California Facts

General California Facts

Capital: Sacramento
Entered Union: Sept. 9, 1850 (31st state)
Motto: Eureka (I have found it)
State Colors: Blue and gold
State Song: I Love You, California
Nickname: Golden State

California Facts, Government

Governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Senators: Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein

State Symbols

Flower: Golden poppy
Tree: California redwood
Bird: California valley quail
Animal: California grizzly bear (1953)
Fish: California golden trout (1947)

California Facts, State Geography

Land area: 155,973 sq mi. (403,970 sq km)
Water area: 7,734 sq mi
Coastline: 840 mi
Highest point: Mt. Whitney - 14,494 ft
Lowest point: Death Valley - 282 ft below sea level
Geographic center of state: In Madera Co., 35 mi. NE of Madera
Number of counties: 58
Largest county by population: Los Angeles
Largest county by area San Bernardino, 20,062 sq mi.

Some Interesting California Facts

• California is the most populous state in the U. S. One out of every eight people live here.
• Only Alaska and Texas have a larger land area than the state of California.
• Three out of ten of the largest U. S. cities are in the state of California: Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose.
• California is the country's top agricultural state, growing half of the food for the country. Almost all almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, clovers, and walnuts are grown in California.
• California contains the lowest and the highest points in the continental U. S. You can travel from 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley to 14,494-foot Mount Whitney in less than a day.
• California is home to the oldest, largest and tallest living things. The bristlecone pines of the eastern Sierras are 4,600 years old, General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is the largest and California coastal redwoods are the tallest.