| By far the most populous state of the United States is California. |
| Located in the southwestern corner of the United States, |
| California is home to a great diversity of natural environments and cultural influences. |
| In the year 2000, over 33 million people lived in California. |
| California’s many mountains and valleys produce a wide variety of climates and natural regions. |
| In the interior, southeastern parts of the state are many areas of desert. |
| For example, Death Valley, which is so deep that it is below sea level, is extremely dry. |
| Temperatures in Death Valley sometimes exceed 50 degrees Celsius. |
| Other valleys are more pleasant and hospitable places. |
| In the central valley, many farms grow vast amounts of fruits and vegetables. |
| California also contains many tall, snow-covered mountains. |
| On the slopes of some mountains are forests that have very large trees. |
| Some of the giant redwood trees of California reach heights of 100 meters or more. |
| Many of the cities in California have Spanish names. |
| This is because many of those cities began as religious missions that were started by Spanish priests. |
| Mexico owned California during the early nineteenth century, but few Mexican people lived there. |
| The United States gained control of California during the 1840s, |
| and the discovery of gold brought many Americans and others to California. |
| Today, California contains some of the largest cities in the United States. |
| Within the greater Los Angeles area, |
| one can find Hollywood, known as the movie capital of the world. |
| Many rich people live in suburbs such as Beverly Hills, |
| and many poor people live in other neighborhoods throughout the city. |
| The Los Angeles area is home to over 15 million people, |
| many of whom have immigrated to the United States from Mexico and from many Asian countries. |
| Los Angeles is a very large city that has spread across a great area. |
| As a consequence, the city has many traffic jams and air pollution, or smog, is sometimes a problem. |
| Further north is the city of San Francisco, |
| one of the most beautiful cities of the United States. |
| The image of the Golden Gate Bridge, which crosses the harbor of San Francisco, |
| is famous around the world. |
| Also famous are the hilly streets of San Francisco |
| and the trolley cars that provide transportation along them. |
| San Francisco’s Chinese community is one of the largest in North America, |
| and the city also contains a vibrant artistic and cultural life. |
| San Francisco was destroyed by an earthquake in 1906 and was damaged again in 1989. |
| California has always had a special place in the imagination of Americans. |
| This is hardly surprising, given the variety and diversity of this vast state! |
