Outline of California - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of California:

California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

– most populous and the third most extensive of the 50 states

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of the United States of America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

is home to Los Angeles

Greater Los Angeles Area

The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...

, San Francisco

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

, San Diego

San Diego County, California

San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...

, and Sacramento

Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...

, respectively the 2nd, 6th, 17th, and 23rd most populous metropolitan areas of the United States. California borders the North Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

and Baja California

Baja California

Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...

in the Southwestern United States

Southwestern United States

The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...

. California includes both Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States with an elevation of . It is on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater in Death Valley National Park...

, the highest (4421 m) mountain peak

Mountain peaks of the United States

This article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...

in the contiguous United States

Contiguous United States

The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....

, and Death Valley

Death Valley

Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...

, the lowest (-86 m) and hottest (56.7°C) place in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. California joined the Union

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

General reference

Names
- Common name: California
  California
  California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
  - Pronunciation: kælɨˈfɔrnjə
- Official name: State of California
  California
  California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
- Abbreviations and name codes
  - Postal symbol: CA
  - ISO 3166-2 code: US-CA
    California
    California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
  - Internet
    Internet
    The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
    
    second-level domain
    Second-level domain
    In the Domain Name System hierarchy, a second-level domain is a domain that is directly below a top-level domain . For example, in example.com, example is the second-level domain of the .com TLD....
    
    : .ca.us
    .us
    .us is the Internet country code top-level domain for the United States and was established in 1985. Registrants of .us domains must be United States citizens, residents, or organizations, or a foreign entity with a presence in the United States...
- Nicknames
  - El Dorado State
  - The Golden State (previously used on license plates
    Vehicle registration plates of California
    The U.S. state of California began issuing license plates in 1913.-Base plate colors 1914 to 1962:Some plates were revalidated for multiple years...
    
    )
  - The Land of Sunshine and Opportunity
  - Golden West
  - Grape State
  - Land of Milk and Honey
  - Where Stars Are Born
  - The Cereal Bowl of the Nation
  - The Eureka State
  - The Bear State (or Republic)* Adjectival: California
    California
    California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Demonym: Californian
Californian
Californian is an adjective describing something related to the American state of California.It can also refer to:Periodicals:* The Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield, California* The Salinas Californian, Salinas, California...

Geography of California

Main article: Geography of California
Geography of California
Covering an area of , California is geographically diverse. The Sierra Nevada Mountains, the fertile farmlands of the Central Valley, and the arid Mojave Desert of the south are some of the major geographic features of this U.S. state. It is home to some of the world's most exceptional trees: the...

California is: a U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

, a federal state of the United States of America
Location
- Northern hemisphere
  Northern Hemisphere
  The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
- Western hemisphere
  Western Hemisphere
  The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
  - Americas
    Americas
    The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
    - North America
      North America
      North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
      - Anglo America
      - Northern America
        Northern America
        Northern America is the northernmost region of the Americas, and is part of the North American continent. It lies directly north of the region of Middle America; the land border between the two regions coincides with the border between the United States and Mexico...
        
        United States of America
        
        Western United States
        Western United States
        .The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
        
        West Coast of the United States
        West Coast of the United States
        West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
        
        Southwestern United States
        Southwestern United States
        The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
Population of California: 37,253,956 (2010 U.S. Census)
Area of California:
Atlas of California

Places in California

- Ghost towns in California
List of California Historical Landmarks
- National Historic Landmarks in California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in California
  - Bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in California
- Category: Historic districts in California
National Natural Landmarks in California
Category:National parks in California
State parks in California
- Category: Regional parks in California
  - - Category: Municipal parks in California
List of museums in California

Environment of California

Climate of California
Climate of California
California's climate varies widely, from arid to subarctic, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Coastal and Southern parts of the state have a Mediterranean climate, with somewhat rainy winters and dry summers...
Natural history of California
Protected areas in California
- State forests of California
Superfund sites in California
Wildlife of California
- Flora of California
  - California Floristic Province
    California Floristic Province
    The California Floristic Province is a floristic province with a Mediterranean climate located on the Pacific Coast of North America with a distinctive flora that bears similarities to floras found in other regions experiencing a winter rainfall, summer drought climate like the Mediterranean...
  - California native plants
    California native plants
    California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
  - California chaparral and woodlands
    California chaparral and woodlands
    The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
- Fauna of California
  - Birds of California
  - Mammals of California

Natural geographic features of California

Islands of California
Lakes of California
Mountains of California
Mountain peaks of California
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of California.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
Mountain ranges of California
Rivers of California

Regions of California

Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
- Modoc Plateau
  Modoc Plateau
  The Modoc Plateau lies in the northeast corner of California as well as parts of Oregon and Nevada. It is a mile-high expanse of lava flows with cinder cones, juniper flats, pine forests, and seasonal lakes. The plateau is thought to have been formed approximately 25 million years ago...
- California Coast Ranges
- San Francisco Bay Area
  San Francisco Bay Area
  The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
- Monterey Bay
  Monterey Bay
  Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
Central Valley
- San Joaquin Valley
  San Joaquin Valley
  The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
Sierra Nevada
- Eastern California
  Eastern California
  Eastern California is a term that refers to the eastern region of California, United States. It can refer to either the strip to the east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada, or to the easternmost counties of California.-Culture and history:...
  - Owens Valley
    Owens Valley
    Owens Valley is the arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States, to the east of the Sierra Nevada and west of the White Mountains and Inyo Mountains on the west edge of the Great Basin section...
Central Coast of California
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
- Transverse Ranges
  Transverse Ranges
  The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
- Greater Los Angeles Area
  Greater Los Angeles Area
  The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
  - San Fernando Valley
    San Fernando Valley
    The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
  - San Gabriel Valley
    San Gabriel Valley
    The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
- Inland Empire
  Inland Empire (California)
  The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
- Mojave Desert
  Mojave Desert
  The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
- Colorado Desert
  Colorado Desert
  California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
  - Coachella Valley
    Coachella Valley
    Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
  - Lower Colorado River Valley
    Lower Colorado River Valley
    The Lower Colorado River Valley is the river region of the lower Colorado River of the southwestern United States in North America that rises in the Rocky Mountains and has its outlet at the Colorado River Delta in the northern Sea of Cortez in northwestern Mexico, between the states of Baja...
- Peninsular Ranges
  Peninsular Ranges
  The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
- San Diego metropolitan area
  San Diego metropolitan area
  The San Diego Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater San Diego and officially the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area on the United States Pacific Coast. The U.S. Census of the Bureau defines the San Diego metropolitan area as encompassing all of...

Administrative divisions of California

The 58 Counties of the state of California
- Municipalities in California
  - Cities in California
    - State capital of California: Sacramento
      Sacramento, California
      Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
    - Largest city in California: Los Angeles
      Los Ángeles
      Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
      
      (also called "L.A." and "The City of Angels"; second largest city in the United States
      United States
      The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
      
      ).
    - City nicknames in California
    - Sister cities in California
  - Towns in California
- Category: Unincorporated communities in California
Category: Census-designated places in California

Government and politics of California

Main article: Government of California
Government of California
The government of California operates in the context of a democratic republic with three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the California State Legislature which...

and Politics of California
Politics of California
The recent and current politics of the U.S. state of California are complex and involve a number of entrenched interests. .-Political issues:...

Form of government
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...

: U.S. state government
State governments of the United States
State governments in the United States are those republics formed by citizens in the jurisdiction thereof as provided by the United States Constitution; with the original 13 States forming the first Articles of Confederation, and later the aforementioned Constitution. Within the U.S...
United States congressional delegations from California
United States Congressional Delegations from California
These are tables of congressional delegations from California in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.-United States Senate:- Mid-term changes :-United States House of Representatives:...
California State Capitol
California State Capitol
The California State Capitol is home to the government of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor....

Elections in California
Elections in California
Elections in California are held to fill various state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every even year , however the seats being decided each year varies, as the terms of office for certain seats varies. Special elections are also held to fill certain seats at other...
- Electoral reform in California
  Electoral reform in California
  Electoral reform in California refers to efforts to change election and voting laws in the West Coast state of California.-Alternate voting systems:...
Political party strength in California
Political party strength in California
The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of California:*Governor*Lieutenant Governor*Attorney General*Secretary of State*Treasurer*Controller*Insurance Commissioner*Superintendent of Public Instruction...

Executive branch of the government of California

Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
- Lieutenant Governor of California
  Lieutenant Governor of California
  The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
- Secretary of State of California
- State Treasurer of California
State departments
- California Department of Transportation
  California Department of Transportation
  The California Department of Transportation is a government department in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state...

Legislative branch of the government of California

California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

(bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....

)
- Upper house
  Upper house
  An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
  
  : California State Senate
  California State Senate
  The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
- Lower house
  Lower house
  A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
  
  : California State Assembly
  California State Assembly
  The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

Judicial branch of the government of California

Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...

Law and order in California

Main article: Law of California

Adoption in California
Adoption in California
More adoptions occur in California each year than any other state . There is domestic adoption , international adoption , step parent adoption and adult adoption More adoptions occur in California each year than any other state (followed closely by New York). There is domestic adoption (adopting a...
Capital punishment in California
Capital punishment in California
Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in the U.S. state of California. The first recorded execution in the area that is now California took place on April 11, 1878 when four Native Americans were shot in San Diego County for conspiracy to commit murder. These were the first of 709...
- Individuals executed in California
  Capital punishment in California
  Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in the U.S. state of California. The first recorded execution in the area that is now California took place on April 11, 1878 when four Native Americans were shot in San Diego County for conspiracy to commit murder. These were the first of 709...
California Constitution
California Constitution
The document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of California. The original constitution, adopted in November 1849 in advance of California attaining U.S. statehood in 1850, was superseded by the current constitution, which...
Crime in California
Crime in California
Crime in California refers to the statistics and history of crime in the American state of California-Statistics:In 2008 there were 1,265,920 crimes reported in California including 2,142 murders 8,903 rapes and 1,080,747 property crimes -History:...
- Organized crime in California
  Organized crime in California
  Organized crime in California involves the criminal activities of organized crime groups, gangs, criminal extremists, and terrorists in California.-Gangs:...
Gun laws in California
Law enforcement in California
- Law enforcement agencies in California
  - California State Police
    California State Police
    The California State Police was a security police agency founded in 1887 which served to protect the State Capitol Building, the Governor and other state agencies located throughout the state. They provided police services to all state agencies that did not have their own police force...
Same-sex marriage in California
Same-sex marriage in California
The status of same-sex marriage in California is unique among the 50 U.S. states, in that the state formerly granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but has discontinued doing so...

Military in California

California Air National Guard
California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard is the air component of the California National Guard. The California Air National Guard is headquartered at Sacramento, California.One of the duties of the California Air National Guard is defense of the United States...
California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...

History of California, by period

Prehistory of California
- Indigenous peoples
  - Arlington Springs Man
- Population of Native California
  Population of Native California
  Estimates of the Native Californian population have varied substantially, both with respect to California's pre-contact count and for changes during subsequent periods. Pre-contact estimates range from 133,000 to 705,000 with some recent scholars concluding that these estimates are low...
- Traditional narratives (Native California)
  Traditional narratives (Native California)
  The Traditional Narratives of Native California are the legends, tales, and oral histories that survive as fragments of what was undoubtedly once a vast unwritten literature.-History of Studies:...
History of California to 1899
History of California to 1899
Human history in California begins with indigenous Americans first arriving in California some 13,000-15,000 years ago. Exploration and settlement by Europeans along the coasts and in the inland valleys began in the 16th century...
- List of pre-statehood governors of California
- El Presidio Reál de San Diego established May 14, 1769
- Spanish
  Spain
  Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
  
  colony of Las Californias
  Las Californias
  The Californias, or in — - was the name given by the Spanish to their northwestern territory of New Spain, comprising the present day states of Baja California and Baja California Sur on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico; and the present day U.S. state of California in the United States of...
  
  , June 3, 1770, to March 26, 1804
  - El Presidio Reál de San Carlos de Monterey established June 3, 1770
  - El Presidio Reál de San Francisco de Asis established September 17, 1776
  - El Presidio Reál de Santa Barbara established April 21, 1782
  - Spanish missions in California
    Spanish missions in California
    The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
  - Ranchos of California
    Ranchos of California
    The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
  - History of slavery in California
    History of slavery in California
    The arrival of the Spanish colonists—participants in the Atlantic slave trade and owners of both Indian and African slaves—introduced such concepts as chattel slavery and involuntary servitude to the area. Anglo settlers from the Southern and Eastern United States brought centuries of experience...
  - Mission Indians
    Mission Indians
    Mission Indians is a term for many Native California tribes, primarily living in coastal plains, adjacent inland valleys and mountains, and on the Channel Islands in central and southern California, United States. The tribes had established comparatively peaceful cultures varying from 250 to 8,000...
    - California mission clash of cultures
      California mission clash of cultures
      The California mission clash of cultures occurred at the Spanish Missions in California during the Spanish Las Californias-New Spain and Mexican Alta California eras of control, with lasting consequences after American statehood...
- Spanish
  Spain
  Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
  
  colony of Alta California
  Alta California
  Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
  
  , March 26, 1804, to August 24, 1821
  - Adams-Onis Treaty
    Adams-Onís Treaty
    The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty or the Purchase of Florida, was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain . It settled a standing border dispute between the two...
    
    of 1819
- Mexican War of Independence
  Mexican War of Independence
  The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
  
  , September 16, 1810, to August 24, 1821
  - Treaty of Córdoba
    Treaty of Córdoba
    The Treaty of Córdova established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guarantees, Agustín de Iturbide, and acting on behalf of the...
    
    , August 24, 1821
- Mexican
  Mexico
  The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
  
  territory of Alta California
  Alta California
  Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
  
  , August 24, 1821, to February 2, 1848
  - Constitution of Mexico of 1824
    1824 Constitution of Mexico
    The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new constitution, the republic took the name of United Mexican States, and was defined as a representative federal republic, with...
  - California Trail
    California Trail
    The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California...
    
    , 1841–1869
- Mexican-American War, April 25, 1846, to February 2, 1848
  - Conquest of California
    Conquest of California
    The "Conquest of California" or Conquest of Alta California by the United States covers the initial 1846 period of the Mexican-American War in Alta California, the present day state of California, United States...
    - California Republic
      California Republic
      The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, is the name used for a period of revolt against Mexico initially proclaimed by a handful of American settlers in Mexican California on June 14, 1846, in Sonoma. This was shortly before news of the Mexican–American War had reached the area...
      
      , 1846
    - California Battalion
      California Battalion
      The first California Volunteer Militia was commonly called the California Battalion was organized by John C. Fremont during the Mexican-American War in Alta California, present day California, United States.-Formation:...
- U.S. Military Province of California, 1846–1849
  - California Gold Rush
    California Gold Rush
    The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
    
    , 1848–1855
  - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
    The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
    
    , February 2, 1848
- U.S. Provisional Government of California, 1849–1850
  - State of Deseret
    State of Deseret
    The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
    
    (extralegal), 1849–1850
  - Compromise of 1850
    Compromise of 1850
    The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five bills, passed in September 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War...
- State of California becomes 31st state admitted to the United States of America on September 9, 1850
  - Rail transport in California since 1856
  - Pony Express
    Pony Express
    The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
    
    , 1860–1861
  - American Civil War
    American Civil War
    The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
    
    , April 12, 1861 – May 13, 1865
    - California in the American Civil War
  - First Transcontinental Telegraph
    First Transcontinental Telegraph
    The First Transcontinental Telegraph was a milestone in electrical engineering and in the formation of the United States of America. It served as the only method of near-instantaneous communication between the east and west coasts during the 1860s....
    
    completed 1861
  - Anti-Coolie Act of 1862
  - First Transcontinental Railroad
    First Transcontinental Railroad
    The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...
    
    completed 1869
  - Sequoia National Park
    Sequoia National Park
    Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
    
    established on September 25, 1890
  - Yosemite National Park
    Yosemite National Park
    Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
    
    established on October 1, 1890
  - General Grant National Park established on October 1, 1890
  - Spanish-American War
    Spanish-American War
    The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
    
    , April 25 – August 12, 1898
- History of California 1900 to present
  History of California 1900 to present
  This article continues the history of California in the years 1900 and later; for events through 1899, see History of California to 1899. After 1900, California became an industrial power...
  - Lassen Volcanic National Park
    Lassen Volcanic National Park
    Lassen Volcanic National Park is a United States National Park in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak; the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southern-most volcano in the Cascade Range...
    
    established on August 9, 1916
  - Herbert Hoover
    Herbert Hoover
    Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
    
    becomes 31st President of the United States
    President of the United States
    The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
    
    on March 4, 1929
  - World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
    
    , September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945
    - United States
      United States
      The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
      
      enters Second World War on December 8, 1941
    - Japanese American internment
      Japanese American internment
      Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
      
      , 1942–1945
  - Kings Canyon National Park
    Kings Canyon National Park
    Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...
    
    established on March 4, 1940
  - Senator
    United States Senate
    The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
    
    Robert F. Kennedy
    Robert F. Kennedy
    Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
    
    assassinated
    Robert F. Kennedy assassination
    The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
    
    in Los Angeles
    Los Ángeles
    Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
    
    on June 6, 1968
  - Redwoods National Park established on October 2, 1968
  - Richard Nixon
    Richard Nixon
    Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
    
    becomes 37th President of the United States
    President of the United States
    The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
    
    on January 20, 1969
  - Channel Islands National Park
    Channel Islands National Park
    - External links :* Official site: * *...
    
    established on March 5, 1980
  - Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
    
    becomes 40th President of the United States
    President of the United States
    The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
    
    on January 20, 1981
  - Death Valley National Park
    Death Valley National Park
    Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
    
    designated on October 31, 1994
  - Joshua Tree National Park
    Joshua Tree National Park
    Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California. Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act , it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It is named for the Joshua tree forests native to the park...
    
    designated on October 31, 1994

History of California, by region

Counties
- History of Orange County, California
- History of Santa Clara County, California
  History of Santa Clara County, California
  Santa Clara County, California, is one of California's original counties, but its history extends far back into prehistory.-Early history:The first documented inhabitants included the Ohlone, residing on Coyote Creek and Calaveras Creek, although Santa Clara Valley undoubtedly had known earlier...
Cities
- History of Chico, California
  History of Chico, California
  The history of Chico, California, begins with the original inhabitants, the Mechoopda Maidu.The city of Chico was founded in 1860 by General John Bidwell, a member of one of the first wagon trains to reach California in 1841. The city became incorporated January 8, 1872.Historian W.H. "Old Hutch"...
- History of Los Angeles, California
  History of Los Angeles, California
  Los Angeles changed rapidly after 1848, when California was transferred to the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican-American War...
  - History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915
    History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915
    The history of the San Fernando Valley from its exploration by the 1769 Portola expedition to the annexation of much of it by the City of Los Angeles in 1915 is a story of booms and busts, as cattle ranching, sheep ranching, large-scale wheat farming, and fruit orchards flourished and faded...
  - History of Pasadena, California
    History of Pasadena, California
    Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Famous for its colorful history and the hosting of the Tournament of Roses Parade since 1890, and the annual Rose Bowl football game since 1902...
- History of Piedmont, California
  History of Piedmont, California
  The history of Piedmont, California, covers the history of the area in California's San Francisco Bay Area that is now known as Piedmont, up to and beyond the legal establishment of a city.-Pre-hotel:...
- History of Riverside, California
  History of Riverside, California
  Riverside, California, was founded in 1870, and named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It became the county seat when Riverside County, California, was established in 1893.- Precolonial period :...
- History of Sacramento, California
  History of Sacramento, California
  The history of Sacramento, California, began with its founding by Samuel Brannan and John Augustus Sutter, Jr. in 1848 around an embarcadero that his father, John Sutter, Senior constructed at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers a few years prior.Before the arrival of Europeans,...
- History of San Bernardino, California
  History of San Bernardino, California
  San Bernardino, California, was named in 1810. This article relates to the present-day city of San Bernardino and its surrounding areas.- Earliest inhabitants :...
- History of San Diego, California
  History of San Diego, California
  The recorded history of the San Diego, California, region goes back to the Spanish penetration of California in the 16th century.-Pre-colonial and colonial period:left|thumb|240px|Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego...
- History of San Francisco, California
  History of San Francisco, California
  The history of the city of San Francisco, California, and its development as a center of maritime trade, have been greatly influenced by its location at the entrance to one of the world's best natural harbors...
- History of San Jose, California
  History of San Jose, California
  -Site chosen by De Anza:For thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers, the area now known as San Jose was inhabited by several groups of Ohlone Native Americans...
- History of Santa Monica, California
  History of Santa Monica, California
  The history of Santa Monica, California, covers the significant events and movements in Santa Monica's past.-Population by decade:* 1880 - 417* 1890 - 1,580* 1900 - 3,057* 1910 - 7,847* 1920 - 15,252* 1930 - 37,146* 1940 - 53,500* 1950 - 71,595...

History of California, by subject

History of California's state highway system
History of California's state highway system
The state highway system in the U.S. state of California dates back to 1896, when the state took over maintenance of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road. Construction of a large connected system began in 1912, after the state's voters approved an $18 million bond issue for over 3000 miles of highways...
Maritime history of California
Maritime history of California
Maritime history of California is a term used to describe significant ships and uses of the Pacific Ocean near the California coast. This Maritime history includes the historical use of water craft such as: dugouts, canoes, sailing ships, steamships, fisheries, shipbuilding, Gold Rush shipping,...
- A Spanish
  Spain
  Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
  
  expedition led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
  Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
  Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
  
  lands at a bay which he names San Miguel
  San Diego, California
  San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
  
  (Saint Michael, now San Diego
  San Diego, California
  San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
  
  ) on September 28, 1542.
History of marriage in California
History of marriage in California
The recorded history of marriage in California is long and encompasses a period as far back as the first Spanish missions and even further back in unrecorded history of native American Indians and their marriage rituals....
Natural history of California
History of rail transport in California
History of slavery in California
History of slavery in California
The arrival of the Spanish colonists—participants in the Atlantic slave trade and owners of both Indian and African slaves—introduced such concepts as chattel slavery and involuntary servitude to the area. Anglo settlers from the Southern and Eastern United States brought centuries of experience...
Territorial evolution of California
History of universities in California
- History of the University of California, Berkeley
  History of the University of California, Berkeley
  The history of the University of California, Berkeley can be traced the establishment of the private College of California and its merger with the Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College to form the University of California in 1868.-Founding:...
- History of the University of California, Los Angeles
  History of the University of California, Los Angeles
  The History of University of California, Los Angeles begins in 1919, when the Southern Branch of the University of California, which was created by the State Legislature, took over the facilities of Los Angeles branch of the California State Normal School...
- History of the University of California, Riverside
  History of the University of California, Riverside
  This article is a comprehensive history of the University of California, Riverside, or UCR. UCR began its life in 1907 as the University's Citrus Experiment Station; by the 1950s, the University had established a teaching-focused liberal arts curriculum at the site, in the spirit of a small liberal...
History of California wine
Territorial evolution of California

Culture of California

Main article: Culture of California
Culture of California
The culture of California is closely tied to the culture of the United States as a whole. However, there are features that are unique to California...

Cuisine of California
Cuisine of California
The cuisine of California is the local cuisine of the U.S. state of California.- Local ingredients :A highly varied range of micro-climates, dominated by a mild Mediterranean climate, and popular health-conscious diets and lifestyles in California promote the production, use and consumption of...
Museums in California
Religion in California
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California
  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California
  As of year-end 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 763,370 members in 1,361 wards and branches, 16 missions, and 7 temples and 193 Family History Centers in California.-History:-Brooklyn Saints:...
- Episcopal Diocese of California
  Episcopal Diocese of California
  The Episcopal Diocese of California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in Northern California...
Scouting in California
Scouting in California
Scouting in California has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs related to their environments.-Early history :...
List of California state symbols
- Flag of California
  Flag of California
  The Bear Flag is the official flag of the state of California. The precursor of the flag was first flown during the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt and was also known as the Bear Flag.-Design:...
  
  California
- Seal of California
  Seal of California
  The Great Seal of the State of California was adopted at the California state Constitutional Convention of 1849 and has undergone minor design changes since then, the last being the standardization of the seal in 1937...

Sports in California

Main article: Sports in California
Sports in California
-International sports events:California has hosted the Olympic Games three times. Los Angeles, the largest city in the state, hosted both the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics. Squaw Valley, California hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics...

Professional sports teams in California

Economy and infrastructure of California

Main article: Economy of California
Economy of California
California's economy is the eighth largest economy in the world, if the states of the U.S. were compared with other countries. As of 2010, the gross state product is about $1.9 trillion, which is 13% of the United States gross domestic product...

Communications in California
Health care in California
- Hospitals in California
Transportation of California
Transportation of California
California's transportation system is complex and dynamic. Although known for its car culture and extensive network of freeways and roads, the state also has a vast array of rail, sea, and air transport...
- Airports in California
- Rail transport in California
- Roads in California
  - U.S. Highways in California
  - Interstate Highways in California
  - State highways in California
    State highways in California
    Each state highway in the U.S. State of California is maintained by the California Department of Transportation and is assigned a Route number in the Streets and Highways Code . Most of these are numbered in a statewide system, and are known as State Route X...
Water in California
Water in California
California’s interconnected water system serves over 30 million people and irrigates over of farmland. As the world’s largest, most productive, and most controversial water system, it manages over of water per year.- Sources of water :...

Education in California

Main article: Education in California
Education in California
The educational system in California consists of public and private schools in the U.S. state of California, including the public University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges systems, private colleges and universities, and public and private elementary,...

Schools in California
- School districts in California
  - High schools in California
- Colleges and universities in California
  - University of California
    University of California
    The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
  - California State University
    California State University
    The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...

External links

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