Gallery of the Traveling Artist

Welcome to California

"There are worlds of experience beyond the world of the aggressive man, beyond history, and beyond science. The moods and qualities of nature and the revelations of great art are equally difficult to define; we can grasp them only in the depths of our perceptive spirit." — Ansel Adams

California was the 31^st state in the USA; it was admitted on September 9, 1850.

Los Angeles 2 Weeks

San Jose 3 Months

State Abbreviation - CA
State Capital - Sacramento
Other Notable Cities - Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco
Area - 163,707 square miles [California is the 3rd biggest state in the USA - only Alaska and Texas are bigger]
Population - 33,871,648 (as of 2000) [California is the most populous state in the USA]
Name for Residents - Californians
Major Industries - agriculture (many, many products), oil, mining, electronics, movie making/entertainment, and tourism

Presidential Birthplace - Richard Milhous Nixon was born in Yorba Linda on January 9, 1913 (he was the 37th US President, serving from 1969 to 1974).

Main Rivers - Sacramento River, Colorado River, San Joaquin River
Highest Point - Mt. Whitney, 14,495 feet (4,418 m) above sea level
Lowest Point - Death Valley, 282 feet (86 m) below sea level [this is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere]
Bordering States - Oregon, Nevada, Arizona
Bordering Country - Mexico
Bordering Body of Water - Pacific Ocean

Origin of the Name California - The name California comes from a mythical Spanish island ruled by a queen called Califia that was featured in a Spanish romance ("Las Sergas de Esplandian") written by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo in 1510. The Spanish explorers originally thought that California was an island.
State Nickname - The Golden State
State Motto - Eureka (I have found it)
State Song - "I Love You, California"

California State Symbols and Emblems:

State Flag
The official state flag of California, called the Bear Flag, was first used on June 14, 1846, but was not officially adopted until 1911. It was designed by William Todd. The flag pictures a grizzly bear and a star. The first Californian flag was quickly made by a group of American settlers who had just captured the town of Sonoma (from Mexico) and needed a flag to replace the Mexican banner.

Animal Symbols:

State Bird
California valley quail
(Lophortyx californica)
State Mammal
Grizzly bear
State Marine Mammal
Gray whale
State Reptile
Desert tortoise

State Insect
California dog-face butterfly
State Fish
Golden trout
State Marine Fish
Garibaldi

Plant Symbols:

State Flower
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. One redwood in California is 2,200 years old. The roots of this giant conifer are shallow, but spread sideways up to 250 feet (75 meters) from the trunk. The bark is deeply-furrowed, fibrous, thick [up to about 1 foot (30.5 cm) thick] and lacks resin. There are many species of redwood. State Grass

Purple Needlegrass (Nassella pulchra)

Earth Symbols:

State Fossil
Smilodon fatalis (sabertooth tiger)
State Rock
Serpentinite
State Mineral
Gold

State Gem
Benitoite