1.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
United States
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Native Americans meeting with Europeans, 1764
United States
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Flag
United States
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The signing of the
Mayflower Compact, 1620.
United States
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The
Declaration of Independence: the
Committee of Five presenting their draft to the
Second Continental Congress in 1776
2.
California
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California is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area. Located on the western coast of the U. S, California is bordered by the other U. S. states of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California. Los Angeles is Californias most populous city, and the second largest after New York City. The Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nations second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, California also has the nations most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The Central Valley, an agricultural area, dominates the states center. What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its war for independence. The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California, the California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes, with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom. If it were a country, California would be the 6th largest economy in the world, fifty-eight percent of the states economy is centered on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the states economy, the story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts. This conventional wisdom that California was an island, with maps drawn to reflect this belief, shortened forms of the states name include CA, Cal. Calif. and US-CA. Settled by successive waves of arrivals during the last 10,000 years, various estimates of the native population range from 100,000 to 300,000. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct groups of Native Americans, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. California groups also were diverse in their organization with bands, tribes, villages. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups, the first European effort to explore the coast as far north as the Russian River was a Spanish sailing expedition, led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, in 1542. Some 37 years later English explorer Francis Drake also explored and claimed a portion of the California coast in 1579. Spanish traders made unintended visits with the Manila galleons on their trips from the Philippines beginning in 1565
California
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A forest of redwood trees in
Redwood National Park
California
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Flag
California
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Mount Shasta
California
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Aerial view of the
California Central Valley
3.
Northern California
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Northern California, often abbreviated NorCal, is the northern portion of the U. S. state of California. The 48-county definition is not used for the Northern California Megaregion, the megaregions area is instead defined from Metropolitan Fresno north to Greater Sacramento, and from the Bay Area east across Nevada state line to encompass the entire Lake Tahoe-Reno area. The arrival of European explorers from the early 16th to the mid-18th centuries, in 1770, the Spanish mission at Monterey was the first European settlement in the area, followed by other missions along the coast—eventually extending as far north as Sonoma County. Northern California is not a geographic designation. Californias north-south midway division is around 37° latitude, near the level of San Francisco, popularly, though, Northern California usually refers to the states northernmost 48 counties. This definition coincides with the county lines at 35° 47′ 28″ north latitude, the term is also applied to the area north of Point Conception and the Tehachapi Mountains. Because of Californias large size and diverse geography, the state can be subdivided in other ways as well, the state is often considered as having an additional division north of the urban areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento metropolitan areas. The coastal area north of the Bay Area is referred to as the North Coast while the region north of Sacramento is referred by locals as the Northstate. Since the events of the California Gold Rush, Northern California has been a leader on the economic, scientific. In science, advances range from being the first to isolate and name fourteen transuranic chemical elements, other examples of innovation across diverse fields range from Genentech to CrossFit as a pioneer in extreme human fitness and training. It is also Home to one of the largest Air Force Bases on the West Coast, Northern Californias largest metropolitan area is the San Francisco Bay Area which includes the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and their many suburbs. In recent years the Bay Area has drawn more commuters from as far as Central Valley cities such as Sacramento, Stockton, Fresno, Turlock and Modesto. The 2010 U. S. Census showed that the Bay Area grew at a faster rate than the Greater Los Angeles Area while Greater Sacramento had the largest growth rate of any area in California. The states larger cities are considered part of Northern California in cases when the state is divided into two parts. The first European to explore the coast was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, sailing for the Spanish Crown, in 1542, beginning in 1565, the Spanish Manila galleons crossed the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to the Spanish Philippines, with silver and gemstones from Mexico. The Manila galleons returned across the northern Pacific, and reached North America usually off the coast of northern California, in 1579, northern California was visited by the English explorer Sir Francis Drake who landed north of todays San Francisco and claimed the area for England. In 1602, the Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored Californias coast as far north as Monterey Bay, other Spanish explorers sailed along the coast of northern California for the next 150 years, but no settlements were established. The first European inhabitants were Spanish missionaries, who built missions along the California coast, the mission at Monterey was first established in 1770, and at San Francisco in 1776
Northern California
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Clockwise:
California State Capitol in
Sacramento,
Golden Gate Bridge,
San Francisco skyline,
San Jose skyline,
Muir Woods National Monument, the northern California coast as seen from
Muir Beach Overlook, view of the California side of
Lake Tahoe and
Natural Bridges State Beach in
Santa Cruz.
Northern California
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Northern California counties in red
Northern California
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Yosemite Valley in the Sierra Nevada.
Northern California
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Map of northern California counties.
4.
Mount Whitney
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Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. The west slope of the mountain is in Sequoia National Park, the east slope is in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo County. The summit of Whitney is on the Sierra Crest and the Great Basin Divide and it lies near many of the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The peak rises dramatically above the Owens Valley, sitting 10,778 feet or just over two miles above the town of Lone Pine 15 miles to the east, in the Owens Valley. It rises more gradually on the west side, lying only about 3,000 feet above the John Muir Trail at Guitar Lake, the mountain is partially dome-shaped, with its famously jagged ridges extending to the sides. Mount Whitney is above the line and has an alpine climate. Very few plants grow near the summit, one example is the Skypilot, the only animals are transient, such as the butterfly Parnassius phoebus and the gray-crowned rosy finch. The mountain is the highest point on the Great Basin Divide, waterways on the west side of the peak flow into Whitney Creek, which flows into the Kern River. The Kern River terminates in the Tulare Basin, during very wet years, water overflows from the Tulare Basin into the San Joaquin River which flows to the Pacific Ocean. From the east, water from Mount Whitney flows to Lone Pine Creek, which joins the Owens River, which in turn terminates at Owens Lake, the estimated elevation of the summit of Mount Whitney has changed over the years. The technology of elevation measurement has become refined and, more importantly. The peak was commonly said to be at 14,494 ft, an older plaque on the summit reads elevation 14,496.811 feet but this was estimated using the older vertical datum from 1929. Since then the shape of the Earth has been estimated more accurately, using a new vertical datum established in 1988 the benchmark is now estimated to be at 14,505 ft. The rise is caused by a fault system that runs along the eastern base of the Sierra. Thus, the granite that forms Mount Whitney is the same as the granite that forms the Alabama Hills, the raising of Whitney is due to the same geological forces that cause the Basin and Range Province, the crust of much of the intermontane west is slowly being stretched. The granite that forms Mount Whitney is part of the Sierra Nevada batholith, in Cretaceous time, masses of molten rock that originated from subduction rose underneath what is now Whitney and solidified underground to form large expanses of granite. In July 1864, the members of the California Geological Survey named the peak after Josiah Whitney, during the same expedition, geologist Clarence King attempted to climb Whitney from its west side, but stopped just short. In 1871, King returned to climb what he believed to be Whitney, upon learning of his mistake in 1873, King finally completed his own first ascent of Whitney, but did so a month too late to claim the first recorded ascent
Mount Whitney
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East Face close-up seen from the
Whitney Portal.
Mount Whitney
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Sky pilot blooming on ridge just below summit.
Mount Whitney
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Mount Whitney as seen from
Mount Langley
Mount Whitney
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The Smithsonian Hut Shelter on Whitney's summit.
5.
Tulare County, California
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Tulare County is a county in the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 442,179, the county is named for Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. Drained for agricultural development, the site is now in Kings County, Tulare County comprises the Visalia-Porterville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is located south of Fresno, spanning from the San Joaquin Valley east to the Sierra Nevada. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner, as of the 2010 census, the population was 442,179, up from 368,021 at the 2000 census. The land was occupied for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, beginning in the eighteenth century, Spain established missions to colonize California and convert the American Indians to Christianity. Comandante Pedro Fages, while hunting for deserters in the Central Valley in 1772, discovered a lake surrounded by marshes and filled with rushes. It is from this lake that the county derives its name, the root of the name Tulare is found in the Nahuatl word tullin, designating cattail or similar reeds. After Mexico achieved independence, it continued to rule California, after the Mexican Cession and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the area became part of the United States. Tulare County was soon formed from parts of Mariposa County only 4 years later in 1852, there were two early attempts to split off a new Buena Vista County in 1855, and Coso County in 1864, but both failed. Parts of the territory were given to Fresno County in 1856, to Kern County and to Inyo County in 1866. The infectious disease Tularemia caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis is named after Tulare County, in 1908 Colonel Allen Allensworth and associates founded Allensworth as a black farming community. They intended to develop a place where African Americans could thrive free of white discrimination and it was the only community in California founded, financed and governed by African Americans. While its first years were successful, the community encountered environmental problems from dropping water tables which eventually caused it to fail. Today the historic area is preserved as the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 4,839 square miles. It was established in 1890 as the second U. S. national park, the park is south of and contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park, the two are administered by the National Park Service as one unit, called Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. State Route 43 State Route 63 State Route 65 State Route 99 State Route 180 State Route 190 State Route 198 Tulare County Transit provides a bus service linking the population centers
Tulare County, California
Tulare County, California
Tulare County, California
Tulare County, California
6.
Pacific Ocean
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The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the Earths oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, the Mariana Trench in the western North Pacific is the deepest point in the world, reaching a depth of 10,911 metres. Both the center of the Water Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere are in the Pacific Ocean, the oceans current name was coined by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the Spanish circumnavigation of the world in 1521, as he encountered favourable winds on reaching the ocean. He called it Mar Pacífico, which in both Portuguese and Spanish means peaceful sea, important human migrations occurred in the Pacific in prehistoric times. Long-distance trade developed all along the coast from Mozambique to Japan, trade, and therefore knowledge, extended to the Indonesian islands but apparently not Australia. By at least 878 when there was a significant Islamic settlement in Canton much of trade was controlled by Arabs or Muslims. In 219 BC Xu Fu sailed out into the Pacific searching for the elixir of immortality, from 1404 to 1433 Zheng He led expeditions into the Indian Ocean. The east side of the ocean was discovered by Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513 after his expedition crossed the Isthmus of Panama and he named it Mar del Sur because the ocean was to the south of the coast of the isthmus where he first observed the Pacific. Later, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed the Pacific East to West on a Castilian expedition of world circumnavigation starting in 1519, Magellan called the ocean Pacífico because, after sailing through the stormy seas off Cape Horn, the expedition found calm waters. The ocean was often called the Sea of Magellan in his honor until the eighteenth century, sailing around and east of the Moluccas, between 1525 and 1527, Portuguese expeditions discovered the Caroline Islands, the Aru Islands, and Papua New Guinea. In 1542–43 the Portuguese also reached Japan, in 1564, five Spanish ships consisting of 379 explorers crossed the ocean from Mexico led by Miguel López de Legazpi and sailed to the Philippines and Mariana Islands. The Manila galleons operated for two and a half centuries linking Manila and Acapulco, in one of the longest trade routes in history, Spanish expeditions also discovered Tuvalu, the Marquesas, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific. In the 16th and 17th century Spain considered the Pacific Ocean a Mare clausum—a sea closed to other naval powers, as the only known entrance from the Atlantic the Strait of Magellan was at times patrolled by fleets sent to prevent entrance of non-Spanish ships. On the western end of the Pacific Ocean the Dutch threatened the Spanish Philippines, Spain also sent expeditions to the Pacific Northwest reaching Vancouver Island in southern Canada, and Alaska. The French explored and settled Polynesia, and the British made three voyages with James Cook to the South Pacific and Australia, Hawaii, and the North American Pacific Northwest, one of the earliest voyages of scientific exploration was organized by Spain in the Malaspina Expedition of 1789–1794. It sailed vast areas of the Pacific, from Cape Horn to Alaska, Guam and the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, and the South Pacific. Growing imperialism during the 19th century resulted in the occupation of much of Oceania by other European powers, and later, Japan, in Oceania, France got a leading position as imperial power after making Tahiti and New Caledonia protectorates in 1842 and 1853 respectively. After navy visits to Easter Island in 1875 and 1887, Chilean navy officer Policarpo Toro managed to negotiate an incorporation of the island into Chile with native Rapanui in 1888, by occupying Easter Island, Chile joined the imperial nations
Pacific Ocean
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Maris Pacifici by
Ortelius (1589). One of the first printed maps to show the Pacific Ocean; see also
Waldseemüller map (1507).
Pacific Ocean
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The Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
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USS
Lexington under air attack on 8 May 1942 during the
Battle of the Coral Sea
Pacific Ocean
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Map of the Pacific Ocean during European Exploration, circa 1702–1707.
7.
Central Coast of California
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The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles County and south of San Francisco, six counties make up the Central Coast, from south-to north, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. The Central Coast is the location of the Central Coast American Viticultural Area, the Central Coast area was originally inhabited by Chumash and other Native American people since at least 10,000 BC. Many of these settlements were coastal, where the people exploited marine resources, for example, there were significant settlements near the mouth of Morro Creek and Los Osos Creek. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo visited the Central Coast, landing in Santa Barbara County in 1542, the region is known primarily for agriculture and tourism. Major crops include wine grapes, lettuce, strawberries, and artichokes, the Salinas Valley is one of the most fertile farming regions in the United States. The area is not densely populated, the largest city in the region is Oxnard in Ventura County, with a population estimated at 203,007 in 2013. University of California campuses are found in Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, California State University, Monterey Bay, founded in 1994, uses facilities donated when Fort Ord was converted from military to civilian uses. California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, was founded in 1901, the six counties that make up the Central Coast region had an estimated population of 2,327,344 in 2014, about 5% more than the population of New Mexico. Travel is almost entirely by private automobile, because of its position roughly halfway between the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is home to Americas first motel. The major highway is U. S. Route 101, which runs north-south from Los Angeles, through most of the communities of the Central Coast. State Route 1, a smaller but much more scenic route, connects the communities, running through San Simeon, Morro Bay. Amtrak maintains train service with the Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner routes along the Union Pacific Railroad Coast Line that also transports freight, there are no major airports, although Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo have regional airports with commuter service. Greyhound buses serve most of the region, monterey-Salinas Transit operates bus services throughout Monterey County as far south as Big Sur on the coast and King City in the Salinas Valley. MST also offers service to San Jose Diridon Station, downtown Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Metro Offers services within Santa Cruz County, including connections to San Jose and San Jose State and connection to MST service in Watsonville, heading south to Salinas
Central Coast of California
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South Coast of
Santa Barbara County
Central Coast of California
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Pismo Beach in
San Luis Obispo County
Central Coast of California
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Sunset at
Salinas River State Beach in
Monterey County
Central Coast of California
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Central Californian Coastline, Big Sur
8.
Pacific Standard Time
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The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC−7 and is based on the mean solar time of the 105th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. In the United States and Canada, this zone is generically called the Pacific Time Zone. Specifically, it uses Pacific Standard Time when observing standard time, most of Canada uses daylight saving time. In Mexico, the UTC−8 time zone is known as the Northwest Zone, the largest city in the Pacific Time Zone is Los Angeles, the citys metropolitan area is the largest in the zone. The following states or areas are part of the Pacific Time Zone, California Washington Oregon – all, except for most of Malheur County, nevada Idaho Panhandle – the northern half of Idaho, north of the Salmon River. The town of Hyder, Alaska, is officially in the Alaska Time Zone, however, most of the town observes the Pacific Time because of strong connections with nearby Stewart, British Columbia, which is in the Pacific Time Zone. The United States Post Office in Hyder strictly adheres to Alaska Time, in Canada, the Pacific Time Zone includes most of British Columbia, all of Yukon, and the townsite of Tungsten. In Mexico, the state of Baja California lies completely within the Pacific Time Zone and this does not include the state of Baja California Sur, which is south of Baja California. Through 2006, the time changed to daylight time at 02,00 LST to 03,00 LDT on the first Sunday in April. The Canadian provinces and territories that use daylight time each adopted these dates between October 2005 and February 2007, in Mexico, beginning in 2010, the portion of the country in this time zone uses the extended dates, as do some other parts. The vast majority of Mexico, however, still uses the old dates
Pacific Standard Time
–
Pacific Time Zone
9.
Pacific Daylight Time
–
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC−7 and is based on the mean solar time of the 105th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. In the United States and Canada, this zone is generically called the Pacific Time Zone. Specifically, it uses Pacific Standard Time when observing standard time, most of Canada uses daylight saving time. In Mexico, the UTC−8 time zone is known as the Northwest Zone, the largest city in the Pacific Time Zone is Los Angeles, the citys metropolitan area is the largest in the zone. The following states or areas are part of the Pacific Time Zone, California Washington Oregon – all, except for most of Malheur County, nevada Idaho Panhandle – the northern half of Idaho, north of the Salmon River. The town of Hyder, Alaska, is officially in the Alaska Time Zone, however, most of the town observes the Pacific Time because of strong connections with nearby Stewart, British Columbia, which is in the Pacific Time Zone. The United States Post Office in Hyder strictly adheres to Alaska Time, in Canada, the Pacific Time Zone includes most of British Columbia, all of Yukon, and the townsite of Tungsten. In Mexico, the state of Baja California lies completely within the Pacific Time Zone and this does not include the state of Baja California Sur, which is south of Baja California. Through 2006, the time changed to daylight time at 02,00 LST to 03,00 LDT on the first Sunday in April. The Canadian provinces and territories that use daylight time each adopted these dates between October 2005 and February 2007, in Mexico, beginning in 2010, the portion of the country in this time zone uses the extended dates, as do some other parts. The vast majority of Mexico, however, still uses the old dates
Pacific Daylight Time
–
Pacific Time Zone
10.
Area code 805
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Area code 805 is a California telephone area code that was split from area code 213 in 1957. It includes most or all of the California counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, plus southernmost portions of Monterey County. On February 13,1999, it was again, with area code 661 having been created for the inland areas, which are San Joaquin Valley, Santa Clarita Valley. Area code 805 also serves the US military facilities in Kwajalein and this arrangement originated from the US Armys first satellite communications station having been built at nearby Camp Roberts. In August 2016, the California Public Utilities Commission held a series of hearings regarding the potential need to provide an area code for 805 in the form of an overlay or a split. According to the website Lincmad. com,820 is an overlay code. List of California area codes List of North American Numbering Plan area codes North American Numbering Plan NANPA Area Code Map of California
Area code 805
11.
Area code 559
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Area code 559 is a California telephone area code that was split from area code 209 on November 14,1998. The 559 area code serves the Central California counties of Fresno, Madera, Kings, yet by 2002, number blocking was being enforced in the 209 and 559 area codes. Instead of handing out numbers in blocks of 10,000 to private companies, for example, instead of granting Pacific Bell all numbers 330-xxxx, only numbers 330-0xxx, or 330-1xxx or 330-2xxx, and so on, would be granted
Area code 559
12.
Area code 831
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Area code 831 is a California telephone area code that was split from area code 408 on July 11,1998. It covers Monterey County San Benito County, and Santa Cruz County, regions include Big Sur, Monterey Bay, the Salinas Valley, and the southwestern Santa Cruz Mountains. Major cities within Area code 831 include, Salinas, Hollister, Monterey, Santa Cruz, List of California area codes NANPA Area Code Map of California List of exchanges from AreaCodeDownload. com,831 Area Code
Area code 831
13.
Subregion
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A subregion is a part of a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. Cardinal directions, such as south or southern, are used to define a subregion. The Statistics Division of the United Nations is in charge of the collection, processing, in 1999, it developed a system of macro-geographical regions, subregions, and other selected economic groups to report advances towards achieving numerous millennial development goals worldwide. These statistical divisions were devised for statistical purposes and is used for carrying out statistical analysis, the divisions first publication was the book Worlds Women 2000, Trends and Statistics in 2000
Subregion
–
The
UN geoscheme, created by the
UN Statistics Division. For statistical consistency and for convenience, each
country or area is shown in one region only: e.g.,
Russia (
Eastern Europe), which is in
Europe and
Asia.
14.
Southern California
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Southern California, often abbreviated as SoCal, is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises Californias 10 southernmost counties. The region is described as eight counties, based on demographics and economic ties, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara. The more extensive 10-county definition, which includes Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, is used and is based on historical political divisions. Southern California is an economic center for the state of California. The 8-county and 10-county definitions are not used for the greater Southern California Megaregion, the megaregions area is more expansive, extending east into Las Vegas, Nevada and south across the Mexican border into Tijuana.5 million people. With over 22 million people, Southern California contains roughly 60 percent of Californias population, located east of Southern California is the Colorado Desert and the Colorado River at the border with Arizona. The Mojave Desert is located at the border with the state of Nevada while towards the south is the Mexico–United States border, within Southern California are two major cities, Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as three of the countrys largest metropolitan areas. With a population of 3,792,621, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of 1,307,402 is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation. The counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside are the five most populous in the state, the motion picture, television, and music industry are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. Hollywood, a district within Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, headquartered in Southern California are The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures, Universal, MGM, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers. Universal, Warner Brothers, and Sony also run major record companies, Southern California is also home to a large homegrown surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as Vans, Volcom, Quiksilver, No Fear, RVCA, some of the worlds biggest action sports events, including the X Games, Boost Mobile Pro, and the U. S. Open of Surfing, are all held in Southern California. Southern California is also important to the world of yachting, the annual Transpacific Yacht Race, or Transpac, from Los Angeles to Hawaii, is one of yachtings premier events. The San Diego Yacht Club held the Americas Cup, the most prestigious prize in yachting, from 1988 to 1995, Southern California is home to many sports franchises and sports networks such as Fox Sports Net. Many locals and tourists frequent the Southern California coast for its popular beaches, the desert city of Palm Springs is popular for its resort feel and nearby open spaces. Southern California is not a geographic designation and definitions of what constitutes Southern California vary. Geographically, Californias North-South midway point lies at exactly 37°958.23 latitude, around 11 miles south of San Jose, however, when the state is divided into two areas, the term Southern California usually refers to the 10 southernmost counties of the state
Southern California
–
Southern California Images top from bottom, left to right:
San Diego Skyline,
Downtown Los Angeles,
Village of La Jolla,
Santa Monica Pier,
Surfer at Black's Beach,
Hollywood Sign,
Disneyland,
Hermosa Beach Pier
Southern California
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San Diego Marina district
Southern California
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Sunset in
Venice, a district in Los Angeles
Southern California
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Three Arch Bay in Laguna
15.
San Joaquin Valley
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Although a majority of the valley is rural, it does contain urban cities such as Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, Porterville, Visalia, Merced, and Hanford. Unlike the Sacramento Valley, the system for which the San Joaquin Valley is named does not extend very far along the valley. Most of the south of Fresno, instead, drains into Tulare Lake. The valleys primary river is the San Joaquin, which drains north through half of the valley into the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The Kings and Kern Rivers are in the endorheic basin of the valley. The San Joaquin Valley began to form about 66 million years ago during the early Paleocene era, broad fluctuations in the sea level caused various areas of the valley to be flooded with ocean water for the next 60 million years. About 5 million years ago, the outlets began to close due to uplift of the coastal ranges. Starting 2 million years ago, a series of glacial episodes periodically caused much of the valley to become a fresh water lake, Lake Corcoran was the last widespread lake to fill the valley about 700,000 years ago. At the beginning of the Holocene there were three major lakes remaining in the part of the Valley, Tulare Lake, Buena Vista Lake. In the late 19th and in the 20th century, agricultural diversion of the Kern River eventually dried out these lakes and its rainy season normally runs from November through April, but since 2011 when a drought became evident it generally received minimal to no rain at all. The drought was still extant by mid-August 2014 with scientists saying it would continue indefinitely. Research from NASA shows that parts of the San Joaquin Valley sank as much as 8 inches in a four-month period, the sinking has destroyed thousands of groundwater well casings and has the potential to damage aqueducts, roads, bridges, and flood-control structures. In the long term, the caused by extracting groundwater could irreversibly reduce the underground aquifers water storage capacity. The National Weather Service Forecast Office for the San Joaquin Valley is located in Hanford, Weather forecasts and climatological information for the San Joaquin Valley are available from its official website. The total population of the eight counties comprising the San Joaquin Valley at the time of the 2010 U. S. Census was 3,971,659. Grapes—table, raisin, and to a lesser extent wine—are perhaps the valleys highest-profile product, but equally important are cotton, nuts, citrus, and vegetables. Though it has been called The food basket of the World, walnuts, oranges, peaches, garlic, tangerines, tomatoes, kiwis, hay, alfalfa and numerous other crops have been harvested with great success. DeRuosi Nut, a large processing plant in Escalon, has been in the valley since 1947
San Joaquin Valley
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Fresno, California
San Joaquin Valley
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Bakersfield, California
San Joaquin Valley
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A map of the central valley of California
San Joaquin Valley
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The San Joaquin River and its tributaries, showing the extent of the valley.
16.
Central Valley (California)
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Californias Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the geographical center of the U. S. state of California. It is 40 to 60 miles wide and stretches approximately 450 miles from north-northwest to south-southeast, inland from and it covers approximately 18,000 square miles, about 11% of Californias total land area. More than 7 million acres of the valley are irrigated via a system of reservoirs. The valley also has many cities, including the state capital Sacramento, as well as Redding, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno. The Central Valley watershed comprises 60,000 square miles, or over a third of California, the delta empties into the San Francisco Bay, and then ultimately flows into the Pacific. The Central Valley is commonly known to simply as the Valley. Older names include the Great Valley, a name often seen in scientific references, and Golden Empire. The Central Valley is outlined by the Cascade, Sierra Nevada, and Tehachapi mountain ranges on the east, the broad valley floor is carpeted by vast agricultural regions, and dotted with numerous population centers. While there are many large and small between these cities, these four cities act as hubs for regional commerce and transportation. About 6.5 million people live in the Central Valley today, there are 12 Metropolitan Statistical Areas and 1 Micropolitan Statistical Area in the Central Valley. Below, they are listed by MSA and μSA population, the largest city is Fresno, followed by the state capital, Sacramento. The valley is thought to have originated below sea level as an offshore area depressed by subduction of the Farallon Plate into a trench further offshore, the San Joaquin Fault is a notable seismic feature of the Central Valley. The valley was later enclosed by the uplift of the Coast Ranges, faulting moved the Coast Ranges, and a new outlet developed near what is now San Francisco Bay. The one notable exception to the valley floor is Sutter Buttes. Another significant geologic feature of the Central Valley lies hidden beneath the delta, the Stockton Arch is an upwarping of the crust beneath the valley sediments which extends southwest to northeast across the valley. However, much of the Central Valley environment has been removed or altered by human activity including the introduction of exotic plants, the oak woodlands and chaparral that fringe the valley have been categorized as the California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. The wetlands have been the target of operations to restore areas nearly destroyed by agriculture. The dominant grass of the valley was Nassella pulchra mixed with other species, grassland flowers include California poppy, lupins, and purple owls clover which can still be seen, especially in Antelope Valley in the Tehachapi hills
Central Valley (California)
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Topography, major parts and cities of the Central Valley
Central Valley (California)
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Part of the Valley as seen from the air
Central Valley (California)
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An example of the extreme differences between the geology of the valley floor and that of the rugged hills of the Coast Ranges (Between Tracy and Patterson, CA:Interstate 5)
Central Valley (California)
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Central Valley seen from space.
17.
Central Coast (California)
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The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles County and south of San Francisco, six counties make up the Central Coast, from south-to north, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. The Central Coast is the location of the Central Coast American Viticultural Area, the Central Coast area was originally inhabited by Chumash and other Native American people since at least 10,000 BC. Many of these settlements were coastal, where the people exploited marine resources, for example, there were significant settlements near the mouth of Morro Creek and Los Osos Creek. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo visited the Central Coast, landing in Santa Barbara County in 1542, the region is known primarily for agriculture and tourism. Major crops include wine grapes, lettuce, strawberries, and artichokes, the Salinas Valley is one of the most fertile farming regions in the United States. The area is not densely populated, the largest city in the region is Oxnard in Ventura County, with a population estimated at 203,007 in 2013. University of California campuses are found in Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, California State University, Monterey Bay, founded in 1994, uses facilities donated when Fort Ord was converted from military to civilian uses. California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, was founded in 1901, the six counties that make up the Central Coast region had an estimated population of 2,327,344 in 2014, about 5% more than the population of New Mexico. Travel is almost entirely by private automobile, because of its position roughly halfway between the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is home to Americas first motel. The major highway is U. S. Route 101, which runs north-south from Los Angeles, through most of the communities of the Central Coast. State Route 1, a smaller but much more scenic route, connects the communities, running through San Simeon, Morro Bay. Amtrak maintains train service with the Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner routes along the Union Pacific Railroad Coast Line that also transports freight, there are no major airports, although Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo have regional airports with commuter service. Greyhound buses serve most of the region, monterey-Salinas Transit operates bus services throughout Monterey County as far south as Big Sur on the coast and King City in the Salinas Valley. MST also offers service to San Jose Diridon Station, downtown Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Metro Offers services within Santa Cruz County, including connections to San Jose and San Jose State and connection to MST service in Watsonville, heading south to Salinas
Central Coast (California)
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South Coast of
Santa Barbara County
Central Coast (California)
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Pismo Beach in
San Luis Obispo County
Central Coast (California)
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Sunset at
Salinas River State Beach in
Monterey County
Central Coast (California)
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Central Californian Coastline, Big Sur
18.
California Coast Ranges
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The Coast Ranges of California span 400 miles from Del Norte or Humboldt County, California south to Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges and the Klamath Mountains, physiographically, they are a section of the larger Pacific Border province, which in turn are part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division. UNESCO has included the California Coast Ranges Biosphere Reserve in its Man, the northern end of the California Coast Ranges overlap the southern end of the Klamath Mountains for approximately 80 miles on the west. They extend southward for more than 600 miles to where the coastline turns eastward along the Santa Barbara Channel, here the southern end meets the Los Angeles Transverse Ranges, or Sierras de los Angeles. The rocks themselves that comprise the mountains are of a great variety, most of the rocks were formed during the Tertiary, Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. All of the range has been folded and faulted during several periods, the California Ranges had a high production of mercury following the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada. In the Cache Creek Basin, Cenozoic cinnabar deposits near Clear Lake are the northernmost of a group of similar deposits associated with volcanism, during 1877, these deposits hit their peak production of mercury, producing approximately 2,776 metric tons. These abandoned mines are still a source of mine waste runoff in Cache Creek, the Northern Coast Ranges are a section of the California Coast Ranges. They run parallel to the Pacific Coast from the North San Francisco Bay Area to coastal Del Norte County, the Klamath Mountains, including the Siskiyou Mountains sub-range, lie to the north and northeast. The Southern Coast Ranges lie to the south, the Northern Coast Ranges run north-south parallel to the coast. Component ranges within the Northern Coast Ranges include the Mendocino Range of western Mendocino County and the Mayacamas, Sonoma, and Vaca Mountains and they also include the King Range, which meet the sea in the Lost Coast region. The southernmost peak of the Northern Coast Ranges is Mount Tamalpais, the highest point in the Northern Coast Ranges is Mount Linn, at 8,098 ft. The Northern Coast Ranges consist of two parallel belts of mountains, the Outer Northern Coast Ranges lying along the coast. They are separated by a system of valleys. The northern valley portion is drained by the Eel River and its tributaries, a series of short rivers, including the Mattole, Gualala, and Navarro rivers, drain the western slopes of the ranges. The eastern slopes of the drain into the Sacramento Valley. Clear Lake lies in the southeast portion of the range, U. S. Route 101 runs generally north-south in the valleys between the Outer and Inner Northern Coast Ranges. The seaward face of the coastal Outer Northern Coast Ranges is part of the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion, home to forests of Coast Redwood
California Coast Ranges
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Santa Lucia Range
California Coast Ranges
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Outer Northern Coast Ranges:
King Range meets the sea on the
Lost Coast.
California Coast Ranges
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Monument Peak over
Milpitas, California
19.
Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
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The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Basin and Range Province. The vast majority of the lies in the state of California. The Sierra runs 400 miles north-to-south, and is approximately 70 miles across east-to-west, the Sierra is home to three national parks, twenty wilderness areas, and two national monuments. These areas include Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks, the character of the range is shaped by its geology and ecology. More than one hundred years ago during the Nevadan orogeny. The range started to uplift four M. A. ago, the uplift caused a wide range of elevations and climates in the Sierra Nevada, which are reflected by the presence of five life zones. Uplift continues due to faulting caused by forces, creating spectacular fault block escarpments along the eastern edge of the southern Sierra. The Sierra Nevada has a significant history, the California Gold Rush occurred in the western foothills from 1848 through 1855. Due to inaccessibility, the range was not fully explored until 1912, the Sierra Nevada lies in Central and Eastern California, with a very small but historically important spur extending into Nevada. West-to-east, the Sierra Nevadas elevation increases gradually from 1,000 feet in the Central Valley to an height of about 10,500 feet at its crest only 50–75 miles to the east. The east slope forms the steep Sierra Escarpment, unlike its surroundings, the range receives a substantial amount of snowfall and precipitation due to orographic lift. The Sierra Nevada stretches from the Susan River and Fredonyer Pass in the north to Tehachapi Pass in the south and it is bounded on the west by Californias Central Valley and on the east by the Basin and Range Province. The geographical boundary between the Sierra and the Cascades is virtually indistinguishable, with the Fredonyer Pass designation being traditional, physiographically, the Sierra is a section of the Cascade-Sierra Mountains province, which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division. The range is drained on its western slope by the Central Valley watershed, the northern third of the western Sierra is part of the Sacramento River watershed, and the middle third is drained by the San Joaquin River. The eastern slope watershed of the Sierra is much narrower, its rivers flow out into the endorheic Great Basin of eastern California and western Nevada. Although none of the eastern rivers reach the sea, many of the streams from Mono Lake southwards are diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct which provides water to Southern California, the height of the mountains in the Sierra Nevada increases gradually from north to south. Between Fredonyer Pass and Lake Tahoe, the range from 5,000 feet to more than 9,000 feet. The crest near Lake Tahoe is roughly 9,000 feet high, farther south, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park is Mount Lyell
Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
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The Sierra's
Mills Creek cirque (center) is on the west side of the
Sierra Crest, south of
Mono Lake (top, blue).
Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
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Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the range and the contiguous United States
Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
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The Sierra hosts many waterways, such as the
Tuolumne River.
Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
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Mount Tallac above
Lake Tahoe
20.
Eastern California
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Eastern California is a region defined as either the strip to the east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada or as the easternmost counties of California in the United States. Most of Eastern California does not fit the stereotypes of California and is related in culture to southeastern Oregon, northwestern Nevada. Northeastern California is very populated and tends to be politically conservative. Historically, Northeastern California has had ties to Nevada, with the exact boundary between the two states in some dispute. Residents of portions of near Susanville, California, tried to break away from California in 1856, first by declaring themselves part of the Nataqua Territory, the two states further squabbled over ownership of Susanville in 1863. The town of Aurora, Nevada, was temporarily the county seat of both Mono County, California, and Esmeralda County, Nevada, finally, the line between the two states was settled by a survey in 1872. Indeed, the hottest and lowest area in North America lies in Eastern California, geologically, Eastern California is mostly part of the Basin and Range Province, marked by crustal extension, with horsts and grabens. Volcanism is also evident in this region
Eastern California
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Downtown San Bernardino, anchor of the largest metro area in East California and 12th in the United States.
21.
Fresno, California
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Fresno (/ˈfrɛznoʊ/ FREZ-no is a city in California, United States, and the county seat of Fresno County. It covers about 112 square miles in the center of the San Joaquin Valley, named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River, Fresno was founded in 1872 as a railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was incorporated in 1885. The population of Fresno proper soared in the half of the 20th century. It was here in Fresno in 1958 that Bank of America first launched the BankAmericard credit card, Fresno is near the geographical center of California. It lies approximately 220 miles northeast of Los Angeles,170 miles south of the capital, Sacramento. Yosemite National Park is about 60 miles to the north, Kings Canyon National Park is 60 miles to the east, the county of Fresno was formed in 1856 after the California Gold Rush. It was named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River, Millerton, then on the banks of the free-flowing San Joaquin River and close to Fort Miller, became the county seat after becoming a focal point for settlers. Other early county settlements included Firebaughs Ferry, Scottsburg and Elkhorn Springs, the San Joaquin River flooded on December 24,1867, inundating Millerton. Flooding also destroyed the town of Scottsburg on the nearby Kings River that winter, rebuilt on higher ground, Scottsburg was renamed Centerville. In 1867, Anthony McQeen Easterby purchased land bounded by the present Chestnut, Belmont, Clovis and California avenues, unable to grow wheat for lack of water, he hired sheep man Moses J. Church in 1871 to create an irrigation system. Building new canals and purchasing existing ditches, Church then formed the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, in 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad established a station near Easterbys—by now a hugely productive wheat farm—for its new Southern Pacific line. Soon there was a store around the station and the store grew the town of Fresno Station, many Millerton residents, drawn by the convenience of the railroad and worried about flooding, moved to the new community. Fresno became a city in 1885. By 1931 the Fresno Traction Company operated 47 streetcars over 49 miles of track, in 1877, William Helm made Fresno his home with a five-acre tract of land at the corner of Fresno and R streets. Helm was the largest individual sheep grower in Fresno County, in carrying his wool to market at Stockton, he used three wagons, each drawn by ten mules, and spent twelve days in making the round trip. Two years after the station was established, county residents voted to move the county seat from Millerton to Fresno, when the Friant Dam was completed in 1944, the site of Millerton became inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake. In extreme droughts, when the reservoir shrinks, ruins of the county seat can still be observed. In the nineteenth century, with so much wooden construction and in the absence of sophisticated firefighting resources, fires often ravaged American frontier towns, the greatest of Fresnos early-day fires, in 1882, destroyed an entire block of the city
Fresno, California
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An 1897 photo of K Street High School, which was replaced by
Fresno High School in 1896. The school later became Emerson Elementary School and was demolished ca. 1930.
Fresno, California
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Downtown Fresno
Fresno, California
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One of the earliest buildings in Fresno, the
Fresno Water Tower.
Fresno, California
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Downtown Fresno looking east from Chuckchansi Park
22.
Modesto, California
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Modesto /məˈdɛstoʊ/, officially the City of Modesto, is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, it is the 18th largest city in the state of California, the Modesto Census County Division, which includes the cities of Ceres and Riverbank, had a population of 312,842 as of 2010. Modesto has been honored as a Tree City USA numerous times and it is surrounded by rich farmland, Stanislaus County ranks sixth among California counties in farm production. Led by milk, almonds, chickens, walnuts, and corn silage, the farm-to-table movement plays a central role in Modesto living as in the Central Valley. The citys annual Architectural Festival honors Modestos history as a ground for mid-century modern architecture during the 1940s and 50s. Modestos mid-century buildings have been featured four times in Museum of Modern Art publications, in December 2009, Forbes ranked Modesto 48th out of 100 among Best Bang-for-the-Buck Cities. In this ranking, Modesto ranked 8th in housing affordability and travel time, Modesto is the home of Gallo Family Winery, the largest privately owned winery in the world. Modesto was originally a stop on the railroad connecting Sacramento to Los Angeles, at its founding in 1870, it was to be named Ralston after financier William C. Ralstons modesty prompted him to ask that another name be found, Modesto was incorporated in 1884 with a population of over 1,000. With fields of grain, a river for grain barges, and railroad traffic. Irrigation water came from dams installed in the foothills, and irrigated fields of vegetables and fruit, by 1900, Modestos population was over 4,500. During World War II, the area provided canned goods, powdered milk, for the next few decades, Modestos population grew about two percent per year to over 100,000 in 1980, and over 200,000 in 2001. The citys official motto, Water Wealth Contentment Health, is emblazoned on the downtown Modesto Arch, the motto was selected in a contest held in 1911. Modestos motto is sometimes spoofed as The land gets the water, the bankers get the wealth, the cows get contentment, Modesto is known for the following tourist attractions and historical sites. McHenry Mansion – Built in the early 1880s by Robert McHenry, the mansion is included on the National Register of Historic Places. McHenry Museum – Across the street from the McHenry Mansion, filled with tidbits from Modestos history George Lucas Plaza – American Graffiti-inspired bronze statue made in honor of Modesto filmmaker George Lucas, located at Five Points. Gallo Center for the Arts – Center for the performing arts opened in 2007 and is located in downtown Modesto at 1000 I Street, Downtown Modesto – Known for having a variety of restaurants and night life. It also hosts a multi-venue Art Walk year around on the third Thursday of the month, the State Theatre – Dating back to the 1920s, it was recently renovated and serves as a local performance arts center and as a theater specializing in independent and foreign films
Modesto, California
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Modesto Arch, including the city motto
Modesto, California
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The
McHenry Mansion.
Modesto, California
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Gallo Center for the Arts
Modesto, California
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Aerial photo of city of Modesto, California
23.
Salinas, California
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Salinas /səˈliːnəs/ is the county seat and largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located just outside the portion of the greater Bay Area and 10 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River. The population was 155,662 as of 2013, the city is located at the mouth of the Salinas Valley roughly eight miles from the Pacific Ocean and has a climate more influenced by the ocean than the hot-summer interior. The marine climate is ideal for the industry, grape vineyards. Salinas is known for its vibrant and large industry and as the hometown of writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate John Steinbeck. The land currently occupied by the city of Salinas is thought to have settled by Native Americans known as the Esselen prior to 200 AD. Between 200 and 500 AD, they were displaced by the Rumsen group of Ohlone speaking people, before this time, Monterey was the capital of California and had been under military rule after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican-American war. In the 1850s a junction of two main stage coach routes was located 18 miles east of Monterey and along the big bend of what is referred to as the Alisal Slough. Soon thereafter, in 1856, an inn called the Halfway House was opened at that junction in Salinas. The streets of Salinas were laid out in 1867, and the town was incorporated in 1874. The conversion of grazing land to crops and the coming of the road in 1868 to transport goods and people was a major turning point in the history. Dry farming of wheat, barley, and other grains as well as potatoes, irrigation changed farming in Salinas to mainly row crops of root vegetables, grapes and sugar beets. Many major vegetable producers placed their headquarters in Salinas, the camp opened on April 27,1942 and held a total of 3,608 people before closing two months later on July 4. Following World War II major urban and suburban development converted much farmland to city, the city experienced two particularly strong growth spurts in the 1950s and 1960s, and again in the 1990s and early 2000s. The Harden Ranch, Creekbridge and Williams Ranch neighborhoods constituting much of the citys North-East were built almost exclusively between 1990 and 2004, Salinas was also the birthplace of writer and Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck. The historic downtown, known as Oldtown Salinas, features much fine Victorian architecture, and is home to the National Steinbeck Center, the Steinbeck House, major development took place in the 1990s, with the construction of Creekbridge, Williams Ranch, and Harden Ranch. When annexed in 1963, Alisal was described as a large Mexican-American enclave, hispanic immigration peaked from the 1980s through the early 2000s. Mostly European-American neighborhoods in North Salinas, an expansion of the city built mostly in the 1950s and 60s
Salinas, California
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Main Street in downtown Salinas, 2006
Salinas, California
–
Seal
Salinas, California
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First Mayors House circa 1868
Salinas, California
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Sargent House Historic Victorian Home on Central Avenue
24.
Visalia, California
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The population was 130,104 at the 2015 census. Visalia is the 5th largest city in the San Joaquin Valley after Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, the 44th most populous in California, and 198th in the United States. As the county seat of Tulare County, Visalia serves as the economic, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks are located in the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, the highest mountain range in the contiguous United States. The area around Visalia was first settled by the Yokuts and Mono Native American tribes thousands of years ago and it is unknown when the first Europeans arrived, but the first to make a written record of the area was Pedro Fages in 1722. When California achieved statehood in 1850, Tulare County did not exist, the land that is now Tulare County was part of the huge County of Mariposa. In 1852, some settled in the area, then called Four Creeks. The area got its name from the many watershed creeks and rivers flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, all the water resulted in a widespread swampy area with a magnificent oak forest. The industrious group of settlers petitioned the legislature for county status and on July 10 of that same year. One of the first inhabitants of a built by the settlers was Nathaniel Vise. Nathaniel was responsible for surveying the new settlement, in November 1852, he wrote, The town contains from 60-80 inhabitants,30 of whom are children of school age. The town is located one of the subdivisions of the Kaweah River and is destined to be the county seat of Tulare. In 1853, that became a reality and Visalia has remained the county seat since that time. Visalia is named for Nathaniel Vises ancestral home, Visalia, Kentucky, early growth in Visalia can be attributed in part to the gold rush along the Kern River. The gold fever brought many transient miners through Visalia along the way, in 1859 Visalia was added to John Butterfields Overland Stage route from St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco. A plaque commemorating the location can be found at 116 East Main Street, included in the early crop of citizens were some notorious and nasty individuals who preyed upon the travelers along the Butterfield Stage route. Many saloons and hotels sprouted up around the stage stop downtown, the next memorable event was the arrival of the telegraph in 1860. Visalians then could get information of the events taking place on the East Coast which would ultimately develop into the American Civil War. During the Civil War, many citizens of Visalia couldnt decide whether Visalia should stand on the side of the North or the South, no one really knows the outcome of the war, but apparently it was concluded to the satisfaction of the participants and life returned to normal
Visalia, California
–
Acequia Ave
Visalia, California
–
Logo
Visalia, California
–
Workers weighing and sacking sugar at the Pacific Sugar Company, Visalia, Tulare County, California, ca.1900
Visalia, California
–
Visalia Fox Theater
25.
Clovis, California
–
Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The 2014 population was estimated to be 102,189, Clovis is located 6.5 miles northeast of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 361 feet. The city of Clovis began as a stop along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad. Organized on January 15,1890, by Fresno businessmen Thomas E. Hughes, Fulton Berry, Gilbert R. Osmun, colson, John D. Gray, and William M. The railroad purchased right-of-way from both farmers, half from each – the east side from Cole and the west side from Owen –, the railroad agreed to establish a station on the west side of the tracks and to call it Clovis. The Clovis station, after which the town was named, was positioned on the Owen side of the track, Cole and Owen later sold land to Marcus Pollasky for development of a townsite. Fresno civil engineer Ingvart Tielman mapped the townsite on behalf of Pollasky on December 29,1891, the original townsite featured streets named for the officers and principal investors of the railroad, Woodworth, Pollasky, Fulton, Hughes, Osmun, and Baron. The townsite, named Clovis by Pollasky, was out on what was originally Owens land. The railroad was completed as far as the town of Hamptonville on the banks of the San Joaquin River, at the time, Hamptonville was called Pollasky. A celebration of the completion of track-laying was held at the Pollasky terminus on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving of 1891 with a reported 3,000 Fresnans attending, the railroad began official operation in January 1892. The first year of operation of the railroad coincided with the beginnings of a national economic decline. Farmers were unable to get profitable return on their crops, banks, the SJVRR was unable to generate sufficient revenues to pay its debt, was leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad and subsequently bought by SPRR in 1893. By reducing the railroads schedule of operation and trimming costs, the Southern Pacific was able to turn a profit in the first years after its acquisition. At the same time that the railroad was being planned, a group of Michigan lumbermen began acquiring thousands of acres of timber in the Sierra Nevada about 75 miles northeast of Fresno. A dam was built across Stevenson Creek to create a lake that would enable them to move freshly cut timber to a mill beside the lake and they then constructed a 42-mile, 25-foot-high, V-shaped flume that started at the foot of the dam. As lumber was rough-cut at the mill, it was loaded into the flume, the lumber mill and yard had its own network of rails to move lumber around the yard and to connect with the SJVRR just south of Clovis station. The completion in 1894 of the flume and commencement of mill operations provided the impetus for further development of the area around the Clovis Station. The town began to shape as lumber yard employees built homes close to their employment
Clovis, California
–
Pollasky Avenue, Old Town Clovis
Clovis, California
–
Seal
26.
Merced, California
–
Merced /mərˈsɛd/ is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. As of 2014, the city had a population of 81,743, incorporated on April 1,1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby, Merced, known as the Gateway to Yosemite, is less than two hours by automobile from Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and several beaches to the west. The community is served by the passenger service Amtrak, a major airline through Merced Regional Airport. It is approximately 110 miles from Sacramento,130 miles from San Francisco,45 miles from Fresno, and 270 miles from Los Angeles. In 2005, the city home to the tenth University of California campus, University of California, Merced. Merced is a home to University of California, Merced, merceds Main Street contains several restaurants, a movie theater, and other assorted shops. Also within a distance from the city limits are the Castle Air Museum, Lake Yosemite. Merced is also the headquarters of Malibu Boats, a manufacturer of inboard boats, the city of Merced along with its surrounding cities are serviced by the Merced Sun-Star and the Merced County Times. The Sun-Star daily newspaper has a circulation of over 20,000 in the Merced area, earlier, home building and buying grew exponentially in Merced, but the metro still suffers from an elevated 14. 2% unemployment rate according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Merceds population has grown faster than the average since 1980. Over the past nine years, the growth rate is about 3. 4%. This rapid expansion of population has stimulated significant retail growth since 1992, several major retail chain stores have entered Merced, adding over 750,000 square feet of new retail space in that time and increasing the Citys sales tax receipts by over $500,000 annually. The economy has relied upon agribusiness and upon the presence of Castle Air Force Base. Over the past twenty years, more diversified industry has entered the area, including printing, fiberglass boat building, warehousing and distribution, in September 1995, Castle Air Force Base closed after phasing down over the previous three years. This has affected residential real estate and some sectors of the retail and service economies, no significant increase in unemployment has been noted. Re-use of the base is actively proceeding. Industrial development is increasing in the area, since 1992, more than 400,000 square feet of new industrial activity has started
Merced, California
–
Downtown Merced
Merced, California
–
Seal
Merced, California
–
Main Street in Merced California
Merced, California
–
Merced county countryside
27.
Turlock, California
–
Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. Its estimated 2015 population of 72,292 made it the second-largest city in Stanislaus County after Modesto, Turlock lies in Stanislaus County, at 37°30′21″N 120°50′56″W, between Modesto, California and Merced, California, at the intersection of State Route 99 and State Route 165. Its elevation is about 31 m above MSL, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.9 square miles, all land. Turlock has hot, mostly dry summers and cool, wet winters, average January temperatures are a maximum of 53.7 °F and a minimum of 38.1 °F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 104.4 °F, there are an average of 78.0 days with highs of 90 °F or higher and an average of 19.8 days with lows of 32 °F or lower. The record high temperature was 114 °F on July 9,1896, the record low temperature was 18 °F on January 21,1922, and December 19,1924. The average annual precipitation is 11.88 inches, there are an average of 48 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 27.03 inches and the dryest year was 1953 with 5.32 inches, the most precipitation in one month was 8.47 inches in February 1998. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 2.70 inches pm December 11,1906, although snow is very rare in Turlock,3.0 inches fell in January 1922 and 2.0 inches fell in February 1976. Turlock was founded on December 22,1871, construction of the Central Pacific Railroad at that time had reached a station named after Turlough in County Mayo, Ireland. Thus, the new town was named Turlock. While it grew to be a prosperous and busy hub of activity throughout the end of the 19th century. By that time intensive agricultural development surrounded most of the city, many of the initial migrants to the region were Swedish. As an early San Francisco Chronicle article stated of the region, Turlock went on to become known as the Heart of the Valley because of its agricultural production. With the boom came racial and labor strife, in July 1921, a mob of 150 white men evicted 60 Japanese cantaloupe pickers from rooming houses and ranches near Turlock, taking them and their belongings on trucks out of town. The white men claimed the Japanese were undercutting white workers by taking lower wages per crate of fruit picked, in protest, fruit growers briefly threatened not to hire the white workers behind the eviction, preferring to let melons rot on vines than hire such characters. As a result of this stance, the eviction had the effect of what the mob had intended. By August, Japanese workers had returned, and, moreover, the affair gained national attention, and Californias Governor William Stephens vowed that justice would be served
Turlock, California
–
Main Street in Turlock
Turlock, California
–
A building in downtown Turlock
Turlock, California
–
An
almond orchard just outside of Turlock
Turlock, California
–
Fields in Turlock
28.
Madera, California
–
Madera is a city in California and the county seat of Madera County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 61,416. Located in the San Joaquin Valley, Madera is a city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County. It is located in Californias San Joaquin Valley, the city is also home to the Madera Unified School District. Madera is located at 36°57′41″N 120°03′39″W, the geographic center of California is 38 mi east of Madera. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 15.8 square miles. Madera is the location of the Madera AVA wine region, Madera has a hot semi-arid climate. Average January temperatures are a maximum of 53.9 °F, the record high temperature was 116 °F on July 13,1961. The record low temperature was 15 °F on January 10,1949, average annual rainfall is 10.97 inches and there are an average of 43 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with 22.13 inches and the driest year was 1932 with 4.73 inches, the most rainfall in one month was 7.11 inches in March 1991. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 2.60 inches on May 6,2005, although snow is rare,4.0 inches fell in January 1962. The town was named after the Spanish term for lumber, the town was laid out by the California Lumber Company in 1876. From 1876 to 1931 a 63-mile water flume carried lumber from the mountains to Madera where the lumber was shipped by train, the first post office at Madera opened in 1877 and the town incorporated on March 27,1907. One of the citys first African Americans to hold an office was Rev. Naaman N. Haynes. Landmarks include the notable and historic Madera water tower and a fully operational drive-in movie theater, the adopted son of classical guitarist Francisco Mayorga and film actress Lupe Mayorga, who were living in Madera at the time. His early life in Madera is eloquently covered in his autobiography, cowen award from the American Geophysical Union in Washington, DC. Frank Bergon, the author of four novels including Jesses Ghost, lee Evans, Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder in track and field. Zoila Frausto, womens Mixed Martial Arts champion Lavar Johnson, American mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, jack W. Kelso, Medal of Honor recipient
Madera, California
–
Location in
Madera County and the state of
California
29.
Tulare, California
–
Tulare is a city in Tulare County, California. The population was 59,278 at the 2010 census, Tulare is located in the heart of the Central Valley, eight miles south of Visalia and sixty miles north of Bakersfield. The city is named for the currently dry Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. The citys mission statement is, To promote a quality of life making Tulare the most desirable community in which to live, learn, play, work, worship, the Stockton seaport is 170 miles away, and the Sacramento port is 207 miles away. The Los Angeles and San Francisco ports are each approximately 200 miles away, the English name Tulare derives ultimately from Classical Nahuatl tōllin, sedge or reeds, by way of Spanish tule, which also exists in English as a loanword. The name is cognate with Tula, Tultepec, and Tultitlán de Mariano Escobedo, the Yokuts people built reed boats and fished in what was later to be called Tulare Lake in their homeland for centuries, until the invasion and settlement by the Spanish and American pioneers. When California became a state in 1850, Tulare did not yet exist as a town, Tulare was founded in 1872, by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The town was named for Lake Tulare, the lake had been named for the tule rush plant, a species of bulrush that predominantly lined the marshes and sloughs of its shore. Transportation was the first impetus behind the establishment of the town, Tulare flourished as the headquarters of the railroad in the area. The town suffered through many challenges, but despite burning down. In 1891, the railroad moved its headquarters to Bakersfield, decimating the community, although the railroad was gone, the community of Tulare struggled to become an agricultural center for California, which it is today. Due to the inadequate 10 inches of rainfall per year, water resources had to be found, in order to bring water to Tulare, citizens established the Tulare Irrigation District and issued $500,000 in bonds to build an extensive canal system carrying water from the Sierra Nevada. In 1903, when the bonds were paid off early, they celebrated by having a bond-burning celebration, once the water system was established, Tulare burgeoned, becoming a center for farming and agriculture because of its central location. Merritt founded Tagus Ranch, which at 7,000 acres was the largest fruit ranch in the world, until its close, Tagus Ranch produce was known the world over, and was served in the finest restaurants throughout America. At the end of World War II, a portion of Tagus Ranch served as a German POW camp, in 1940, famed aerobatic stunt pilot J. G. War Department contract to open and operate a flying school to train United States Army Air Corps flight cadets. Rankin opened the Rankin Aeronautical Academy in Tulare in February 1941, during its heyday Rankin Field, as it was otherwise known, trained 10,000 pilots in primary flight training, including twelve future Army Air Corps Aces and two Medal of Honor recipients. The Assembly Center was administered by the Wartime Civil Control Administration, under the Western Defense Command, the first internee was inducted on April 27,1942, and the last internee departed on September 4,1942
Tulare, California
–
The tule rush
Tulare, California
–
Location in
Tulare County and the state of
California
Tulare, California
–
Tulare Veterans Memorial Building, built 1956.
Tulare, California
–
Key topics
30.
Porterville, California
–
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. It is part of the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan statistical area, since its incorporation in 1902, the citys population has grown dramatically as it annexed nearby unincorporated areas. The citys July 2014 population was estimated at 55,466, Porterville serves as a gateway to a vast wonderland and recreational area, the Sequoia National Forest, the Giant Sequoia National Monument and Kings Canyon National Park. During Californias Spanish period, the San Joaquin Valley was considered a region of little value. Emigrants skirted the eastern foothills in the vicinity of Porterville as early as 1826, swamps stretched out into the Valley floor lush with tall rushes or tulares as the Indians called them. Gold discovered in 1848 brought a tremendous migration to California, starting in 1854, Peter Goodhue operated a stopping place on the Stockton - Los Angeles Road on the bank of the Tule River. Wagon trains of gold seekers passed through the village, but other travelers found the land rich, a store was set up in 1856 to sell goods to miners and the Indians, who lived in tribal lands along the rivers. From 1858 to 1861 it was the location of the Tule River Station of the Butterfield Overland Mail, royal Porter Putnam came to the village in 1860 to raise cattle, horses and hogs. Putnam bought out Goodhue in 1860, turning the station into a stopping place. He bought 40 acres of land and built a store and a hotel on the highest point of the swampy property. The town of Porterville was founded there in 1864, the town took its name from the founders given name because another Putnam family lived south of town. In 1862,20.8 inches of rain fell in the area causing the change of course of the Tule River, putnams acres drained, and he had his property surveyed, staking out lot lines and establishing streets. Settlers were offered a lot for every one purchased. Needs of a burgeoning California population for food gave the impetus which led to permanent development of the east side southern San Joaquin Valley, the long, dry, hot summer prompted irrigation of the lands. In 1888, the Southern Pacific Railway brought in the line from Fresno. The Pioneer Hotel and Bank were built by businessmen from San Francisco, the town incorporated in 1902, as miners moved into the area to extract magnetite ore, and the Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1907. A City Manager-Council form of government was adopted in 1926, the City has grown from a community of 5,000 people in 1920. Agriculture supplemented by the Central Valley Water Project has been the source of economic growth in the area
Porterville, California
–
Sierra View District Hospital (top left), Murray Park(top right),
Lake Success (middle left), the Historical
First Congregational Church (middle right), Statue of the Farmer(bottom left), South County Justice Center(bottom right).
Porterville, California
–
Seal
Porterville, California
–
The Porterville Historical Museum occupies the old
Southern Pacific Railroad depot, constructed in 1913.
Porterville, California
–
The Porterville Main post office is one of three Porterville structures on the
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
31.
Hanford, California
–
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the city of the Hanford-Corcoran metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities of Hanford. The city of Hanford is surrounded by communities that do not fall within the city limits and these communities include Grangeville, Hardwick and Home Garden. The population was 53,967 at the 2010 census, the California Department of Finance estimated that the citys population was 55,840 as of January 1,2016. Hanford is located at 36°19′39″N 119°38′44″W and it is situated in the south central portion of Californias San Joaquin Valley,28 miles south-southeast of the city of Fresno and 18 miles west of the city of Visalia. The city is 249 feet above sea level and has a flat terrain, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles, none of which is covered by water. The only natural watercourse is Mussel Slough, remnants of which still exist on the western edge. The Kings River is about 6.5 miles north of Hanford, the Peoples Ditch, an irrigation canal dug in the 1870s, traverses Hanford from north to south. Hanford has a typical of that of the San Joaquin Valley floor with hot, dry summers. The wetter season occurs from November through March, the average annual rainfall over the ten years from 1997/98 through 2006/07 was 8.97 inches. The 30-year normal precipitation is 8.29 inches, -On average, the warmest month is July with a high of 97. 9F and a low of 62. 4F. -The highest recorded temperature was 116 °F on July 27,1933, -On average, the coolest month is December with a high of 55. 4F and a low of 34. 6F. -The lowest recorded temperature was 14 °F on January 6,1913, -There are an average of 105.2 days with highs of 90F or higher. -There are an average of 38.6 days with lows of 32F or lower, -The maximum normal precipitation occurs in January with 1.59 inches. -The wettest year was 1983 with 15.57 inches, -The driest year was 1953 with 3.37 inches. -The most rainfall in one month was 6.69 inches in January 1969, -The most rainfall in 24 hours was 2.44 inches on February 10,1978. -The record snowfall was 2.0 inches on January 21,1962, the National Weather Service Forecast Office for the San Joaquin Valley is located in Hanford and includes a Doppler weather radar. Weather forecasts and climatological information for Hanford and the area are available from its official website
Hanford, California
–
Seal
Hanford, California
–
Location in
Kings County and the state of California
Hanford, California
–
The Star Restaurant est. 1901.
Hanford, California
–
Hanford train station, 2014
32.
Merced River
–
The Merced River, in the central part of the U. S. state of California, is a 145-mile -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the San Joaquin Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the part of Yosemite National Park. The rivers character changes dramatically once it reaches the foothills and the lowlands, a rich riparian zone around the Merced once supported millions of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, and the river had one of the southernmost runs of salmon in North America. Military expeditions during the Mexican Era history of California passed through the Merced River region in the early 19th century, conflicts between whites and indigenous peoples prompted wars, resulting in the expulsion of the Ahwahnechee from Yosemite Valley. In the 20th century, the river saw further development that would change its state forever, large-scale irrigated agriculture was introduced to the Central Valley in the late 19th century, and led to the construction of numerous state, federal and privately owned dams. Water demand has often been higher than the environment can sustain. Salmon have been blocked from migrating and riverside habitat has declined dramatically, the Merced River flows for 145 miles westward through a series of canyons, gorges and finally the flat plains of the Central Valley. From its headwaters, the river north for a short distance. The Merced continues to the northwest for 3 miles where collects into Merced Lake, leaving Merced Lake, the river continues to the west northwest for 2.3 miles where the canyons open up into Echo Valley. The river then turns westward for another 3 miles, where it snakes through a spectacular narrow gorge between massive, glacially resistant granite cliffs. Tenaya, Yosemite, Bridalveil and Pigeon Creeks join the Merced before it breaches the glacial moraine at the valleys end, from there the river picks up Cascade Creek and turns south near El Portal, flowing through Merced River Canyon. State Route 140 follows the out of the west entrance to the national park, a few miles before the South Fork Merced River. The river arcs northwest to receive the North Fork, and a few miles after it enters Lake McClure, formed by New Exchequer Dam. Below New Exchequer, the river flows west through a heavily irrigated region of the Central Valley, passing through McSwain and Crocker-Huffman Dams and it joins the San Joaquin River at Hills Ferry, a few miles south of Turlock. The drainage basin of the Merced River is located in the central Sierra Nevada and it can be characterized as the slightly smaller southern companion of the Tuolumne River, the major Sierran river just north of the Merced. On the south, the borders on the headwaters of the San Joaquin River itself. Tributaries to the South Fork include Bishop, Rail, Alder, there are also many lakes in the watershed of the Merced River, including Merced Lake, Tenaya Lake, the Chain Lakes, May Lake, Lake McClure, and Lake McSwain. Much of the basin of the Merced River is characterized by an alpine climate, the upper basin of the river receives heavy snowfall in the winter, which is usually enough to feed the river and its tributaries year round
Merced River
–
The Merced River in
Yosemite Valley, with
Bridalveil Fall (middle) and
El Capitan (left)
Merced River
–
Map of the Merced River
Merced River
–
Merced River in
Yosemite Valley photographed from
Swinging Bridge
Merced River
–
Upper Yosemite Valley from
Glacier Point
33.
Yosemite National Park
–
Yosemite National Park is a national park spanning portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in Northern California. The park, which is managed by the National Park Service, on average, about 4 million people visit Yosemite each year, and most spend the majority of their time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley. The park set a record in 2016, surpassing 5 million visitors for the first time in its history. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness, Yosemite was central to the development of the national park idea. First, Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has a range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet and contains five major vegetation zones, chaparral/oak woodland, lower montane forest, upper montane forest, subalpine zone. Of Californias 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada, there is suitable habitat for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy. The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks, about 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep, about one million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Ice thickness in Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet during the early glacial episode, the downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today. The name Yosemite originally referred to the name of a tribe which was driven out of the area by the Mariposa Battalion. Before then the area was called Ahwahnee by indigenous people, as revealed by archeological finds, the Yosemite Valley has been inhabited for nearly 3,000 years, though humans may have first visited the area as long as 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The indigenous natives called themselves the Ahwahneechee, meaning dwellers in Ahwahnee and they are related to the Northern Paiute and Mono tribes. Many tribes visited the area to trade, including nearby Central Sierra Miwoks, a major trading route went over Mono Pass and through Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake, just to the east of the Yosemite area. Vegetation and game in the region were similar to that present today, acorns were a staple to their diet, as well as seeds and plants, salmon. In 1851 as part of the Mariposa Wars intended to suppress Native American resistance and he was pursuing forces of around 200 Ahwahneechee led by Chief Tenaya. Accounts from this battalion were the first well-documented reports of ethnic Europeans entering Yosemite Valley, attached to Savages unit was Dr. Lafayette Bunnell, the company physician, who later wrote about his awestruck impressions of the valley in The Discovery of the Yosemite. Bunnell is credited with naming Yosemite Valley, based on his interviews with Chief Tenaya, Bunnell wrote that Chief Tenaya was the founder of the Pai-Ute Colony of Ah-wah-nee
Yosemite National Park
–
Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View
Yosemite National Park
–
Paiute ceremony (1872)
Yosemite National Park
–
Dr.
Lafayette Bunnell gave Yosemite Valley its name among Americans.
Yosemite National Park
–
Vernal Falls, Yosemite (1889) by
Thomas Hill, who painted many images of the region
34.
California Central Coast
–
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles County and south of San Francisco, six counties make up the Central Coast, from south-to north, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. The Central Coast is the location of the Central Coast American Viticultural Area, the Central Coast area was originally inhabited by Chumash and other Native American people since at least 10,000 BC. Many of these settlements were coastal, where the people exploited marine resources, for example, there were significant settlements near the mouth of Morro Creek and Los Osos Creek. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo visited the Central Coast, landing in Santa Barbara County in 1542, the region is known primarily for agriculture and tourism. Major crops include wine grapes, lettuce, strawberries, and artichokes, the Salinas Valley is one of the most fertile farming regions in the United States. The area is not densely populated, the largest city in the region is Oxnard in Ventura County, with a population estimated at 203,007 in 2013. University of California campuses are found in Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, California State University, Monterey Bay, founded in 1994, uses facilities donated when Fort Ord was converted from military to civilian uses. California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, was founded in 1901, the six counties that make up the Central Coast region had an estimated population of 2,327,344 in 2014, about 5% more than the population of New Mexico. Travel is almost entirely by private automobile, because of its position roughly halfway between the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is home to Americas first motel. The major highway is U. S. Route 101, which runs north-south from Los Angeles, through most of the communities of the Central Coast. State Route 1, a smaller but much more scenic route, connects the communities, running through San Simeon, Morro Bay. Amtrak maintains train service with the Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner routes along the Union Pacific Railroad Coast Line that also transports freight, there are no major airports, although Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo have regional airports with commuter service. Greyhound buses serve most of the region, monterey-Salinas Transit operates bus services throughout Monterey County as far south as Big Sur on the coast and King City in the Salinas Valley. MST also offers service to San Jose Diridon Station, downtown Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Metro Offers services within Santa Cruz County, including connections to San Jose and San Jose State and connection to MST service in Watsonville, heading south to Salinas
California Central Coast
–
South Coast of
Santa Barbara County
California Central Coast
–
Pismo Beach in
San Luis Obispo County
California Central Coast
–
Sunset at
Salinas River State Beach in
Monterey County
California Central Coast
–
Central Californian Coastline, Big Sur
35.
Big Sur
–
The coast is frequently praised for its rugged coastline and mountain views. As the longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the United States, Big Surs Cone Peak at 5,155 feet is only 3 miles from the ocean. The stunning views make Big Sur a popular tourist destination, the region is protected by the Big Sur Local Coastal Program which preserves the region as open space, a small residential community, and agricultural ranching. Approved in 1981, it is one of the most restrictive local use programs in the state, and is widely regarded as one of the most restrictive documents of its kind anywhere. The program protects viewsheds from the highway and many vantage points, about 60% of the coastal region is owned by a government or private agency that does not allow any development. The majority of the region is part of the Los Padres National Forest. When the region was first settled by European immigrants in 1853, the region remained one of the most isolated areas of California and the United States until, after 18 years of construction, the Carmel-San Simeon Highway was completed in 1937. The interior region is uninhabited, while the coast remains relatively isolated and sparsely populated with about 1,000 year-round residents and relatively few visitor accommodations. The original Spanish-language name for the mountainous terrain south of Monterey, the capital of Alta California, was el país grande del sur meaning. It was Anglicized by English-speaking settlers as Big Sur, Big Sur is not an incorporated town, but an area without formal boundaries on the Central Coast of California. The boundaries of the region have expanded north and south over time. Members of the Harlen family who homesteaded the Lucia region 9 miles south of Slates Hot Springs, prior to the construction of Highway 1, the residents on the south coast had little contact with the residents to the north of them. Later on the border was extended as far north as Malpaso Creek,4.5 miles south of Carmel River. Most current descriptions of the area refer to either Malpaso Creek or the Carmel River in Monterey County as the northern border, the southern border is generally accepted to be well past Lucia at San Carpoforo Creek in San Luis Obispo County. Visitors sometimes mistakenly believe that Big Sur refers to the community of buildings and services near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Author and Big Sur historian Jeff Norman considered Big Sur to extend inland to include the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean, the region is relatively difficult to access. Prior to 1937 when the coast highway was completed, the way to travel the coast was a horse and wagon road. The Old Coast Road was later expanded south to the Post Ranch near Sycamore Canyon, the southern portion is known as the Coast Ridge Road
Big Sur
–
The Big Sur Coast
Big Sur
–
McWay Falls and Cove, Big Sur
Big Sur
–
Bixby Landing in 1911
Big Sur
–
Bixby Creek Bridge under construction in 1932
36.
Fresno County, California
–
Fresno County, officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the northern portion of the U. S. state, California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 930,450, the county seat is Fresno, the fifth-largest city in California. Fresno County comprises the Fresno, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Fresno-Madera and it is located in the Central Valley, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. The area now known as Fresno County is the homeland of Yokuts and Mono peoples. In 1846, this became part of the United States as a result of the Mexican War. Fresno County was formed in 1856 from parts of Mariposa, Merced, Fresno is Spanish for ash tree and it was in recognition of the abundance of the shrubby local Ash, Fraxinus dipetala, growing along the San Joaquin River that it received its name. Parts of Fresno Countys territory were given to Mono County in 1861, the settling of Fresno County was not without its conflicts, land disputes, and other natural disasters. Floods caused immeasurable damage elsewhere and fires also plagued the settlers of Fresno County, in 1882, the greatest of the early day fires wiped out an entire block of the city of Fresno, and was followed by another devastating blaze in 1883. At the same time residents brought irrigation, electricity, and extensive agriculture to the area, moses Church developed the first canals, called Church Ditches, for irrigation. These canals allowed extensive cultivation of wheat, francis Eisen, leader of the wine industry in Fresno County, also began the raisin industry in 1875, when he accidentally let some of his grapes dry on the vine. Easterby and Clovis Cole developed extensive grain and cattle ranches and these and other citizens laid the groundwork for the cultivation of Fresno County – now one of the nations leading agricultural regions. In more recent times became a major crop in Fresno and the southern San Joaquin Valley. The Coalinga field continues to produce oil, and is currently the eighth-largest field in the state. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 6,011 square miles. Major watercourses are the San Joaquin, Kings River, Delta-Mendota Canal, Big Creek, Friant Kern Canal, Helm Canal and it is bordered on the west by the Coast Range and on the east by the Sierra Nevada. It is the center of an agricultural area, known as the most agriculturally rich county in the United States. The county withdrew 3.7 billion US gallons of water per day in 2000. Fresno County is part of the Madera AVA wine region, Fresno was actually named after two particular ash trees that grew near the town of Minkler on the Kings River, one of which is still alive and standing
Fresno County, California
–
The Fresno County courthouse in June 2007
37.
Kings County, California
–
Kings County is a county in the U. S. state of California. The population was 152,982 at the 2010 census, the California Department of Finance estimated the countys population was 149,407 as of July 1,2016. Kings County comprises the Hanford-Corcoran, CA metropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Visalia-Porterville-Hanford. It is in the San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural region. The area was inhabited for thousands of years by American Indians including the Tachi Yokuts tribe and it was colonized by Spain, Mexico and the United States. An 1805 expedition probably led by Spanish Army Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga recorded discovering the river, at the time of the United States conquest in 1848, the new government changed the name to Kings River after which the county was named. In 1880, a dispute over land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad resulted in a gun battle on a farm 5.6 mi northwest of Hanford. This event became known as the Mussel Slough Tragedy, Kings County was formed in 1893 from the western part of Tulare County. In 1909, by an act of the legislature,208 square miles of Fresno County territory was added to the northwest portion of Kings County. Settlers reclaimed Tulare Lake and its wetlands for agricultural development, in surface area, it was formerly the largest body of freshwater west of the Great Lakes, and supported a large population of migratory birds as well as local birds and wildlife. Monoculture has sharply reduced habitat for many species, in 1928, oil was discovered in the Kettleman Hills located in the southwestern part of Kings County. The Kettleman North Dome Oil Field became one of the most productive oil fields in the United States, in 1933 during the Great Depression, over 18,000 cotton pickers in the southern San Joaquin Valley, mostly migrant Mexican workers, went on strike. During the strike,3,500 striking farm workers lived in a camp on the land of a small farmer on the outskirts of Corcoran. Ultimately, the government intervened to force both sides to negotiate a settlement. Lemoore Army Airfield was established for training and defense during World War II, in 1961, the U. S. Navy opened NAS Lemoore 9 miles west of Lemoore, not far from the earlier site. The completion of the California Aqueduct in the early 1970s brought needed water for agriculture, most of the historic Tulare Lake was within Kings County. Although reclaimed for farming late in the 19th century, it was the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes, the 2010 United States Census reported that Kings County had a population of 152,982. The census included inmates of the three state prisons
Kings County, California
–
Kings County Courthouse
38.
Madera County, California
–
Madera County, officially the County of Madera, is a county at the geographic center of the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 150,865, Madera County comprises the Madera, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Fresno-Madera, CA Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the eastern San Joaquin Valley and the central Sierra Nevada, the southeasternmost part of Yosemite National Park is located in the countys northeast. Madera County was formed in 1893 from the part of Mariposa County during a special election held on May 16,1893. Citizens residing in the area that was to become Madera County voted 1,179 to 358 for establishment of the new county, Madera is the Spanish term for wood. The county derives its name from the town of Madera, named when the California Lumber Company built a log flume to carry lumber to the Central Pacific Railroad there in 1876. The Madera County Sheriffs Department employed the first woman in California to die in the line of duty as a law enforcement officer—Tulare native Lucille Helm. For 15 years, the Madera housewife and mother of four worked on call as a matron assisting with female transfers. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2,153 square miles. Madera County is part of the Madera AVA wine region, devils Postpile National Monument Inyo National Forest Sierra National Forest Yosemite National Park The 2010 United States Census reported that Madera County had a population of 150,865. The racial makeup of Madera County was 94,456 White,5,629 African American,4,136 Native American,2,802 Asian,162 Pacific Islander,37,380 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 80,992 persons. As of the census of 2000, there are 123,109 people in the county, organized into 36,155 households, the population density is 58 people per square mile. There are 40,387 housing units at a density of 19 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county is 62. 2% White,4. 1% Black or African American,2. 6% Native American,1. 3% Asian,0. 2% Pacific Islander,24. 4% from other races, and 5. 2% from two or more races. 44. 3% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race,8. 0% were of German,5. 9% English,5. 4% American and 5. 3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 63. 6% spoke English and 33. 7% Spanish as their first language,16. 5% of all households are made up of individuals and 7. 7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.18 and the family size is 3.52. In the county, the population is out with 29. 6% under the age of 18,9. 9% from 18 to 24,29. 1% from 25 to 44,20. 4% from 45 to 64
Madera County, California
Madera County, California
Madera County, California
Madera County, California
39.
Mariposa County, California
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Mariposa County is a county in the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,251 and it is located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton. The countys eastern section is the portion of Yosemite National Park. There are no incorporated cities in Mariposa County, however, there are recognized as census-designated places for statistical purposes. It also has the distinction of having no permanent traffic lights anywhere in the county, Mariposa County was one of the original counties of California, created at the time of statehood in 1850. Thus, Mariposa County is known as the Mother of Counties, Charles Fremont moved the county seat to Mariposa in 1854, resulting in the construction of the Mariposa County Courthouse, whose grounds occupies an entire block. The historic structure is fronted by Bullion Street, Jones Street is to the rear and this handsome, white judicial building erected with whip-sawed wood from nearby forests is the oldest courthouse still in use in California, cases are still tried there to this day. The courthouse is so recognizable that its likeness is on the Mariposa County Seal, also particularly noteworthy is the courthouses clock tower and bell, which chimes every hour, on the hour,24 hours a day,7 days a week. The county took its name from Mariposa Creek, which was so named by Spanish explorers in 1806, each year, the first weekend in May, residents mark the annual arrival of migrating monarch butterflies with a Butterfly Days festival and parade. Mariposa County is located at the end of Californias Mother Lode region. During the California Gold Rush, great quantities of the mineral were found and extracted, first in local stream-beds. One of the most notable beneficiaries of this wealth was the explorer and 1856 Republican presidential candidate, John Charles Frémont, for whom the local hospital. Two small gold mines in Mariposa county, the Mockingbird and the Colorado Quartz, specimens from these occurrences commonly have bright luster and rich color, with well-developed crystals in unusual and attractive arrangements. The best-known example is The Dragon, now on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,463 square miles. Along the banks of the Merced River is found the habitat for the limestone salamander. The 2010 United States Census reported that Mariposa County had a population of 18,251. The racial makeup of Mariposa County was 16,103 White,138 African American,527 Native American,204 Asian,26 Pacific Islander,508 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,676 persons
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County, California
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Seal
40.
Merced County, California
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Merced County, is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 255,793, the county is named after the Merced River. Merced County comprises the Merced, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Modesto-Merced and it is located north of Fresno County and Fresno, and southeast of Santa Clara County and San Jose. Parts of its territory were given to Fresno County in 1856, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,979 square miles, of which 1,935 square miles is land and 44 square miles is water. Merced National Wildlife Refuge San Luis National Wildlife Refuge The 2010 United States Census reported that Merced County had a population of 255,793. The racial makeup of Merced County was 148,381 White,9,926 African American,3,473 Native American,18,836 Asian,583 Pacific Islander,62,665 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 140,485 persons. As of the census of 2000, there were 210,554 people,63,815 households, the population density was 109 people per square mile. There were 68,373 housing units at a density of 36 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 56. 2% White,3. 8% Black or African American,1. 2% Native American,6. 8% Asian,0. 2% Pacific Islander,26. 1% from other races, and 5. 7% from two or more races. 45. 3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,6. 6% were of Portuguese and 6. 0% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 55. 1% spoke English,35. 3% Spanish,3. 2% Hmong,2. 9% Portuguese and 1. 0% Punjabi as their first language. 17. 7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.69. In the county, the population was out with 34. 5% under the age of 18,10. 3% from 18 to 24,27. 9% from 25 to 44,17. 8% from 45 to 64. The median age was 29 years, for every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males, the median income for a household in the county was $35,532, and the median income for a family was $38,009. Males had an income of $31,721 versus $23,911 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,257, about 16. 9% of families and 21. 7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28. 4% of those under age 18 and 10. 7% of those age 65 or over. As of 2008, according to the Lao Family Community, a nonprofit organization, Merced County is a general law county, governed by a Board of Supervisors
Merced County, California
Merced County, California
Merced County, California
Merced County, California
41.
Monterey County, California
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Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 415,057, the county seat and largest city is Salinas. Monterey County comprises the Salinas, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, the northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. Monterey County is a member of the governmental agency, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. The coastline, including Big Sur, State Route 1, the city of Monterey was the capital of California under Spanish and Mexican rule. The economy is based upon tourism in the coastal regions. Most of the people live near the northern coast and Salinas Valley, while the southern coast. Monterey County was one of the counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county were given to San Benito County in 1874, the area was originally populated by Ohlone, Salinan & Esselen tribes. The county derived its name from Monterey Bay, the bay was named by Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602 in honor of the Conde de Monterrey, then the Viceroy of New Spain. Monterrey is a variation of Monterrei, a municipality in the Galicia region of Spain where the Conde de Monterrey and his father were from. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 3,771 square miles. The county is roughly 1.5 times larger than the state of Delaware and these areas had a median household income significantly above that of the California or the U. S. overall and comprised roughly 8%-10% of neighorhoods. Social deprivation was concentrated in the central and eastern parts of Salinas, in central and eastern Salinas up to 46% of individuals lived below the poverty line and those without a secondary educations formed a plurality or majority of residents. Overall, the Salinas metropolitan area, defined as coterminous with Monterey County, was among the least educated areas in the nation. Roughly 8% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a household income above $100,000 per year. This coincided with the top 20 census block groups in the county listed below, most affluent neighborhoods * Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey Countys 226 Census Block Groups. About 4. 5% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a household income below $30,000 per year
Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
42.
San Benito County, California
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San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,269, San Benito County is included in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. El Camino Real passes through the county and includes one mission in San Juan Bautista, San Benito County was formed from parts of Monterey County in 1874. The county is named after the San Benito Valley, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,390 square miles, of which 1,389 square miles is land and 1.8 square miles is water. Sharing a border with Santa Clara County, San Benito County lies adjacent to the San Francisco Bay Area and is considered a part of that region. The county also borders Merced County and Fresno County in the east, the county is also the location of the Mount Harlan and San Benito American Viticultural Areas. The latter contains the Cienega Valley, Lime Kiln Valley, there are a number of plant communities that occur in San Benito County including grasslands and chaparral, however, one of the more unusual is the Sargent cypress forest. Benitoite, the gem of the State of California, was discovered in San Benito County. The county is home to the San Benito evening primrose, and Illacme plenipes. The plant genus Benitoa was named for San Benito County, pinnacles National Park The 2010 United States Census reported that San Benito County had a population of 55,269. The racial makeup of San Benito County was 35,181 White,483 African American,895 Native American,1,443 Asian,94 Pacific Islander,14,471 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31,186 persons. As of the census of 2000, there were 53,234 people,15,885 households, the population density was 38 people per square mile. There were 16,499 housing units at a density of 12 per square mile. 56. 4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,7. 6% were of German,6. 3% Irish and 5. 4% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 62. 8% spoke English and 35. 3% Spanish as their first language,14. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the family size was 3.64. In the county, the population was out with 32. 2% under the age of 18,8. 8% from 18 to 24,31. 5% from 25 to 44,19. 3% from 45 to 64. The median age was 31 years, for every 100 females there were 102.5 males
San Benito County, California
San Benito County, California
San Benito County, California
San Benito County, California
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Seal
43.
Stanislaus County, California
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Stanislaus County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 514,453, Stanislaus County comprises the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. The first European to see it was Gabriel Moraga in 1806, estanislao was his baptismal name, the Spanish version of Stanislaus, itself the Latin version of the name of an 11th-century Polish Catholic Saint Stanislaus the Martyr. Between 1843 and 1846, when California was a province of independent Mexico, however, the grant was never confirmed by the Land Commission. Stanislaus County was formed part of Tuolumne County in 1854. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,515 square miles. Stanislaus County has historically been divided socially and economically by the north-flowing San Joaquin River, there are a number or rare and endangered species found in Stanislaus County. The Beaked Clarkia, is listed as a candidate for the Federal Endangered Species List and it has only been found in blue oak-gray pine associations in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, a habitat which occurs at moderately high elevations. Colusa Grass, is listed as endangered by the State and it is restricted to vernal pools. StaRT also connects with Merced County Transit in Gustine and Turlock, Modesto Area Express operates within Modesto, with limited service to Salida, Empire, and Ceres. MAX also runs special commuter routes connecting with the BART and Altamont Commuter Express rail systems, the cities of Ceres, Oakdale, Riverbank, and Turlock run small local bus systems. Both Greyhound and Amtrak have stops in Modesto and Turlock, Amtrak for Turlock actually stops in Denair. Modesto City-County Airport has a number of scheduled passenger flights, other airports around the county include Oakdale Airport, Patterson Airport, and Turlock Airpark. The following table includes the number of reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. The 2010 United States Census reported that Stanislaus County had a population of 514,453. 6% of Stanislaus County is Mexican,0. 6% Puerto Rican,0. 5% Salvadoran,0. 2% Nicaraguan, and 0. 2% Guatemalan. As of the census of 2000, there were 446,997 people,145,146 households, the population density was 299 people per square mile. There were 150,807 housing units at a density of 101 per square mile. The racial/ethnic makeup of the county was 69. 3% White,2. 6% Black,4. 2% Asian,1. 3% Native American,0. 3% Pacific Islander,16. 8% from other races, and 5. 4% from two or more races
Stanislaus County, California
Stanislaus County, California
Stanislaus County, California
44.
Tuolumne County, California
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Tuolumne County, officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county in the U. S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,365, the county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora. Tuolumne County comprises the Sonora, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area, the county is in the Sierra Nevada region. The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the part of the county. Mariano Vallejo, in his report to the first California State Legislature, the name may mean people who dwell in stone houses, i. e. in caves. Tuolumne County is one of the counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Prior to statehood, it had referred to as Oro County. Parts of the county were given to Stanislaus County in 1854, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,274 square miles, of which 2,221 square miles is land and 54 square miles is water. Notable landforms in the county include Table Mountain, in Columbia, a connection can be made to Calaveras County Transit. Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System makes a daily round trip from Sonora into Yosemite Valley during summer months only. YARTS is set to begin a daily round trip in June 2013. The following table includes the number of reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. The 2010 United States Census reported that Tuolumne County had a population of 55,365. The racial makeup of Tuolumne County was 48,274 White,1,143 African American,1,039 Native American,572 Asian,76 Pacific Islander,2,238 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,918 persons. As of the census of 2000, there were 54,501 people,21,004 households, there were 28,336 housing units at an average density of 5/km². The racial makeup of the county was 89. 5% White,2. 1% Black or African American,1. 8% Native American,0. 7% Asian,0. 2% Pacific Islander,2. 9% from other races, and 2. 8% from two or more races. 8. 2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,94. 7% spoke English and 3. 5% Spanish as their first language. 26. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11. 70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.82
Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County, California
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Seal
45.
Hollister, California
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Hollister is a city in and the county seat of San Benito County, California, United States. The population was 34,928 at the 2010 census, Hollister is primarily an agricultural town. The Mutsun Ohlone Indians were the first known inhabitants of the Hollister region, the town, then located in Monterey County, was founded November 19,1868 when the San Justo Homestead Association purchased the property from William Welles Hollister. Undecided about a name for the new town, a member, Napa vintner Henry Hagen, was tired of Saint and Spanish names in nearby towns. The City was incorporated on August 29,1872, the western portion of San Benito County, including Hollister, was separated from Monterey County in 1874. The county was expanded eastward in 1887 to include portions taken from Merced, Hollister is well-known among geologists because it portrays one of the best examples of aseismic creep anywhere in the world. The Calaveras Fault bisects the city north and south, roughly along Locust Ave. the streets running east/west across the fault have significant visible offsets. The fault runs directly under several houses, even though they are visibly contorted the houses are still habitable as the owners have reinforced them to withstand the dislocation of their foundations. Hollister is one of at least three California towns to claim the title of Earthquake Capital of the World the other two being Coalinga and Parkfield. Hollister has a mediterranean climate that has warmer summers than the Monterey–Salinas area. Despite this, daytime temperatures of 80 °F or warmer are commonplace between June and October, but hot extremes can be more severe. As of the census of 2000, there were 34,413 people,9,716 households, the population density was 5,237.7 people per square mile. There were 9,924 housing units at a density of 1,510.5 per square mile. 65. 7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,12. 7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4. 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.52 and the family size was 3.82. In the city, the population was out with 34. 6% under the age of 18,9. 5% from 18 to 24,33. 8% from 25 to 44,15. 8% from 45 to 64. The median age was 29 years, for every 100 females there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males, the median income for a household in the city was $56,104, and the median income for a family was $57,494
Hollister, California
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Hollister's City Hall
Hollister, California
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A local home suffering from structural distortion as a result of being situated on top of the Calaveras Fault.
Hollister, California
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County offices, such as the San Benito County Courthouse, are located in the county seat of Hollister.
Hollister, California
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Hollister Municipal Airport
46.
Lemoore, California
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Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located 7.5 miles west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet and it is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,531 at the 2010 Census, the California Department of Finance estimated that Lemoores population was 26,199 on January 1,2016. Lemoore is located at 36°18′03″N 119°46′58″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles, all of it land. H. Thompson in 1892, shows three high water levels of the giant Tulare Lake in different years. The highest lake level, the one Thompson labeled original lake line skirts or touches the 1892 town of Lemoores south-west corner at the current intersection of State Route 41 and State Route 198. On Thompsons map, Lemoore is on the east bank, the present remaining marshy remnants of Bogg Slough, with its unfarmed oxbow structures may be the last of their kind to avoid the plow in the Kings-San Joaquin river system. This summit, or spillway is located just a few miles north-west of Lemoore, the spillway was wide, shallow and confusing, choked with tall tule rushes, and without observable landmarks. Only one commercial boat is known to have sailed from Tulare Lake to the San Francisco delta, Tulare Lake had huge economic importance in the region, both for the very large population of Indians, and the white pioneers. The lake supported a commercial fishery feeding San Francisco. The receding lake continually opened up new lands for settlement. Because of its source streams being diverted, the last time the lake overflowed was 1878 and this switch point is located just north of Lemoore right off of Highway 41 and Elgin Ave at the New Island Weirs. In many cases the prehistoric Kings River bed has been obliterated, however, as of 2014, in satellite images the remains of many of the old channels can still be detected. Other towns built just above the Tulare Lake high-water shoreline include Kettleman City, satellite maps indicate that highways, railroads, and property lines are aligned with the historic lake shores. Also, many of the farms are can be seen to be much larger within its various historic shore lines than in the surrounding areas, the Sarah A. Mooney Memorial Museum is a Victorian house museum that was built in 1893 by Aaron and Sarah Mooney. The home is decorated in the Victorian period, with many of the pieces in the house donated by local families, the city had a local paper called The Lemoore Advance and the Advance Extra, which is now defunct. KGSR,93.3 FM, is a low-power FM radio station operated by Lemoore High School students on the campus of Lemoore High School. Dr. Lovern Lee Moore from France first made his home in what was western Tulare County and it was on the northern shoreline of Tulare Lake, then potentially the largest freshwater body of water in the USA, outside of the Great Lakes
Lemoore, California
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Location in
Kings County and the state of
California
47.
Mariposa, California
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Mariposa is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Mariposa County, California, United States. The population was 2,173 at the 2010 census, up from 1,373 at the 2000 census and its name is Spanish for butterfly, after the flocks of monarchs seen overwintering there by early explorers. Mariposa is located at 37°29′06″N 119°57′59″W, at 1,949 feet in elevation and it lies in the rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Mariposa Creek flows through the town, soils in the urban area are mostly brown to reddish brown loam of the Blasingame series. A gravelly loam is mapped as Boomer series and these soils support thick grassland plus trees such as blue oak, black oak, gray pine, and ponderosa pine. To the west-northwest of town is an area of sparse vegetation. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has an area of 12.9 square miles. Mariposa County includes much of Yosemite National Park, and a deal of the local economy is related to the park. The county courthouse, constructed in 1854, is the oldest in use west of the Rockies. The county lies at the end of the Mother Lode. During the 19th century California Gold Rush, its streams were panned, frémont lived here and owned claims to much of the mineral wealth of Mariposa. He later was the first United States Senator from the state, according to the Köppen climate classification system, Mariposa has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Csa on climate maps. Along with Very wet winters The town was founded as a camp on the banks of a seasonal stream known as Aqua Fria. This original town site was located about 6.0 miles to the west of present-day Mariposa, the gold in small Aqua Fria creek was soon removed, and lacked water most of the year. So the populace moved on to the new boomtown, the large Mariposa mine soon opened, with a 40-foot waterwheel crushing gold ore. This provided a source of employment, and Mariposa soon became the supply hub for hundreds of outlying mining districts. Placer gold, that which is found in creekbeds and alluvial deposits, was extinguished. In 1851 the new town of Mariposa became the county seat, by 1854 Mariposa had a grand courthouse which is still in operation
Mariposa, California
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Dusk in downtown Mariposa
Mariposa, California
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Mariposa County Courthouse
48.
Monterey, California
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The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, in the Northern Portion of Californias Central Coast. It stands at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level, the 2010 census recorded a population of 27,810. Monterey was the capital of Alta California under both Spain and Mexico and it was the only port of entry for taxable goods in California. In 1846 the U. S. flag was raised over the Customs House, the city had Californias first theater, public building, public library, publicly funded school, printing press, and newspaper. The city and surrounding area have attracted artists since the late 19th century, until the 1950s, there was an abundant fishery. Among Montereys notable present-day attractions are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fishermans Wharf, long before the arrival of Spanish explorers, the Rumsen Ohlone tribe, one of seven linguistically distinct Ohlone groups in California, inhabited the area now known as Monterey. They subsisted by hunting, fishing and gathering food on and around the biologically rich Monterey Peninsula, researchers have found a number of shell middens in the area and, based on the archaeological evidence, concluded the Ohlones primary marine food consisted at various times of mussels and abalone. A number of sites have been located along about 12 miles of rocky coast on the Monterey Peninsula from the current site of Fishermans Wharf in Monterey to Carmel. In 1602, Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino recorded the name Bahía de Monterrey, Vizcaino landed at the southern end of the bay and described a great port, suitable for use as an anchorage by southbound Manila galleons. Vizcaino also noted and named the Point of Pines, all other uses of the name Monterey derive from Vizcainos name for the bay. Variants of the name are recorded as Monte Rey and Montery. In 1769, the first European land exploration of Alta California, for some reason, the explorers failed to recognize the place when they came to it on October 1,1769. The party continued north as far as San Francisco Bay before turning back, on the return journey, they camped near one of Montereys lagoons on November 27, still not convinced they had found the place Vizcaino had described. Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí noted in his diary, We halted in sight of the Point of Pines and camped near a lagoon which has rather muddy water. Portolá returned by land to Monterey the next year, having concluded that he must have been at Vizcainos Port of Monterey after all, the land party was met at Monterey by Junípero Serra who traveled by sea. Portolá erected the Presidio of Monterey to defend the port and, on June 3,1770, Portolá returned to Mexico, replaced in Monterey by Captain Pedro Fages, who had been third in command on the exploratory expeditions. Fages became the governor of Alta California, serving from 1770 to 1774. Serras missionary aims soon came into conflict with Fages and the soldiers, the existing wood and adobe building became the chapel for the Presidio
Monterey, California
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Fisherman's Wharf and downtown rooftops, seen from
Monterey Bay
Monterey, California
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Construction on the
Custom House began in 1814 under Spanish rule. This photo dates from 1936.
Monterey, California
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Birds along a rock sea wall near the Coast Guard Station, which borders the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Monterey, California
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Monterey Wharf and Harbor area
49.
Sonora, California
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Sonora is the county seat of Tuolumne County, California. The city population was 4,903 during the 2010 Census, Sonora is the only incorporated community in Tuolumne County. Sonora is located at 37°59′04″N 120°22′54″W, around the intersection of California State Highways 49 and 108 The altitude is 1,825 feet. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.1 square miles,99. 55% of it land and 0. 45% of it water. Sonora has cool, wet winters and hot, mostly dry summers, average January temperatures are a maximum of 54.5 °F and a minimum of 33.5 °F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 94.6 °F, there are an average of 75.5 days annually with highs of 90 °F or higher and an average of 52.2 days annually with lows of 32 °F or lower. The record high temperature was 113 °F on June 22,1961, the record low temperature was 8 °F on December 9,1972. There are an average of 60 days annually with measurable precipitation, the wettest “rain year” has been from July 1994 to June 1995 with 56.40 inches and the driest from July 1975 to June 1976 with 15.26 inches. The most rainfall in one month was 21.69 inches in December 1955, including 7.10 inches on December 27, average annual snowfall is only 4.7 inches. The most snowfall in one month was 30.5 inches in January 1933, the Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is Csa. The 2010 United States Census reported that Sonora had a population of 4,903, the population density was 1,593.0 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Sonora was 4,402 White,24 African American,95 Native American,79 Asian,12 Pacific Islander,84 from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 542 persons. The census reported that 4,613 people lived in households,85 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, there were 192 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 12 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 881 households were made up of individuals and 312 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.10. There were 1,113 families, the family size was 2.77. The median age was 39.7 years, for every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males, there were 2,463 housing units at an average density of 800.2 per square mile, of which 898 were owner-occupied, and 1,301 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4. 6%, the vacancy rate was 8. 6%
Sonora, California
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The old city hotel on South Washington Street
Sonora, California
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California State Highway 49 along North Washington Street
Sonora, California
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Sonora, CA
Sonora, California
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The Tuolumne County Courthouse is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
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