California

• Population: 38,041,430 • Area: 423,970 km2.

• Capital: Sacramento• Largest city: Los Angeles

General Facts

Languages English 60,5%

Spanish 25,8%

Chinese 2,6%

Tagalog 2%

Other languages 9,1%

Mammals: California grizzly bear Insect: California dogface butterflyMinerals: Gold Tree: SequoiaMotto: Eureka

Symbols of California

Geography and History•There are 58 counties.

•California became a state in 1850. The first Spanish missionaries arrived in California in the 1700s, but California didn't become a U.S. territory until 1847, as part of the treaty ending the Mexican-American War.

•By the turn of the century the discovery of oil, industrialization resulting from the increase of hydroelectric power, and expanding agricultural development attracted more settlers.

•San Francisco, which suffered greatly after the great earthquake and fire of 1906 which killed around 3000 people and 80% of San Francisco was destroyed.

Topographical facts

•Higher point: Mount Whitney14,505 ft (4,421.0 m)

•Lowest point: Badwater Basin in Death Valley−282 ft (-86m)

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Population and major cities

California is the USA's most populous state with almost 40,000,000 residents, more than Canada as of 2008. One of eight United States residents live here. California is a "minority majority" state, with 58% of its population Asian, Hispanic, Native American or other groups. 26% of its people were born outside the U.S.

Races and ReligionNative American and Native Alaskan: 1%

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders: 1%

White: 41%

Latinos: 38%

Asian: 13%

Black: 6%

Races

Protestant 36%Roman Catholic 31%Jewish 2%Hinduism 2%Muslim 2%Non-Religious 21%Other Religion 4%LDS 2%

Religions

Economy• California's economy is the 12th largest economy in the world (if the states

of the U.S. were compared with other countries).• Agriculture is the major California industry. • It is the world's fifth largest supplier of food and agriculture commodities.

Gross Domestic Product of California by sector for 2008

• Yosemite National Park It is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains in east-central California. It is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls,

clear streams, giant sequoia groves, and biological diversity.

• Channel Islands National Park It is located in the Southern California coast. Half of the Channel Island National Park is underwater and it is the home

of 2,000 species of plants and animals.

• Death Valley National Park It is located in the east of the Sierra Nevada mountains It has diverse desertic environments of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands,

valleys, canyons, and mountains.

National Parks

Hollywood It is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Hollywood is the mecca of movie studios and stars

and a destination for nightlife, shopping and tourism. In 1903 it became an official municipality

Golden Gate Bridge Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge started in 1933. It is a suspension bridge of 1970 metres.

Tourist destinations

San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California housing

over 3,700 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. The Zoo has the largest population of the critically endangered giant

pandas.

Alcatraz Island Because of its isolation from the outside by the cold, hazardous currents of the waters

of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house Civil War prisoners as early as 1861. Home to some of America's most notorious criminals, the federal penitentiary that

operated here from 1934 to 1963 brought a dark mystique to the Rock.

Tourist destinations

• Fast Food• Latin Influences: Spicy food. (Tacos, burritos, nachos)• Asian and Oceanian influences. (Sushi and dungeness

crabs)• Chinese restaurants, Mexican restaurants, Italian

restaurants, Filipino restaurants, Vietnamese restaurants, Indian restaurants

Culture: Food

Sports

• National Basketball Association:Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers• Major League Baseball:Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim• National Football League:San Francisco 49ers• Major League Soccer:Los Angeles Galaxy

Universities

• California Institute of Technology It is a private research university located in Pasadena, California. It has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and

engineering.

• Standford University It is an American private research university located in

Stanford, California Stanford was founded by Leland Stanford, an United States

senator

Stanford University

Silicon Valley

• Silicon Valley is the southern region of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California.

• It is home of many of the world's largest technology corporations (Apple Inc., Google, Ebay, Facebook, Adobe Systems,Nvidia,etc.)

California Quiz

58 counties!!!

Bad Water basin in Death Valley!!

38,041,430 inhabitants!!

Silicon Valley

The Giant Panda!!

In the National Football League (American football)

• How many counties does California have?

• Which is the lowest point of California?

• How many millions of inhabitants does California have?

• Which is the home of many of the world's largest technology corporations ?

• For having what animal is San Diego zoo important?

• In which sport does the San Francisco 49ers team participate?