By Mr. Franks

California Facts: State population: 38,000,000 (Estimate 2009) 13% of total US population State Size: 164,000 square miles (3 rd largest state) Highest Point Mount Whitney (14,494 feet) Lowest Point Death Valley (-282 feet) Death Valley and Mount Whitney are only about 80 miles apart and represent the highest and lowest points in the continuous United States (Mount McKinley in Alaska is over 5ooo feet higher

California’s Economic Strength If California was its own country it would have the 7 th largest economy in the world. California has the third largest sea port in the world About a third of all the goods that are bought into the United States come via Long Beach and LA ports. Clothing Automobiles You name it! Video games, Ipods, High Def TV’s Of the top 100 fruits and vegetables produced in the United States, California is the leading producer of over 70% Asparagus, Avocados, Peanuts, Brocoli, Strawberries, Walnuts, Kiwi, California produces over 50% of all the fruits, nuts, and vegetable s grown in the United States. Agriculture accounts for about 50 to 60 billion dollars of California’s wealth each year, by far our largest industry.

More interesting California Facts Of the world’s 13 main climatic zones, California has 10 California’s has the countries best state run post secondary education system in the United States More foreigners visit California than any other state in the country California leads every state in the Aerospace industry Signal Hill in LA was the first major oil well in the world California is the world’s second largest movie producing place in the world (Mumbai in India #1)

Strange Natural Phenomena in California The world’s largest, tallest, and oldest trees are all found here! Giant Redwood (in Yosemite) the largest living thing ever to inhabit the planet The Costal Redwoods (range from Monterey to Southern Oregon) grow well over 300 feet tall (390 feet) Bristlecone Pine (in the White Mountains) the oldest living thing on the planet at3000 to 5000 years old. California Kelp (right of the coast) the fastest growing thing on the planet. Can grow as fast as the tallest NBA player each day! The list goes on and on!

California’s National Parks California has more national parks than every other state but Alaska Yosemite NP (glaciers, largest tree) Sequoia NP (largest tree, tallest mountain) Kings Canyon NP (largest tree) Joshua Tree NP (weirdest tree Yucca Breviolia) Channel Islands NP Death Valley NP (lowest point in west hemisphere) Costal Redwood NP (tallest tree) Lassen NP (erupted in 1915)

California is the leader in all these industries Agriculture Tourism Aerospace Computer Technology (Silicon Valley) Wine Industry Movie Industry General Manufacturing International Trade Construction

Number 1 issue: Water The majority of fresh water in California is located in the central and northern portions of the state The about 75% of the population in California exists in the bottom third of the state The majority of the bottom third of California is essentially desert, receiving less than ten inches a year How does California deal with this water balance?

Southern California’s Water