California, a western U.S. state, stretches from the Mexican border along the Pacific for nearly 900 miles. Its terrain includes cliff-lined beaches, redwood forest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley farmland and the Mojave Desert. The city of Los Angeles is the seat of the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hilly San Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and cable cars.
Abbreviation: CA
Capital: Sacramento
Temperature: 88 degrees, sunny
Time: 10:15AM (3 hours behind us)
State Nickname: “The Golden State” has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968. It is particularly appropriate since California's modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848 and fields of golden poppies can be seen each spring throughout the state.
Population: 39.35 million (12.8 in PA)
Size: 163,696 square miles (46,000 in PA)
Statehood: September 9, 1850
State Flag:
