California
California State Information
www.ca.gov
Area (sq mi):: 163695.57 (land 155959.34; water 7736.23) Population per square mile: 231.70
Population 2005: 36,132,147 State rank: 0 Population change: 2000-20005 6.70%; 1990-2000 13.80% Population 2000: 33,871,648 (White 46.70%; Black or African American 6.70%; Hispanic or Latino 32.40%; Asian 10.90%; Other 22.80%). Foreign born: 26.20%. Median age: 33.30
Income 2000: per capita $22,711; median household $47,493; Population below poverty level: 14.20% Personal per capita income (2000-2003): $32,464-$33,415
Unemployment (2004): 6.20% Unemployment change (from 2000): 1.30% Median travel time to work: 27.70 minutes Working outside county of residence: 17.10%
List of California counties:
California Parks
- US National Parks
- Urban Parks
- State Parks
- Parks and Conservation-Related Organizations - US
- National Wildlife Refuges
- National Trails
- National Scenic Byways
- National Grasslands
- National Forests
- Marine Sanctuaries
California
Thirty-first state; admitted on September 9, 1850
City and state offices, banks, and public schools close in California to mark this legal holiday on the first Monday in September. Two organizations—the Native Sons of the Golden West and the Native Daughters of the Golden West—have sponsored annual programs in different locations throughout the state each year. In addition, many communities hold festivities of their own, including parades, music, food, and dancing.
State capital: Sacramento
Nickname: The Golden State
State motto: Eureka (Greek “I Have Found It”)
State animal: California grizzly bear (Ursus (arctos) horribilis)
State bird: California valley quail (Callipepla californica)
State colors: Yale blue and golden yellow
State dance: West Coast swing dance
State fife and drum band: The California Consolidated Drum Band
State fish: South Fork golden trout (Salmo aguabonita)
State folk dance: Square dance
State fossil: California saber-toothed cat (Smilodon californicus)
State flower: California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica)
State gemstone: Benitoite
State gold rush ghost town: Bodie
State grass: Purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra)
State insect: California dog-face butterfly (flying pansy)
State marine fish: Garibaldi
State marine mammal: California gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
State military museum: The California State Military Museum and Resource Center
State mineral: Native gold
State prehistoric artifact: Chipped stone bear
State reptile: California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
State rock: Serpentine
State silver rush ghost town: Calico
State soil: San Joaquin soil
State song: “I Love You, California”
State tall ship: Californian
State tartan: California State Tartan
State theater: Pasadena Playhouse
State trees: Two species of California redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens and Sequoia gigantea)
More about the state at:
www.learncalifornia.org/doc.asp?ID=678
SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 636 AnnivHol-2000, p. 152
CONTACT:
Native Daughters of the Golden West 543 Baker St. San Francisco, CA 94117-1405 800-994-6349 415-563-9091 fax: 415-563-5230 www.ndgw.org ndgwgpo@mindspring.com
Native Sons of the Golden West 414 Mason St. San Francisco, CA 94102 415-392-1223 fax: 415-392-1224 www.nsgw.org/sesqui.html nsgwgp@pacbell.net
STATE OFFICES:
State web site: www.ca.gov
Office of the Governor State Capitol 1st Fl Sacramento, CA 95814 916-445-2841 fax: 916-445-4633 www.governor.ca.gov
Secretary of State 1500 11th St Sacramento, CA 95814 916-653-6814 fax: 916-653-4620 www.ss.ca.gov
California State Library 914 Capitol Mall Sacramento, CA 95814 916-654-0261 fax: 916-654-0241 www.library.ca.gov
Legal Holidays:
California
a state on the Pacific coast of the USA, on the border with Mexico. Area, 411,000 sq km; population, 19.95 million (1970). The capital of the state is Sacramento; Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego are the largest cities. In 1970, 90.9 percent of the population was urban.
The state is mountainous: the Coast Ranges extend longitudinally in the west, with elevations above 2, 500 m (Mt. Pinos), and the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, including Mt. Whitney (4, 418 m), are in the east. In the north and south these mountain ranges are connected by rather low mountains that enclose the Central Valley, which is watered by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. The Mojave, a sand desert, and deep tectonic depressions, such as Death Valley and the Salton Sea, are located in the extreme east and southeast. California is subject to earthquakes. The climate on the coast is Mediterranean, with a warm summer and a damp winter. The vegetation consists of mountain pine forests and sclerophyllous evergreen shrubbery. The climate on the interior slopes of the mountains and in the Central Valley is hot and dry. Most of the valley is under cultivation, and the southern districts and the foothills are covered with annual grasses and bushes. Located in California are the Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.
California is the most rapidly developing state of the USA, the first in number of incoming settlers, and one of the most important economically. The settlement of the state in the middle of the 19th century was linked with the “gold rush.” California’s population grew from 1.5 million in 1900 to 10.6 million in 1950 and to 19.7 million in 1967, when it became the most populous state in the USA. The population grew by 48 percent from 1950 to 1960 and by 27 percent from 1960 to 1970. More than 90 percent of the population is concentrated in the coastal plains of southern and central California and in the Central Valley. California is first among the states of the USA in commercial agriculture and in the number of automobiles and is second in employment in manufacturing (1.6 million in 1970).
Approximately 50 million tons of oil and much natural gas are extracted annually, mainly in the Los Angeles area. Gold, mercury, potassium salts, and iron ore are also mined. The output of electric power plants in 1969 was 22 million kilowatts. California is a highly important center of military production. A leading position is occupied by the aviation, space and rocket, and radio-electronic industries, which fill mainly defense orders and which are located in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. The oil-refining and chemical industries, shipbuilding, automobile assembly production, and other branches of machine building are also well developed. Ferrous metallurgy is located in Fontana, which is near Los Angeles, and in areas near San Francisco. California is first among the states in food processing, especially canning; this industry is based on local agricultural produce. The film industry is centered in southern California, in Hollywood and other suburbs of Los Angeles.
The agricultural economy is characterized by a combination of intensive agriculture, mainly on irrigated lands, and extensive cattle-raising. Approximately two-thirds of the commodity output is composed of agricultural products: various fruits and vegetables (mainly in the Central Valley), citrus fruits (in the Los Angeles area), and long-fiber cotton (in the Colorado River basin). There were approximately 4 million head of cattle and 1.5 million sheep in 1969. Fishing is also an important branch of the economy. In the north, logging (timber cutting) and the wood-products industry are of considerable importance. Tourism has great economic significance. There are approximately 13, 000 km of railway lines (1968) and 10 million automobiles (1969). Sea transport plays an important role. The principal ports are San Francisco and Los Angeles. US military bases are located within California.
Europeans first visited the territory of California in the 16th century. The colonization of California by the Spaniards began in the 18th century and was accompanied by the extermination of the local Indian population. Russian settlers played an important role in the exploration and economic development of California. After the proclamation of the independence of Mexico in 1821, the territory of California became part of that newly independent country. As a result of the war of aggression of the USA against Mexico in 1846-48, California was seized from Mexico and annexed to the USA. The territory became a state in 1850.