Mrs. BenkoMary Casey Black

February 2015by,

Meet My State:

California was the 31st state in the United States. It became a state on September 9, 1850. California’s nickname is “The Golden State”. The name California comes from a mythical Spanish island ruled by a queen called Califia. The Spanish explorers originally thought that California was an island. The states motto is, “Eureka (I have found it)!”. The people living in the state are referred to as “Californians”.

State Geography

California has a very interesting geography. It’s highest point is Mt. Whitney which is 14,495 feet above sea level. It borders Mexico and the states of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. It has 18 national forest and over 278 state parks and beaches. Some of California’s major rivers include the Sacramento River, Colorado River, and the San Joaquin River. It borders the Pacific Ocean.

Mt. WhitneySan Joaquin River

The official California State flag is called the Bear Flag. It was designed by a man named William Todd and was first used on June 14, 1846. It was officially adopted in 1911. The flag shows a grizzly bear and a star. The first California flag was made by a group of American settlers who had captured the town of Sonoma (from Mexico) and needed a flag to replace the Mexican banner.

California State Mammal: Gray Whale

State Symbols

● State mammal: Grizzly Bear● State bird: California Valley Quail● State marine Mammal: Gray Whale● State reptile: Desert Tortoise ● State insect: Dogface Butterfly● State marine fish: Garibaldi● State tree: Redwood● State flower: California poppy● State mineral: Gold

The capital of California is Sacramento. The Governor is Jerry Brown and Lieutenant Governor is Gavin Newson. There are two Senators, Barabara Boxer and Dianne Fienstein. California has 53 U.S. Representatives. It entered union Sept. 9th, 1850 and present contitution was adopted in 1879.

California State Government

California’s leading industries include agriculture, manufacturing-transportation equipment, machinery, and electronic equipment, biotechnology, aerospace-defense, and tourism. It’s principal natural resources include timber, petroleum, cement, and natural gas.

ConclusionIf I were to visit the state of California I would visit many places. First I would visit the Hollywood Hills and see as

many famous actors/actresses that I could. I would definitely visit Disneyland and California

Adventure in Anaheim, California. Spending time at the beach is my favorite thing

to do, so I would visit the coast for sure! California is an

amazing state!

Enchanted Learning Website: US Stateshttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/

History Website: US Stateshttp://www.history.com/topics/us-states/california

Fact Monster Website: The 50 Stateshttp://www.factmonster.com/us-states/california.html

Optional Slides

● Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes every year! There are usually one 15-20 of them that have a magnitude over 4.0.

● California grows more than 3.3 million tons of winegrapes on over 540,000 acres each year and produces roughly 90 percent of all U.S. wine.

● Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in the U.S. It is over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer! It only receives about 2 inches of rain each year.

Cities & Counties

● Largest city: Los Angeles

● Number of Counties:58

● Largest County: Los Angeles: 10,017,068 (2013) & San Bernardino 20,062 sq miles.

Click on the audio button to here the

state song!

California’s population is over 37,253,956 with

18,517,830 males and 18,736,126

females. The chart to the left shows

the different ethnicity groups in

the California population.

California’s State SportsSan Francisco, California is home of the SF Giants! The Giants were originally know as the New York Gothams, and then the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. This American League Major League baseball team plays their home games at the AT&T Park Stadium/Arena. They’ve won 8 World Series with the last one being just last year-2014!