California is the most populous state in the US with over 38 million residents. It has a diverse landscape ranging from coastline to mountains. The document discusses California's major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as the state's Spanish colonial influence seen in many place names. Key facts about the state's climate, economy, agriculture, sports teams and some famous residents are also highlighted.

1. California – “The Golden State”
Presented by Kurt
State Flag of California
State Seal of California

2. Basic Facts
● California is the most
populous state in the USA,
with a population about 38
million.
● Geographically, it is the
third largest state, after
Alaska and Texas. Map of California within the U.S.
● The largest city is Los
Angeles, but the capital is
Sacramento.

3. How far is California from Spain?
California is very far from Spain. For example, the distance between Los Ange

4. Cities of California

5. Los Angeles (L.A.)
● I'm originally from Los
Angeles, which is the largest
city in California, and also the
second largest in the United
States (after New York City). It
has about 3,8 million
people, which makes it slightly
larger than Madrid.
● Los Angeles is a very important
city for California economically.
One of the most important parts
of the economy is the
entertainment industry, much of
which is headquarted in the
district of Hollywood. Another
important sector is tourism.

6. Other Important California Cities
Sacramento San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose

7. California's Central Coast
● I was born and raised in
Los Angeles, but I later
moved to California's
Central Coast to study.
The university I
attended is in San Luis
Obispo.
● While studying, I lived
in the beachside town
of Cayucos.

8. Why do so many cities in California have Spanish names?
● Europeans set foot in California
as early as 1542, but it wasn't
fully colonized until the late 18th
century.
● From 1769-1823, Spanish
missionaries set up 21 missions
to evangelize the native peoples
Examples of Spanish colonial architecture in California. of California. Most of these
missions have been preserved
and are a lasting example of
Spanish influence.
● California was under Spanish
control (as part of the
Viceroyalty of New Spain) until
1821, when Mexico gained
independence from Spain.
California did not become a US
state until 1850.

9. Where I went to school
● When I lived in the LA area, I attended John A. Rowland
High School.

10. Where I attended university
I attended California Polytechnic State University (known as Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo.
I studied French and Spanish in the Faculty of Modern Languages and Literatures.

11. My Family
● I have one brother and one
sister. I am the oldest child. My
sister's name is Stacey, and she
is 26 years old. My brother's
name is Logan and he is 23
years old.
I also have a nephew. In September, my sister gave birth to Dylan, the newest mem

12. My Family (continued)
● These are my parents. My
mother's name is Jill. She
is 56 and worked as a
waitress for many years,
but now she is mostly a
housewife. My father's
name is Scott. He is 58 and
works in construction
management.

13. Immigration & Ancestry
● The United States, like many
countries in the “new world”, is
a nation of immigrants. Most
Americans can trace their
ancestry to Europe.
● My family is primarily of
German descent, which explains
my unusual surname
(Schultheis). Most of my
German ancestors arrived in the
late 19th century, so German is
no longer spoken in our family.
● I also have some British
(English and Scottish) and Irish
ancestry.

14. Pets
Sybil, my cat. Ava, my family's dog.
We also have two other dogs, Cupcake and Sascha.

15. California's Coastline
● California has about
1,350 km of coastline
(and about 5,000 if the
bays are included).
Big Sur
● Because of all this
coastline, it has many
beautiful beaches,
which attracted millions
of tourists from other
parts of the US, as well
as from other countries.
Monterey Bay

16. California's Climate
● California has the greatest
climate diversity in the US,
ranging from an arid desert
Mount Whitney, California's highest point. Located climate, as in Death Valley,
in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
to subartic, as in parts of
the Sierra Nevada.
● The majority of California
has a mediterranean
climate similar to that of
many parts of Spain.
Winters are wet and mild.
Summers are hot and dry.
Death Valley, in eastern California. It receives less than 60mm of rainfall annually.

17. Brown Bear
Condor
Racoon
Fauna of California
Pelican Sea Lion
Coyote
Skunk Bobcat

18. Economy of California
● California represents 13% of the
US Gross Domestic Product
(GDP).
● If California were an
independent country, it would
be the eight largest economic
power worldwide.
● The most important economic
sectors are energy production,
agriculture, and industry
(aeronautics, information
technology, electronics, medical
supplies), entertainment, and
tourism.

19. Food in California
● Californians eat many of the
same things other Americans
do.
● Due to large numbers of
immigrants, especially from
East Asia and Latin America,
foreign cuisine is very popular.
Tacos and sushi are nearly as
popular as hamburgers and hot
dogs.
● California has its own specialties
as well, such as clam chowder
served in a sourdough bread
bowl, a specialty in San
Francisco. There is a strong
emphasis on eating fresh, local
ingredients, which are plentiful
due to California's mostly
temperate climate and
abundance of produce.

20. Sports in California
● As in other parts of the US, the
preferred sports in California are
American football, baseball, and
basketball.
● There are various rivalries that exist
between professional
teams, particularly among teams
from the LA area and those from the
San Francisco bay area. An example
is the rivalty between the LA
Dodgers and the SF Giants.
● Soccer (known as “football” in most
countries) is not very popular, but
there are some professional teams.
A notable example is L.A.
Galaxy, the team that David
Beckham has played for since
2007, after finalizing his contract with

21. Famous Californians – Actors
Marilyn Monroe Jake Gyllenhaal
Gwyneth Paltrow
Ben Affleck
Jennifer Anniston Leonardo DiCaprio

22. Famous California – Singers, musicians, and bands
Katy Perry
Gwen Stefani (No Doubt)
Adam Levine (Maroon 5)
Colbie Caillat
Green Day

23. Famous Californians – Sportspeople
Venus Williams (tennis player)
Tiger Woods (golfer)
Sasha Cohen (figure skater)

24. The end!