The outlying areas around these cities are also packed in from a population standpoint. Cities such as San Francisco, Anaheim, and the state capital of Sacramento are teeming with diverse populaces and a wide variety of different industries. One key industry that California has been well known for since the dot.com boom of the 1990s is the tech industry. The Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area brings in workers and companies from all around the world looking to balance themselves on the cutting edge of gadgets, applications, software, and hardware.
Other leading industries within California’s borders include biotechnology, aerospace defense, tourism, machinery, manufacturing, and agriculture. In particular, the agricultural imprint of California spreads across the globe. For instance, the city of Gilroy is one of the foremost garlic producers in both the United States and the world. They even put on a yearly Garlic Festival to celebrate their contributions to the greater sphere.
Nicknamed the Golden State thanks to the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s which brought thousands upon thousands of pioneers across the United States in hopes of instant prosperity, California stretches across a vast portion of the West Coast of the country. Boasting an impressive landmass of 155,959 square miles with 58 counties spread out within that space, California is basically an amalgam of several different states within one state.
In the south near the Mexican border, the climate is steaming hot during the summers in tune with the desert topography. Conversely, the northern tip of California which shares a border with Oregon is much more lush and cold with rainstorms throughout the year. Those are just the two extremes, though. If you’re thinking about moving to California, you’ll be able to find a city or county with the ideal weather for your particular lifestyle. That’s one of the beautiful things about California’s diverse landscape, and one of the things which draws so many people to emigrate there.
As of 1964, California bypassed New York as the most populous state in the United States. This trend has not abated in recent years, as more United States citizens and immigrants from outside the U.S. find their way to the Golden State than any other state. Immigrants from other countries who settled in California accounted for an amazing one-third of the entire new immigrant populace back in 1994.
What keeps people coming to California? And not only to its major cities, but also growing urban sprawls such as Fresno, Long Beach, and Bakersfield? Well, one thing is that there's so very much to do in California! Not only is California home to 18 of the most beautiful National Forests in the United States, but it's also home to a whopping 278 different state parks and beaches. Whether you want to take your family camping at Yosemite National Park or read by the waves on the Point Reyes National Seashore, you’ll never be very far away from complete natural splendor if you make the move to the Golden State.
Natural beauty isn't all that California has to offer. It's also one of the foremost entertainment capitals of the world! Are you a Disney fan? Disneyland isn't just a theme park. It's an attraction that draws tourists into Southern California from every country you can possibly think of. It's a big reason why Anaheim is growing as a city, and the tourism dollars it rakes in provides a huge jolt for the California economy year-round.
California is also home to Hollywood and a burgeoning film industry that sets the bars for other film industries around the world. Hollywood became one of the centers of film production for many reasons, with perhaps the most important being its climate and scenic locale. In Hollywood, you can do outdoor shooting at any point during the year and be greeted with an agreeable climate and diverse topography. While other film industries are making their mark around the world, Hollywood remains a mecca for those looking to make it big in television and cinema.
In short, California is all about setting trends for the rest of the world. This is the case across a wide variety of different niches and industries, with no better example than California’s diverse array of food options. With one of the most eclectic groupings of different cultures and food traditions in the entire world, California is home to foods from hundreds upon hundreds of different countries and regions. It boasts one of the biggest Asian populations outside of Asia which has informed the food culture in some interesting and beautiful ways. Looking for a good Thai spot? You’ll find one in Eureka and Fresno just the same. Do you want traditional Cantonese without traveling to China? Check out the Chinatown offerings of places like Oakland.
Are you a sports fan? California is definitely for you. The Golden State is home to 19 different professional sports franchises, dozens of other semi-professional sports teams, and hundreds of collegiate teams across a wide swath of different sports. Whether you're looking for someone to root for or just something to do on a Saturday night, California has you covered. You can even catch two different professional sports games on the same day in the San Francisco Bay Area sometimes, considering that it has six different teams in the four major sports. If football is your passion or baseball is your heart, places like Fremont and Union City promise easy access to all the sports that your heart could desire.
And if you are going to sports events in the San Francisco Bay Area or anywhere within California, you have a variety of different transportation options at your disposal to get there. While California has one of the most extensive and organized grids of highways and byways in the entire country, it's also home to a wealth of different public transportation options. The San Francisco Bay Area has both an extensive bus system and BART – Bay Area Rapid Transit. A light-rail system that goes as far north as Pittsburg and as far south as Milpitas, BART is one of the most reliable subway systems in the United States. Many commuters park their cars at one of the system's stations or adjacent parking lots and then use BART to head to work, sporting events, or other events around the Bay Area.
There's just so much to California, and the money doesn't lie. California is home to a sub-national economy of $3 trillion. That's far and away the largest sub-national economy in the world and would qualify as the world's fifth-largest economy if California was its own country. If you're looking for work and heading to California, you're in luck. The Golden State is home to four of the world's ten largest countries in terms of market capitalization, and employment opportunities are usually easy to come by in a wide swath of different fields. Get your resume ready before moving to California. It could be your ticket to a new career!
Looking to be the king or queen of California state trivia? Below is a list of different living and inanimate state symbols for you to wow your friends with:
For the uninitiated, California can be a daunting experience. It's such a huge state with the third-largest landmass in the United States, and there are so many different cultures and subcultures spread across the state. However, California is also known for its laid-back attitude which helps many transplants breathe easier and find their way within its borders. If you're looking for a state to relax and be yourself without much of a problem, you can't do better than one of the most unique states in the Union.
Whether you're looking to be a part of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles or to camp under the stars in Death Valley and experience some of the wildest climate variances in the continental United States, California is the place to be. Once you transport your car or truck to your new home in the Golden State, you'll be able to drive and see everything the state has to offer with your own two eyes. And believe us, there's a lot to see.
