California () is a state in the Western USA that pushes the Pacific Shore. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares a global boundary with the Mexican state of Baja The golden state to the south. With nearly 40 million residents 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 biggest state economy in the U. S., with a GDP of approximately $4. 1 trillion. Before European emigration, California was among the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. European expedition in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the emigration by the Spanish Empire. The location ended up being a part of Mexico in 1821, as a result of its effective battle for self-reliance. Adhering To the U. S. conquest of The golden state, component of the Mexican-American Battle, The golden state was ceded to the United States in 1848. The California gold rush started in 1848 and resulted in social and group adjustments, consisting of the California genocide. It organized itself and was confessed as the 31st state in 1850 as a free state, adhering to the Concession of 1850. The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Location locations are the nation's second- and fifth-most heavily populated urban regions, with 19 million and 10 million citizens specifically. Los Angeles is the state's most heavily populated city and the country's second-most. California's capital is Sacramento. Component of the Californias area of The United States and Canada, the state's varied location varieties from the Pacific Shore and cities in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir woodlands in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. Two-thirds of the country's quake threat depends on California. The Central Valley, a productive agricultural area, dominates the state's center. The plus size of the state leads to climates that vary from moist temperate jungle in the north to dry desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. Dry spells and wildfires are an ongoing problem, while atmospheric rivers have actually become significantly common, leading to extreme flooding events—-- particularly in the winter. The economic climate of California is the largest of any U. S. state, with an approximated 2024 gross state product of $4. 172 trillion as of Q4 2024. It is the world's largest sub-national economic situation and, if it were an independent country, would be the fourth-largest economic climate worldwide (placing it behind Germany and ahead of Japan, as of 2025) when ranked by small GDP. The state's farming market leads the nation in output, fueled by its manufacturing of dairy products, almonds, and grapes. With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles), California plays a crucial role in the international supply chain, taking concerning 40% of products imported to the United States. Notable payments to popular culture, ranging from home entertainment, sports, songs, and fashion, have their origins in California. Hollywood in Los Angeles is the facility of the U. S. movie market and one of the earliest and biggest movie industries worldwide; exceptionally influencing global enjoyment since the 1920s. The San Francisco Bay's Silicon Valley is the facility of the worldwide innovation market.