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California Almanac

The California Almanac presents a general overview of the State of California.

Category Information

Sources...

The United States Census Bureau, July 10, 2001.
California. C-Ch. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1988. 38. Print.
Carpenter, Alan, and Carl Provorse. The World Almanac of the U.S.A.. Mahwah: World Almanac Books, 1996. Print.

Admitted to Union September 9, 1850
Capital Sacramento, [ Find out more... ]
Nickname The Golden State (official), The Land of Milk and Honey, [ Find out more... ]
Motto Eureka, [ Find out more... ]
Total area including land and water 163,707 square miles Rank among states 3rd
Land area 155,973 square miles Rank among states 3rd
Water area 7,734 square miles Rank among states 6th
Greatest distance East to West 560 miles
Greatest distance North to South 1,040 miles
Highest point 14,494 feet (Mount Whitney) Rank among states 2nd
Lowest point -282 feet (Death Valley) Rank among states 1st
Mean elevation 2,900 feet Rank among states 11th
Highest recorded temperature 134 degrees on Jul. 10, 1913 at Greenland Ranch
Lowest recorded temperature -45 degrees on Jan. 20, 1937 at Boca.
Highest monthly average temperature 92.2 degrees Rank among states 12th
Lowest monthly average temperature 14.3 degrees Rank among states 16th
Average yearly precipitation (rain & snow) 22 inches Rank among states  
Population
(U.S. Census, April, 2000)
33,871,648 Rank among states 1st
Population per square mile
(Population/Land area)
217.16 Rank among states 12th
Ten largest cities by population
State capital in red
(U.S. Census, April, 2000)

1. Los Angeles 3,694,820 6. Fresno 427,652
2. San Diego 1,223,400 7. Sacramento 407,018
3. San Jose 894,943 8. Oakland 399,484
4. San Francisco 776,733 9. Santa Ana 337,977
5. Long Beach 461,522 10. Anaheim 328,014
Median age 31.5
Average lifetime (1979-1981) 74.57 Rank among states 19th
Total crimes reported per 100,000 people (1992-1993) 6,456.9 Rank among states 5th
Violent crimes reported per 100,000 people 1,077.8 Rank among states 3rd
Property crimes reported per 100,000 people 5,379.1 Rank among states 9th
Per capita income (2000)
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce
$32,149 Rank among states 8th
Disposable per capita personal income (income minus taxes) (2000)
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce
$26,401 Rank among states 10th
Median household income (1993) $34,073 Rank among states 14th
Weird California: You Travel Guide to California's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

Weird California: You Travel Guide to California's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, by Greg Bishop, Joe Oesterle, and Mike Marinacci. 304 pages. Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company (May 5, 2009)

California is a land of sun, surfing, and serious weirdness. Yes, the Golden State has a huge number of strange people, haunted houses, and bizarre sites, and fitting them all in one book is impossible, but we've done our best.

With oranges for sustenance and notepads and cameras in hand, the authors set out to travel the highways (clogged, of course), byways, and back roads in search of the odd and the offbeat. Whether it's a Man Dog, an airplane graveyard, or a city of Lizard People, the authors have researched and chronicled the stories and present them here for you, fellow admirers of the weird.

Visit the NETSTATE California State Book Store for California related books, including California Reference Books, History, Biographies and Cookbooks.

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