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Portal:California

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Introduction

Welcome to the Portal:California. Such a lovely place.
Welcome to the Portal:California. Such a lovely place.
California
State of California
Map of the United States with California highlighted
Map of the United States with California highlighted

California is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With nearly 39 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state, the third-largest by area, and most populated subnational entity in North America.

Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The California gold rush started in 1848 and led to social and demographic changes, including depopulation of Indigenous tribes. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state in 1850, as a free state, following the Compromise of 1850.

California's economy is the largest of any U.S. state, with a $4.0 trillion gross state product as of 2024. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. California's agricultural industry has the highest output of any U.S. state, and is led by its dairy, almonds, and grapes. With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles), California plays a pivotal role in the global supply chain, hauling in about 40% of goods imported to the US. Notable contributions to popular culture, ranging from entertainment, sports, music, and fashion, have their origins in California. California is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, profoundly influencing global entertainment. The San Francisco Bay and the Greater Los Angeles areas are seen as the centers of the global technology and U.S. film industries, respectively. (Full article...)

Black Flag performing at the Electric Ballroom in Camden 2019

Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member, and singer Keith Morris. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013. The second reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in nearly three decades, What The... (2013). The band announced their third reunion in January 2019.

Black Flag's sound mixed the raw simplicity of the Ramones with atonal guitar solos and, in later years, frequent tempo shifts. The lyrics were written mostly by Ginn, and like other punk bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Black Flag voiced an anti-authoritarian and nonconformist message, in songs punctuated with descriptions of social isolation, neurosis, poverty, and paranoia. These themes were explored further when Henry Rollins joined the band as lead singer in 1981. Most of the band's material was released on Ginn's independent record label SST Records. (Full article...)

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Certainly being in California has encouraged a sustained commitment to rethinking the nature, purposes, and relevance of the contemporary arts, specifically music, for a society which by and large seems to manage quite well without them.

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Oceanside Pier
Oceanside Pier
Oceanside is the third largest city in San Diego County, California. The city has a population of 173,303. Together with Vista and Carlsbad, it makes up the Tri-City area. The city is just south of U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the busiest military base in the United States.

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Air pollution over the City of Los Angeles
Air pollution over the City of Los Angeles
Credit: Diliff

Los Angeles, California is the second-largest city in the United States, with an estimated population of 3.85 million people. Los Angeles is one of the cultural, economic, scientific and entertainment centers of the country.

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Topics

List of California state agencies   •   Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments   •   California Attorney General   •   California State Board of Education   •   CDF Aviation Management Program   •   CalPERS   •   California Air Resources Board   •   California Commission for Economic Development   •   California Department of Boating and Waterways   •   California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection   •   California Department of Insurance   •   California Insurance Commissioner election, 2006   •   California Legislative Analyst's Office   •   California Military Department   •   California Public Utilities Commission   •   California Speaks   •   California State Lands Commission   •   California State Lottery   •   California executive branch   •   CaliforniaVolunteers   •   California State Capitol   •   List of California District Attorneys   •   Districts in California   •   State of California enterprise IT systems   •   Department of Fair Employment and Housing   •   California Geological Survey   •   Governor of California   •   11-99 Foundation   •   California Institute for Regenerative Medicine   •   California Insurance Commissioner   •   Joint Powers Authority   •   Local Agency Formation Commission   •   Secretary of State of California   •   List of law enforcement agencies in California   •   California State Controller   •   California State Police   •   California Department of Transportation   •   California State Treasurer   •   Westlands Water District

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State facts

  • Nicknames: The Golden State
  • Capital: Sacramento
  • Total area: 163,696 mi2
    • Land: 156,002 mi2
    • Water: 7,694 mi2
  • Highest elevation: 14,505 ft (Mount Whitney)
  • Population 39,250,017 (2016 est)
  • Admission to the Union: September 9, 1850 (31st)

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