Welcome to the Portal:California. Such a lovely place.
California
State of California
Map of the United States with California highlighted
California is a state in the Western United States , lying on the American Pacific Coast . It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With 39 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2 ), it is the most populous U.S. state, the third-largest by area, and most populated subnational entity in North America . The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions , with 19 million and 10 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is the state's most populous city and the nation's second-most , after New York . California's capital , Sacramento , is located in the Central Valley .
Prior to European colonization , California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America . European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire . 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 California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to social and demographic changes, including depopulation of indigenous peoples in the California genocide . The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state in 1850 , as a free state , following the Compromise of 1850 .
California's economy is the largest of any US state, with a $3.6 trillion gross state product . It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. California's agricultural industry has the highest output of any U.S. state, and is led by its dairy , almonds , and grapes . With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles ), California plays a pivotal role in the global supply chain, hauling in about 40% of goods imported to the US. 84% of residents 25 or older hold a high school degree , the lowest high school education rate of all 50 states . Despite a continuing exodus of businesses from Downtown San Francisco and Downtown Los Angeles , California retains one of the largest number of Fortune 500 companies. (Full article... )
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California , between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon , where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean . It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur has been called the "longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States ", a sublime "national treasure that demands extraordinary procedures to protect it from development", and "one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world, an isolated stretch of road, mythic in reputation". The views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities have made Big Sur a popular destination for visitors from across the world. With 4.5 to 7 million visitors annually, it is among the top tourist destinations in the United States, comparable to Yosemite National Park , but with considerably fewer services, and less parking, roads, and related infrastructure.
Big Sur Village is a collection of small roadside businesses and homes. The larger region known as Big Sur does not have specific boundaries but is generally considered to include the 71-mile (114 km) segment of California State Route 1 between Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands in the north and San Carpóforo Creek near San Simeon in the south, as well as the entire Santa Lucia range between these creeks. The interior region is mostly uninhabited, while the coast remains relatively isolated and sparsely populated, with between 1,800 and 2,000 year-round residents and relatively few visitor accommodations scattered among four small settlements. The region remained one of the most inaccessible areas of California and the entire United States until, after 18 years of construction, the Carmel–San Simeon Highway (now signed as part of State Route 1) was completed in 1937. Along with the ocean views, this winding, narrow road, often cut into the face of towering seaside cliffs, dominates the visitor's experience of Big Sur. The highway has been closed more than 55 times by landslides , and in May 2017, a 2,000,000-cubic-foot (57,000 m3 ) slide blocked the highway at Mud Creek, north of Salmon Creek near the San Luis Obispo County line, to just south of Gorda . The road was reopened on July 18, 2018. (Full article... )
The following are images from various California-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 General
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in
Sonoma in 1846. (from
History of California )
Image 3 Map of the route taken by the
Anza Expedition of 1775–76, from the
Presidio of Tubac to
San Francisco Bay . (from
History of California )
Image 5 The American capture of
San Diego by the
USS Cyane in 1846 (from
History of California )
Image 6 A Southern Pacific Train at
Arcade Depot , Los Angeles, 1891 (from
History of California )
Image 7 Map of the
Butterfield Overland Mail routes through California, c. 1858. (from
History of California )
Image 8 The railway station in
Sacramento in 1874. (from
History of California )
Image 11 Depiction of the
Donner Party heading west on the
California Trail . (from
History of California )
Image 12 Junípero Serra conducting the first
mass in
Monterey Bay in 1770. (from
History of California )
Image 15 Mission San Francisco Solano , founded in 1823 by order of Governor
Luis Antonio Argüello , was the last Californian mission established. (from
History of California )
Image 16 Francis Drake 's 1579 landing in "
New Albion " (modern-day
Point Reyes ); engraving by
Theodor De Bry , 1590. (from
History of California )
Image 17 Bilingual English-Spanish sign in the
Colorado Desert of
Southern California . (from
Culture of California )
Image 19 Founded by
Vicente Francisco de Sarría in 1817,
Mission San Rafael Arcángel , was the last mission founded during the Spanish period. (from
History of California )
Image 22 Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo , established in 1770, was the headquarters of the
Californian mission system from 1797 until 1833. (from
History of California )
Image 23 Portrait of an "
assimilated "
Maidu man in
Sacramento , 1867. (from
History of California )
Image 25 The 1562 map of the Americas, created by Spanish cartographer
Diego Gutiérrez , which applied
the name California for the first time. (from
History of California )
Image 27 The 1835
Manifiesto a la República Mejicana , by
José Figueroa , was the first book published in California (from
Culture of California )
Image 29 The
University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the University of California system. (from
Culture of California )
Image 30 In-N-Out burgers (from
Culture of California )
Image 35 Portrait of a
Californio in traditional
vaquero clothing. Californios benefitted immensely by the establishment of the
ranchos of California , following the
Mexican secularization act of 1833 . (from
History of California )
Image 36 "Independent Gold Hunter on His Way to California", c. 1850 (from
History of California )
Image 37 Between 1846 and 1873, U.S. government agents waged an extermination campaign against
Indigenous Californians , known as the
California genocide , resulting in as many as 100,000 deaths. (from
History of California )
Image 38 The
Treaty of Cahuenga , signed at the
Campo de Cahuenga in 1847 by Californio general
Andrés Pico and American general
John C. Frémont , proclaimed a ceasefire under an American victory. The
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , signed a year later in 1848, officially ended the
Mexican–American War and formally ceded
Alta California to the United States. (from
History of California )
Image 39 California's first State Capitol building in
San Jose , which served as the capital of California 1850–51. (from
History of California )
Image 41 Joaquín Murrieta , called the "
Robin Hood of California", was a notorious
outlaw during the
California Gold Rush . He served as inspiration for
Zorro , the famed Californian bandit-hero. (from
History of California )
Image 42 San Francisco harbor,
c. 1850 –51. (from
History of California )
Image 47 Depiction of the revolt of the
Mission Indians against padre
Luis Jayme at
Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1775. (from
History of California )
Image 48 Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , founded in 1771 by padres Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera. (from
History of California )
Image 50 Mission Santa Barbara , founded in 1786, was the first mission to be established by
Fermín de Lasuén . (from
History of California )
Image 51 Map of Spain's
Manila galleon trade routes, showing routes between the
Spanish East Indies and
Acapulco passing along the
coast of California . (from
History of California )
Image 54 California was often depicted as an island , due to the
Baja California peninsula , from the 16th to the 18th centuries, such as in this 1650 map by cartographer
Johannes Vingboons . (from
History of California )
Image 55 Advertisement for sailing to California, c. 1850. (from
History of California )
Image 56 The Spanish founded
Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the
Californian missions . (from
History of California )
Image 58 Forces raising the U.S. flag over the
Monterey Customhouse following their victory at the
Battle of Monterey (from
History of California )
Image 59 Angustias de la Guerra played a crucial role in defending
women's property rights during the drafting of the Constitution of California. (from
History of California )
There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California.
Image 3 Angelina Jolie (; born
Angelina Jolie Voight ; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of
numerous accolades , including an
Academy Award and three
Golden Globe Awards , she has been named Hollywood's highest-paid actress multiple times.
Jolie made her screen debut as a child alongside her father,
Jon Voight , in
Lookin' to Get Out (1982). Her film career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production
Cyborg 2 (1993), followed by her first leading role in
Hackers (1995). After starring in the biographical television films
George Wallace (1997) and
Gia (1998), Jolie won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a sociopath in the 1999 drama
Girl, Interrupted . Her portrayal of the
titular heroine in
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) established her as a household name. Her fame continued with roles in the action films
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005),
Wanted (2008), and
Salt (2010). She also received acclaim for her performances in the dramas
A Mighty Heart (2007) and
Changeling (2008), the latter earning her a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress . Her other commercial successes include the fantasy film
Maleficent (2014), its
2019 sequel , and the superhero film
Eternals (2021). She played a voice role in the
Kung Fu Panda animated film series from 2008 to 2016. Jolie has directed and written the war dramas
In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011),
Unbroken (2014), and
First They Killed My Father (2017). (
Full article... )
Image 4 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (
KROH -bər lə GWIN ; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author. She wrote works of
speculative fiction , including
science fiction works set in her
Hainish universe , and the
Earthsea fantasy series. Her work was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than
twenty novels and over a hundred short stories , in addition to poetry,
literary criticism , translations, and children's books. Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters". Le Guin said she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist".
Le Guin was born in
Berkeley, California , to author
Theodora Kroeber and anthropologist
Alfred Louis Kroeber . Having earned a master's degree in French, Le Guin began doctoral studies but abandoned these after her marriage in 1953 to historian Charles Le Guin. She began writing full-time in the late 1950s and achieved major critical and commercial success with
A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) and
The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), which have been described by
Harold Bloom as her masterpieces. For the latter volume, Le Guin won both the
Hugo and
Nebula awards for best novel , becoming the first woman to do so. Several more works set in Earthsea or the Hainish universe followed; others included books set in the fictional country of
Orsinia , several works for children, and many anthologies. (
Full article... )
Image 5 Francis Ford Coppola (
KOH -pəl-ə,
Italian: [ˈkɔppola] ; born 7 April 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the leading figures of the
New Hollywood film movement of the 1960s and 1970s and is widely considered one of the greatest directors of all time.
Coppola is the recipient of five
Academy Awards , six
Golden Globe Awards , two
Palmes d'Or , and a
British Academy Film Award (BAFTA).
After directing
The Rain People in 1969, Coppola co-wrote
Patton (1970), which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with
Edmund H. North . Coppola's reputation as a filmmaker was cemented with the release of
The Godfather (1972), which revolutionized the
gangster genre of filmmaking, receiving strong commercial and critical reception.
The Godfather won three Academy Awards:
Best Picture ,
Best Actor and
Best Adapted Screenplay (shared with
Mario Puzo ).
The Godfather Part II (1974) became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Highly regarded by critics, the film earned Coppola two more Academy Awards, for Best Adapted Screenplay and
Best Director , making him the second director (after
Billy Wilder ) to win these three awards for the same film. (
Full article... )
Image 9 Paul Norton "
Pete "
McCloskey Jr. (September 29, 1927 – May 8, 2024) was an American politician who represented
San Mateo County, California , as a
Republican in the
U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1983.
Born in
Loma Linda, California , McCloskey pursued a legal career in
Palo Alto, California , after graduating from
Stanford Law School . He served in the
Korean War as a member of the
United States Marine Corps . For his service, he was awarded the
Navy Cross and the
Silver Star . He won election to the House of Representatives in 1967, defeating
Shirley Temple in the Republican primary. He co-authored the 1973
Endangered Species Act . He unsuccessfully challenged President
Richard Nixon in the
1972 Republican primaries on an anti-
Vietnam War platform and was the first member of Congress to publicly call for President Nixon's resignation after the
Saturday Night Massacre . (
Full article... )
Image 10 Ronald Wilson Reagan (
RAY -gən; February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th
president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the
Republican Party ,
his presidency constituted the
Reagan era , and he is considered one of the most prominent
conservative figures in American history.
Reagan graduated from
Eureka College in 1932 and began to work as a
sports broadcaster in
Iowa . In 1937, he moved to California, and became a well-known film actor there. From 1947 to 1952, Reagan served as the president of the
Screen Actors Guild . During the 1950s, he worked in television and spoke for
General Electric . From 1959 to 1960, he again served as the Screen Actors Guild's president. In 1964, his "
A Time for Choosing " speech gave Reagan attention as a new conservative figure. He was
elected governor of California in 1966 . During
his governorship , he raised
taxes , turned the state budget deficit into a surplus, and cracked down harshly on university protests. After challenging and losing to incumbent president
Gerald Ford in the
1976 Republican presidential primaries , Reagan
won the Republican nomination and then a
landslide victory over incumbent
Democratic president
Jimmy Carter in the
1980 presidential election . (
Full article... )
Image 12 Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th
president of the United States , serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the
Republican Party , he previously served as a
representative and
senator from
California and as the 36th
vice president from 1953 to 1961 under President
Dwight D. Eisenhower .
His presidency saw the reduction of U.S. involvement in the
Vietnam War ,
détente with the
Soviet Union and
China , the
Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the establishment of the
Environmental Protection Agency and
Occupational Safety and Health Administration . Nixon's second term ended early when he became the only U.S. president to
resign from office, as a result of the
Watergate scandal .
Nixon was born into a poor family of
Quakers in a small town in
Southern California . He graduated from
Duke Law School in 1937, practiced law in California, and then moved with his wife
Pat to
Washington, D.C. , in 1942 to work for the
federal government . After serving active duty in the
Naval Reserve during
World War II , he was elected to the
House of Representatives in
1946 . His work on the
Alger Hiss case established his reputation as a leading
anti-communist , which elevated him to national prominence. In
1950 , he was elected to the
Senate . Nixon was the running mate of Eisenhower, the Republican Party's presidential nominee in the
1952 election , and served for eight years as vice president. He narrowly lost the
1960 presidential election to the
Democratic Party nominee
John F. Kennedy ; after his loss in the
1962 race for governor of California, he announced his retirement from political life. However, in
1968 , he made another run for the presidency and defeated the Democratic incumbent vice president
Hubert Humphrey . (
Full article... )
Image 13 Wally Bill Hedrick (1928 – December 17, 2003) was a seminal American
artist in the 1950s California counterculture, gallerist, and educator who came to prominence in the early 1960s. Hedrick's contributions to art include pioneering artworks in psychedelic light art, mechanical kinetic sculpture, junk/assemblage sculpture, Pop Art, and (California) Funk Art. Later in his life, he was a recognized forerunner in Happenings, Conceptual Art,
Bad Painting , Neo-Expressionism, and image appropriation. Hedrick was also a key figure in the first important public manifestation of the
Beat Generation when he helped to organize the
Six Gallery Reading , and created the first artistic denunciation of American foreign policy in Vietnam. Wally Hedrick was known as an “idea artist” long before the label “conceptual art” entered the art world, and experimented with innovative use of language in art, at times resorting to puns. (
Full article... )
Image 14 Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as
Brie Larson , is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in
independent films and
blockbusters . She has received
various accolades , including an
Academy Award , a
Golden Globe Award , and a
Primetime Emmy Award .
Time magazine named her one of the
100 most influential people in the world in 2019.
At age six, Larson was the youngest student admitted to a training program at the
American Conservatory Theater , and she began her acting career in 1998 with a
comedy sketch on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . She appeared as a regular in the 2001 sitcom
Raising Dad and briefly dabbled with a music career, releasing the album
Finally Out of P.E. in 2005. She subsequently had supporting roles in the comedy films
Hoot (2006),
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and
21 Jump Street (2012), and appeared as a sardonic teenager in the television series
United States of Tara (2009–2011). (
Full article... )
The front of the Hollywood mecca Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division/Carol M. Highsmith Mann's (formerly Grauman's) Chinese Theatre is the ultimate Hollyood tourist attraction, with crowds often jamming the patio to inspect handprints of movie stars. The opening of Grauman's in 1927 was the most spectacular theater opening in film history, 7 April 2005
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Nicknames: The Golden State
Capital: Sacramento
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:
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