Nicknamed the "Golden State," California is the third largest state in area after Alaska and Texas. The discovery of gold and the immigration in 1849 of thousands of "forty-niners" in search of the precious metal helped California's admission into the Union in 1850. Today, California, land of the giant redwoods, has the highest population of any state in the nation and is America's principal agricultural state. It is also the home of Hollywood, the center of America's movie and television industry. Its capital is Sacramento and the state flower is the golden poppy.
State Flower: Golden Poppy
State Motto: Eureka (I Have Found It)
State Nickname: Golden State
State Bird: California Valley Quail
Land area, 2000 (square miles): 155,959
Length: 770 Miles
Width: 250 Miles
10 largest cities, 2000:
Los Angeles, 3,694,820
San Diego, 1,223,400
San Jose, 894,943
San Francisco, 776,733
Long Beach, 461,522
Fresno, 427,652
Sacramento, 407,018
Oakland, 399,484
Santa Ana, 337,977
Anaheim, 328,014
Geographic Center: 38 miles east of Madera
Geographic Center County: Madera
Highest Point: 14,494 — Mt. Whitney
Lowest Point: 282 below sea level — Death Valley
Number of counties: 58
State Demonstration Forest: 8 (71,000 ac.)
State parks & beaches: over 270
Persons per square mile, 2000: 217
This page last updated July 10, 2007
GDP Data — Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
Population and Economic Data — US Census Bureau
Government Data — Congress.Org
|
