Outline of California
California has more people than any other state of the United States. Many visitors and new residents are attracted by California's outdoor way of life. The warm, dry climate of southern California permits outdoor recreation almost all the year around.
California ranks first among the states in manufacturing. More goods are made there than in any other state. California is the nation's leader in the manufacture of electronic equipment. Its products also include aircraft and such food products as baked goods and wines. California is a leading mining state as well. For example, its fields of oil and natural gas yield thousands of barrels of fuel a day.
California also ranks first among the states in agriculture. A vast farming region, the Central Valley, extends about 450 miles (720 kilometers) through the center of the state. The valley is the leading region in the United States for growing fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
California is a center of the motion-picture and television industries. Its entertainment products are distributed throughout the world.
California has 4 of the nation's 20 largest cities-Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state capital is Sacramento, another large city. The international airports at Los Angeles and San Francisco are among the busiest in the world. The ports along California's Pacific Coast make the state a leading area for international trade with Latin America and Asia.
Hundreds of computer and electronics companies have their headquarters in California. Research laboratories, computer companies, and engineering firms cluster around universities in and near the largest cities. They take advantage of the ''brain power'' of scientists and engineers from the universities.
California covers a larger area than any other state except Alaska and Texas. The high Sierra Nevada rises near the eastern border. Rocky cliffs and sandy beaches line the shore of the Pacific Ocean in the west. Thick forests of Douglas-firs and redwoods cover the Coast Ranges and the Klamath Mountains in the northwest. Barren deserts stretch across the southeast.
The Spaniards were the first Europeans to colonize California. Franciscan friars from Spain established the first of a chain of missions there in 1769. California is known as the Golden State. Its gold fields attracted thousands of miners, known as the ''Forty-Niners,'' during the gold rush of 1849. The nickname also suggests the brilliant sunshine the state enjoys.
