Many of the trees in the California White Mountains are the oldest in the world; an individual bristlecone pine is over 5,000 years old. Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California. … This US States learning video for kids explores California! Meanwhile, more people in California were learning that the land there was very good to grow fruit and other crops. Both valleys derive their names from the rivers that flow through them. Just before the "Dot Com Bust" California had the 5th largest economy in the world among nations. It is the state with the most people living in it. Agriculture is an important sector in California's economy. Capital Sacramento. California is home to the Silicon Valley (a region known the world over for high technology, innovation, and venture capital.) Europeans Arrive A Spanish ship captained by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first to visit California in 1542. Whitney) and the lowest point (Death Valley) in the continental United States. The Central Valley is California's productive agricultural heartland. The first European who saw the entire coast was Sir Francis Drake, in 1579, and he decided that the British owned it. In the transition zone, there are Colombian black-tailed deer, black bears, gray foxes, cougars, bobcats, and Roosevelt elk. About 45 percent of the state's total surface area is covered by forests, and California's diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state. This took months, since the trip was thousands of miles long and the Panama Canal had not yet been built either. Many other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions such as the California lilac (Ceanothus). The transition zone includes most of California's forests with the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the "big tree" or giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), among the oldest living things on earth (some are said to have lived at least 4,000 years). This is often referred to by the media as the California exodus. Interesting Facts for Kids 9:- California High Desert In California, the desert areas that are below 1219.2 meters (4,000 feet) and above 609.9 meters (2,000 feet) are called high desert. Weather in Los Angeles is not always what visitors expect. State Flower. There are eight cities of California included in the top 50 most populous cities in United States. In the western part of the state is Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake by area entirely in California. Around 200 buffalo roam on Catalina Island, descendants of a few taken there in the 1920’s for a movie and left there. Because California has the greatest diversity of climate and terrain, the state has six life zones which are the lower Sonoran (desert); upper Sonoran (foothill regions and some coastal lands), transition (coastal areas and moist northeastern counties); and the Canadian, Hudsonian, and Arctic Zones, comprising the state's highest elevations. Giant predators like great white sharks and killer whales visit the California coast in search of a good meal. California's native grasses are perennial plants. Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with routine extreme high temperatures during the summer. After World War II, California's economy greatly expanded due to strong aerospace and defense industries, whose size decreased following the end of the Cold War. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. miles (3rd) Population 33,871,648 (1st) Major Cities About 37,000 earthquakes are recorded each year, but most are too small to be felt. In 1846, as the Mexican-American War was starting, some Americans in California hoped to create a California Republic. The cool California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. The Central Valley i… Learn all about California’s national tree with these fun redwood tree facts for kids. ("Baja" means "lower" in Spanish.) California joined the war to and helped the North (the Union) and sent many troops east to fight the Confederacy. Migration to California accelerated during the early 20th century with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. Shortened forms of the state's name include CA, Cal., Calif.. In the past, the area that was called "California" was not just today's California. The population is projected to reach forty million by 2020 and fifty million by 2060. Birds such as the kingfisher, chickadee, towhee, and hummingbird thrive here as well. Smog is worst in the summer, but so is fog (a component of smog). Those are Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Long Beach and San Francisco. Northern parts of the state have more rain than the south. The Spanish called the part of the land that later became part of the United States Alta California (Upper California) when it was split from what became Baja California (Lower California). Various estimates of the native population range from 100,000 to 300,000. California is part of the Nearctic ecozone and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions. A majority of California's cities are located in either the San Francisco Bay Area or the Sacramento metropolitan area in Northern California; or the Los Angeles area, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Inland Empire, or the San Diego metropolitan area in Southern California. Find more California facts … From agriculture to technology to movie-making, Californians keep busy while enjoying some of the most stunning scenery around. The only other way was to travel by boat around the Cape Horn, at the southern end of South America. California is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world, and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities. California is a state in the USA located in the Pacific region and with the Mexican border at the other side. The Channel Islands are located off the Southern coast. Area 163,707 sq. Going by land was very difficult, because there were no roads and no trains, and many Native Americans were attacking American people heading West in wagons. Common birds include the owl, roadrunner, cactus wren, and various species of hawk. These religious people set up small towns and villages, the famous California Missions. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/states/california.html. There are days in May, June, and July when the beach cities are foggy all day, making the beach communities look more like London than California. Spread out over 100 acres, this is an amusement and water park where you can spend the day riding roller coasters, seeing live … Mayflower Lesson for Kids: History & Facts 3:14 California Missions Lesson for Kids: Facts & System 3:45 4:28 Next Lesson. California Facts, Map and State Symbols: California Flag Printout/Quiz Large Flag Printable: California was the 31 st state in the USA; it was... California Facts for Children | A to Z Kids Stuff California groups also were diverse in their political organization with bands, tribes, villages, and on the resource-rich coasts, large chiefdoms, such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. California Fun Facts & Trivia . California boasts several superlatives in its collection of flora: the largest trees, the tallest trees, and the oldest trees. To the east of the Sierra Nevada are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential migratory bird habitat. The first European who visited parts of the coast, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, came from Portugal in 1542. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world and the 35th most populous. 31st State (September 9, 1850), the west coast U.S. State Abbreviation: CA. About 400,000 people live in Sacramento. In general, the desert areas with these traits are in the Mojave Desert and thus … California has almost 40,000,000 residents, more than Canada and roughly 1/8 of U.S. population. In output, the five largest sectors are financial services, followed by trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; government; and manufacturing. After European contact, these were generally replaced by invasive species of European annual grasses; and, in modern times, California's hills turn a characteristic golden-brown in summer. The vast majority of rivers in California are dammed as part of two massive water projects: the Central Valley Project, providing water to the agricultural central valley, the California State Water Project diverting water from northern to southern California. California is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the west, Oregon in the north, Nevada and Arizona in the east, and Mexico in the south. The California Trail also spanned across the west of the United States. More than 10,000 years ago, the first people arrived in what is now California. California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska. Quick Facts. California grows 99.5% of all dates grown in the United States, Fresno, California is the Raisin Capital of the World. It became a state on September 9, 1850. It only had a single adobe hut at the time. You can drive through a giant Redwood tree in California's Kings Canyon. All rights reserved. In 2010, the Modern Language Association of America estimated that 57.02% (19,429,309) of California residents age 5 and older spoke only English at home, while 42.98% spoke another primary language at home. Iron Door Saloon. Map of the United States with California highlighted, A forest of redwood trees in Redwood National Park, Aerial view of the California Central Valley, Potato Harbor, named for its distinctive ovular and bumpy shape, on Santa Cruz Island, The coastline along Laguna Beach in Southern California, still seen as a symbol of California's economic style. Facts about California 4: the origin of California 35 Interesting Facts About California According to early Spanish explorers, California was an island, which was ruled by Amazon women. california facts for kids. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the Sierra Nevada in the east, the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Cascade Range to the north and by the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. California is the 3rd largest state in the United States in area, after Alaska and Texas. Cali is also home to the biggest outdoor amphitheatre in the US, the Hollywood Bowl, which is close to celebrating its centenary! The southeastern border of California with Arizona is entirely formed by the Colorado River, from which the southern part of the state gets about half of its water. California has a land area of 155,959 square miles (403,934 square kilometers) and its water area extends 7,734 square miles (200,309 square kilometers). It is bordered by Arizona to the southeast, Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. Characteristic wild flowers include varieties of mariposa, tulip, and tiger and leopard lilies. Oranges were grown in many parts of California. About 1,700,000 live in and around Sacramento. The Klamath Mountains are in the state’s northwest corner. Fun Facts. The name comes from Las sergas de Espladián (Adventures of Spladian), a 16th century book by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. In 2010, there were more than 663,000 millionaires in the state, more than any other state in the nation. Built in 1852, the Iron Door Saloon in Groveland is the oldest saloon in California. The economy of California is large enough to be comparable to that of the largest of countries. The largest three-day rodeo in the United States is held on the Tehama County Fairgrounds in Red Bluff. (Today the state has a total of nearly 40,000,000 people.) California is organized into three branches of government – the executive branch consisting of the Governor and the other independently elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate; and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. The peak in question is Mount Whitney, which is almost 14,500 feet tall. By population, it is the largest state in the US while by area, it is the third largest state of the US. Female California quail have brown heads. Ocean currents make the coastline of California one of the richest marine ecosystems, meaning life habitats, in the world. They walked from Asia, crossing on a strip of land that’s now submerged under a body of water between Russia and the United States called the Bering Strait. The state government also adopted the California Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960 to develop a highly efficient system of public education. Several years later, in 1579, English Explorer Sir Francis Drake landed on the coast near San Francisco and claimed the land for England. In the deserts of the lower Sonoran zone, the mammals include the jackrabbit, kangaroo rat, squirrel, and opossum. This area covered the Mexican lands south of it, as well as Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona and Wyoming. Interesting facts about California 1. In 1887, Harvey Wilcox, who did very well in real estate, moved to California from Kansaswith his wife Daeida. California is often geographically bisected into two regions, Southern California, comprising the 10 southernmost counties, and Northern California, comprising the 48 northernmost counties. Though Lake Tahoe is larger, it is divided by the California/Nevada border. California is one of the nation’s largest states in area; only Alaska and Texas are bigger. The south-central desert is called the Mojave; to the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest and hottest place in North America, the Badwater Basin at −279 feet (−85 m). The California Gold Rush of the 1850s is still seen as a symbol of California's economic style, which tends to generate technology, social, entertainment, and economic fads and booms and related busts. The culture of California is a Western culture and most clearly has its modern roots in the culture of the United States, but also, historically, many Hispanic influences. Key Facts & Information BEGINNINGS. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups. In 1834, the route of the California Trail was discovered and developed by Kit Cason, Joseph Walker, and Jedediah Smith who all worked with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company as fur traders. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 1928 St. Francis Dam flood remain the deadliest in U.S history. In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the Sierra Nevada in the east, the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Cascade Rangeto the north and by the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. But in 1869, the connection got better quickly, because the first railroad across the continent was finished. After the war with Mexico ended, California was split between the two countries. This phenomenon is known as "June Gloom." Migratory species of salmon are common as well. According to the United States Census Bureau in 2015 the population self-identifies as (alone or in combination): By ethnicity, in 2015 the population was 61.2% non-Hispanic (of any race) and 38.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race). California. During the 1870's, an agricultural community formed around the community. See the fact file below for more information about California or download the comprehensive worksheet collection to utilise within the classroom or home environment. As part of the Ring of Fire, California is subject to tsunamis, floods, droughts, Santa Ana winds, wildfires, landslides on steep terrain, and has several volcanoes. Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. It borders Nevada and Arizona on the east, Oregon on the north, Mexico on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.. California’s landscape is varied, with mountains, valleys, forests, seacoasts, and deserts. Yet since 1991, and starting in the late 1980s in Southern California, California has seen a net loss of domestic migrants most years. The Golden State has the largest economy of any state in the country. Farther inland, there are colder winters and hotter summers. The capital is Sacramento. San Jose, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the city is among the largest tech hubs in the United States. California contains both the highest point (Mount Whitney) and the lowest point (Death Valley) in the contiguous United States. California is the only US state to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics. These majestic trees fascinate me, and I bet you’ll discover a few surprising redwood tree facts you didn’t know! Meanwhile, attracted to the mild Mediterranean climate, cheap land, and the state's wide variety of geography, filmmakers established the studio system in Hollywood in the 1920s. However, this did not happen. Stanford University and its Dean of Engineering Frederick Terman began encouraging faculty and graduates to stay in California instead of leaving the state, and develop a high-tech region in the area now known as Silicon Valley. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. Water from the Delta provides drinking water for nearly 23 million people, almost two-thirds of the state's population as well as water for farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Although most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, due to the state's large size, the climate ranges from subarctic to subtropical. In the south is a large inland salt lake, the Salton Sea. The western part of the part given to the United States became today's state of California. Conspicuous birds include the blue-fronted jay, Sierra chickadee. Became a State September 9, 1850 (31st) Location west coast of the United States. The town started around 1853 as a very small area in what is now Los Angeles, California. California is home to the oldest college bowl game, the annual Rose Bowl, among others. California Condor Facts for Kids The California condor has probably got the widest wingspan of any North American bird. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a critical water supply hub for the state. California's mountains produce rain shadows on the eastern side, creating extensive deserts. Birds unique to this zone are the California thrasher, bushtit, and California condor. Sierra hermit thrush, water ouzel, and Townsend's solitaire. The fauna found throughout several zones are the mule deer, coyote, mountain lion, northern flicker, and several species of hawk and sparrow. California is home to the highest point (Mt. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), many people in California, especially in the southern part of California, thought the South was right. The word California originally referred to the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico; it was later extended to the entire region composed of the current United States states of California, Nevada, and Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. Important cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. This Republic ended suddenly, however, when Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay. Another one of the fun places to go with kids in California while in San Francisco is California’s Great America theme park. California has long been a subject of interest in the public mind and has often been promoted by its boosters as a kind of paradise. When Daeida, Havery's wife, traveled to the East Coast, she met a lady on a train that came from a placed called Hollywood Ohi… Geographic Facts About California The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about the state of California: California was one of the most diverse regions for Indigenous peoples in the United States with around 70 independent communities … Reptiles such as the garter snakes and rattlesnakes inhabit the zone. Get facts and photos about the 31st state. Deep-sea life forms include sea bass, yellowfin tuna, barracuda, and several types of whale. But starting in the late 1700s, Spanish religious leaders of the Roman Catholic Church ("missionaries") got large gifts of land in the area north of Baja California, from the Spanish king and queen. The five largest sectors of employment in California are trade, transportation, and utilities; government; professional and business services; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality. MC Cali the valley quail takes Barry the bald eagle around the United States's most populated state: California. The Mexican portion became the Mexican states of Baja California Norte (north) and Baja California Sur (south). The wingspan reaches a size of 9.8 feet. Giant forests of kelp, an underwater plant, grow as tall as trees. It has many earthquakes due to several faults running through the state, in particular the San Andreas Fault. They bought 160 acres of land to the west near what is now Hollywood. California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)State Tree Redwood - Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and Giant redwood (S. gigantea)The redwood is the tallest tree, growing up to 370 feet (113 m) tall and living for over a thousand years. Some people in Southern California even wanted Southern California to leave the rest of the state and join the Confederate States of America. The condor is one of the heaviest birds of North America—second only to trumpeter swan. This was the beginning of the huge farming business that California has today. It is the third largest state in size. The area's reptilian life include the sidewinder viper, desert tortoise, and horned toad. Forest floors are covered with swordfern, alumnroot, barrenwort, and trillium, and there are thickets of huckleberry, azalea, elder, and wild currant. I’ve also featured some great books featuring redwood trees to continue learning. The trail was parallel with the Oregon Trail. Water is diverted from the delta and through an extensive network of pumps and canals that traverse nearly the length of the state, to the Central Valley and the State Water Projects and other needs. What Is California – California Description. California produces over 17 million gallons of wine each year. In 1940, the Census Bureau reported California's population as 6.0% Hispanic, 2.4% Asian, and 89.5% non-Hispanic white. Farming-related sales more than quadrupled over the past three decades. They also suggest that the name ‘California’ is after ‘Queen Califia,’ a black Amazon warrior queen. The entire west coast of California touches the Pacific Ocean, resulting in natural treasure troves. As a border and coastal state, Californian culture has been greatly influenced by several large immigrant populations, especially those from Latin America and Asia. This page was last modified on 23 December 2020, at 02:10. California is the 3rd largest state in the United States in area, after Alaska and Texas. California's large number of endemic species includes relict species, which have died out elsewhere, such as the Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus). In addition, amphibians such as the water puppy and redwood salamander are common too. According to the USDA in 2011, the three largest California agricultural products by value were milk and cream, shelled almonds, and grapes. In total, 16 languages other than English were spoken as primary languages at home by more than 100,000 persons, more than any other state in the nation. In these early times, the borders of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast were not well known, so the old maps wrongly showed California to be an island. Some important facts about California are highlighted in the lists below. He said that California was now part of the United States. The horizontal distance from the bottom of Death Valley to the top of Mount Whitney is less than 90 miles (140 km). California has long had many respected collegiate sports programs. Los Angeles is the largest city in California The Californian poppy is the official state flower Home to the first Disneyland theme park The Giant Sequoia tree is the world’s most massive tree, and one of the largest living organisms on Earth It is also regarded as a global trendsetter in both popular culture and politics, and is the origin of the film industry, the hippie counterculture, the Internet, and the personal computer, among others. As a result of these efforts, California is regarded as a world center of the entertainment and music industries, of technology, engineering, and the aerospace industry, and as the United States center of agricultural production. California is home to many tourist attractions including Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, Lego Land, and Yosemite National Park. 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