California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coastline. It surrounds Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the eastern, and shares a global boundary with the Mexican state of Baja The golden state to the south. With nearly 40 million citizens throughout an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the biggest state by population, third-largest state by location and the largest state economic situation in the U. S., with a GDP of approximately $4. 1 trillion. Prior to European emigration, The golden state was just one of one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian The United States and Canada. European expedition in the 16th and 17th centuries caused the colonization by the Spanish Realm. The location ended up being a component of Mexico in 1821, as an outcome of its successful war for freedom. Complying With the U. S. occupation of The golden state, component of the Mexican-American War, California was ceded to the United States in 1848. The California gold rush began in 1848 and resulted in social and group modifications, consisting of the California genocide. It organized itself and was admitted as the 31st state in 1850 as a cost-free state, complying with the Concession of 1850. The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area locations are the country's second- and fifth-most populated metropolitan regions, with 19 million and 10 million citizens specifically. Los Angeles is the state's most populous city and the nation's second-most. The golden state's capital is Sacramento. Part of the Californias area of The United States and Canada, the state's varied location varieties from the Pacific Coast and cities in the west to the Sierra Nevada hills in the eastern, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. Two-thirds of the country's earthquake risk depends on California. The Central Valley, a productive farming area, controls the state's center. The plus size of the state leads to environments that differ from moist temperate rain forest in the north to dry desert in the interior, in addition to snowy alpine in the hills. Droughts and wildfires are an ongoing concern, while atmospheric rivers have actually ended up being increasingly common, bring about intense flooding occasions—-- especially in the winter season. The economic situation of The golden state is the largest of any U. S. state, with an approximated 2024 gross state product of $4. 172 trillion since Q4 2024. It is the globe's biggest sub-national economic climate and, if it were an independent country, would be the fourth-largest economic situation worldwide (placing it behind Germany and in advance of Japan, as of 2025) when rated by nominal GDP. The state's farming sector leads the nation in result, fueled by its manufacturing of dairy, almonds, and grapes. With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles), California plays a critical duty in the international supply chain, hauling in about 40% of products imported to the US. Significant payments to popular culture, ranging from amusement, sports, songs, and fashion, have their origins in California. Hollywood in Los Angeles is the facility of the U. S. film industry and one of the oldest and biggest movie industries on the planet; exceptionally affecting international home entertainment since the 1920s. The San Francisco Bay's Silicon Valley is the center of the international technology sector.