Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria.
Image: Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Image: Aerial Lake Cachuma East End
Image: Main Gate Vandenberg AFB
Image: Foxen
Channel Islands (California)
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The Channel Islands are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. They define the Santa Barbara Channel, which sits between the islands and the California mainland. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and the four Southern Channel Islands are part of the Peninsular Ranges province. Five of the islands are within the Channel Islands National Park, and the waters surrounding these islands make up Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The Nature Conservancy was instrumental in establishing the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Beach of Santa Cruz Island
Beach at San Miguel
Tomols or te'aats are Chumash and Tongva boats used to travel throughout the islands and to the mainland.