At a population of 40 million, California is the United State’s “Golden State,” the country’s most populous and one of its most renowned. It is the state that raises the most turkeys, and has among the highest peaks in the whole nation, either sequoia tree or mountain in the lower 48 states. But most of all, California has become a household name as a seat of the world’s entertainment industry: in Los Angeles’ Hollywood where the major film companies produce some of the world’s most recognisable works.
There are many things to discover about California, which is one of the most interesting places in the United States for its colourful characteristics and history, and sunny disposition. Here, we present 5 things you should know about the Golden State:
1. The Place’s Nickname
First, here are some other nicknames California has: The Land of Milk and Honey, The El Dorado State, The Golden State, and The Grape State. California is one of the richest places in the world. In fact, when you rank it as a state on its own, it would be the 7th largest economy in the world! In 2015, it ranked as the sixth largest, surpassing France.
2. Works
California produces the most grapes and wine in the United States. Almost 300,000 tons of grapes are grown here and more than 17 million gallons of wine annually. It is also among the country’s biggest producers of peaches, grapes, strawberries, nectarines, kiwifruit, prunes, plums, dates, avocadoes, lemons, tangerines, garlic, and onion. And, then worldwide, it accounts for more than 80% of the world’s almonds.
3. Discoveries in the Region
California Gold Rush. The state once had one of the richest gold mines in the world. This period between 1848-1855 is an important part of their history. During the goldrush, their population increased by 180 times and ushered in years of future prosperity. In fact, California’s state motto “Eureka!” which translates from the Greek for “I have found it!” alludes to their discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada.
4. Amazing Sights
Aside from the numerous crops grown and exported from California, the nature-loving state has the world’s largest living tree by volume (General Sherman), the world’s tallest tree (Hyperion), and the world’s longest-standing non-clonal tree (Methuselah). These massive trees are estimated at thousands of years old with trunk circumferences at hundreds of feet! Many other giant sequoias can be found at Sequoia National Park.
5. Some Topography
Not to be left alone is California’s stunning sights. A place where most immigrants flock to, the beach-lined shores and forests with the greatest trees in the world boast some very hot places and the highest and lowest points in the United States. On July 10, 1913, The Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, California recorded the hottest precisely-recorded temperature on earth at 56.7 °C. Mt. Whitney and Badwater Basin in Death Valley, highest and lowest points in the US respectively, are both in California and are only 100 miles apart.
California, a major state from the western region of the United States of America, is one of the places served by JustFly which is a major online travel agency that caters largely to the American demographic. If you want to read more about JustFly experiences, check out these JustFly reviews! Happy travelling!
*All images are from CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay
