California in Context

California in Context

Third (3rd) largest state in terms of land area (158,693 sq./mi.)

Sunny, dry climate known as Mediterranean (rainy winter

oasis among the American West desert
where lacking water - most advanced aqueduct system in world

Greatest physical diversity of any state (elevation, climate, records)
- highest & lowest point in continental United States
- (Mt. Whitney 14,495’ and Death Valley -282’)
- year-round snow and glaciers to the hottest temperatures recorded in the U.S.
- lush, temperate rainforest (redwoods) to arid deserts (Mojave)
- oldest lake in U.S.- Mono Lake (700,000 years old)
- largest alpine lake in U.S. - Lake Tahoe (22 x 12 mi. area & 1600’ deep)
- largest trees in the world - Giant Sequoia in the Sierra Nevada (40’ diameter)
- tallest trees in the world - Coast Redwoods along N. California coast
- oldest trees in the world - Bristlecone Pine (over 5,000 years old)

Vast storehouse of natural resources & land
- nearly 1/2 land owned by government
  - enormous forests & mining lands
  - enormous amounts of timber
- largest gold mines in U.S.
- vast watershed (Sierra-Nevada)
- Pacific Ocean (Monterey, Eureka, Crescent City)
- great oil fields & off-shore drilling
- rich alluvial soils of the Great Central Valley for Agriculture
- open lands (Sierra-Nevada, Klamath, Modoc Plateau, Mojave...)

Greatest Population, Cultural Diversity and Wealth
- largest population in the U.S. (38 million plus)
- largest percentage of immigration (from other states and countries)
- largest cultural diversity (Hispanic, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Hmong, Indian, Sikh, African-American, Russian, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Jewish, Arabic, Armenian, French...)
- strongest economy - if ranked as a country, would place among top 10 countries in the world!
Economic diversity - agriculture, industry (steel, oil, manf.), high tech, banking, retail, entertainment, aerospace, tourism, government (prisons)

- Introduction Worksheet