   #copyright

California

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   CAPTION: State of California


   Flag of California State seal of California
   Flag of California Seal of California
   Nickname(s): The Golden State
   Motto(s): Eureka
   Map of the United States with California highlighted
   Official language(s) English
   Capital Sacramento
   Largest city Los Angeles
   Area^  Ranked 3^rd
    - Total 158,302 sq mi
   (410,000 km²)
    - Width 250 miles (400 km)
    - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)
    - % water 4.7
    - Latitude 32°30'N to 42°N
    - Longitude 114°8'W to 124°24'W
   Population^  Ranked 1^st
    - Total ( 2000) 33,871,648
    - Density 217.2/sq mi
   83.85/km² (12^th)
    - Median income^  $49,894 (13^th)
   Elevation
    - Highest point Mount Whitney
   14,494 ft  (4418 m)
    - Mean 2,900 ft  (884 m)
    - Lowest point Badwater
   -282 ft  (-86 m)
   Admission to Union^  September 9, 1850 (31^st)
   Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)
   U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D)
   Barbara Boxer (D)
   Time zone Pacific: UTC-8/ -7
   Abbreviations CA Calif. US-CA
   Web site www.ca.gov

   California ( pronounced [ˌkæ.lɪ.ˈfɔɹ.njə]) is the most populous state
   of the United States. Located on the Pacific coast of North America, it
   is bordered by Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico. The state's four
   largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco.
   California is known for its pleasant climate and ethnically diverse
   population. The state has 58 counties.

   Inhabited by indigenous people for millennia, California was first
   colonized by the Spanish in 1769, and after Mexican independence in
   1821, continued as part of Mexico. Following a brief period as the
   independent California Republic in 1846, California was annexed by the
   United States that same year, and was admitted to the Union as the
   thirty-first state on September 9, 1850.

   California's diverse geography ranges from the sandy beaches of the
   Pacific to the rugged, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the east.
   The central portion of the state is dominated by the California Central
   Valley, one of the most vital agricultural areas in the country. The
   Sierra Nevada contain Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially-carved
   domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the largest living things on
   Earth, the Giant Sequoia trees, and the highest point in the contiguous
   United States, Mount Whitney. The tallest living things on Earth,
   ancient Redwood trees, dot the Northern California coastline.
   California is also home to the lowest and hottest place in the Western
   Hemisphere, Death Valley. Bristlecone pines located in California's
   White Mountains are the oldest known trees in the world; one has an age
   of 4,700 years.

   The California Gold Rush, beginning in 1848 dramatically changed
   California with an influx of population and an economic boom. The early
   part of the 20th century was marked by California's becoming the centre
   of the entertainment industry, in addition to the beginning of growth
   of a large tourism sector. The Central Valley is home to California's
   important large agricultural industry. Other important industries have
   included the aerospace and oil industries. In recent decades,
   California has become a global leader in computers and information
   technology. Indeed, if California were a country, it would rank among
   the largest 10 economies of the world.

Name

                 California state insignia
   Common to nearly all states
     Motto    Eureka! (I've found it!)
     Slogan   Find Yourself Here
      Bird    California Quail
     Animal   California grizzly bear; marine - Gray Whale
      Fish    Golden Trout; marine - Garibaldi
     Insect   California dogface butterfly
     Flower   California Poppy
      Tree    California Redwood
      Song    " I Love You, California"
    Quarter   California quarter
              2005
   Less common
   Butterfly  California dogface butterfly
   Grass      Purple Needlegrass
   Reptile    Desert Tortoise
   Wildflower California Poppy
   Beverage   Wine
   Colors     Blue & Gold
   Dance      West Coast Swing; folk - Square dance
   Fossil     Saber-toothed cat
   Gemstone   Benitoite
   Mineral    Gold
   Rock       Serpentine
   Soil       San Joaquin
   Tartan     California State Tartan

   California originally referred to the entire region composed of the
   current U.S. state of California, plus all or parts of Nevada, Utah,
   Arizona, and Wyoming, and the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja
   California.

   The name California is most commonly believed derived from a storied
   paradise peopled by black Amazons and ruled by Queen Califia. The myth
   of Califia is recorded in a 1510 work The Exploits of Esplandian,
   written as a sequel to Amadís de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer
   García Ordonez Rodriguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Califia,
   according to Montalvo, was said to be a remote land inhabited by
   griffins and other strange beasts and rich in gold.

     Know ye that at the right hand of the Indies there is an island
     named California, very close to that part of the terrestrial
     Paradise, which was inhabited by black women, without a single man
     among them, and that they lived in the manner of Amazons. They were
     robust of body, with strong and passionate hearts and great virtues.
     The island itself is one of the wildest in the world on account of
     the bold and craggy rocks. Their weapons were all made of gold. The
     island everywhere abounds with gold and precious stones, and upon it
     no other metal was found.

   It is thought that the myth of Califia later helped fuel Spanish
   exploration in the New World.

Geography

   California
   Enlarge
   California

   California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the
   Mexican state of Baja California. With an area of 160,000 square miles
   ( 411,000 km²) it is the third largest state in the U.S and is larger
   than Germany in size.

   California's geography is rich, complex, and varied. In the middle of
   the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the coastal
   mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade
   Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. The
   Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows a large
   portion of the United States's food. The northern half is known as the
   "Sacramento Valley" (drained by the Sacramento River), while southern
   part of the valley, which is part desert, is known as the "San Joaquin
   Valley" (drained by the San Joaquin River). With dredging, the
   Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers have remained sufficiently deep
   that several inland cities are seaports. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay
   Delta serves as the water supply hub for much of the state's
   population. The Channel Islands are located off the southern coast.

   The Sierra Nevada (meaning "snowy range" in Spanish) include the
   highest peak in the contiguous forty-eight states, Mount Whitney, at
   14,494 ft (4418 m), world-famous Yosemite National Park, and a deep
   freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume.
   To the east of the Sierra Nevada are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an
   essential migratory bird habitat. In the western part of the state is
   Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake by area. The Sierra
   Nevada reaches arctic temperatures in the winter and has several dozen
   small glaciers, including the southernmost glacier in the U.S.
   (Palisade Glacier).

   About 35% of the state's total surface area is covered by forests, and
   California's diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state.
   California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska.
   In the south is a large inland salt lake, the Salton Sea. Deserts in
   California make up about 25% of the total surface area. The
   south-central desert is called the Mojave; to the northeast of the
   Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in
   North America, Badwater Flat. The lowest point of Death Valley and the
   peak of Mount Whitney are less than 200 miles apart. Indeed, almost all
   of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with routine extreme
   high temperatures during the summer.

   Along the California coast are several major metropolitan areas,
   including San Jose-San Francisco- Oakland, Los Angeles- Long Beach,
   Santa Ana-Irvine-Anaheim, and San Diego.

   California is famous for earthquakes due to a number of faults, in
   particular the San Andreas Fault. California is also home to several
   volcanoes, including Lassen Peak, which erupted from 1914 and 1921, and
   Mount Shasta.

Climate

   California climate varies from subtropical to subarctic. Most of the
   state has a Mediterranean climate, with cool, rainy winters and dry
   summers. The cool California Current offshore often creates summer fog
   near the coast. Further inland, the climate is colder winters and
   hotter summers.

   Northern parts of the state average higher annual rainfall than the
   south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well: some
   of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes.
   Northwestern California has a temperate climate and the Central Valley
   has a Mediterranean climate but with greater temperature extremes than
   the coast. The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a
   mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to moderate heat in
   summer.

   The east side of California's mountains has a drier rain shadow. The
   low deserts east of the southern California mountains have hot summers
   and nearly frostless mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of
   eastern California have hot summers and cold winters. In Death Valley,
   the highest temperature in the Western Hemisphere, 134 °F (56.6 °C),
   was recorded July 10, 1913.

Ecology

   Ecologically, California is one of the richest and most diverse parts
   of the world and includes some of the most endangered ecological
   communities. California is part of the Nearctic ecozone and spans a
   number of terrestrial ecoregions.

   California's large number of endemic species includes relic species
   which have died out elsewhere, such as the Catalina Ironwood
   (Lyonothamnus floribundus). Many other endemics originated through
   differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop
   from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological
   conditions (such as the California lilac ( Ceanothus). Many California
   endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing,
   and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their
   habitat.

   California boasts several superlatives in its collection of flora; the
   largest trees, the tallest trees, and the oldest trees. California's
   native grasses are perennials. After European contact, these were
   generally replaced by invasive species of European annual grasses; and,
   in modern times, California's hills turn a characteristic golden brown
   in summer.

Rivers

   The two most important rivers within California are the Sacramento
   River and the San Joaquin River, which drain the Central Valley and
   flow to the Pacific Ocean through San Francisco Bay. Two other
   important rivers are the Klamath River, in the north, and the Colorado
   River, on the southeast border. For other rivers, see List of
   California rivers

National Parks and Monuments

   Yosemite Valley
   Enlarge
   Yosemite Valley

   The U.S. National Park System controls a large and diverse group of
   California parks. The most prominent is Yosemite National Park. Half
   Dome, in Yosemite, figures prominently on the reverse side of the
   California state quarter. Other prominent parks are the Kings Canyon-
   Sequoia National Park complex and Redwood National Park.

History

   Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years,
   California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse
   areas in pre-Columbian North America; the area was inhabited by more
   than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans . Large, settled
   populations lived on the coast and hunted sea mammals, fished for
   salmon, and gathered shellfish, while groups in the interior hunted
   terrestrial game and gathered nuts, acorns, and berries. California
   groups also were diverse in their political organization with bands,
   tribes, tribelets, and on the resource-rich coasts, large chiefdoms,
   such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. Trade, intermarriage, and
   military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships
   among the diverse groups.

   The first European to explore the coast as far north as the Russian
   River was João Rodrigues Cabrilho, in 1542, sailing for the Spanish
   Crown. The English explorer Francis Drake also explored and claimed the
   California coast in 1579. Spanish traders made unintended visits with
   the Manila Galleons as early as 1565. Sebastián Vizcaíno explored and
   mapped the coast of California in 1602.

   Beginning in 1769, Spanish missionaries set up California Missions
   along the California coast, with small towns and presidios. In 1821,
   the Mexican War of Independence gave Mexico (including California)
   independence from Spain; for the following quarter century, California
   remained a remote northern province of the nation of Mexico. Cattle
   ranches, or ranchos, emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican
   California. After Mexican independence from Spain, the chain of
   missions became the property of the Mexican government, and were
   dissolved and abandoned by 1832.

   Beginning in the 1820s, trappers and settlers from the United States
   and Canada began to arrive, harbingers of the great changes that would
   sweep California. These new arrivals used the Siskiyou Trail,
   California Trail, and Old Spanish Trail to cross the rugged mountains
   and harsh deserts surrounding California. In this period, Imperial
   Russia explored parts of California, and established a trading post at
   Fort Ross.

   In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the
   California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown, which
   featured a grizzly bear and a star. The Republic came to a sudden end,
   however, when Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed
   into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States.
   Following the war, the region was divided between Mexico and the United
   States. The Mexican portion, Baja (lower) California was later divided
   into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The western
   part of the U.S. portion, Alta (upper) California, was to become the
   U.S. state of California.

   In 1848, the non-native population of California has been estimated to
   be no more than 15,000. But after gold was discovered, the population
   burgeoned with U.S. citizens, Europeans, and other immigrants during
   the great California Gold Rush. In 1850, California was admitted to the
   United States as a free state (one in which slavery was prohibited).

   At first, travel between California and the central and eastern parts
   of the United States was time-consuming and dangerous. A more direct
   connection came in 1869 with the completion of the First
   Transcontinental Railroad. After this rail link was established,
   hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens came west, where new
   Californians were discovering that land in the state, if irrigated
   during the dry summer months, was extremely well-suited to fruit
   cultivation and agriculture in general. Citrus was widely grown
   (especially oranges), and the foundation was laid for the state's
   prodigious agricultural production.

   During the early 20th century, migration to California accelerated with
   the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln
   Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965, the population
   grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in
   the Union. From 1965 to the present, the population changed radically
   and became one of the most diverse in the world. The state is regarded
   a world centre of engineering businesses, the entertainment and music
   industries, and of U.S. agricultural production.

Demographics

Population

                                                 Historical populations
                                               Census      Pop.      %±
                                                1850        92,597
                                                1860       379,994  310.4%
                                                1870       560,247   47.4%
                                                1880       864,694   54.3%
                                                1890     1,213,398   40.3%
                                                1900     1,485,053   22.4%
                                                1910     2,377,549   60.1%
                                                1920     3,426,861   44.1%
                                                1930     5,677,251   65.7%
                                                1940     6,907,387   21.7%
                                                1950    10,586,223   53.3%
                                                1960    15,717,204   48.5%
                                                1970    19,953,134   27.0%
                                                1980    23,667,902   18.6%
                                                1990    29,760,021   25.7%
                                                2000    33,871,648   13.8%
                                              2005 est. 36,132,147    6.7%

   California Population Density Map
   Enlarge
   California Population Density Map

   As of 2006, California has an estimated population of 37,172,015, and
   is the 13th fastest-growing state. This includes a natural increase
   since the last census of 1,557,112 people (that is 2,781,539 births
   minus 1,224,427 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 751,419
   people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States
   resulted in a net increase of 1,415,879 people, and migration within
   the country produced a net increase of 564,100 people, and a decrease
   of 21,669.

   More than 12 percent of U.S. citizens live in California and its
   population is larger than all but 33 countries.

   California has eight of the top 50 US cities in terms of population.
   Los Angeles is the nation's second-largest city with a population of
   3,845,541 people, followed by San Diego (8th), San Jose (10th), San
   Francisco (14th), Long Beach (34th), Fresno (37th), Sacramento (38th)
   and Oakland (44th).

   The centre of population of California is located in Kern County, in
   the town of Buttonwillow

Racial and ancestral makeup

   California lacks a majority ethnic group, and is one of four "
   majority-minority states." The 2000 census reported that less than half
   of Californians were non-Hispanic White (49%). Twenty-seven per cent of
   the population is Hispanic or Latino, followed by 12 percent Asian
   American and Pacific Islander, 7 percent African American or black, 5
   percent Native American, and 5 percent biracial or multiracial.

   The largest named ancestries in California are Mexican (25%), German
   (9%), Irish (7.7%), English (7.4%) and Filipino (6%), but includes 65
   other ethnicities from Albanian to Somali. There are substantial
   Chinese American communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los
   Angeles County; there are large Korean American, Japanese American,
   Cambodian American, Vietnamese American, Indian American, Persian
   American, and Arab American communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area
   and in other areas of the state.

   California has the largest population of African Americans in the
   western U.S., an estimated 1.5 million residents. California's Native
   American population of 350,000 is the most of any state.

Languages

   As of 2000, 60.5% of California residents age five and older are
   monolingual and speak only English at home. In addition to any other
   language that may be spoken (such as English), 25.8% speak Spanish,
   2.6% speak Mandarin Chinese, and 2.0% speak Tagalog. Over 200 languages
   are known to be spoken and read in California.

   There are a significant number of indigenous languages and dialects in
   California, making California one of the most linguistically diverse
   areas in the world. All of California's indigenous languages are
   endangered, although there are now some efforts toward language
   revitalization.

Religion

   The state has the most Roman Catholics of any state, a large American
   Jewish community, and a rapidly-growing Islamic population.

Economy

   The Hollywood Sign is the best-known symbol of California's huge
   entertainment industry.
   Enlarge
   The Hollywood Sign is the best-known symbol of California's huge
   entertainment industry.
   Silicon Valley is the center of California's computer industry, just
   south of San Francisco.
   Enlarge
   Silicon Valley is the centre of California's computer industry, just
   south of San Francisco.
   Vineyards are popular in California as both status symbols and sources
   of fine wine
   Enlarge
   Vineyards are popular in California as both status symbols and sources
   of fine wine

   As of 2005, California's GDP is larger than all but seven countries in
   the world (and all but eight countries by Purchasing Power Parity).
   California is responsible for 13% of the United States gross domestic
   product (GDP). As of 2005, The gross state product (GSP) is about $1.62
   trillion, the largest in the country.

   California is also the home of several significant economic regions
   such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley
   (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and wine
   producing regions such as Santa Barbara and Northern California's Wine
   Country.

   The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next, is
   agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine). This is
   followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar
   volume, although many movies are still made in California; light
   manufacturing, including computer hardware and software; and the mining
   of borax.

   Per capita personal income was $48,460 as of 2005, ranking 13^th in the
   nation. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and
   profession. The Central Valley is the most impoverished, with migrant
   farm workers making less than minimum wage. Recently, the San Joaquin
   Valley was characterized as one of the most economically depressed
   regions in the U.S., on par with the region of Appalachia.

   Many coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in
   the U.S. The high-technology sectors in Northern California,
   specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are
   currently emerging from economic downturn caused by the dot.com bust,
   which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California
   alone. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data indicate that economic growth
   has resumed in California at 4.3%.

   California levies a 9.3% maximum variable rate income tax, with 6 tax
   brackets. It collects about $40 billion in income taxes. California's
   combined state, county and local sales tax rate is from 7.25 to 8.75%.
   The rate varies throughout the state at the local level. In all, it
   collects about $28 billion in sales taxes. All real property are
   taxable and are assessed at fair market value at the time of purchase,
   limiting property tax income. California collects $33 billion in
   property taxes.

Transportation

   California's most famous bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge
   Enlarge
   California's most famous bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge

   California's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of
   freeways, expressways, and highways. California is known for its car
   culture, giving California's cities a reputation for severe traffic
   congestion. Construction and maintenance of state roads and statewide
   transportation planning are primarily the responsibility of the
   California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans as it is commonly
   known).
   Caltrans builds tall "stack" interchanges with soaring ramps that offer
   stunning views.
   Enlarge
   Caltrans builds tall "stack" interchanges with soaring ramps that offer
   stunning views.

   The state's most famous highway bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge.

   Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International
   Airport are major hubs for trans-Pacific and transcontinental traffic.
   There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more
   general aviation airports throughout the state.

   California also has several important seaports. The giant seaport
   complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in
   Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for
   handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United
   States. The Port of Oakland handles most of the ocean containers
   passing through Northern California.

   Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. Los Angeles and San
   Francisco both have subway networks, in addition to light rail.
   Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern California, and BART
   and Caltrain commuter rail connect Bay Area suburbs to San Francisco.
   San Jose and Sacramento have light rail, and San Diego has Trolley
   light rail and Coaster commuter rail services. Nearly all counties
   operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus lines as well.
   Intercity bus travel is provided by Greyhound and Amtrak bus services.

   The rapidly growing population of the state is straining all of its
   transportation networks. A regularly recurring issue in California
   politics is whether the state should continue to aggressively expand
   its freeway network or concentrate on improving mass transit networks
   in urban areas.

   The California High Speed Rail Authority was created in 1996 by the
   state to implement an extensive 700 mile (1127 km) rail system.
   Construction is pending approval of the voters during the November 2008
   general election, in which a $9 billion state bond would have to be
   approved.

State politics and government

   The State Capitol in Sacramento, which is the home of the California
   State Legislature
   Enlarge
   The State Capitol in Sacramento, which is the home of the California
   State Legislature
   The Earl Warren Building and Courthouse in San Francisco, which is the
   home of the Supreme Court of California
   Enlarge
   The Earl Warren Building and Courthouse in San Francisco, which is the
   home of the Supreme Court of California

   California is governed as a republic, with three branches of
   government: the executive branch consisting of the Governor of
   California and the other independently elected constitutional officers;
   the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate; and the
   judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower
   courts. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by
   initiative, referendum, recall, and ratification. California follows a
   closed primary system.

   The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers
   serve four-year terms and may be re-elected only once. The California
   State Legislature consists of a 40 member Senate and 80 member
   Assembly. Senators serve four year terms and Assembly members two. The
   terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is
   elected every two years. The Senators representing the odd-numbered
   districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four, which
   corresponds to presidential election years. The Senators from the
   even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered
   years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. California's legislature is
   organized in such that the party caucus leaders wield great power and
   can usually speak on behalf of their caucuses. Many important
   legislative decisions are thus not made on the floor of the legislature
   but in back-room deals by the " Big Five," which comprises the governor
   and the Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber. Members of
   the Assembly are subject to term limits of 3 terms, and members of the
   Senate are subject to term limits of 2 terms.

   For the 2005–2006 session, there are 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans in
   the Assembly. In the Senate, there are 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans.
   The current governor is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was re-elected to a
   term that lasts through January 2011. Most government elected offices
   are not considered competitive due to extensive gerrymandering.
   Schwarzenegger was only the second governor in the history of the
   United States to be put into office by a recall of a sitting governor
   (the first was the 1921 recall of North Dakota Governor Lynn J.
   Frazier). Schwarzenegger replaced Governor Gray Davis (1999–2003), who
   was removed from office by the October 2003 California recall election.

   The state's capital is Sacramento. During California's early history
   under European control, the capital was successively located in
   Monterey (1775–1849), San Jose (1849–1851), Vallejo (1852–1853),
   Benicia (1853–1854), and San Francisco (1862). The capital moved to
   Sacramento temporarily in 1852 when construction on a State House could
   not be completed in time in Vallejo. The capital's final move to
   Sacramento was on February 25, 1854 where it has been located since,
   except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco, which
   was due to severe flooding in Sacramento.

   California's judiciary is the largest in the United States (with a
   total of 1,600 judges, while the state's federal system has only about
   840). It is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of
   California. Justices of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal are
   appointed by the Governor, but are subject to retention by the
   electorate every 12 years. Judges of the trial courts, the Superior
   Courts in each county, may be appointed by the Governor or elected
   directly by the voters, depending on when the vacancy occurs. Superior
   Court judges serve six-year terms, after which they may run for
   re-election. Unlike the retention elections for Supreme Court and Court
   of Appeal justices, Superior Court judges run for re-election in open
   races, in which other qualified candidates may run as challengers.

Political culture

                                   CAPTION: Presidential elections results

                                    Year       Republican       Democratic
                                    2004 44.36% 5,509,826 54.31% 6,745,485
                                    2000 41.65% 4,567,429 53.45% 5,861,203
                                    1996 38.21% 3,828,380 51.10% 5,119,835
                                    1992 32.61% 3,630,574 46.01% 5,121,325
                                    1988 51.13% 5,054,917 47.56% 4,702,233
                                    1984 57.51% 5,467,009 41.27% 3,922,519
                                    1980 52.69% 4,524,858 35.91% 3,083,661
                                    1976 49.35% 3,882,244 47.57% 3,742,284
                                    1972 55.00% 4,602,096 41.54% 3,475,847
                                    1968 47.82% 3,467,664 44.74% 3,244,318
                                    1964 40.79% 2,879,108 59.11% 4,171,877
                                    1960 50.10% 3,259,722 49.55% 3,224,099

   California has an idiosyncratic political culture brought on by the
   diversity of its electorate. Having been the second state to legalize
   abortion in the 1960s and one of the first states to legalize domestic
   partnerships for gay couples, California also was the first state where
   voters said that only marriage between a man and a woman would be
   recognized. Its voters was the first to eliminate affirmative action
   through Proposition 209 but rejected Proposition 54, an initiative that
   would ban the state from collecting racial data in all but select
   circumstances. Voters approved California Proposition 187 (1994) to
   prevent illegal immigrants from receiving public services in the state
   (later overturned by a federal court) yet it provides them with
   in-state tuition for public universities. Illegal immigration remains a
   divisive issue with most liberals and a majority of Democrats want to
   expand legal rights for illegal immigrants, but widely opposed by many
   conservatives and a large percentage of Republicans.

   The state's African American vote remains mostly loyal to the
   Democrats; Latinos mobilized by the campaign around Proposition 187
   formed a large and growing bulwark of the Democratic Party. Caucasians
   in the suburbs and rural areas are reliable for Republican candidates.
   Partisan loyalties have shifted in past twenty years with the
   once-Republican inner suburban strongholds in Los Angeles County and
   the Bay Area moving to the Democrats. Republicans count on the votes in
   fast growing Inland Empire and Central Valley to make up the
   difference. The most pronounced trend in partisan affiliation is the
   increase in voters who "decline to state", or not register with any
   political party. In 1994, only 10% declined to register with a party,
   that number is now 19%.

   California is currently considered a reliably Democratic state. Once
   very conservative, having elected conservatives such as Ronald Reagan
   as governor and William Knowland as senator, California has flipped
   sides in recent decades (beginning in the 1990's) and became a
   Democratic-voting state, having elected statewide liberals such as
   Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to the Senate. The latter is known
   for being one of the most liberal members of the U.S. Senate and has
   been active in left-leaning operations and progressive campaigns. Just
   as recently as 2003, Democrats controlled all but one elected statewide
   office and the legislature while Republican-appointed judges held all
   but one seat in the state supreme court. Since then, California has
   been moving back towards centrism re-electing its Republican governor
   and another Republican to a statewide office. Voters continue to vote
   down tax increases and expansion of government programs.

Ballot qualified political parties

     * American Independent Party: link
     * Democratic Party: link
     * Green Party: link
     * Libertarian Party: link
     * Peace and Freedom Party: link
     * Republican Party: link

California state law

   California's legal system, like all other states (except Louisiana), is
   explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from
   Spanish civil law, such as community property. Capital punishment is a
   legal form of punishment and the state has the largest " Death Row"
   population in the country (though Texas is far more active in carrying
   out executions).

Cities, towns and counties

          For lists of cities, towns, and counties in California, see List
          of cities in California (by population), List of cities in
          California, List of urbanized areas in California (by
          population), List of counties in California, and California
          locations by per capita income.

                 Sacramento

                           Los Angeles

                                      San Diego

                                               San Francisco

                 San Jose

                           Long Beach

                                      Oakland

                                               Anaheim

   The state of California has 478 incorporated cities and towns, of which
   456 are cities and 22 are towns. The majority of these cities and towns
   are within one of four metropolitan areas. Sixty-eight percent of
   California's population lives in its two largest metropolitan areas,
   Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

   The state recognizes two kinds of cities-- charter and general law.
   General law cities owe their existence to state law and consequentially
   governed by it; charter cities are governed by their own city charters.
   Cities incorporated in the 19th century tend to be charter cities. All
   of the state's ten most populous cities are charter cities.

Education

                         UC Berkeley

                                    UCLA

                                        USC

                                           Stanford

   California offers a unique three-tier system of public postsecondary
   education:

          The preeminent research university system in the state is the
          University of California (UC), which employs more Nobel Prize
          laureates than any other institution in the world, and is
          considered one of the world's finest public university systems.
          There are nine general UC campuses, and a number of specialized
          campuses in the UC system.

          The California State University (CSU) system has over 400,000
          students, making it the largest university system in the United
          States. It is intended to accept the top one-third (1/3) of high
          school students. The CSU schools are primarily intended for
          undergraduate education.

          The California Community Colleges system provides lower division
          courses. It is composed of 109 colleges, serving a student
          population of over 2.9 million.

   California is also home to such notable private universities as
   Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), and
   the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). California has
   hundreds of other private colleges and universities, including many
   religious and special-purpose institutions.

   Public secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective
   courses in trades, languages, and liberal arts with tracks for gifted,
   college-bound and industrial arts students. California's public
   educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment
   that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education.

Sports

   California hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, the 1932
   and 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, as well as the 1994 FIFA World
   Cup. Los Angeles is currently competing to host the 2016 Summer
   Olympics.

   California has some fifteen major professional sports league
   franchises, far more than any other state. The San Francisco Bay Area
   has six major league teams spread in three cities, San Francisco,
   Oakland and San Jose. While the Greater Los Angeles Area is also home
   to six major league franchises, it is the largest metropolitan area not
   to have any teams from the National Football League. San Diego has two
   major league teams, and Sacramento has one.

   Home to some of most prominent universities in the United States,
   California has long had many respected collegiate sports programs. In
   particular, the athletic programs of the University of Southern
   California, University of California, Berkeley, UCLA and Stanford
   University are often nationally-ranked in the various collegiate
   sports. California is also home to the oldest college bowl game, the
   annual Rose Bowl, and the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, among others.

   Each year, the California State Games take place here. In addition,
   many high school teams are often nationally-ranked.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California"
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