California (state)

California (state)
Original: Donald Graeme Kelley Vectorization: Devin Cook · Public domain · source
Name	California
Nickname	Golden State
Motto	Emerald
Capital	Sacramento
Largest city	Los Angeles
Population	2020 census
Area	163696
Admitted	September 9, 1850
Admitted order	31st
Timezone	Pacific Time Zone

Contents

California (state) California is a populous state on the western coast of the United States known for its diverse landscapes, influential industries, and cultural prominence. It contains major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego and hosts leading institutions like Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and California Institute of Technology.

Etymology and Symbols

The name derives from the 16th-century Spanish novel Las Sergas de Esplandián where “California” denoted a mythical island, adopted by explorers such as Hernán Cortés and colonists during the era of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. State symbols include the California grizzly bear depicted on the Flag of California, the California poppy as the state flower, and the California redwood as a notable tree species commemorated in state emblems. Official seals and mottos reflect ties to the Bear Flag Revolt and the 1850 admission to the Union under the Compromise of 1850.

Indigenous peoples including the Chumash, Yurok, Miwok, Maidu, and Ohlone people inhabited the region for millennia with complex societies documented in archaeological sites like Maidu archaeological site and trade networks reaching the Pacific Ocean. European contact began with expeditions by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and later Sebastián Vizcaíno, followed by Spanish missions established by Junípero Serra and the Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The 19th century saw Mexican secularization after the Mexican War of Independence and the Mexican–American War, culminating in American annexation and the 1848 California Gold Rush that accelerated population growth and led to statehood in 1850. Throughout the 20th century, events such as the Panama–Pacific International Exposition, the rise of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, and World War II mobilization reshaped demographics and industry; later developments include the environmental movements around Earth Day, landmark legal decisions like Brown v. Board of Education influences, and the political realignments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries involving actors such as Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown.

California spans bioregions from the Pacific Ocean coastline and the Channel Islands to the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert. It contains the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin and the highest U.S. peak in the state, Mount Whitney. Major rivers include the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River, feeding the California Central Valley, a key agricultural area irrigated via projects like the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project. The state faces environmental challenges including drought cycles documented by the California drought events, wildfires such as the Camp Fire (2018) and Thomas Fire, and seismic hazards along the San Andreas Fault and the Hayward Fault, studied at institutions like the United States Geological Survey and Caltech Seismological Laboratory.

California hosts large and diverse populations concentrated in metropolitan regions like the Los Angeles metropolitan area, San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego–Tijuana transborder region. Ethnic and linguistic diversity reflects immigration from Mexico, the Philippines, China, India, and countries across Central America and East Asia, with communities such as Chinatown, San Francisco and Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Major population trends include urbanization, suburban growth in places like Orange County and Inland Empire, and demographic shifts documented by the United States Census Bureau showing age, income, and migration patterns that influence planning by agencies such as the California Department of Finance.

California has one of the largest subnational economies globally, driven by sectors centered in regions like Silicon Valley for technology (companies including Apple Inc., Google, Facebook/Meta Platforms, Inc.), Hollywood for entertainment (studios such as Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios), agriculture in the Central Valley producing commodities exported via ports like Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, and aerospace clusters around Palmdale and Edwards Air Force Base. Financial centers in San Francisco host institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and corporate headquarters including Wells Fargo and Chevron Corporation. The state economy also includes significant sectors in renewable energy projects in Altamont Pass Wind Farm and technology transfer from universities like UC Berkeley and Caltech.

California operates under a constitution adopted in 1879 and amended many times, with executive leadership in the Governor of California and a bicameral legislature composed of the California State Senate and the California State Assembly. Political developments include progressive policy initiatives such as Proposition 13 (1978), environmental regulations influenced by the California Air Resources Board and lawsuits adjudicated in the California Supreme Court and federal courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Electoral politics feature major party contests in statewide races involving figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, and Kamala Harris and frequent ballot measures shaping tax, land use, and social policy.

California’s cultural production includes film and television industries centered in Hollywood and television hubs in Burbank, music scenes from San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles producing artists associated with labels like Capitol Records, and culinary innovation influenced by immigrant cuisines in neighborhoods such as Little Italy (San Diego) and Koreatown, Los Angeles. Higher education includes the public University of California system campuses like UC Berkeley and UCLA, the private Stanford University and Caltech, and community college networks administered by the California Community Colleges System. Museums and cultural institutions include the Getty Center, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and events such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the San Diego Comic-Con International.