What is california: Definition and 81 Discussions

California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major city in the country. Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. California borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south; and it has a coastline along the Pacific Ocean to the west.
California's economy is the largest of any state within the United States, with a $3.37 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2022. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were a sovereign nation, it would rank as the world's fifth-largest economy as of 2022, behind India and ahead of the United Kingdom, as well as the 37th most populous. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco area are the nation's second- and fourth-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.6 trillion respectively as of 2020), following the New York metropolitan area's $1.8 trillion. The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people. Slightly over 84 percent of the state's residents hold a high school degree, the lowest high school education rate of all 50 states.
Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850 as a free state, following the Compromise of 1850.
Notable contributions to popular culture, ranging from entertainment, sports, music, and fashion, have their origins in California. The state also has made substantial contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, education, environmentalism, entertainment, economics, politics, technology, and religion. California is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and the largest film industry in the world, profoundly influencing global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the American film industry, hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, the personal computer, the internet, fast food, diners, burger joints, skateboarding, and the fortune cookie, among other inventions. Many full-service restaurants were also invented in the state. The state is also notable for being home to many amusement parks, including Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, and Universal Studios Hollywood. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as the centers of the global technology and film industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse. California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. Two-thirds of the nation's earthquake risk lies in California. The Central Valley, a fertile agricultural area, dominates the state's center. California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate along the coast and monsoon seasonal weather inland. The large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. Drought and wildfires are a persistent issue for the state.

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  1. Astronuc

    M5.5, Lake Almanor near Chester, California

    https://www.chicoer.com/2023/05/11/earthquake-shakes-north-state/ https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=40.16313,-121.3076&extent=40.34393,-120.94368&listOnlyShown=true&baseLayer=terrain https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc73886731/executive M 5.5 - 4km SW of East...
  2. S

    Other Yahoo! News: Community College units not transferring in California

    There's a news report shown on Yahoo! of community college course credits not accepted for transfer-students to the CSU system schools. (These are schools in California.) https://www.yahoo.com/news/waste-time-community-college-transfers-043010995.html("Other" picked because not sure this...
  3. Astronuc

    New Seamount discovered off coast of California

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/startlingly-round-formation-steep-smooth-141125280.html
  4. Astronuc

    Wandering mud puddle in the Salton Sea area of California

    A rather unique phenomenon is occurring in or near the Salton Sea region of California near Niland, California. It started in a farmer's field, but the puddle has migrated. There are emissions of CO2 and steam, and it appears some geothermal activity, which apparently is not unique. The...
  5. iVenky

    Are there any meet-up groups in California, USA?

    I live in the California Bay Area. Wondering if there are meet-up groups for meeting people in this forum.
  6. Astronuc

    Earthquake swarm near Salton Sea, S. California

    M 4.9 - 4km NE of Westmorland, CA https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci39641528/executive 2020-10-01 00:31:27 (UTC) 33.056°N 115.590°W 11.5 km depth M 4.5 - 4km NE of Westmorland, CA https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci39643328/executive 2020-10-01 03:36:34...
  7. T

    Southern California 4.6 quake at 06:39UTC about 20 miles from here

    USGS reports it as 11 miles deep. Was a sharp horizontal jolt with about 1 inch of peak movement, heavily damped, mostly died after 2 cycles. Very mild rolling for roughly 30-45 seconds. I'm in Long Beach, California on an alluvial plane, in a 98 year old re-purposed church. The walls are...
  8. gmax137

    Aftershock of Nevada Earthquake Felt in California

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/15/tonopah-nevada-earthquake-aftershocks-california/5196985002/ Woke me up at 4AM. I am 150 miles North West of the quake
  9. anorlunda

    California Fires and Electrical Reliability Around The World

    One of the big news stories this week is the pre-emptive blackouts in California. Some commentators have said such events could never happen in their country. Why do we read of USA electric supply problems more often than in some other countries? Are there significant differences in...
  10. BillTre

    How to Deal with No Power in Areas of California

    Some areas of California are going to have their power turned off to prevent wild fires like they had last year. I don't live there, so lucky me. Its my understanding that some of the fires were started by wires blowing around and causing sparks in some way. Apparently, the power may be off for...
  11. T

    Those California Earthquakes disrupted HF radio....

    ...and so did the Canadian and Indonesion quakes. An Amatuer Radio (Ham) operator runs what he calls an "RF Seismograph" in Vancouver, British Columbia that noted a blackout on 10 meter and above bands and increased noise on 80 meters. Here is the ARRL article with a few more embedded links...
  12. davenn

    Mw 6.4 and 7.1, Ridgecrest, Southern California earthquakes

    The first decent SoCal quake for some years. A Mw 6.4 approx 200km (~130 miles) NE of Los Angeles, in the Ridgecrest area. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci38443183/executive This was a shallow crustal quake @ 10.7 km depth the seismogram from my recorder ….. The first...
  13. Astronuc

    Walker Lane geologic trough - E. California, W. Nevada

    I read an interesting article about a relatively new fault zone, relatively new in the sense that it was realized after GPS stations were distributed by DOE in SW Nevada with the intent of demonstrating stability of the region near Yucca Mountain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Lane The...
  14. jim mcnamara

    Smoke plume map of California fires

    https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/10/us/smoke-california-wildfire-reaches-nyc-wxc-trnd/index.html Reaches completely across the continent.
  15. Deacon James

    Art Bridge Art -- Sundial Bridge at Reading, California

    Be sure the visit the Sundial Bridge at Redding, California.
  16. R

    Physics Is a UK Physics PhD in Demand in California?

    I am a physics PhD at a globally top 10 UK institution. I'm interested in moving to California for two reasons: - The weather. - I believe the US economy is higher growth than the rest of the modernised world. My subject area is not 'hot' so I doubt I'd be able to get a good postdoc. Are the...
  17. Author_X

    Backstory Help: Asteroid Collision in California

    I am currently working on the backstory to a story I'm writing as a means of world-building. However, I'm not quite as physics-literate as everyone else, so rather than winging it and coming off like an idiot, I came here. http://sta.sh/0126svntmin Exhibit A. The red marks the range of the...
  18. Astronuc

    Mag 5.2 earthquake, Southern California, San Jacinto fault

    5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Southern California, Felt in Los Angeles, San Diego https://gma.yahoo.com/5-2-magnitude-earthquake-rattles-southern-california-felt-112449426--abc-news-topstories.html M5.2 - 20km NNW of Borrego Springs, CA...
  19. N

    Transferring to a decent school from a California CC

    Hey Y'all! I apologize for the length of my post, but it is an issue that has been causing me a lot of stress! I'm currently a sophomore student at a California community college and I intend to transfer into an undergrad Physics program. I really would prefer to go out of state and have always...
  20. J

    California and Florida in hundreds of years

    Is it true Florida and California will sink into the ocean in hundreds of years? I've heard somewhere that Florida might sink in hundreds of years time and that California in hundreds of years time might either sink or break off into an island.
  21. T

    Are ME jobs hard to get in Southern California?

    Im currently in my 3rd and final year at a community college and my major is ME. My uncle who is an ME told me that is it very hard to find a job as an ME and is better if i switch to civil engineering. Is this true? His toned seemed condescending the whole conversation and saying that students...
  22. Etienne

    San Diego or Baja California?

    Good night to all, My name is Etienne, and I am about to be a senior in High School. I attend a "trade school" in which I am currently studying Food Science, in Tijuana. I will receive a degree, I guess it would be equivalent to an Associate Degree from the states. Out of a grading scale...
  23. X

    Schools University of California Berkeley Courses

    Hey guys I have a question regarding math H104(Introduction to analysis) and math 115(Number Theory). I was wondering if I needed to do the pre-requisites? Or if you have taken the courses, what is your opinion of them.
  24. Greg Bernhardt

    This product is known to the state of california to cause cancer

    I just bought a rather "cheap" lamp from Target and when I unpack it I find a sheet of paper with the warning "this product is known to the state of california to cause cancer". Well isn't that great. thanks a lot! There is a little tag on the electrical cord that says I should wash my hands...
  25. Pengwuino

    California Website suggesting new car oil change mileage

    So one of these noobsicles on facebook posted a link showing that California has a website up claiming that the 3,000 mile standard of changing your oil in your car is not correctly. So I decided to take a look. The website is here: http://www.checkyournumber.org/ My car, when run through...
  26. Pengwuino

    News California begins demanding on-line retailers collect CA sales tax

    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-california-20110702,0,1004958.story http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/07/01/amazon-breaks-with-thousands-of-small-firms/?mod=google_news_blog I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. Putting aside the obvious money grab by the state, there...
  27. Pengwuino

    9.3 Earthquake strikes California

    Just kidding. World isn't ending. *starts gathering Get Out Of Ban Free cards*
  28. A

    Shouldn't we disable Nuclear Reactors in California?

    I don't know too much about nuclear power and reactors, so I would like to ask some things. I do realize that this isn't just science, but gets political and economical as well, so I decided to post in General discussion- so if you just want to talk about one area, or all three, either way is...
  29. Z

    Schools Which California University Should I Choose for My Exchange Program?

    Hi there, I'm currently a French student in Physics (I'm interested in fields as particle physics, quantum, cosmology) and would like to do my last undergraduate's year in the USA. It exists an exchange program between the USA and some French universities located in Paris and its region. Have a...
  30. J

    Scientists warn California could be struck by winter ‘superstorm’

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110117/us_yblog_thelookout/scientists-warn-california-could-be-struck-by-winter-superstorm [Broken] http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1312/ Anyways, the parts I'm interested in hearing discussed, are: That, rising temperatures in the upper atmosphere...
  31. W

    News California Governor Jerry Brown Proposes Spending Cuts

    California Governor Jerry Brown, faced with a $25 billion deficit has proposed over $12.5 billion in cuts, nearly across the board. http://www.examiner.com/us-headlines-in-national/california-gov-jerry-brown-proposes-10-pay-cut-for-state-workers-budget It looks like state pensions will be...
  32. Ivan Seeking

    California gets hammered by Pineapple Express - 164 [or 165] mph winds

    The Lake Tahoe area had wind gusts hitting 155 mph, and I saw that one area had 165 mph gusts. That is nuts! How would you like to be surrounded by 150-foot trees in 155 mph winds?! http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/069.html
  33. Ivan Seeking

    Mystery Missile Launch in California

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/pentagon-stumped-by-apparent-missile-launch-off-us-coast/article1791785/ [Broken] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeXNC8k9FKU
  34. FlexGunship

    Forum Stagnant - California UFO Report

    Hey all, the S&D forum seemed to be stagnant and you can't exchange ideas without discourse, so here's a conversation starter: California UFO Report: (http://www.lanewsmonitor.com/news/UFO-Over-California--Resident-Reports-UFO-Sighting-1288189641/ [Broken])...
  35. M

    Physics at California State

    Hello there, I am studying Physics at the Technical University of Denmark (that's right, in Denmark, EU), at what corresponds to aproximately 3rd year college in the US. I plan to go abroad for the next fall semester, 2011, and I am in the middle of choosing which University I will apply...
  36. zomgwtf

    13 Missing in California possible suicide pact

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3IotT7kesY 8 children crazy... 3 years old and having to live in this family. EDIT: Ahh I lookde it up on google and it appears they've recently been found, praying at a park...
  37. J

    News San Bruno, California explodes

    It looks like a gas line explosion. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/09/BADP1FBJRS.DTL&tsp=1 [Broken] I don't know how long this link will work for this thread's purposes, but here's a link to a live news report with live video...
  38. H

    Question about The Big One in California

    Question about "The Big One" in California There's a 99% chance that, within the next 30 years, there will be an earthquake of at least magnitude 6.7 in either Northern California or Southern California (perhaps both). How much loss of life are we looking at in each case, and which structures...
  39. D

    Schools California engineering schools

    hi. its until recently I've noticed how most people grow up with a goal getting into a certain college. but that wasnt my case. i can't tell you how how frustrated i am at this point in my academic life. how did you guys factor in what college you guys wanted to go to? was it because how...
  40. zoobyshoe

    Easter Earthquake In California

    I was down at the cafe where I hang out this afternoon while a clever person of my acquaintance was at work fixing my laptop, when the table started doing a rock and roll dance. I thought at first he was pushing on it and he thought I was doing it. Suddenly we both realized it was an earthquake...
  41. L

    Schools How hard to get into is this particular school?( California Polytechnic University)

    Say compared to UCLA or Harvard, or compared to Cal State Northridge? And... Is California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo a UC or a CSU?
  42. J

    Job Skills Engineering at a Colorado or California University?

    (For engineering)? Seriously considering attending out of state in Colorado, and wondering if it would be better to attend a university in Colorado, or one in California. For hiring purposes, is California a better state for schools? Granted, this is in regards to attending a university that is...
  43. J

    Schools How much does it cost to attend a university in California or Colorado

    In California, How much money per year does it cost to go to a university, say the university of Sacramento-CA? (Or the out of tuition fees per year at a university in Colorado?) Does it cost more than $11,000 per year? And how much money does FAFSA provide to a student who meets the GPA...
  44. L

    Schools Which of these two schools in California is better (electrical eng.)

    Which is better to study electrical engineering at; the university of Santa Barbara, or the university of Sacramento? It's hard to get a feel for a school without having much more than a name and some info on the web, but which do you feel is a better school or gives a better education in...
  45. L

    Schools Is it easier to get into a University in Colorado than it is to in California

    Since schools in California offering engineering M.A.s, B.A.s, and P.H.D.s are for the most part very competitive, would it be easier to get into a university in say Colorado?
  46. P

    Schools Physics at the University of California

    Hello all, I am about to apply to the UC system for exchange. I will have to choose 3 campuses to apply. Berkeley is out of question, if I will be eligible to apply, it will definitely be my 1st choice. But I am undecided about other 3 (or 2) alternatives. Is there anybody here that has any...
  47. L

    Schools What 4 year colleges are there in california where you can study engineering at

    Can anyone recommend a school in California, other than: UCLA, Berkley, Cal State North ridge, or Sandiego, that offers Electrical engineering , and physics
  48. L

    Schools Anyone know which 4 year colleges offer engineering in California

    Not all of them do, I've checked, or they only offer a few types of engineering. Like if anyone goes to a particular school and knows which engineering degrees are offered. & how much per semester does it usually cost to attend a 4 year college to study engineering?
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