California Almanac: Facts and Figures

Quick Facts and Figures on the State

California Almanac furnishes quick facts and figures on the state, its geography, climate and weather, elevation, land area, bordering states, electoral votes, number of senators and representatives to the US Congress, and other statistical data. Use this almanac of California for information on local issues, politics, events, celebrations, people and business pertaining to the state of California that can be found online.

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California is one of the Pacific Coast states of the US. Agriculture and mining have always been important to the economy of California. California industrial activity has expanded rapidly in the 20th century along with a booming population. By the 1990s California population was larger than any other state and was the leading producer by value of both agricultural and manufactured goods.

California Almanac
Official Name	California
Capital	Sacramento
Nick Name	The Golden State (Official, 1968)
Motto	Eureka (I have found it.)
Location & Region	38.54623 N, 121.42660 W			California
Constitution Ratified	1879
Date Admitted - Union:	September 09, 1850			31st state
Population	33,871,648	217.16 sq mi.		1st
Largest City (by population)	Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco
Bordering States	North: Oregon East: Nevada and Arizona (Colorado River forms the Southern portion of its Eastern border) South: Mexican state of Baja California West: Pacific Ocean. Coastline: 840 mi.
Number of Counties	58 Counties in California
Largest County (by population)	Los Angeles	9,519,338		4,060 sq mi.
Electoral Votes	55 (as of the 2004 Presidential Election)
US Congress	2 Senators; 52 Representatives (53 Representatives as of the 2002 election)
Time Zone	Pacific Standard Time
California Climate and Weather
California boasts of superb weather throughout the year, but conditions vary dramatically. Central valleys are hot in summer and somewhat cold in winter. Most of southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego and the like) are protected from extreme temperature because of the surrounding mountain ranges. September is the warmest month, while January and February are the coolest. San Francisco's weather is unpredictable with cloudy, cool and foggy conditions commonplace, and yet, the next day can be sunny with temperatures in the 70s. The city experiences ideal conditions September through November. Coastal cities (north and south) are cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The Sierra Nevada, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe areas do receive heavy winter snow and conditions can be quite harsh
Highest Temperature	134 degrees Jul. 10, 1913 - Greenland Ranch
Lowest Temperature	-45 degrees Jan. 20, 1937 Boca-
Avg Temp: High - Low	92.2 degrees		14.3 degrees
California Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet)
Mean Elevation	2,900
Highest Point	Mt. Whitney			14,494
Lowest Point	Death Valley			–282 Below Sea Level
California Land Area (Square Miles)
Geographic Center	38 miles east of Madera
Total Area	163,695.57			3rd
Land Area	155,959.34			95.28%
Water Area	7,736.23			4.72%
Forested Land Area			38.6 percent
Dimensions (Length - Width)	770 miles			250 miles
Source:(US Census, April 1, 2000)

Almanac Online

e-ReferencerDesk's Almanac for the 50 States is a fun and informative site for students of all ages. The Almanac brings you information about the people and places that make US a great place to live, visit, or study.

Almanac: Facts and Figures

The origin of the almanac can be traced back to ancient Babylonian astronomy, when tables of planetary periods were produced in order to predict lunar and planetary phenomena.

Modern almanacs include a comprehensive presentation of statistical and descriptive data.