Admitted on September 9, 1850, the Golden State of California is the 31st state of the United States. It has an area of 163,707 square miles, making it the third geographically biggest state, after Alaska and Texas. However, as of year 2000, California holds the top ranking position when it comes to population. Like New York, California is the melting pot of various races. To know more about this particular state, here are some California facts.

Basic California Facts

• State capital – the state capital of California is Sacramento but other cities in California have gained more popularity, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
• Major industries – California is the base of varied industries such as agriculture (fruits, nuts, vegetables and livestock), oil (such as the Signal Hill, California), mining (such as Mariposa, California), electronics (such as Silicon Valley), entertainment (such as Hollywood in Los Angeles, California), and tourism.
• The Origin of the Name – In 1510, Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo wrote a romance story entitled “Las Sergas de Esplandian” in which there is an island ruled by a queen named Califia. When the Spanish explorers came to California, they strongly believed that it was the same island described by Montalvo, thus the name was adopted

Like all other states in the USA, California has chosen several official symbols that will represent its identity and uniqueness. Here are some of them

• State bird – The California Quail, which is also known as the valley quail stay in groups of 10 to 20 birds. These groups are called coveys. The scientific name is Callipepla californica, and this bird prefers woodlands, grassy valleys, and chaparrals to be able to eat insects, seeds, and leaves.
• State mammal – The Grizzly Bear, which can be as tall as 7 feet and heavy as 680 kg, is an endangered species. Grizzlies (scientific name: Ursus arctos) are nocturnal predators which prefer mountain forests and river valleys.
• State marine mammal – The Gray Whale, which is also called Baleen Whale, has hairy bristles, which scientists refer to as vibrissae. Such bristles serve as sensors, in a way similar to the whiskers of a cat. The Gray Whale can grow to as long as 50 feet and can weigh as much as 36 tons.
• State reptile – The Desert Tortoise, like the Grizzly Bear, is an endangered species. It was once described as a timid reptile that hides underneath the sand of the deserts of Mojave and Sonoran. It is a herbivore and it can live for as long as 80 years.
• State trees – The Coast redwood (scientific name: Sequoia sempervirens) and the Giant redwood (scientific name: Sequoia gigantean) are the pride of Californians. These are giant conifers that may reach more than 300 feet. One redwood is determined to be about 2,200 years old.
• State fossil – The Smilodon is a ferocious giant cat which lived about 1.6 million years ago. It is the largest saber-toothed tiger with extremely powerful jaws. It became extinct about 11,000 years ago, indicating that it survived the Ice Age.

Other state symbols are:

• State grass – Purple needlegrass
• State insect – California dog-face butterfly
• State fish – Golden trout
• State marine fish – Garibaldi
• State flower – California poppy
• State rock – Serpentinite
• State mineral – Gold
• State gem – Benitoite