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The State of California is the most populous state of the United States of America. Located on the Pacific coast of North America, it is bordered by Oregon, Nevada and Arizona in the United States, and Baja California in Mexico. The state’s four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco. California is known for its diverse climate and ethnically diverse population. The state has 58 counties.
Inhabited by indigenous people for millennia, Alta California was first colonized by the Spanish Empire in 1769, and after Mexican independence in 1821, continued as part of Mexico. Following one brief week as the independent California Republic in 1846, and the conclusion of the Mexican-American war in 1848, California was annexed by the United States and was admitted to the Union as the thirty-first state on September 9, 1850.
California’s diverse geography ranges from the sandy beaches of the Pacific coast to the rugged, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. The central portion of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most vital agricultural areas in the country. The Sierra Nevada contains Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially-carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the largest living organisms on Earth, the giant sequoia trees, and the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. The tallest living things on Earth, the ancient redwood trees, dot the coastline, mainly north of San Francisco. California is also home to the second lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere, Death Valley. Bristlecone pines located in the White Mountains are the oldest known trees in the world; one has an age of 4,700 years.part of the Ozarks.

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Local News from San Diego Union-Tribune via Yahoo! News

County sues SDG&E;, Cox for damages in '07 fires

Nov 20, 2008 2:15 pm

Add San Diego County to the long list of plaintiffs suing San Diego Gas & Electric and Cox Communications for damages caused by three of last October's wildfires. The suits, filed yesterday in San...

No kayak needed at very low tide

Nov 20, 2008 2:15 pm

Fall and winter are the best times to explore the La Jolla caves on foot because tides are favorable. Extreme low tides occur many afternoons from now through March.

Church is allowed to meet in bar

Nov 20, 2008 2:14 pm

Worshippers who had been barred from their East County church because it was zoned for a bar, and not religious services, may return as early as Sunday.

City Council to consider budget gap again Monday

Nov 20, 2008 2:14 pm

SAN DIEGO: The City Council will next take up the issue of how to close San Diego's $43 million budget gap Monday. Mayor Jerry Sanders is proposing to shutter 17 libraries and recreation facilities.

County is facing painful cuts

Nov 19, 2008 2:15 pm

San Diego County is facing a $78 million budget deficit that is expected to persist in coming years and could force cuts in public safety and programs for low-income families. The county Board of Supe...

Regulator breathes life into Sunrise Powerlink

Nov 19, 2008 2:15 pm

San Diego Gas & Electric's controversial proposal to build the Sunrise Powerlink got a boost yesterday when a top regulator said it is needed to spur development of solar, wind and geothermal powe...

Scheme gives distressed properties to squatters

Nov 19, 2008 2:15 pm

Law enforcement investigators in San Diego and Riverside counties have uncovered a brazen real estate scheme in which individuals are claiming ownership of distressed homes by filing official-looking ...

La Jolla woman reports being sexually assaulted

Nov 19, 2008 2:14 pm

LA JOLLA: A woman reported that she was sexually assaulted early yesterday while walking on a popular bike path near Starkey Park, police said.

Analyst urges Sanders to postpone closings

Nov 19, 2008 2:14 pm

SAN DIEGO: The city's independent budget analyst yesterday called on San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders to hold off on his proposed closures of 17 libraries and recreation centers, but Sanders pressed on.

Kaiser workers go to ER, but no hazard is found

Nov 18, 2008 3:00 pm

SAN DIEGO: Half a dozen people at a Kaiser Foundation Hospital administrative building were exposed to an unknown white powder yesterday and went to the emergency room as a precaution, authorities sai...

Local News from Monterey County Weekly via Yahoo! News

Extra Protection

Nov 20, 2008 8:33 am

The U.S. departments of Interior and Commerce today announced the availability of the final Framework for the National System of Marine Protected Areas of the United States.

Poll Position

Nov 20, 2008 8:33 am

The Monterey County Elections Office and county Democratic Central Committee are investigating whether a group of Marina voters received an erroneous notice to vote at a Salinas church on Nov. 4.

Local News from The Fresno Bee via Yahoo! News

Home sales climb in Fresno County

Nov 20, 2008 7:57 pm

Investors and first-time home buyers were out in force last month, snapping up foreclosures and driving up sales of existing homes in Fresno County by 87% from a year earlier, a market tracking compan...

Hungry teams have bite

Nov 20, 2008 4:40 pm

In the Central Section football playoffs, pay attention to the teams who are just a bit hungrier than the next guy.

Reedley set for NorCal title bowl

Nov 20, 2008 4:26 pm

Reedley College begins its quest for a state football championship sooner rather than later.

College roundup: 11/20/08

Nov 20, 2008 4:25 pm

Rams volleyball Fresno City 3, West Hills 0: Taylor Lucero and Cambrea Horn each had six kills to lead Fresno City to its 15th straight victory, a 25-14, 25-9, 25-17 sweep of West Hills in a Cent...

New Lindsay library ready to be checked out

Nov 20, 2008 7:12 am

The city of Lindsay is cutting costs on municipal construction projects -- such as the new library that opens Friday -- by using city workers instead of hiring contractors.

Fresno State to reduce enrollment by 500

Nov 20, 2008 7:12 am

Fresno State will cut enrollment by 500 students next fall in response to the state's budget problems but might not have to turn away qualified freshmen, officials said Wednesday.

Fishing on: State works out deal

Nov 20, 2008 7:10 am

Trout planting has resumed in most central San Joaquin Valley reservoirs and rivers following a judge's decision earlier this month that could significantly alter how state-grown hatchery fish are sto...

FUSD leader vows reform after Edison grade probe

Nov 20, 2008 6:57 am

As the investigation into an alleged grade change involving a star Edison High School football player rolled out, Superintendent Michael Hanson said, he pressed school administrators about why the stu...

Ex-cagefighting champ headlines Palace card

Nov 20, 2008 6:55 am

Former World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion Doug Marshall of Visalia takes on Tulare's Rafael Del Real in the main event of Palace Fighting Championships 11 tonight at the Tachi Palac...

Fresno State's Mathews playing the waiting game

Nov 20, 2008 6:55 am

Ryan Mathews is back! Orrrr not ... Fresno State's lead running back said Tuesday he was back to full strength and would be ready for Friday's game against San Jose State. Coach Pat Hill said Wednesda...

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• SYLMAR
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• WATSONVILLE

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