| California
is a state spanning the southern half of the west coast of the contiguous
United States. California boasts a diverse population of 36 million and an area
of 158,402 square miles (410,000 km2), California is the largest U.S. state in
population and the third largest in area. The area of California was inhabited by Native Americans before European explorers started to make sporadic visits during the 16th Century. Spain colonized the coastal areas of the territory starting in 1769 before it temporarily became part of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21). Mexico essentially ignored California as a member of its union for the next 25 years. At the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the state was captured by 500 American soldiers and sailors. Following the war, the area was bought by the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The California Gold Rush of 1848-49 brought about 90,000 additional American immigrants into the state, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850. Although the state of California's sunny climate has given it a historic reputation for being laid back, compared to the East Coast of the United States, California's economy is larger than all but the top 5 national economies in the world, $1.55 trillion (as of 2004). It is responsible for 13% of the United States' 13 trillion dollar gross domestic product (GDP). The state's major predominant industries include agriculture, entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. 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 the Wine Country (wine). |
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