An Overview of State of California

An Overview of State of California - Transcript

C J Cox Instructor

California Overview
California Place Name California Image Views Size and Shape of California California s Situation History of California Physical Environmental California Cultural Human California

California The Place Name
California used first by Spanish writer Ordonez de Montalvo in his book in 1570 to label this location California appeared on Spanish maps labeling the Gulf of California in 1560 s

The California Image
An image of somewhere between a comfortable paradise and a harsh land were hard work luck were required for survival Land of remarkable contrasts and contradictions of diversity divisions

Californian Perceptions
Perceptions
Glorified vs reality Regional views of CA Ethnocentrism ignorance

Resource rich rural north
backwards isolationists lacking culture

Economic and political urban powerhouse of the the south
high crime rates air water polluction traffic jams

Divisions enhanced by geographic distance

Size Shape Define California
158 693 square miles or 101 563 520 acres third largest state longer than it is wide 760 miles along a straight line along coast along inlets islands over 3 000 miles long 250 miles wide at widest Pt Arguello to Nevada 150 miles wide from SF to Lake Tahoe

Geographic Area of California
Area as defined by latitude longitude
42 degrees north 32 degrees north 120 degrees west
Tahoe to Oregon border

117 degrees west
at Mexican border

124 degrees west at
Cape Mendocino

California s Situation
California as a trading outpost adjacent to the Pacific Ocean
Spanish Mexican American Asian connections

Isolation from remainder of continent becomes an asset as economies originate in a sheltered environment California s Modern Situation the Pacific Rim

California History
Original Californian s were Asian Nomads colonization missions trading Mexican cattle ranches American Expansionism Statehood gold silver trains agriculture 20th century manufacturing trade Hollywood lure technology industries

California s Physical Geography
Climate Precipitation
less than 2 in the deserts greater than 100 in the mountains


Temperature Range
120 degrees F in southern deserts 0 degrees F in northern mountains

California s Physical Geography
Climate
Hawaiian Pressure causes summer drought and Aleutian Low brings wet weather in winter Next to California s cold water current which moderates temperatures and creates fog

California s Physical Geography
Elevations
lowest Death Valley 282 ft below sea level highest Mt Whitney 14 495 ft

California s Physical Geography
Geologic processes landforms
resulting from our location along active tectonic plate boundaries Varied and abundant mineral resources

California s Physical Geography
A diversity of physical geography with varied resources leads to a diversity of industries leading to wealth and specialization Sierra Nevada gold Coast Ranges petroleum nat gas Eastern Deserts borate potash Mountain Deserts Iron ore Cascades Klamath Sierra water Central Valley soils for agriculture Oceans fisheries Mountains forestry

California s Physical Geography
Plants
tallest living things in world Coast Redwoods largest living trees in world Sequoia Redwoods oldest living trees in world Bristlecone Pine oldest living plants in world Creosote Bush

California s Cultural Geography
Physical diversity inevitably leads to cultural diversity

Urban Landscapes 2000 s CA population exceeding 35 million largest population in the US

California s Cultural Geography
Ethnic Geography
greatest population in the world of several ethnic groups living outside their countries of origin

Hispanic cultures
missions to present Mexico s influence

Asian cultures
Chinese laborers miners Filipinos Japanese Vietnamese Hmong Mien

California Overview
California Place Name California Image Views Size and Shape of California California s Situation History of California Physical Environmental California Cultural Human California

C J Cox Instructor