| location | |
 Location of California in the USA | |
| flag | |
 | |
| Short dates | |
| Capital | Sacramento |
|---|---|
| currency | USD |
| surface | 423,970 km² |
| population | 37.253.956 |
| languages | English |
| Phone code | 209, 213, 310, 323, 341, 369, 408, 415, 424, 442, 510, 530, 559, 562, 619, 626, 627, 628, 650, 657, 661, 669, 707, 714, 747, 760, 764, 805, 818, 831, 858, 909, 916, 925, 935, 949, 951 |
| Time zone | Pacific Standard Time (Summer: UTC -7 (CET-8) Winter: UTC -8) |
California (English California) is on the west coast of the United States and is the most populous American state. It borders to the north Oregon, to the east Nevada and Arizona, south at Mexico (Baja California), west of the Pacific Ocean and has an area of 410,000 km².
Regions
places
- 1 los Angeles - largest city in California and the entire west coast, world capital of films
- 2 San Francisco - multicultural metropolis with a liberal way of life and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge
- 3 San Diego - in sunny southern California, not far from the border with Mexico, historic gas lamp quarter, colonial-style Balboapark
- 4 Sacramento - the capital of the state is by far not the largest city, but one of the oldest
- 5 Eureka - historic port city in northern California, old town with Victorian houses from the 19th century
- 6 Monterey - Port city on the central coast
- 7 San Jose - City of millions on the edge of Silicon Valley, historical park from Victorian times
- 8 Santa Barbara - Former Spanish mission on the central coast
- 9 Santa Cruz - Spanish Mission and seafront promenade with amusement park
Other goals
- Bodie, Ghost town
- Route 66, legendary itinerary
- California State Route 1 - very scenic route; meanders from Fort Bragg via San Francisco, through the "Middle Kingdom" to Los Angeles, always directly along the Pacific coast with fantastic views
- The Death Valley National Park, Death Valley is in eastern California on the Nevada border.
- Directory of Amusement Parks in California (CA)
background
For the Spaniards, the current state was called California Alta California ("Upper California"), as opposed to the peninsula Baja California.
California is the third largest and by far the most populous state in the United States. In terms of its size, population and economic importance, it could very well be its own nation-state: it is larger than Germany and Switzerland combined, and has about as many inhabitants as Poland. If California were to leave the United States, it would be the sixth largest economy in the world - ahead of France.
History
The coast was discovered in the course of the 16th century, but it was not until 1768 that the Spanish established the first settlement in the area of the present state, through missionaries. The Liberation Mexico from the Spanish rule exercised no influence on the flourishing mission stations until 1833 the republican government decreed their "secularization" and called a civil administration for them into being. From then on, their decay dates. The missionaries refused to worship any republican government. They left the country and the Indians they converted gradually fell back into their old way of life.
The government of Mexico did nothing for the country, anarchy prevailed, and the view that its good would require separation from Mexico and annexation with another state enjoyed widespread support. In this sense, a 1846 repeated itself Monterey, the then capital, convened junta. But it was undecided whether the affiliation with the United States or a European state was preferred. The decision of the United States government did not leave the decision to the Spanish residents of California. Almost simultaneously in California in 1846, Fremont's "Research Expedition" and a squadron of warships appeared. The Americans already resident in the country took up arms, overpowered the resistance with the help of American troops and the area of Upper California was united by the Peace of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848 in return for compensation of US $ 15 million from Mexico to the United States States ceded, while Baja California remained with Mexico. The question of whether California should become a slave state or a free state was decided by the population itself in the latter sense. Without ever having had a territorial government, California entered the Union as a state on September 9, 1850.
language
In California, as everywhere in the United States, American English is spoken. However, only 60.5% of the population speak English as their mother tongue. On the other hand, almost 26% are native Spanish speakers. In some counties on the central coast, in the San Joaquin Valley as well as in the far southeast of the California desert they are Hispanics even in the majority. A further 6% are spread across Asian languages (e.g. Chinese languages, Vietnamese, Tagalog), which are particularly common in the San Francisco Bay Area.
getting there
The largest airports in California are Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO), which are also served directly from Europe. In third place is San Diego (SAN), where there are few seasonal connections from Europe, but you usually have to change trains. The San José Airport (SJC) is much smaller, but has greater international importance due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. Also to be mentioned are Oakland (OAK), Santa Ana-John Wayne in Orange County (SNA) and Sacramento (SMF), which can be reached mainly by domestic flights.
California can also be reached by land. The largest US rail company Amtrak offers for example the lines California Zephyr from Chicago via Denver to San Francisco (travel time for the entire route over 51 hours), Sunset Limited from New Orleans via San Antonio to Los Angeles (48 hours), Southwest Chief from Chiacago via Albuquerque to Los Angeles (43 hours) and Coast Starlight from Seattle along the Pacific coast to Los Angeles (35 hours). These connections are obviously not about getting from A to B as quickly as possible, but rather experiencing the vastness and beauty of the country - the journey is the goal. This is made as comfortable as possible with trains that resemble rolling hotels (and cost accordingly).
At all major road accesses and airports (also from other US states) exist Control stations, which should prevent the import of certain types of fruit and vegetables, as the biological contact with the local farms in the San Joaquin Valley is not wanted. Travelers are often checked (rather strict handling in inland traffic) and asked whether they have been to a farm or have appropriate food with them. These measures are necessary to prevent the spread of alien plant (and animal) species (Neozoa) to prevent.
mobility
In terms of area, California is the third largest state in the United States and larger than many nation states in the world. Still, traveling can be very easy. As for interstate and US highways, California has the most expensive transportation network in the United States. As in all other parts of the country, the trip with the automobile the best option to move forward and get to all the sights. Even so, the drive from the far north to the far south can take more than 10 hours. It takes almost six hours to drive between Los Angeles and San Francisco, which are so close together on the world map.
This is a serious alternative, at least for travel between the north and south of the state plane. Many scheduled airlines (such as American and United Airlines) and low-cost airlines (such as jetBlue and Southwest) connect the airports within California with each other.
For those who want to travel without hectic and enjoy the beautiful landscape, there is one run by various companies trainnetwork on. From Union Station in Los Angeles, trains run along the coastal towns in the direction of San Diego, as does the one Coast Starlight from here towards San Jose and San Francisco. This trip leads through nature, hardly touched in many places, and only a few meters away from the ocean surf. Also the state capital Sacramento, the Shasta Cascades in the far north of California, the Sierra Nevada and the desert in the southeast are with Amtrak- Long-distance trains accessible.
Ultimately, the cheapest means of transport are Long-distance busesconnecting all major cities. For example, with providers such as Boltbus or Megabus for the route between Los Angeles and San Francisco on favorable days with early booking, you only pay $ 22 - but you are then crammed into a bus for 7–8 hours.
Tourist Attractions
The Landscapes California's are extremely diverse, from sandy beaches to snow-covered slopes, this state has almost everything to offer. Petrified forests (Petrified Forest), Geysers, the lowest point in the United States - all of this can be found in California. A selection of the natural spectacles:
- 1 Redwood National Park with its sequoia trees, some of which are over 100 meters high
- 2 Lassen Volcanic National Park
- 3 Muir Woods National Monument in the Mill Valley
- 4 Yosemite National Park
- 5 Channel Islands National Park
- 6 Joshua Tree National Park
- 7 Death Valley National Park, Valley of death
A selection of the man-made must-sees:
- 8 Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
- 9 Alcatraz - the world famous prison island in the San Francisco Bay
- 10 Winchester Mystery House in San Jose - The house of the widow of the gun manufacturer of the same name, a symbol of California
- 11 Hearst Castle
- Residence of the fantastically wealthy media mogul William Randolph Hearst, built in the 1920s, on a hill overlooking the Pacific coast near San Simeon - 12 Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego - a historic district created in the 19th century
- The master architect Frank Lloyd Wright left a number of interesting works in California. Please refer California / Frank Lloyd Wright.
activities
- → See also Amusement parks in California
Santa Clarita/Valencia, 30 miles north of LA: Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park. Rollercoaster paradise, not necessarily suitable for toddlers as there are some extreme rides. Next to it is the Six Flags Hurrican Harbor water park, good for cooling down after MM. There is the ultimate Test of courage water slide "Venom Drop" at the Black Snake Summit.
kitchen
The Californian lobster is very well known.
nightlife
security
In the summer months there are always forest fires or wildfires. In rural areas, this can mean that roads or entire areas are closed to the public. Columns of the emergency services are on the way around such events and hotels are not available at short notice because they are occupied by the firefighters. It is important to stay informed: for example about the Cal Fire website and to obey the orders of the local authorities. If you are outside of actually or foreseeable affected areas, you should orientate yourself on the relative serenity of the population. Everyday life continues here and visitors are still welcome there. The problem is the smoke that these fires cause and that can spread over the landscape. That depends heavily on the weather development and is difficult to predict. Those who do not want to expose themselves to the risk or who already have corresponding health problems should actually think about avoiding such events more widely.
climate
In California it is very warm and dry, there is a subtropical climate. However, it is very different depending on the local conditions. In the coastal landscapes north of which are often raged by storms Cape Mendocino dense fog is common, and there is a lot of rain in late spring and summer. In the central region, up to Point Concepcion, fog is still common from May to September. Snow and ice are rare, and the greatest amount of rain falls in winter and spring. The heat during the summer is often oppressive. In southern California, finally, there is neither fog nor strong winds, the rainy season falls on autumn and winter. But in summer the heat is also great. The annual rainfall in San Diego is 500, in San Francisco 600, in Sacramento 540, in Redding 738 mm and fluctuates a lot in different years, so the country often suffers from drought. In the SierraAt an altitude of over 1,800 m, almost all snow falls, which melts in summer and thus supplies water for mining and irrigation of the fields. Glaciers, albeit of limited size, can be found in some places. The mean annual temperature in San Diego is 16.7 ° C. (January 12 ° C, July 22 ° C), in San Francisco 12.9 ° C (January 9 ° C, July 14 ° C), in Sacramento 15.6 ° C (January 8 ° C, July 23 ° C) , in Redding 16.7 ° C. (January 7 ° C, July 28 ° C).
Web links
- https://www.ca.gov/ (en) - California Official Website
- Ghost towns in California Ghost Town Gallery
