Nice to see you in California!

Mirror Lake

Yosemite Waterfall

Welcome to California

On June 14, 1846, a small band of settlers marched on the Mexican garrison at Sonoma and took the commandant, Mariano Vallejo, prisoner, They issued a proclamation which declared California to be a Republic independent of Mexico. This uprising became known as the Bear Flag Revolt after the hastily designed flag depicting a grizzly bear and a five pointed star over a red bar and the words "California Republic." The grizzly bear was a symbol of great strength while the lone star made reference to the lone Star of Texas. The flag only flew until July 9, 1846 when it was learned that Mexico and the United States were already at war. Soon after, the Bear Flag was replaced with the American flag. It was adopted as the State Flag by the State Legislature in 1911.

    People QuickFacts California USA

  Population, 2006 estimate 36,457,549 299,398,484

Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 7.6% 6.4%

Population, 2000 33,871,648 281,421,906

Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2006 7.3% 6.8%

Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2006 26.1% 24.6%

Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2006 10.8% 12.4%

Female persons, percent, 2006 50.0% 50.7%

White persons, percent, 2006 (a) 76.9% 80.1%

  Black persons, percent, 2006 (a) 6.7%

State

Rank(total area)

Land1

area Water2

area Totalarea

California 3 155,959.34 7,736.23 163,695.57

The Constitutional Convention of 1849 adopted the Great Seal of the State of California. The seal

was designed by Major R. S. Garnett of the United States

Army, and proposed by Caleb Lyon, a clerk of the convention.

The Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, has at her feet a grizzly

bear and clusters of grapes representing wildlife and

agricultural richness. A miner works near the busy Sacramento

River, below the Sierra Nevada peaks. The Greek word "Eureka"

meaning "I have found it", probably refers to the miner's

discovery of gold. Near the upper edge of the seal are 31 stars

representing the number of states with California's

anticipated admission. Just as Minerva sprung full-grown from

the head of Jupiter, California became a state on September 9,

1850, without having to go through a territorial stage.

California's official state song is "I Love You, California", written by F.B. Silverwood, a Los Angeles merchant. The words were subsequently put to music by Alfred Frankenstein, a former conductor for the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. It was the official song of expositions held in San Francisco and San Diego in 1915, and was played aboard the first ship to go through the Panama Canal. In 1951, the State Legislature passed a resolution designating it as California's state song. During the years following, several attempts were made to make other songs such as "California, Here I Come" the official state song. Finally, in 1988, "I Love You, Califomia" became the official state song by law.

I Love You, CaliforniaI.

I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all.I love you in the winter, summer, spring and in the fall.I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore.

I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore. Chorus

Where the snow crowned Golden SierrasKeep their watch o'er the valleys bloom,

It is there I would be in our land by the sea,Every breeze bearing rich perfume.

It is here nature gives of her rarest. It is Home Sweet Home to me,And I know when I die I shall breathe my last sigh

For my sunny California. II.

I love your red-wood forests - love your fields of yellow grain.I love your summer breezes and I love your winter rain.I love you, land of flowers; land of honey, fruit and wine.I love you, California; you have won this heart of mine.

III.I love your old gray Missions - love your vineyards stretching far.

I love you, California, with your Golden Gate ajar.I love your purple sun-sets, love your skies of azure blue.

I love you, California; I just can't help loving you. IV.

I love you, Catalina, you are very dear to me.I love you, Tamalpais, and I love Yosemite.

I love you, Land of Sunshine, Half your beauties are untold.I loved you in my childhood, and I'll love you when I'm old.

The California grizzly bear (Ursus californicus) was designated official State Animal in 1953. Before dying out in California, this largest and most powerful of carnivores thrived in the great valleys and low mountains of the state, probably in greater numbers than anywhere else in the United States. As humans began to populate California, the grizzly stood its ground, refusing to retreat in the face of advancing civilization. It killed livestock and interfered with settlers. Less than 75 years after the discovery of gold, every grizzly bear in California had been tracked down and killed. The last one was killed in Tulare County in August 1922, more than 20 years before the authority to regulate the take of fish and wildlife was delegated to the California Fish and Game Commission by the State Legislature.

State animal

Grizzly bear

The California quail (Lophortyx californica), also known as the valley quail, became the official state bird in 1931. A widely distributed and prized game bird, it is known for its hardiness and adaptability. Plump, gray-colored and smaller than a pigeon, the California quail sports a downward curving black plume on top of its head and black bib with white stripe under the beak. Flocks number from a few to 60 or more in the fall and winter months, but in the spring break into pairs. They nest in hollows scratched in the ground and concealed by foliage, and their eggs, 6 to 28 in number, are creamy white and thickly spotted with golden brown.

State bird

Quail

The combination of blue and gold as official colors in California were first used as school colors by the University of California, Berkeley in 1875. Blue represented the sky and gold the color of the precious metal found by forty-niners in the state's hills. The Secretary of State began using blue and gold ribbons with the state seal on official documents as early as 1913. Secretary of State Frank M. Jordan suggested making blue and gold the official state colors and in 1951, the State Legislature passed legislation to that effect.

State color

The California Consolidated Drum Band was designated as the official State Fife and Drum Corps in 1997. The music of fife and drum roused and inspired soldiers during significant events in this country's history.

State Fife and Drum Band

West Coast Swing Dancing, related to the Swing, Whip, or Jitterbug, came into being in the early 1930's in response to new

musical forms then sweeping the land. It was created at the grassroots level and devotees of this art come from every

conceivable ethnic, religious, racial, and economic background.West Coast Swing Dancing is an intricate dance, requiring a

great deal of coordination, good timing, and intelligent application. It is an American dance which is danced to American

music. It originated in California and is danced in competition nationally and internationally.

State Dance

The golden trout (Salmo agua-bonita) is native only to California and was named the official state fish by act of the State Legislature in 1947. Originally the species was found only in a few streams in the icy headwaters of the Kern River, south of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the United States outside of Alaska. Stocking of wild and hatchery-reared fish has extended its range to many waters at high elevation in the Sierra Nevada from El Dorado and Alpine Counties southward. It has also been planted in other states.

State Fish

California Indians cherished the poppy as both a source of food and for oil extracted from the plant. Its botanical name, Eschsholtzia californica, was given by Adelbert Von Chamisso, a naturalist and member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, who dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1816 in a bay surrounded by hills of the golden flowers. Also sometimes known as the flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the poppy grows wild throughout California. It became the state flower in 1903. Every year April 6 is California Poppy Day, and Governor Wilson proclaimed May 13-18, 1996, Poppy Week.

State Flower State Grass

The official State Grass designated in 2004, is Nassella pulchra, or Purple needlegrass, as it is most commonly known. Purple needlegrass is a

medium-large, long-lived bunchgrass well adapted to clay soils. It is the most widespread native bunchgrass and its growing range is from the Oregon border into northern Baja California.

The seed of this grass species was one of several used by many California Native American

communities as a food source. It remains to this day as an important food source for California’s

wildlife. Once established, Purple needlegrass is tolerant of summer drought and heat. It can live

more than 150 years and has been used in projects such as habitat restoration,

erosion and levee control.

The California dogface butterfly or dog head (Zerene eurydice) was designated the official State Insect in 1972. The butterfly is found only in California from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the Coast Ranges and from Sonoma south to San Diego. The male has a yellow silhouette of a dog's head on its wings. The female is usually entirely yellow with a black spot on the upper wings.

State Insect

The California redwood was designated the official State Tree of California by the State Legislature in 1937. Once common

throughout the Northern Hemisphere, redwoods are found only on the Pacific Coast. Many groves and stands of the

towering trees are preserved in state and national parks and forests. There are

actually two genera of California redwood: the coast redwood (Sequoia

sempervirens) and the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). The coast

redwoods are the tallest trees in the world; one reaching over 379 feet tall

grows in Redwood National and State Parks. One giant sequoia, the General

Sherman Tree in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, is over 274 feet

high and more than 102 feet in circumference at its base; it is widely

considered to be the world's largest tree in overall volume.

Under a full head of steam, the desert tortoise (gopherus agassizi) moves at a stolid pace of about 20 feet per minute. This patient vegetarian has existed on Earth almost unchanged for millions of years. It is found in the southwestern desert areas of California where it now enjoys protected status as an endangered species. The desert tortoise played a key role in the passage of the California Desert Protection Act in 1994.

To protect the fragile desert habitat of the tortoise and other plants and animals, millions of acres were added to the national park and wilderness system. Supporters reportedly brought a desert tortoise to the White House for the bill signing. The tortoise has been the official State Reptile since 1972.

A golden orange fish approximately 14 inches in length, the garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus) is

most common in the shallow waters off the Southern California coast. Young garibaldi are even more colorful with bright blue spots on a

reddish orange body. When disturbed these fish emit a thumping sound which can be heard by

divers. Although the garibaldi is not an endangered species, there is concern that

commercial collection by the saltwater aquarium industry has reduced its numbers. In 1995, the

Legislature acted to protect the garibaldi by placing a moratorium on commercial collection

until the year 2002. They also named the garibaldi the official State Marine Fish.

State Marine Fish

Measuring 35 to 50 feet in length and around 20 to 40 tons in weight, the California gray whale

(Eschrichtius robustus) is identified by its mottled gray color and low hump in place of a dorsal fin. Gray whale feed mainly on small crustaceans

along the ocean bottom in the western Bering Sea where they spend the summer.

From December through February, the whales can be seen traveling southward in small groups along the California coast on their way to the bays and lagoons of Baja California where mating occurs and the females calve. In March and April, they once again travel north following the shoreline. The California gray whale was designated the

State Marine Mammal in 1975.

Graet Marine Mammal

Benitoite was designated as the official State Gemstone in 1985. Sometimes called the " blue diamond", it was first discovered near the headwaters of the San Benito River from which it derived its name. The gem is extremely rare and ranges in color from a light transparent blue to dark, vivid sapphire blue, and occasionally it is found in a violet shade.

As one might expect, gold is the official state mineral and was so designated in 1965. In the four years following the discovery of gold by James Marshall in January of 1848, California's population swelled from 14,000 to 250,000 people. Miners came from all over the world and extracted 28,280,711 fine ounces of gold from 1850-1859 which would be worth approximately $10,000,000,000 today. Although production is much lower, present day prospectors can still pan for gold in California's streams.

The Greek word "Eureka" has appeared on the state seal since 1849 and means "I have found it". The words were

probably intended to refer to the discovery of gold in California. Archimedes, the famed Greek mathematician, is said to have exclaimed "Eureka!" when, after long study, he

discovered a method of determining the purity of gold. In 1957, attempts were made to establish "In God We Trust"

as the state motto, but "Eureka" was made the official state motto in 1963.

"The Golden State" has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in

1968. It is particularly appropriate since California's modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848 and fields of golden poppies can be seen

each spring throughout the state.

State Motto

State Nickname

We cannot imagine today’s California without

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER   

38TH Governor of California    

MARIA SHRIVER First Lady

Maria Shriver is a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend, who proudly serves as the First Lady of California. An award winning journalist and best selling author, Shriver became California’s First Lady upon her husband Arnold Schwarzenegger’s inauguration as the 38th Governor of California on November 17, 2003.

Shriver has embraced her role as First Lady with a can-do attitude. Describing herself as a “General Assignment First Lady” – evidenced by the numerous challenges she

tackles – her calls to action have resounded across the state, addressing critical issues such as the struggles of

the working poor; childhood obesity; Alzheimer’s disease and people living with disabilities; supporting military

families; disaster preparedness; extolling the accomplishments of women; and promoting culture, art

and history throughout the state.

Her leadership at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts was instrumental in establishing the “Remarkable Women’s Exhibit,” which highlights, for the first time, the extraordinary achievements of California’s trailblazing women; and “Latinas: the Spirit of California,” the first exhibit of its kind in the state to celebrate the many contributions made by outstanding Latina women. She supports California’s military families “who serve too” through the Heroic Families Program, and is a dedicated supporter of Special Olympics – one of the largest and most respected sports organizations in the world for the developmentally disabled – serving on the organization’s International Board.

Sacramento, with a population of nearly 1.8 million, is one of the quickly-growing areas of state. In addition to being the state capital, it is a prosperous shipping and processing center for the fruit, vegetables, rice, wheat, and dairy goods produced in the Central Valley. In the past decade, it also became an area of high-tech spillover from Silicon Valley, and more freshly a suburb for Bay Area workers seeking affordable homes. The amount and quality of downtown restaurants like the Esquire Grill and The Waterboy have improved too. This thriving and politically charged city has broad, tree-shaded streets lined with some impressive Victorians and well-crafted bungalows. At its heart sits the capitol Sacramento's most visible attraction in a large park replete with flower gardens, memorial statuary, and curious squirrels. Inside the capitol, visitors strain to get a glimpse of California's movie star governor, Arnold "The Terminator" Schwartznegger.

Sacramento is California State's capital. The Golden State's dazzling white was made-up in 1869 and restored in 1976. Its dome, which looks like a Faberge egg from inside, and first statuary continue along its eaves, and antiques from the original offices furnish its historic rooms. The collection of California governors' portraits is peculiarly compelling.

This city is a small paradise, sunny summers and warm winters provide almost anything you are looking for in a vacation destination. While you are in this place you will find innovative accommodations, art, history, museums, golf courses, attractions, real estate and much more. Coachella Valley offers great attractions and interesting California scenery. While you are here please check out some of the surrounding area attractions and activities that make the Palm Springs area what it is. More than 20 art galleries, antiquity stores, and many peculiarity shops line Palm Canyon Drive.

Surfing is a famous activity here, with the Pacific Ocean offering endless opportunities to catch the perfect wave. Nearby Malibu Colony Plaza is a special and unique shopping center. Much shopping is available at the Malibu Country Mart, an outdoor mall that offers a number of upscale shops that cater to the Hollywood elite. Aside from shopping, Malibu is home to numerous parks and green spaces that can be used for a variety of outdoor activities.

Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and is located in the southern half of the state. It is a great and very diverse city; from Hollywood to East L.A. you can find every possible lifestyle represented in this microcosm. Los Angeles is home to traffic jams, smog, and political power in the state.

Welcome to California Destinations

For a little bayside city, Santa Cruz has a lot to offer. The principal show, of course, is the Beach Boardwalk, the West

Coast's only seaside amusement park, which attracts millions of visitors each year. But past the arcades and cotton candy is a

surprisingly diverse and energetic city that has a little something for everyone. Shopping, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, fishing, kayaking, surfing, wine tasting, golfing and whale-watching are

things that you can do.

Santa Barbara is one of the places that seem to have it all. It's attractive, has a lot of history, a good climate, beautiful beaches and some of the best vineyards of America are only miles away.

Santa Barbara has a number of visits that are historically and culturally significant. Downtown Santa Barbara is also an

interest place to visit. There's no place quite like downtown Santa Barbara, and State Street that is its heart. Don't miss La

Arcada, just next to the Museum of Art, also is representative for

its Spanish Mediterranean architecture.

San Francisco is well known for its hills, cable cars, Union Square, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown and numerous other distinctive sections and

neighborhoods, Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, Fisherman's Wharf, Victorian homes, Ghirardelli Square, the Palace of Fine Arts, Coit Tower

located on Telegraph Hill, The Embarcadero, Golden Gate Park, and much more. San Francisco also offers great shopping, restaurants, arts and culture,

parks and recreation, festivals, sports, spectacular bay views, and more. Union Square has Union Square Park, shopping, theatre, hotels, cafes, art

galleries, nightlife, restaurants, and other offerings. The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937 and is one of America's best known landmarks. It

connects San Francisco with Marin County. There is much more to discover and enjoy in San Francisco.

Some of the most beautiful spots for hiking and other outdoor activities are Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, and Yosemite in the High Sierra. Reaching as it does from the Mexican border in the south to the Pacific Northwest in the north, California must have one of the most diverse climates of any state. If you can stand the heat, try exploring one of California's many deserts, such as Death Valley. On the other end of the climate spectrum, the redwood rainforests of the North Coast are truly a sight to behold and offer a very different glimpse of a beautiful state!

Leonardo DiCaprio the favorite Californian boy

born in Los Angeles

In 1911, the first studio was opened in Hollywood, Los Angeles.Film-makers soon realised that Southern California’s climate was perfect for shooting films all the year round. And the area had settings for nearly any film – it had mountains, desert and ocean. Soon nearly all important American studios were in Hollywood and it became the film-making capital of the world. Today Hollywood is not what it was. Many studios have moved to other places. The film stars have also moved to areas like Beverly Hills and Malibu. But visitors to Hollywood today can go to the famous Chinese Theatre and the footprints and autographs of famous film stars. They can go down the Walk of fame and see the golden stars on the pavment…

A brainstorming meeting was called to create an ongoing weekend event that would benefit the fundraising efforts of the local non-profit groups. It seemed the plan would also help promote Carpinteria as a Southern California weekend getaway destination and boost our local economy.Why avocados? Well, Santa Barbara County is the third largest avocado producer in North America, with Carpinteria being a major contributor. It seemed like a natural food festival in the making. Why have the Festival the first weekend in October? Oddly enough, statistics show that October is one of the sunniest months of the year with the least amount of rainfall.

And there it began...the California Avocado Festival.  The festival has evolved into one of the largest in California with three days of fabulous food, terrific music, and great safe family fun.As the Festival grows, so do the number of participants and festival-goers. This year over forty non-profit groups will benefit by catering to 100,000 avocado visitors. The California Avocado Festival itself is a non-profit group that generates it’s own operating revenue each year. The annual event is completely organized by a committee of volunteers, and includes one part-time staff person.

 History of the Festival

The idea of the California Avocado Festival began in 1986

at a meeting between community leaders Rob Godfrey, Connie Korbel, Debbie Murphy, Fran Puccinelli, Bob Ealee and

John Franklin. 

California Adventure: Disney's California Adventure is the new 55-acre theme park located right next door to Disneyland. Celebrating the people, places & experiences of California. Enjoy five themed lands and the all-new A Bugs Land, where you can learn all about bugs in the "It's Tough to be a Bug!" 3D movie. Then there's California Screamin', a looping roller coaster with plenty of air-time! Also enjoy new shows and parades for added entertainment.

Love,Irina!

See you later!