What is California Known For?
California is a state in the Pacific region of the United States. The state has an area of about 163,696 square miles, which makes it the third largest state in the US in terms of land area. In terms of population, California is the biggest state. The capital city is Sacramento while Los Angeles is the most populated city in the state. The population size of Los Angeles is second only to that of New York City among the cities in the US. Another interesting fact about California is that it has the largest economy of any state. For these reasons and others, the state is known globally for several things ranging from entertainment and relaxation to business and economy. Here are some other things that California is known for!
8. Beaches
California has several state and privately owned beaches in almost all of its counties. Aside from providing the perfect opportunities for people who love sunbathing and swimming, the beaches also offer some stunning sites for nature lovers. An example of a stunning beach with clear blue waters and scenic surroundings is the natural bridges state beach in Santa Cruz. The beach has a marvelous rock formation rising out of the water as well as lovely water for surfers and swimmers. Other beaches include shell beach in Sea Ranch, black sands beach in Shelter Cove, ocean beach in San Francisco, Malibu lagoon state beach in Malibu, and others.
7. Hollywood
Hollywood is an area that lies in the central region of the state. The neighborhood is densely populated, especially since it is considered the home of the country’s film industry. Some of the notable media houses and studios that are located nearby include the Dolby Theater, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS Studios, NBC Studios, BET, NBC, and others. The very first film that was shot by a studio from the area was back in 1911 by the Nestor Motion Picture Company.
6. Surfing
Surfing is a popular sport and pastime for a huge chunk of the Californian population. The sport is made even more popular by the wide array of beaches and massive waves that offer challenges for all types of surfers. One of the popular beaches is the Trestles in San Clemente, which is usually full of surfers even on a Monday. Aside from the multitude of surfers, the beach usually hosts water-sporting events such as the ASP World Tours, the National Scholastic Surfing Association Nationals, and other sports. Other popular beaches include Rincon in Santa Barbara, Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, and many more. Some beaches, such as Mavericks, are dangerous for beginners since they have some big and dangerous waves.
5. The Land of Milk and Honey
California, just like the other states, has a number of nicknames. Aside from “the Land of Milk and Honey” California is sometimes known as "the El Dorado State", "the Golden State", "the Sunshine State", "the Grape State", or "the Golden West". The nickname “the Land of Milk and Honey” came to be after gold was discovered at Coloma. The discovery of gold presented completely new opportunities for anyone of any class to advance himself or herself financially. Due to these new opportunities, which were likened to the promised land in the Bible, the state earned the nickname. The gold rush also brought about the nickname “the Golden State".
4. Wine
California is a major producer of wine and accounts for almost 90% of the total wine production in the nation. By itself, the state produces more wine than Australia. If the state were a country, then it would be fourth globally in terms of wine production. The production of wine in California goes as far back as far as the 18th century. Currently, there are well over 1,200 wineries in the state, which include both large-scale and small-scale plants. Some of the notable areas that produce wine include the American Viticultural Areas, which include Napa and the Russian River Valley, the Central Valley, and other regions.
3. Redwood Trees
California is also known for its massive complex of forests, which are collectively known as the Redwood National and State Parks, which protect a huge chunk of the global coast redwood trees. The forests protect about 45% of the global population of the trees, which have the scientific name of Sequoia sempervirens covering an area of about 60 square miles. These unique trees are some of the tallest and the biggest on earth. The redwood forests are also responsible for the protection of the accompanying flora and fauna in these unique forests as well as other features in the ecosystem.
2. Death Valley
The Death Valley is actually a desert that is situated on the northern side of the Mojave Desert close to the Great Basin Desert. This desert is one of the hottest in the globe with the highest temperature ever recorded being 134.1 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. In addition, the desert has the lowest point of North America in the Badwater Basin, which has a height of 282 feet below the sea level. In addition, Mount Whitney in the desert has some of the highest elevations at about 14,505 feet.
1. Disneyland
Disneyland Park is a popular theme park that was opened back in 1955 under Walt Disney’s supervision. The theme park has the world’s largest theme park attendances with millions of visitors annually. Since its opening, it has received about 709 million visitors while it had 13.8 million guests in 2017 alone. Only Magic Kingdom had more visitors in that year. The park has created at least 65,700 employment opportunities.
