California is a state in the western United States, located along the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 163,695 square miles (423,967 sq km) and is home to an estimated 39,538,223 people (as of 2022 est.) . The state capital is Sacramento.
Bordering California are Mexico, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. It is the largest state by population and the third largest by area, stretching 800 miles (1,300 km) from north to south and 250 miles (400 km) from east to west. Mount Whitney and Death Valley, the highest (14,494 ft [4,418 m]) and lowest (282 ft [86 m] below sea level) points in the 48 contiguous states, can be found within 85 miles (137 km) of each other.
Admitted to the union in 1850 as a non-slavery state under the Compromise of 1850, California's population boomed throughout the 20th century. Today, it is the most populous state in the United States with the largest economy. Unfortunately, its residents have experienced devastating earthquakes over the years, including those in San Francisco in 1906 and 1989, and Los Angeles in 1994.
The nickname of California is the Golden State and its motto is “Eureka (I Have Found It) ". Its state bird is the California valley quail, the state flower is the California poppy, and its state song is “I Love You, California". In the U.S. House of Representatives, California has 53 of the 435 seats. The time zone is Pacific (GMT − 8 hours) .