What comes to your mind when you think about California? My guess is the sun, beaches, the Golden Gate Bridge, and something related to Hollywood. The Golden State is quite famous all over the world and the list of things you can do and places you should visit is nearly endless. Unfortunately, my trip to the Golden State earlier this year fell through, and due to COVID there isn’t much to do, so I came up with the idea to write a post about some interesting facts about California - and I might even make a series out of it!

Headshot

Name: California (CA)
Name Origin: Fictional Spanish warrior queen Calafia, ruler of a mythical island
Nickname: The Golden State
Motto: "Eureka!"
Capital: Sacramento
State Number:31 (Statehood Date September 9, 1850)
State Flower: Poppy
State Tree: Redwood
State Animal: Grizzly Bear
State Bird: California quail
Known For: Hollywood, vineyards, the Golden Gate Bridge

Bucket List Material

Popular stops certainly include the many National Parks such as Yosemite, Death Valley, or Joshua Tree and famous cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. You should definitely drive down Route 101 and go wine tasting in Napa. The list is basically endless as you can find something for everyone.

My Favorite Spots

My favorite spots include of course San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Los Padres National Forest. I also definitely recommend visiting Yosemite National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.

Some Californian History

The Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo explores what is today the San Diego Bay in September 1542. In 1848 the Gold Rush kicks off with around 300,000 people arriving from around the world to find their fortune. By 1969 the “wild west” gets connected with the Transcontinental Railroad. In 1906 a massive earthquake hits San Francisco. the first Disneyland in the world opens in California in 1955. In August 1966, civil rights activist Cesar Chavez co-founds the United Farm Workers Organization Committee, which up to this day, champions farmworker rights. Sonoma County in Northern California is the first place to celebrate Women’s History Week in March 1978. 9 years later, Congress declares March to be National Women’s History Month. And 29 years later in 2007, Californian representative Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Famous Californians

Famous Californians include John Muir, a naturalist, and conservationist, who influenced the creation of many national parks (you might have heard his name from the famous Muir Woods). Shirley Temple was a child film star who grew up to be a diplomat (and name giver of a cocktail). Cesar Chavez, as mentioned above, was a civil rights activist fighting for farm laborers. Other famous people include Leonardo DiCaprio, George Lucas, the 37th president Richard Nixon, Tiger Woods, the poet Robert Frost and the author John Steinbeck.

ECONOMY & POLITICS

California’s economy is one of the largest in the world with a GDP of >$3 trillion (its economy ranks 5th after the total US, China, Japan, and Germany). The biggest sectors of the Californian economy are financial services, trade, transportation and utilities, and education and health services. Agriculture also plays an important role in increasing sales, despite the land and water shortage. California is a democratic state, however, most of the democratic counties congregate along the coast while the inner states tend to lean more towards the Republican party.

Climate & Geography

Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate (San Francisco is actually on the same latitude as Athens, Greece and Sevilla, Spain). Closer to the shore the cool California Current is responsible for common fog during the summer. More inland the summers are hotter and the winters cooler. Death Valley is considered the hottest location in the world (the maximum ever measured was 134 F / 56 C in 1913).

Fun Facts

California is the world's 5th largest food supplier. Due to its geography and climate, it is the only state that has ever hosted the Summer and the Winter Olympics. A famous invention of the Golden State is the fortune cookie. It is also home of the Avocado Capital of the World, Fallbrook. The world’s largest tree with 275 feet is called General Sherman and it is located in Sequoia National Park.

Before you go

Read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck or City of Quartz by Mike Davis
Watch the movie Sunset Boulevard
Listen to Hotel California by the Eagles and California by Phantom Planet.

I hope you enjoyed this little overview of the State of California. I am planning on continuing this series with other US States. Which one would you like to learn about next?

Kate recommends: Any John Steinbeck, really :-)

USA: Spotlight on California