California is a state on the west coast of the United States . With over 39.3 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2 ), it is the most populous state and the third-largest state by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country (after New York City ). Los Angeles County is the country's most populous , while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. San Francisco , which is both a city and county, is the second most densely populated major city in the country (after New York City) and the fifth most densely populated county in the country, behind four of New York City's five boroughs .
The economy of California , with a gross state product of $3.2 trillion as of 2019, is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If it were a country, it would be the 37th most populous country and the fifth largest economy . The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively ), after the New York metropolitan area ($1.8 trillion). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to four of the world's 10 largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's 10 richest people.
What is now California was first settled by various Native Californian tribes before being explored by a number of Europeans during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Spanish Empire then claimed and colonized it. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain . The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence , but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War . The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850 . The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom.
Today, California is considered a worldwide trendsetter in popular culture , including the areas of entertainment , sports , communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood , the oldest and largest film industry in the world, which has had a profound effect on global entertainment. As a result of the state's diversity and migration, California integrates foods, languages, and traditions from other areas across the country and around the globe. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture , the Internet, and the personal computer , among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as centers of the global technology and entertainment industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services , technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. (Full article... )
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Hearst Castle looking west
Hearst Castle is the palatial
estate built by newspaper magnate
William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951). It is located near
San Simeon, California , on a hill overlooking the
Pacific Ocean , halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Donated by the
Hearst Corporation to the state of
California in
1957 , it is now a State Historical Monument and a
National Historic Landmark , open for public tours. Hearst formally named the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" ("The Enchanted Hill"), but he usually just called it "the ranch".
Hearst Castle was built on a 40,000 acre (160 km²) ranch that William Randolph Hearst's father, George Hearst , originally purchased in 1865 . The younger Hearst grew fond of this site over many childhood family camping trips. He inherited the ranch, which had grown to 250,000 acres (1000 km²), from his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst , upon her death in 1919 . Construction began that same year and continued through 1947 , when he stopped living at the estate due to ill health. San Francisco architect Julia Morgan designed most of the buildings. Hearst was an inveterate tinkerer, and would tear down structures and rebuild them at a whim, so the estate was never completed in his lifetime. (Full article... )
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State facts
Senators : Dianne Feinstein (D), Alex Padilla (D)
Representatives : Doug LaMalfa (R ), Jared Huffman (D), John Garamendi (D), Tom McClintock (R), Mike Thompson (D), Doris Matsui (D), Ami Bera (D), Jay Obernolte (R), Jerry McNerney (D), Josh Harder (D), Mark DeSaulnier (D), Nancy Pelosi (D), Barbara Lee (D), Jackie Speier (D), Eric Swalwell (D), Jim Costa (D), Ro Khanna (D), Anna Eshoo (D), Zoe Lofgren (D), Jimmy Panetta (D), David Valadao (R), Devin Nunes (R), Kevin McCarthy (R), Salud Carbajal (D), Mike Garcia (R), Julia Brownley (D), Judy Chu (D), Adam Schiff (D), Tony Cardenas (D), Brad Sherman (D), Pete Aguilar (D), Grace Napolitano (D), Ted Lieu (D), Jimmy Gomez (D), Norma Torres (D), Raul Ruiz (D), Karen Bass (D), Linda Sanchez (D), Young Kim (R), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D), Mark Takano (D), Ken Calvert (R), Maxine Waters (D), Nanette Barragán (D), Katie Porter (D), Lou Correa (D), Alan Lowenthal (D), Michelle Steel (R), Mike Levin (D), Darrell Issa (R), Juan Vargas (D), Scott Peters (D), Sara Jacobs (D)
Total area: 163,696 mi2
Land: 156,002 mi2
Water: 7,694 mi2
Highest elevation: 14,505 ft (Mount Whitney )
Population 39,250,017 (2016 est)
Admission to the Union: September 9, 1850 (31st )
State symbols:
Selected biography
Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was a Golden Globe -nominated American actress . During the 1960s she had small television roles before starting her film career. She appeared in several films that highlighted her beauty, and after receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, was hailed as one of Hollywood 's promising newcomers. Tate's fame increased after her marriage to film director Roman Polański and her appearances in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl .
Tate was murdered, along with four others, on August 9, 1969, by followers of Charles Manson at her Benedict Canyon home. She was eight and a half months pregnant. A decade after the murders, her mother Doris Tate , appalled at the growing cult status of the killers and the possibility that any of them might be granted parole , joined a public campaign against what she considered shortcomings in the state corrections system .
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In California, they don't throw their garbage away - they make it into TV shows.
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