California
California, known as the Golden State, is a state on the west coast of the United States. It is the largest state in population and the third largest state in area. Its governor is Arnold Schwarzenegger.
History
California's first European contact came in the 16th century AD. Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando Cortez explored Alta California (upper California) extensively during this time period. Several years after this, Juan Rodrigeuz Cabrillo explored the area in his search for a passage to Asia. [1] The Catholic church established a strong presence in the area over the next 200 years by establishing a number of missions in the area. [2]
Miscellaneous facts
- The capital of California is Sacramento. However, the largest cities in population are, respectively, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose.
- Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984.
- The California Redwood was named the official state tree in 1937. [3]
- California's San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the United States. [4]
- Since 2000, California has offered domestic partnerships, which are similiar to same sex marriage.[5]
Politics
California's governor is the liberal Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is the same position that was once held by Ronald Reagan, who later became President of the United States. Today, however, California is thought of as one of the most liberal states in America[Citation Needed], and is considered to be a blue state. Richard Nixon is, however, the only President to have been born in California.
Spectator Sports
California has more professional sports teams than any other state. Its NBA franchises include the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento Kings. Its NHL franchises include the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. In the NFL, the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and San Diego Chargers call California home. California Major League Baseball franchises are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and San Francisco Giants. In college sports, UCLA and USC have recently had great success, in basketball and football respectively.
Education
The state of California has three tiers of public higher education: the California community colleges, the California State University (CSU) system, and the University of California (UC) system.
Major Cities
Statewide officials
- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)
- Senator Diane Feinstein (D)
- Senator Barbara Boxer (D)