California

A regularly recurring issue in California politics is whether the state should continue to aggressively expand its freeway network or concentrate on improving mass transit networks in urban areas. Out of the total population, 18.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The rapidly growing population of the state is straining all of its transportation networks. 14.8% of the population and 10.8% of families are below the poverty line. Both Greyhound and Amtrak provide intercity bus service. The per capita income for the city is $20,450. Nearly all counties operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus and light rail lines as well. Males have a median income of $35,138 versus $28,705 for females.

San Diego has Trolley light rail and Coaster commuter rail services. The median income for a household in the city is $37,897, and the median income for a family is $47,391. Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) connects Tracy, Livermore and other edge cities with Silicon Valley. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.9 males. Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern California, and Caltrain commuter rail connects San Jose to San Francisco. For every 100 females there are 94.6 males. San Jose and Sacramento have only light rail. The median age is 31 years.

San Francisco and Los Angeles both have rapid rail/subway networks, in addition to light rail. In the city the population is spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who are 65 years of age or older. Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 3.01. The Port of Oakland handles most of the ocean containers passing through Northern California. 34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United States. There are 301,534 households out of which 28.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% are married couples living together, 14.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% are non-families.

California also has several excellent seaports. 2.46% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more general aviation airports throughout the state's 58 counties. The racial makeup of the city is 67.93% White, 24.47% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 3.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. As for air travel, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport are major hubs for trans-Pacific and transcontinental traffic. There are 327,175 housing units at an average density of 600.8/km² (1,556.0/mi²). only by New York City for severe traffic congestion. The population density is 1,306.4/km² (3,383.6/mi²).

Most Californians usually resort to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, which is why California's cities have a reputation equalled in the U.S. As of the census² of 2000, there are 711,470 people, 301,534 households, and 165,240 families residing in the city. California's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of freeways, expressways, and highways, all maintained by Caltrans and patrolled by the California Highway Patrol. German Village (http://germanvillage.com/) has an annual Oktoberfest celebration featuring 32 bands, authentic German food, and various other festival activities. One thing they all have in common is a state mandate to teach fourth grade students about the history of California, including the role of the early missions; most schools implement this by requiring students complete a multiple medium project. The Short North is host to the monthly "Gallery Hop", which attracts hundreds to the neighborhood's art galleries (which all open their doors to the public until late at night) and street musicians. In poor regions, literacy rates may fall below 70%. The Origins International Game Expo is held around the first week of July.

In some regions, administrative costs divert a significant amount of educational monies from instructional purposes. Around the Fourth of July, Columbus hosts Red, White, and Boom (http://columbusoh.about.com/library/bljul01.htm), the largest fireworks display in the midwest on the riverfront downtown to crowds of over 500,000 people, as well as the popular "Doo Dah Parade", a nonsensical satire of ordinary parades. The quality of the local schools depends strongly on the local tax base, and the size of the local administration. Coinciding with the weekend of ComFest is the large Gay Pride Parade, reflective of the sizeable gay population in Columbus. The primary schools are of varying effectiveness. ComFest (http://www.comfest.com/) (short for "community festival") is an immense three-day gathering in Goodale Park (just north of downtown Columbus) with art vendors and live music on multiple stages, hundreds of local social and political organizations, body painting, and enough beer to quench anyone's thirst. Mandatory full-time instruction begins at age 6. Annual festivities in Columbus include the Ohio State Fair—one of the largest state fairs in the country; the Columbus Arts Festival and the Jazz and Ribs Festival, both of which occur on the downtown waterfront.

Elementary schools teach pure skills, history and social studies, with optional half-day kindergartens beginning at age 5. For parks and recreation, Columbus has Schiller Park, Westgate Park, Big Run Park, Dodge Park, Franklin Park Conservatory, Wolfe Park, Nelson Park, Civic Park, Griggs Reservoir Park, Highbanks Metro Park, Sharon Woods Metro Park, and Mock Park. In many districts, junior high schools or middle schools teach electives with a strong skills-based curriculum, for ages from 11 to 13. For shopping, Columbus has the Polaris Fashion Center, Tuttle Mall, Westland Mall, Eastland Mall, and City Center Mall. They accept students from roughly age 14 to 18, with mandatory education ceasing at age 16. The expansion of Ohio Stadium to over 100,000 in capacity, and the construction of the Crew Stadium (America's first soccer-specific stadium), Nationwide Arena, the Schottenstein Center, the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and the PromoWest Pavilion are all projects completed since 1990. Secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective courses in trades, languages and liberal arts with tracks for gifted, college-bound and industrial arts students. Much of the growth in entertainment capacity in Columbus has been recent.

Near Los Angeles, there are numerous art and film institutes, including the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the CalArts Institute. Both of these conventions are very large draws of tourists to Columbus. For example, Southern California, with one of the highest densities of post-secondary institutions in the world, has a very large base of classically trained vocalists that compete in large choir festivals. Columbus also hosts the annual Arnold Classic weightlifting and fitness exposition in late February, hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the annual Quarterhorse Congress. This leads to many unique entertainment and educational opportunities for residents. It is the regular venue of notable local band Ekoostik Hookah, and musicians such as Smashing Pumpkins and Sarah McLachlan played at Newport before achieving fame. California has hundreds of private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions. The Newport Music Hall, located in the OSU campus neighborhood, is a smaller venue, but highly respected among upcoming artists and the alternative music scene.

Preeminent private institutions include Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA). Germain Ampitheater (formerly Polaris Ampitheater) is located north of the city, and hosts large outdoor concerts during the warmer months. The system serves a student population of over 2.9 million. Columbus also has a number of medium sized venues including the Palace Theatre, the Ohio Theatre (home of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra), the Southern Theatre, Franklin County Veterans Memorial hall, and PromoWest Pavilion. It is composed of 109 colleges organized into 72 districts. There are several major concert venues in Columbus, including Nationwide Arena (home of the Blue Jackets and the Destroyers), the Schottenstein Center (also home to OSU's men's and women's basketball and men's ice hockey teams), and Ohio Stadium. It also provides lower division general-education courses, whose credit units are transferable to the CSU and UC systems. All five teams have a following in Columbus, with the baseball and football fans fairly evenly split between the two cities, although a sizeable Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase exists as well.

It awards certificates and associate degrees. This can be explained in part by the city's proximity to both Cincinnati (100 miles) and Cleveland (125 miles), which have five major league teams between them, the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The California Community Colleges system provides vocational education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. For its GMP and population growth rate, however, Columbus notably does not have a major league baseball, basketball, or football team. Lower-division course credits are frequently transferable to the University of California. Columbus is also home to many professional sports teams, including the Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer), Columbus Clippers (minor league baseball), Columbus Blue Jackets (National Hockey League), and Columbus Destroyers (Arena Football League). It is intended to accept most college-bound high-school students, while carrying out some research, especially in applied sciences. It is easily the biggest annual event in the city, with an estimated 80% to 90% share of television viewers in the Columbus market, and is one of the greatest rivalries in all sports.

With over 400,000 students, the CSU system is the largest university system in the United States. The OSU-Michigan football game is the final game of the regular season and is played in November each year (alternating between Columbus and Ann Arbor, Michigan). The California State University system provides education for teachers, the trades, agriculture and industry. Tailgating at OSU home games has become an event in and of itself, with as many as 30,000 more people partying during the game in the parking lots and at controlled events on Lane Avenue such as Hineygate and the Varsity Club street party. The University of California also administers federal laboratories for the Federal Department of Energy: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Games are played from late August through late November (and usually in early January), with home games at Ohio Stadium in front of over 100,000 crazed Buckeye fans. An eleventh campus, in Merced, is scheduled to open in 2005.[1] (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/welcome.html) The UC system is intended to accept students from the top 12.5% of college-bound students, and provide most graduate studies and research. By far, the sports team that draws the most attention in Columbus is the Ohio State Buckeyes football team (2002 NCAA Champions).

A tenth campus, in San Francisco, teaches only law. Columbus is home to several world class buildings, including the Greek-Revival State Capitol, and the Peter Eisenman-designed Wexner Center and Columbus Convention Center. A ninth campus, in San Francisco, teaches only graduate health-sciences students. The Columbus Zoo is world-renowned, and its director emeritus, Jack Hanna, frequently appears on national television, including The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. The eight general campuses are in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, and San Diego. Columbus is also home to a top-ranked library system, as well as several top-ranked independent libraries (Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings). The preeminent state university is the 9-campus University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the finest public higher-education systems in the country. The Ohio Historical Society is headquartered in Columbus, with its flagship museum, the 250,000 square foot (23,000 m²) Ohio Historical Center, located just four miles (6 km) north of downtown.

California's educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education. Notable among these are the Wexner Center for the Arts, a contemporary art gallery and research facility located on the OSU campus, the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame located in the Schottenstein Center (home of the OSU basketball and hockey teams). Main article: List of colleges and universities in California. To some extent, the Ohio State University is a museum unto itself with its rich history and roots in the Columbus psyche, but it does host a number of museums and museum-like exhibits. 1 Belvedere, California - Marin County - $113,595
2 Rancho Santa Fe, California - San Diego County - $113,132
3 Atherton, California - San Mateo County - $112,408
4 Rolling Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $111,031
5 Woodside, California - San Mateo County - $104,667
6 Portola Valley, California - San Mateo County - $99,621
7 Newport Coast, California - Orange County - $98,770
8 Hillsborough, California - San Mateo County - $98,643
9 Diablo, California - Contra Costa County - $95,419
10 Fairbanks Ranch, California - San Diego County - $94,150
11 Hidden Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $94,096
12 Los Altos Hills, California - Santa Clara County - $92,840
13 Tiburon, California - Marin County - $85,966
14 Sausalito, California - Marin County - $81,040
15 Monte Sereno, California - Santa Clara County - $76,577
16 Indian Wells, California - Riverside County $76,187
17 Malibu, California - Los Angeles County - $74,336
18 Del Monte Forest, California - Monterey County - $70,609
19 Piedmont, California - Alameda County - $70,539
20 Montecito, California - Santa Barbara County - $70,077
21 Palos Verdes Estates, California - Los Angeles County - $69,040
22 Emerald Lake Hills, California - San Mateo County - $68,966
23 Loyola, California - Santa Clara County - $68,730
24 Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara, California - Contra Costa County - $66,972
25 Los Altos, California - Santa Clara County - $66,776
See complete list of California places. Columbus also includes the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), a notable science museum; and the museum of the Ohio Historical Society. The following list is ranked by per capita income:. Downtown Columbus also boasts the Franklin Park Conservatory, which was also home to Ameriflora '92, and a to-scale replica of the Santa Maria on the Scioto Riverfront that was installed to commemorate the 500-year anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus' namesake.

Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet, as evidenced by large numbers of extravagant mansions, sports cars, and beautiful people. The Columbus Museum of Art opened in 1931, with a collection focusing on European and American art up to early modernism. The state of California has many cities, and the majority of them are within one of the large metropolitan areas below. The Statehouse was opened to the legislature and the public in 1857, and finally complete in 1861. The three largest Protestant denominations in California are: Baptist (30% of total state population), Methodist (10%), and Lutheran (6%). Kelly, who introduced heating and an ingenious system of natural forced ventilation, was dismissed because the commissioners found his designs were too lavish for the original intentions of the committee. The religious affiliations of the people of California are as follows:. During the long course of the Statehouse's 22 years of construction, seven architects were employed. Relations between the legislature and the architects were not always cordial: Nathan B.

Religion. Unlike many US state capitol buildings, the Ohio State Capitol owes little to the architecture of the National Capitol. Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California ranks:. A broad and low central pediment supports the windowed astylar drum, under an invisibly low saucer dome, that lights the interior rotunda. Rankings. The Statehouse features a central recessed porch with a colonnade of a forthright and primitive Greek Doric mode, built of Columbus limestone that was quarried on the west banks of the Scioto River. California has the second-largest Asian population (percentage-wise) of any state, Hawaii having the largest. The Statehouse stands upon foundations 18 feet (5 m) deep, which were laid by prison labor gangs, rumored to have been swelled by masons jailed for minor infractions [1] (http://www.statehouse.state.oh.us/statehouse/index.cfm).

Because of high levels of immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, and higher birth rates among the Hispanic population, Hispanics are predicted to become a majority around 2040. The Ohio Statehouse (illustration, right) was begun in 1839 on a 10 acre (40,000 m²) plot of land donated by four prominent Columbus landowners to form Capitol Square, not part of the original layout of the city. Hispanics make up almost one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asian Americans, African Americans and American Indian. Other neighborhoods include: Marble Cliff, Valleyview, New Rome, Briggsdale, Urbancrest, Linden, Eastmoor, Minerva Park, Huber Ridge, Mifflinville, Linworth, Riverlea, Olentangy, Amlin, Lincoln Village, and Alton. It is the third minority-majority state, after Hawaii and New Mexico. Non-Hispanic Whites are still the largest group, but are no longer a majority of the population due to high levels of immigration in recent years. Just to the west of Franklinton is a group of smaller neighborhoods commonly referred to as "The Hilltop". California lacks a majority ethnic group. Franklinton also has the distinction of being the oldest--in fact the very first--settlement in central Ohio, originally founded in 1797.

California's population is:. Linden, to the east of Columbus, is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Franklinton, aka "The Bottoms", is the neighborhood immediately to the west of downtown, which gets its colorful nickname due to the fact that much of the land is below the level of the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers and requires a floodwall to contain the rivers and protect the area from devastating floods. Race and Sex. San Margherita was formed by Italian immigrants at the turn of the 20th century. California is the most populous state in the U.S., and contains about 12% of the U.S.'s population. Clintonville is nestled between the OSU campus area and the suburb of Worthington to the north and consists of a mix of middle class Levittown type homes and beautiful old stone and brick-faced houses on rolling hills. Census Bureau reports California's 2000 population as 33,871,648, and estimates its 2003 population as 35,484,453. The OSU Campus area has a high concentration of students during the in-session months (perhaps as many as 30,000), and is eclectic and ever-changing to the whims of the student body.

The U.S. German Village, the largest privately funded historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, was formed by early German settlers and is still composed of 19th century houses, as is Victorian Village. Population. The Short North area, immediately north of downtown Columbus, is rich with art galleries, as well as pubs and specialty shops. See also: California unemployment statistics. Columbus also has a number of distinctive neighborhoods within the metro area. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data (http://uclaforecast.com) indicates that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%. These form a patchwork of jurisdictions, perforating and interrupting the discontinuous and ever-changing city limits of Columbus.

The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic depression caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. On the north, these include Worthington, Dublin, New Albany, and Westerville; on the west, Grandview Heights, Galloway, Plain City, West Jefferson, Upper Arlington, and Hilliard; on the south, Canal Winchester, Grove City, Obetz, Circleville, Lithopolis, and Groveport; and on the east, Bexley, Reynoldsburg, Gahanna, Blacklick, Whitehall, Pataskala, and Pickerington. While some coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S., notably San Francisco and Marin County, the non-agricultural central counties have some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. The greater Columbus area includes many smaller cities, mostly within the Interstate 270 Outerbelt. Most farm managers are highly educated, most with at least master's degrees. By and large, Columbus is fairly flat, with ravine areas around the rivers and creeks, although the land begins to rise to the east and southeast as you approach the Appalachian Mountains. The Central Valley has the most extreme contrasts of income, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage, contrasted with farmers who frequently manage multimillion-dollar farms. Several smaller tributaries course through the Columbus metro area, including Alum Creek, Big Walnut Creek, and Darby Creek.

Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers occurs just outside of downtown Columbus. Per capita personal income is $33,415 as of 2003, ranking 12^th in the nation. Unlike many other major US cities, Columbus continues to expand its reach by way of extensions and annexations, making it one of the fastest growing large cities in the nation, both in geography and population. This is followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar volume, although many movies are still made in California; and light manufacturing including computer hardware and software, and the mining of borax. The total area is 1.07% water. The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next largest, is agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine). 544.6 km² (210.3 mi²) of it is land and 5.9 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is water.

If California was considered as an independent self-sufficient economy, it would be ranked the 6th, ahead of France. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 550.5 km² (212.6 mi²). state, and every country in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity) save for the other combined 49 United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Columbus is served by Port Columbus International Airport, Rickenbacker International Airport, Don Scott Airport (run by OSU), and Bolton Field Airport. The state's GDP, which at $1.4 trillion USD (as of 2003), is greater than that of every other U.S. (after Phoenix) without passenger rail service. California is responsible for 14% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP). Columbus is now the second largest city in the U.S.

Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. Columbus used to have a major train station downtown called Union Station (http://home.columbus.rr.com/unionstation), however it was razed in the late 1970s. California's great abundance of species of California lilac (Ceanothus) is an example of adaptive radiation. Columbus does not have a metro or other passenger rail system, but does maintain a widespread municipal bus service called the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). Many other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions. Besides High Street and Broad Street, major thoroughfares in Columbus include Main Street, Morse Road, Dublin-Granville Road (aka SR-161), Cleveland Avenue/Westerville Road (aka SR-3), Olentangy River Road, Riverside Drive, Sunbury Road, and Livingston Avenue. California endemics include relict species that have died out elsewhere, including the redwoods and the Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus). This rigid street grid breaks down the further out one goes, particularly in the suburbs (mostly old towns with their own street plans still intact) and the newer subdivisions.

California has a rather high percentage of endemic species. Much of the city street numbering plan originates at their intersection in mid-downtown (the Ohio Statehouse building sits at the corner of Broad and High, incidentally), so house numbers increase with distance from downtown. The state of California is part of the Nearctic ecozone, and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions, and is perhaps the most ecologically diverse state in the United States. The city's street plan--originating in the oldest parts of the city, that is downtown and the immediate vicinity--is a roughly gridiron model bisected north-south by High Street and east-west by Broad Street. California's diverse geography, geology, soils and climate have generated a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life. Due to its central location within Ohio and abundance of outbound roadways, nearly all of the state's destinations are within a 2-hour drive of Columbus. Ecologically, California is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world, and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities. The Interstate 270 Outerbelt encircles the vast majority of Columbus and its suburbs, while the newly redesigned Innerbelt consists of the Interstate 670 spur on the north side (which continues to the east past the airport and to the west where it merges with I-270), State Route 315 on the west side, the I-70/71 split on the south side, and I-71 on the east.

Main article: Ecology of California. Highway 33 runs northwest-to-southeast. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains, including the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the lower Colorado River, are part of the Sonoran Desert, with hot summers and mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California, including the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, are part of the Great Basin region, with hot summers and cold winters. Highway 23 runs roughly north-south, while U.S. California's desert climate regions lie east of the high Sierra Nevada and southern California's Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. U.S. On the east side of the mountains is a drier "rain shadow". It is also widely recognized as the nation's first highway.

The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and moderate heat in summer. Highway 40, aka National Road, runs east-west through Columbus, comprising Main Street to the east of downtown and Broad Street to the west. The Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate, but with greater temperature extremes than the coastal areas; parts of the valley are often filled with thick fog, similar to that found in the coastal valleys. U.S. Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15-40 inches (38-102 cm) per year. The two Interstates combine downtown for about 1.5 miles in an area locally known as "The Split", which is a major traffic congestion point within Columbus, especially during rush hour. Westerly winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher rainfall than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well; moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. Columbus is bisected by two major Interstate highways, Interstate 70 running east-west, and Interstate 71 running north to roughly southwest.

As one moves away from the coast, the climate becomes more continental, with hotter summers and colder winters. Completed in 1993, the convention center spanned nearly 600,000 square feet (56,000 m²) at the time, and has recently been expanded. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating cooler summers and warmer winters, and the cold oceanic California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. The convention center was designed by famed architect Peter Eisenman, who also designed the renowned Wexner Center, also located in Columbus at the campus of The Ohio State University. Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. Columbus also hosts many conventions in the Greater Columbus Convention Center, a pastel-colored building on the north edge of downtown that resembles jumbled blocks, or a train yard from overhead. Different regions of California have very different climates, depending on their latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Columbus is also home to the Chemical Abstracts Service, making it one of the world's leading centers for scientific information distribution.

Other volcanoes include Lassen Peak, which erupted from 1914 and 1921, and Mount Shasta. UPS has a large distribution center on the west side of the city. California is also home to several volcanoes, some active such as Mammoth Mountain. has large offices within Columbus as well. Notable movies in which the possible destruction of much of California by an earthquake includes the titles Earthquake, A View to a Kill, Escape from L.A. and Superman. McGraw-Hill Inc. The fact that this scenario is completely implausible from a geologic standpoint does not lessen its acceptance in public conventional wisdom, or its exploitation by the producers of science fiction and fantasy media. Budweiser has a major brewery located on the north side of the city.

Popular legend has it that, eventually, a huge earthquake will result in the splitting of coastal California from the continent, either to sink into the ocean or form a new landmass. CompuServe still has its roots in Columbus, although it has been owned by AOL since 1998. While more powerful earthquakes in the United States have occurred in Alaska and along the Mississippi River, California earthquakes are notable in their frequency and location in highly populated areas. Morgan Chase & Co., which announced a merger with Bank One in 2004, has a large mortgage servicing unit in the city. California is famous for its earthquakes due partly to the presence of the San Andreas Fault. J.P. To the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in North America. Bank One, which used to be headquartered in Columbus prior to the merger with First Chicago-NBD, still has a major presence in Columbus.

The south-central desert is called the Mojave. Honda has its North American auto plant in Marysville to the northwest of Columbus and produces all of the Honda Accords, Civics, motorcycles and many of Acura's models for the North American market. In the south lie the Transverse Ranges and a large salt lake, the Salton Sea. In addition to these companies, many companies have a major presence in the Columbus area. To the west is Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake by area. The Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, makers of Ensure nutritional drink and Similac infant formula, is also headquartered in Columbus, with over 7,000 employees. To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat. corporation prior to its acquisition and subsequent divestiture) is located downtown as well.

Also located in the Sierra are the world famous Yosemite National Park and a deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume. Borden Chemical (formerly part of the Borden, Inc. In the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada, containing the highest peak in the continental U.S., Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4421 m). Huntington Bancshares also has its headquarters in the downtown area. With dredging, several of these rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities, notably Stockton, California, are seaports. Cardinal Health has its headquarters in the northwest suburb of Dublin. Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley. Two fast food chains have their homebase in the Columbus metro area as well, Wendy's and White Castle, with Wendy's still operating their first store downtown as both a museum and a working restaurant.

Down the center of the state lies the Central Valley, a huge, fertile valley bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the granite Sierra Nevada to the east, the volcanic Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. Worthington Steel is primarily located on the north side of the metro area in the Worthington suburb. California has extremely varied geography. Limited Brands (formerly known as The Limited, Inc.) is located on the east side of the city and is the parent company of the retail stores The Limited, Express, Victoria's Secret, and Bath & Body Works, among others. However, the capital, Sacramento is in the Central Valley. Nationwide Insurance makes its home downtown in a large, multi-building complex that dominates the northern end of the downtown area. Most major cities cling to the cool, pleasant seacoast along the Pacific, notably San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Santa Ana/Orange County, and San Diego. Columbus is the headquarters for a number of businesses as well.

With an area of 410,000 km² it is the third largest state in the U.S. However, it is by no means a majority. The state has striking natural features, including an expansive central valley, high mountains, and hot dry deserts. Including city, state, and jobs at the public Ohio State University, government jobs provide the largest single source of employment within Columbus. California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. As Columbus is the capital of the state of Ohio, there is a large government presence in the city. Main article: Geography of California. Notable private schools within Columbus include Columbus School for Girls, Bishop Watterson High School, Bishop Ready High School, DeSales High School, Worthington Christian High School, Saint Charles Preparatory School, and the Columbus Academy and Bishop Hartley High School.

See also: List of California Governors, US Congressional Delegations from California, List of California counties, List of California ballot propositions. CPS offers many alternative schools as well, such as Columbus Alternative High school, Fort Hayes and Ecole Kenwood. Bush received a majority of votes in more than half the counties, but still lost California by 9%. Columbus Public Schools dominate the K-12 primary school landscape, with each of the suburbs also having fairly large districts as well, sometimes overlapping municipal boundaries. In 2004, George W. Also located in Columbus and its metro area are Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Capital University in Bexley, Franklin University, the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), Otterbein College in Westerville, DeVry University, Ohio Dominican University, and Columbus State Community College. While California is among the most Democratic and liberal states in the nation, there are areas of California which are politically very conservative, notably Orange and San Diego counties. Columbus is the home of The Ohio State University, which has the distinction of being the largest single campus in the United States with a 48,003 total enrollment according to the OSU Office of University Relations.

House of Representatives. See also: List of Mayors of Columbus, Ohio. 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans represent the state in the U.S. It also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties. Senators from California are Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County. The two U.S. With regard to Combined Statistical Areas (and including Chilicothe and Marion), Columbus ranks 24th in the country with 1.84M, behind #19 Cincinnati (2.05M) and #14 Cleveland-Akron (2.95M).

California has the most Congressmen and Presidential Electors of any state. census estimates, in Ohio only the metropolitan areas of Cleveland (2.15M) and Cincinnati (2.01M) are larger than the Columbus metropolitan area, which has a population of 1,612,694 (2000 census, 31st largest in the United States). Electoral College. According to recent U.S. It has 55 electoral votes in the U.S. The city is the most populous in the state, with a population of 711,470 as of the 2000 census, and the heart of the third largest metropolitan area. At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives. Columbus is the capital of the state of Ohio in the United States of America.

California's legal system is explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from Spanish civil law. Dwight Yoakam, singer. California judges are always appointed by the Governor but must be regularly reconfirmed by the electorate. Nancy Wilson, singer. California's giant judiciary is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of California. Leslie Wexner, businessman and major city philanthropist. The capital moved to Sacramento for good on February 25, 1854, except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco due to severe flooding in Sacramento. James Thurber, cartoonist and humorist.

The capital moved to Sacramento temporarily in 1852 when construction on a State House could not be completed in time in Vallejo. Twyla Tharp, dancer. In California's early history, the capital was located in Monterey (1775-1849), San Jose (1849-1851), Vallejo (1852-1853), Benicia (1853-1854), and San Francisco (1862). Stine, author. The state's capital is Sacramento. L. Schwarzenegger replaced Governor Gray Davis (1999-2003) who was removed from office by the October 2003 California recall election. R.

Frazier). Schlesinger, Jr., historian and writer. Schwarzenegger was only the second person in the history of the United States to be put into office by a recall of a sitting Governor (the first was the 1921 recall of North Dakota Governor Lynn J. Arthur M. The current Governor is the Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose current term lasts through January 2007. Matthew Rush (porn star), well-known (gay) adult film star. In the Senate, there are 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I fighter pilot, "Ace of Aces".

For the 2005-2006 session, there are 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans in the Assembly. Gigi Rice, actress. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. Bobby Rahal, race-car driver, winner of the Indianapolis 500. The Senators representing the odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four, i.e., presidential election years. Tom Poston, actor (George the handy-man from TV show Newhart). The terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years. Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record eighteen golf majors.

Senators serve four year terms and Assembly members two. Air Force general. The California State Legislature consists of a 40 member Senate and 80 member Assembly. Curtis LeMay, World War II and Cold War U.S. The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be reelected only once. Elsie Janus, singer, broadway headliner and actress. The State also allows direct participation of the electorate by referendum, recall, and ratification. Paul Hamm, Olympic Gold Medal Winner 2004 (attending the Ohio State University).

California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government, the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other elected constitutional officers, the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate, and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. Morgan Hamm, Olympic Medal Winner 2004 (attending the Ohio State University). Main article: California government and politics. Woody Hayes, football coach. The state is liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry and, as mentioned above, American agricultural production. Dodie Goodman, actress (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). From 1965 to the present, this population completely changed and became one of the most diverse in the world. James "Buster" Douglas, former heavyweight boxing champion after defeating Mike Tyson.

In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the Union, sending the most electors to the Electoral College to elect the President. Henry Beecher Dierdorff mining engineer and inventor. Citrus, oranges in particular, were widely grown, and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production of today. Beverly D'Angelo, actress. Out West, residents were discovering that California was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. Chase, Chief Justice, Treasury Secretary, Governor and Senator. The connection of the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers came in 1869 with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Salmon P.

During the American Civil War, popular support was divided 70% for the South and 30% for the North, and although California officially entered on the side of the North, many troops went east to fight with the Confederacy. Bush, respectively. In 1850, the state was admitted to the Union. Bush and George W. But after gold was discovered, the population burgeoned with Americans and a few Europeans in the great California gold rush. W. In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000. Prescott Bush, US Senator, father and grandfather of Presidents George H.

portion, Alta (upper) California, was to become the state of California. Bow Wow, formerly known as "Lil' Bow Wow" musician. The western part of the U.S. Warner Baxter, actress. The Mexican portion, Baja (lower) California was later divided into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. Majel Barrett, actress. Following the Mexican-American War, the region was divided between Mexico and the United States.

Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States. The Republic came to a sudden end when Commodore John D. In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War, a California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown that featured a golden bear and a star. Upon Mexican independence from Spain, the chain of missions became the property of the Mexican government, and they were quickly dissolved and abandoned.

Beginning in the late 1700s, Spanish missionaries set up tiny settlements on enormous grants of land in the vast territory north of Baja California. The first to explore the entire coast and claim possession of it was Francis Drake in 1579. The first European to explore parts of the coast was the Portuguese Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. Main article: History of California.

(For further discussion, see: Origin of the name California.). The name comes from Las sergas de Espladián (Adventures of Spladian), a 16th century novel, by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. In these early times, the boundaries of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast were only partially explored and California was shown on early maps as an island. The entire region originally known as California was composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and the land in the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona and Wyoming, known as Alta California.

The vast majority of the population lives within 50 miles (80 km) of the Pacific Ocean. California dominates American culture and economy, contributing significant advances in technology and legal reform, in addition to paying significantly more to the federal system than it receives in benefits. Southern California is highly populated, while the larger northern California is less densely populated. postal abbreviation is CA, and its Associated Press abbreviation is Calif.. California's U.S.

The state's official nickname of "The Golden State" is often thought to be a reference to California’s 1849 gold rush but is in fact reference to the native grasses that turn a golden color during the dry season. California is both physically and demographically diverse. It is the most populous and third largest state in the U.S., has a population roughly the size of Canada and it is the sixth largest economy in the world. California is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean.

Walnut Creek (San Francisco Bay Area). Ventura (Greater Los Angeles). Torrance (Greater Los Angeles). Thousand Oaks (Greater Los Angeles).

Temecula (equidistant between Inland Empire and San Diego Area). Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley). Simi Valley (Greater Los Angeles). Santa Clarita (Greater Los Angeles).

Santa Clara (Silicon Valley). Santa Ana (Orange County). Pasadena (Greater Los Angeles). Palo Alto (Silicon Valley).

Ontario (Inland Empire). Newport Beach (Orange County). Irvine (Orange County). Huntington Beach (Orange County).

Glendale (Greater Los Angeles). Fremont (San Francisco Bay Area). Concord (San Francisco Bay Area). Chula Vista (San Diego Area).

Burbank (Greater Los Angeles). Berkeley (San Francisco Bay Area). Anaheim (Orange County). Important suburbs (within or near the above urbanized areas)