Our 50 States:

California
Sam Wallace
May, 2009
Symbols of California
• The state bird is Valley Quail.
• The state flower is Golden Poppy.
• The state tree is the Redwood.
State Flag
• The flag was designed by William Todd on a piece
of new unbleached cotton. The star imitated the
lone star of Texas. A grizzly bear represented the
many bears seen in the state. The word
"California Republic" was placed beneath the star
and bear. It was adopted by the 1911 State
Legislature as the State Flag.
State Nickname
• California is called the “Golden State” because
of the gold rush and the fields of golden poppies
that can be seen throughout the state.

State Motto
• The California state motto is, “Eureka.” That
means, “I found it” which refers to the gold rush
and explorers.
Statehood
• This state became the 31st state in the United
States in 1850.
• The first Governor of the state was Peter
Hardeman Burnett.

Population
• As of 2000: 38,871, 648
• California is the most populous state in the US.
Government
• National Government
− Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein are the
current U.S. Senators from California.
• State Government
− Arnold Schwarzenegger is the current governor.
− There is a senate and assembly in the state
government.
Maps
California is in the
western US.
Bordering states
are Arizona,
Nevada and
Washington.
Sacramento is
the state capital.
Los Angeles, San
Francisco, San
Diego and San
Jose are the
major cities.
Landforms
• There are a lot of
landforms in California:
− Mountains – highest
point is Mt. Whitney
(14, 494 ft)
− Desert – lowest point
Death Valley (282 ft
below sea level and
the lowest place in the
western hemisphere)
− Coastal – very rocky
coastline along the
Pacific Ocean
− Also valleys, basins
and plateaus
Weather
• The climate in California is
very different depending on
the part of the state.
• It’s very dry and hot in the
desert.
• It’s temperate by the coast.
• It’s very cold and snowy in
the mountains.
• California usually gets a lot
of sun.
Extreme weather
• Earthquakes can happen in California and cause
a lot of damage.
• Mudslides can wash away homes.
• Fog can be really thick that you can’t see.
• Wild fires can burn homes and trees.
Natural Resources
• Water
− Sacramento River, Colorado River, San
Joaquin River
− Next to the Pacific Ocean
• Oil, sand and gravel
• Plant Life
− Redwood trees and other trees for
logging and lots of flowers.
• Animal Life
− Lots of birds (California Condor), forest
animals like bears, bobcats, coyotes
and raccoons
National Parks
• Channel Islands National Park in
Santa Barbara
• Death Valley National Park in eastern
California
• Joshua Tree National Park in
southeastern California
• Sequoia & Kings Canyon National
Park
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Redwood National Park
• Yosemite National Park
Major Industries
• Industries in California are:
− Aerospace
− Agricultural - Vegetables, fruits
and nuts, dairy products, cattle,
nursery stock, grapes
− Electronics (Silicone Valley)
− Food processing
− Mining
− Movie making/entertainment
− Energy (Oil, Solar, Wind)
− Tourism
Places to Visit
I would like to visit San Diego and see the Chargers
play football. My favorite players are LaDainian
Tomlinson and Shawne Merriman
Famous People
• Tony Hawk lives in
California and is a
famous
skateboarder.
• Lots of famous
athletes and movie
starts live in
California.
• Former Presidents
Ronald Reagan and
Richard Nixon lived
in California.
Works Cited
• America’s National Parks. Fodor’s. 13th Edition, 2009.
• Social Studies: States and Regions. Houghton Mifflin,
Boston. 2005.
• www.50states.com
• www.enchantedlearning.com
• www.travel-destination-pictures.com
• www.wikipedia.com