Portal:California
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California is the most populous state of the United States. Located on the Pacific coast of North America, it is bordered by Oregon, Nevada and Arizona in the United States, and Baja California in Mexico. The state's four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco. California is known for its Mediterranean climate and ethnically diverse population. The state has 58 counties.
Inhabited by indigenous people for millennia, Alta California was first colonized by the Spanish Empire in 1769, and after Mexican independence in 1821, continued as part of Mexico. Following one brief week as the independent California Republic in 1846, and the conclusion of the Mexican-American war in 1848, California was annexed by the United States and was admitted to the Union as the thirty-first state on September 9, 1850.
California's diverse geography ranges from the sandy beaches of the Pacific coast to the rugged, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. The central portion of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most vital agricultural areas in the country. The Sierra Nevada contains Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially-carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the largest living organisms on Earth, the giant sequoia trees, and the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. The tallest living things on Earth, the ancient redwood trees, dot the coastline, mainly north of San Francisco. California is also home to the lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere, Death Valley. Bristlecone pines located in the White Mountains are the oldest known trees in the world; one has an age of 4,700 years.
This northern section was deleted from the definition in the Streets and Highways Code in 2003, when the relinquished portion through downtown Sacramento was also removed, but it is still maintained and signed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as SR 160. This portion is also part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, as is the piece south of SR 12 near Rio Vista, though, of the latter, only the southernmost piece in Antioch is built to freeway standards. The entire southern portion, from SR 4 to Sacramento, is part of the State Scenic Highway System.
The Nine Sisters or the Morros are a chain of nine volcanic peaks and hills between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, California. They are popular with photographers and rock climbers. Their volcanic origin makes them of significant geological interest, and they also support a wide variety of plant, animal, and bird life.
- ...that U.S. Route 50 in California was the route traveled by many '49ers and the Pony Express, and later became California's first state highway and a branch of the Lincoln Highway?
- ...that California Mule Deer have had their population controlled by humans starting in 12,000 BCE by indigenous Native Americans?
- ...that when the Brother Jonathan (pictured) sank off the coast of California in 1856, it was the worst shipwreck on the Pacific Coast of the United States at the time?
After losing a lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, Norton left San Francisco. He returned a few years later, apparently mentally unbalanced, claiming to be the emperor of the United States. Although he had no political power, and his influence extended only so far as he was humored by those around him, he was treated deferentially in San Francisco, and currency issued in his name was honored in the establishments he frequented.
- July 4: Toyota employs the Japanese hybrid solar powered vehicle carrier ship 'Auriga Leader'
- June 28: Jackson family seeking second autopsy
- June 28: Philippine prisoners repeat performance of Thriller in tribute to Michael Jackson
- June 27: Farrah Fawcett's funeral arrangements announced
- June 27: Death of Michael Jackson causes last minute changes to films and dramas
- June 27: Sales of Jackson songs and memorabilia rise after his death
- June 26: Fans mourn death and celebrate life of Michael Jackson around the world
- June 26: Blake Griffin taken first in 2009 NBA Draft
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Southern California • Los Angeles • San Francisco Bay Area • Santa Barbara County • California State Highways • California County Routes • University of California
Lake Berryessa is the largest lake in Napa County, California. This reservoir is formed by the Monticello Dam, which provides water and hydroelectricity to the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to its inundation, the Beryessa Valley was an agricultural region, whose soils were considered among the finest in the country.
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"Weird Al" Yankovic • Amanita ocreata • Angelina Jolie • California Condor • California Gold Rush • Cougar Emperor Norton • Foo Fighters discography • Geology of the Death Valley area • Geology of the Lassen volcanic area • Gwen Stefani • History of the Yosemite area • Hurricane Nora (1997) • Island Fox • Jack Warner • Joseph W. Tkach • List of California birds • List of California hurricanes • List of Governors of California • List of tallest buildings in Los Angeles • List of tallest buildings in San Francisco • Madman Muntz • Manzanar • Nancy Reagan • Redwood National and State Parks • Ridge Route • Ronald Reagan • San Francisco, California • Sandy Koufax • Sharon Tate • Tool (band) • University of California, Riverside • Winfield Scott Hancock • Yosemite National Park
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1939 California tropical storm • 2005 USC Trojans football team • Aliso Creek (Orange County) • Architecture of the California missions • Azusa Street Revival • Bay Area Rapid Transit • California Southern Railroad • California State Route 133 • California State Route 16 • California State Route 160 • California State Route 174 • California State Route 190 • California State Route 20 California State Route 3 • California State Route 47 • Castle Lake (California) • Chris Young (pitcher) • County Route S18 (California) • Dan Dworsky • Dr. Dre • Fairfield Osborn Preserve • Gavin Newsom • Google • Hickman's potentilla • Hurricane Linda (1997) • Intel Corporation • Jack Kemp • Janet Jackson • Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park Leo Ryan • Los Angeles, California • Milton Friedman • Mussel Slough Tragedy • No Doubt • Northern Red-legged Frog • Oakland Raiders • Ohlone • Pasadena Freeway • Pat Nixon • Pentachaeta bellidiflora • Presidio of Santa Barbara • Rail transport in California • Rancho Camulos • Rancho San Francisco • Ronald Reagan Presidential Library • San Francisco International Airport • Serranus Clinton Hastings • Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert • U.S. Route 50 in California • Union Station (San Diego) • University of California, Santa Cruz • Walter O'Malley • Winfield Scott (ship) • Ygnacio del Valle • Zodiac Killer
- Requested articles: Hinduism in California • Mary Coulter • Ferdinand Burgdorf • Estevan Tapis Somehow someone deleted such page a while ago Californian independence
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