California is the third largest state in the United States with a population of over 39 million. The capital of California is Sacramento.
According to Acronymmonster, California is one of the states of the United States of America. The state has the largest population of all and is the third largest in area after Alaska and Texas. California is located in the western United States and borders Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon, and Mexico. The entire west of the area lies on the Pacific Ocean. 39 million people populate this US state.
California was colonized by the Spanish. After Mexican independence, the country became a Mexican province. In 1845 the United States annexed Texas and submitted an offer to buy California for Mexico, which was rejected. In 1846, American settlers declared California’s independence. In 1850 California became the 31st state in the United States.
The area is a popular travel destination, especially because of the many nature parks. The most famous is Yosemite National Park. There are numerous beaches on the Pacific coast that attract bathers and surfers. The second highest mountain in the USA, Mount Whitney at 4,418 m, is located here. In contrast, the lowest point in the USA in the desert area of Death Valley, which is 85.5 m below sea level.
Besides English-speaking Americans, the population consists largely of Hispanic immigrants, so Spanish is the most widely spoken language alongside English. There are also a few small Indian reservations, the residents of which take care to preserve their traditions. The largest cities in the state include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, and Freseno.
Largest Counties in California by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in California are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | San Bernardino County | 51,960 km2 |
| 2 | Inyo County | 26,397 km2 |
| 3 | Kern County | 21,088 km2 |
| 4 | Riverside County | 18,669 km2 |
| 5 | Siskiyou County | 16,283 km2 |
| 6 | Fresno County | 15,444 km2 |
| 7 | Tulare County | 12,494 km2 |
| 8 | Lassen County | 11,805 km2 |
| 9 | San Diego County | 10,888 km2 |
| 10 | Imperial County | 10,813 km2 |
| 11 | Los Angeles County | 10,515 km2 |
| 12 | Modoc County | 10,215 km2 |
| 13 | Shasta County | 9,806 km2 |
| 14 | Humboldt County | 9,254 km2 |
| 15 | Mendocino County | 9,088 km2 |
| 16 | Monterey County | 8,604 km2 |
| 17 | San Luis Obispo County | 8,557 km2 |
| 18 | Trinity County | 8,234 km2 |
| 19 | Mono County | 7,884 km2 |
| 20 | Tehama County | 7,643 km2 |
| 21 | Santa Barbara County | 7,091 km2 |
| 22 | Plumas County | 6,615 km2 |
| 23 | Tuolumne County | 5,791 km2 |
| 24 | Madera County | 5,537 km2 |
| 25 | Merced County | 4,996 km2 |
| 26 | Ventura County | 4,781 km2 |
| 27 | El Dorado County | 4,434 km2 |
| 28 | Butte County | 4,248 km2 |
| 29 | Sonoma County | 4,082 km2 |
| 30 | Stanislaus County | 3,872 km2 |
| 31 | Mariposa County | 3,758 km2 |
| 32 | Placer County | 3,644 km2 |
| 33 | San Joaquin County | 3,623 km2 |
| 34 | Kings County | 3,600 km2 |
| 35 | San Benito County | 3,597 km2 |
| 36 | Glenn County | 3,406 km2 |
| 37 | Santa Clara County | 3,344 km2 |
| 38 | Lake County | 3,258 km2 |
| 39 | Colusa County | 2,981 km2 |
| 40 | Calaveras County | 2,642 km2 |
| 41 | Yolo County | 2,621 km2 |
| 42 | Del Norte County | 2,611 km2 |
| 43 | Sacramento County | 2,502 km2 |
| 44 | Nevada County | 2,481 km2 |
| 45 | Sierra County | 2,468 km2 |
| 46 | Orange County | 2,455 km2 |
| 47 | Solano County | 2,145 km2 |
| 48 | Napa County | 1,953 km2 |
| 49 | Alpine County | 1,914 km2 |
| 50 | Alameda County | 1,911 km2 |
| 51 | Contra Costa County | 1,865 km2 |
| 52 | Yuba County | 1,632 km2 |
| 53 | Amador County | 1,570 km2 |
| 54 | Sutter County | 1,562 km2 |
| 55 | Marin County | 1,347 km2 |
| 56 | San Mateo County | 1,163 km2 |
| 57 | Santa Cruz County | 1,155 km2 |
| 58 | San Francisco | 122 km2 |
LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles is the largest city in California and, in fact, the second largest city (by metropolitan area) in the United States after New York City. This exciting and diverse city is located on the west coast in southwestern California. A famous feature of LA is the white Hollywood lettering, because the heart of the city definitely beats for entertainment. It is indicative of the fact that every sixth person works in the entertainment or cultural sector. Nonetheless, Los Angeles is also an important economic location in terms of fashion, technology, culture or trade. The latter can be seen in the ports of Los Angeles: Port Angeles is of great importance for trade in the Pacific region and the international airport is one of the five largest in the world.
Geographically, Los Angeles is both flat and hilly, with the Los Angeles River and the ocean flowing through the city and great beaches not far. In the sunny state of California, especially in LA, the sun shines predominantly and there is a subtropical-Mediterranean climate. America’s melting pot can also be felt here, because the city’s population structure is very complex. The people who live here come from all over the world and make the city colorful and varied.
Location: directly on the Pacific Ocean in southwest California
Population: approx. 3.8 million
Area: 1,291 / km2
Nicknames: City of Angels, LA, Entertainment Capital of the World
History: Although the first Europeans discovered the area in what is now Los Angeles as early as 1542, it was not until 1769 that the Spaniards conquered this part of the country for themselves. Felipe de Neve was appointed governor of California to promote the settlement. In 1781 the town of Los Angeles was founded, initially with 44 settlers. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Los Angeles first belonged to Mexico. Even then, the steadily growing community consisted of a mixed population: predominantly Mexican, American, European and Chinese settlers initially gained a foothold here. After the Mexican-American War, California was ceded to the United States in 1848 and Los Angeles officially became “American” 2 years later.
In 1848, gold discoveries in California triggered the famous gold rush, which attracted countless people from the Midwest to the region. The mild climate, the developing industry, oil discoveries, the construction of the port as well as the railroad and finally the development of the film industry drove the growth of the city powerfully until the end of the 19th century. The Hollywood brand was established at the beginning of the 20th century when many film producers discovered the region for themselves. It can also get pretty sporty in LA: In 1932 and 1984 the city hosted the Olympic Games, the SuperBowl has already been held there 7 times.
Cultural / Museums: Hammer Museum of Art, Californian African American Museum, Getty Villa & Getty Center, Barnsdall Art Park, Chinese American Museum, Autry National Center of the American West, California Science Center, Grammy Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, George C. Page Museum, Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
Sights: Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Anaheim, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, Chinatown, Walt Disney Concert Hall, US Bank Tower, Plaza Historic District, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, Koreatown, City Hall, Griffith Observatory, Skyline
LA is also the venue for all major award ceremonies and award shows: Academy Awards (Oscars), American Music Awards, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards
Famous Personalities: Jodie Foster (actress), Dustin Hoffman (actor), Marilyn Monroe (actress), Randy Newman (singer and pianist), Gwyneth Paltrow (actress), Leonardo DiCaprio (actor), Michael Cooper (basketball player), Dr. Dre (rapper and producer) etc.