California was admitted into the United States on Sept. 9, 1850. The state capital is Sacramento, the state bird is the California Valley Quail, and the state flower is the California Poppy. California consists of 58 Counties with the largest cities being Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Ana and Anaheim. California's highest point is Mt. Whitney at 14,494 feet and lowest point is Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level.

California's diverse geography ranges from the hard, rocky beaches of the Pacific coast to the rugged, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. The central portion of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. The Sierra Nevada contains Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially-carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the largest living organisms on Earth, the giant sequoia trees, and the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. The tallest living things on Earth, the ancient redwood trees, dot the coastline, mainly north of San Francisco.