Like many southwestern states California varies in its climate and geography. From the warm sunny beaches to the snow-capped mountains and the hot desert, California is the place to experience it all!
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Native Americans in California were characterized by diversity. They were thought to have been 100,000 strong when diseases brought in by European settlers nearly obliterated their people.
Spain, Portugal and England each claimed California land as their own in the late 1500s. By 1602, Spain reaffirmed it claim but let the land languish until 1768 when it was ordered to be colonized. In the 1820s, Spanish monks founded twenty-one missions on the Pacific coast between what is now Los Angeles and San Diego. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1822, California swore allegiance to Mexico, but remained self-governing.
The late 1840s brought gold fever as the Gold Rush was in full swing. Crews abandoned their ships, farmer left their land while settlements were set up in each area even finding one gold nugget. The gold rush soon subsided and California was left to wallow in its own problems of a boom and bust economy. Stability did not come until the first trans-continental railroad was completed. This brought people, technology, agriculture and business to the state and began an unparalleled growth, which continues today.
No single industry dominates the state’s economy. Manufacturing provides twenty percent of the jobs, Silicon Valley is the world’s leader in computer related businesses and Los Angeles and San Diego dominate the aerospace industry. The most visible business is entertainment, with Hollywood being the entertainment capital of the world. California is the nation’s leading agricultural and vineyard state, providing a high percentage of the world’s wine and brandy.
The statewide sales tax is 7.25 percent. Counties may impose an additional 0.25 to 1.25 percent district tax and a transient occupancy tax may be imposed by various cities and counties.
Surf from the Pacific Ocean and snow from the Rockies are the bookends to virtually every recreational activity known to human kind. Year round resorts in Lake Tahoe and Big Bear draw hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals annually. Golfers can find world renown courses for their enjoyment as California is host to hundreds of public golf courses. Snow and water skiing abound and most months can both be done on the same day somewhere in the state. California is the leader in fishing licenses with ponds, rivers, streams, lakes and the ocean providing a great opportunity for all fisherman.
