''See also: [[List of California counties]]''