City of San Jacinto
—  City  —
Panorama along 6th Street to the east.
Location in Riverside County and the state of California
Coordinates: 33°47′14″N 116°58′0″W / 33.78722°N 116.966667°W / 33.78722; -116.966667Coordinates: 33°47′14″N 116°58′0″W / 33.78722°N 116.966667°W / 33.78722; -116.966667
Country	United States
State	California
County	Riverside
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• City Council	Mayor Scott Miller Vice Mayor Andrew Kotyuk Steve Di Memmo Mark Bartel Alonso Ledezma
• City Manager	Tim Hults
Area[1]
• Total	26.131 sq mi (67.679 km2)
• Land	25.716 sq mi (66.605 km2)
• Water	0.415 sq mi (1.074 km2)  1.59%
Elevation	1,565 ft (477 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	44,199
• Density	1,700/sq mi (650/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	92581-92583
Area code(s)	951
FIPS code	06-67112
GNIS feature ID	1652787
Website	City of San Jacinto

San Jacinto is a city in Riverside County, California, U.S.A. It was named after Saint Hyacinth and is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south. The mountains associated with the valley are the San Jacinto Mountains. The population was 44,199 at the 2010 census.

The city is home to Mt. San Jacinto College, a community college which has served the valley and Inland Empire for over 40 years since 1965.^[2] The city was founded in 1870, and incorporated as a city on April, 9 1888. Making it one of the oldest cities in Riverside County, as well as being incorporated before the formation of the county. San Jacinto will also be home to part of the Mid County Parkway a planned route that would eventually connect the San Jacinto Valley to the city of Corona and Riverside. In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, the city became a home to many dairies, and a center for agriculture.

San Jacinto also is home to the Soboba Casino, a gaming casino owned and operated by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians. The Sobobas are sovereign and self-sufficient in community affairs. They have opened an Indian tribal school, the Noli Academy.

History[link]

The Luiseño were the original inhabitants of what later would be called the San Jacinto Valley, having many villages with residents.^[3] In their own language, these people called themselves Payomkowishum (also spelled "Payomkawichum"), meaning People of the West. They are a Native American people who at the time of the first contacts with the Spanish in the sixteenth century, inhabited the coastal area of southern California, ranging fifty miles from what now is the southern part of Los Angeles County, California to the northern part of contemporary San Diego County, California, and their settlements extended inland for thirty miles.

The tribe was named Luiseño by the Spanish due to their proximity to the Mission San Luís Rey de Francia ("The Mission of Saint Louis King of France," known as the "King of the Missions"), which was founded on June 13, 1798 by Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén, in what was the First Military District in what now is Oceanside, California, in northern San Diego County.

The Anza Trail, one of the first European overland routes to California, named after Juan Bautista de Anza,⁴ crossed the valley in the 1770s. Mission padres named the valley, San Jacinto, which is Spanish for Saint Hyacinth, and around 1820 they established an outpost there.

In 1842 José Antonio Estudillo received the Rancho San Jacinto Viejo Mexican land grant. In the 1860s, the Estudillo family began selling off portions of their rancho and through acquisitions, a small American community began to form. In 1868, local residents petitioned to form a school district and by 1870 a store and post office had been established. With these establishments, 1870 is considered the founding date of San Jacinto.

A plan for the community was developed in 1883 and a city government for it was incorporated on April 20, 1888, within San Diego County. San Jacinto is one of the oldest American cities in the region. In May 1893, Riverside County was created by the division of northern San Diego County and part of what now is San Bernardino County, changing the county government over San Jacinto as the new county was created.

In 1883, the San Jacinto Land Association laid out the modern city of San Jacinto at Five Points. The railroad arrived in 1888 and the city government was incorporated that same year. Since local geological records have been kept, the city has been struck by two large earthquakes, one on Christmas Day 1899, and the other on April 21, 1918.

The local economy was built on agriculture for many years and the city also received a boost from the many tourists who visited the nearby hot springs. The city, and its residents, helped to start the Ramona Pageant ( California's official State Outdoor Play), in 1923, and have supported the historic production ever since.^[4]

On July 15, 1937, San Jacinto was the end point for the longest uninterrupted airplane flight to that date when Mikhail Gromov's crew of three made the historic 6,262-mile (10,078 km) polar flight from Moscow, USSR in a Tupolev ANT-25. This flight followed another similar historic flight over the pole when Valery Chkalov's crew of three ended up in Vancouver's Pearson Airfield earlier that same year. With these two flights, the USSR earned two major milestones in the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI, flight records. In the early 1950s the fraternal group E Clampus Vitus and the Riverside County Department of Transportation commemorated the historic Gromov flight by erecting a stone marker on Cottonwood Avenue, just west of Sanderson Road in west-central San Jacinto.The landing site is also marked by California State Historical Landmark Number 989.

Geography[link]

San Jacinto is located at 33°47′14″N 116°58′0″W / 33.78722°N 116.966667°W / 33.78722; -116.966667 (33.787119, -116.966672).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.1 square miles (68 km²), of which, 25.7 square miles (67 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (1.59%) is water.

The San Jacinto reservoir is an artificial lake used as a basin for the San Diego Aqueduct, a branch of the Colorado River Aqueduct west of town.

Demographics[link]

2010[link]

The 2010 United States Census^[6] reported that San Jacinto had a population of 44,199. The population density was 1,691.4 people per square mile (653.1/km²). The racial makeup of San Jacinto was 25,272 (57.2%) White, 2,928 (6.6%) African American, 812 (1.8%) Native American, 1,341 (3.0%) Asian, 124 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 11,208 (25.4%) from other races, and 2,514 (5.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,109 persons (52.3%).

The Census reported that 43,971 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 169 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 59 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 13,152 households, out of which 6,460 (49.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,954 (52.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,121 (16.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 912 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 938 (7.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 111 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,459 households (18.7%) were made up of individuals and 1,231 (9.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34. There were 9,987 families (75.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.81.

The population was spread out with 14,487 people (32.8%) under the age of 18, 4,404 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 11,885 people (26.9%) aged 25 to 44, 8,755 people (19.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,668 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.3 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

There were 14,977 housing units at an average density of 573.2 per square mile (221.3/km²), of which 8,943 (68.0%) were owner-occupied, and 4,209 (32.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.3%. 28,777 people (65.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 15,194 people (34.4%) lived in rental housing units.

2000[link]

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there are 23,779 people, 8,314 households, and 5,836 families residing in the city. The population density is 368.6/km² (954.6/mi²). There were 9,476 housing units at an average density of 146.9/km² (380.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.3% White, 2.7% African American, 2.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 19.5% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. 40.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,314 households out of which 36.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% har someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.3% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,627, and the median income for a family was $34,717. Males had a median income of $31,764 versus $25,392 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,265. 20.3% of the population and 15.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26.6% of those under the age of 18 and 12.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Politics[link]

In the state legislature San Jacinto is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican Bill Emmerson, and in the 65th Assembly District, represented by Republican Paul Cook. Federally, San Jacinto is located in California's 41st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +9^[8] and is represented by Republican Jerry Lewis.

Tourism[link]

Estudillo Mansion

San Jacinto has a memorial to veterans at Druding Park, which has emerged as a remarkable tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services. In the park, each branch of the military has an equipment artifact used by its members in battle, as a symbol of their services. There is a tank for the Army, a propeller for the Air Force, an anchor for the Navy, a lighthouse for the Coast Guard, and in the near future the city government hopes to add a howitzer for the Marine Corps. Various plaques and memorials also grace the 1-acre (4,000 m²) park.

The city is also home to the Estudillo Mansion, which was home to Francisco Estudillo who was the city's first Postmaster and was elected as the city's second mayor. The mansion also has a twin mansion built by Estudillo's brother, Jose Antonio Estudillo, Jr. The two mansions and the grounds are all that remains of the original 35,000-acre (140 km²) Mexican land grant given to the brother's father, Jose Antonio Estudillo in 1842. The mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the California Register of Historic Resources. This is only the third Riverside County site to receive this honor.^[9] Francisco lost his mansion to foreclosure in 1901, but even though Jose, his brother, died in the same year, his family retained his mansion and property, including the olive grove, and it was considered the Estudillo Estate, becoming the site of many family events, and a couple of family burials, until it was sold in 1919. Seven years later, Adelaide, Jose's wife died in Riverside.

Services[link]

Public safety[link]

Police[link]

The city now contracts with Riverside County Sheriff's Department for police services, being covered by their East Hemet (former Hemet Valley) Regional Station. (The original SJPD was disbanded in 2004.)

Fire[link]

San Jacinto also contracts fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection). The city currently has two fire stations. Fire Station 78 covers the west side of the city and Fire Station 25 covers the east end of the city. Fire Station 25 is also a CAL FIRE fire station which has a wildland fire engine.^[10]

Education[link]

The city is served by the San Jacinto Unified School District made up of 12 schools. The two high schools are San Jacinto High School (San Jacinto, California) and Mountain View High School (San Jacinto, California), a continuation high school: The De Anza Educational Center. There are 7 elementary (includes De Anza Elementary site), 3 middle schools and one independent studies program on the Mountain View High School campus site. A new grades 6-8 charter San Jacinto Leadership Academy opened on a currently unused portion of the Clayton A. Record Elementary School campus in the 2011-12 school year serving 200 children. The academy will feature a more structured program including leadership by the current commander of the highschool ROTC program and will require students to wear school uniforms. [1]

There is also a K-12 charter school called San Jacinto Valley Academy which serves students and families who do not wish to go to traditional district schools. This school is IB (International Baccalaureate) accredited and it is dedicated to college prep and student achievement.

Cemetery[link]

The San Jacinto Valley Cemetery District^[11] maintains the San Jacinto Valley Cemetery^[12] in the city.^[13][14]

Arts[link]

The Diamond Valley Arts Council (DVAC) maintains an arts complex called the Esplanade Arts Center (EAC), which features an art gallery, community arts classes, and a performance space home to the Inland Stage Company (ISC).

Other information[link]

Mt. San Jacinto College has a sports stadium for college football and a gymnasium for college basketball, along with a ball park for a collegiate baseball team the San Jacinto Valley Hermits in the 2009 season, but expected to play in Beaumont, California in 2010.

See also[link]

Inland Empire portal

• Gold Base - the Church of Scientology international headquarters, located nearby
• Hemet, California

External links[link]

• City of San Jacinto, CA
• Diamond Valley Arts Council
• Esplanade Arts Center
• Inland Stage Company
• San Jacinto Museum
• San Jacinto Unified School District website
• Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians official site

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: San Jacinto, California

	Lake Perris	Beaumont & Box Springs Mountains	Box Springs Mountains
	Nuevo		Mount San Jacinto State Park
		San Jacinto    East
	Homeland	Hemet	Hemet & Valle Vista

v t e Municipalities and communities of Riverside County, California, United States County seat: Riverside Cities Banning Beaumont Blythe Calimesa Canyon Lake Cathedral City Coachella Corona Desert Hot Springs Eastvale Hemet Indian Wells Indio Jurupa Valley La Quinta Lake Elsinore Menifee Moreno Valley Murrieta Norco Palm Desert Palm Springs Perris Rancho Mirage Riverside San Jacinto Temecula Wildomar CDPs Aguanga Anza Bermuda Dunes Cabazon Cherry Valley Coronita Crestmore Heights Desert Center Desert Edge Desert Palms East Hemet El Cerrito El Sobrante French Valley Garnet Glen Avon Good Hope Green Acres Highgrove Home Gardens Homeland Idyllwild-Pine Cove Indio Hills Lake Mathews Lake Riverside Lakeland Village Lakeview March ARB Mead Valley Meadowbrook Mecca Mesa Verde Mira Loma Mountain Center North Shore Nuevo Oasis Pedley Ripley Romoland Rubidoux Sky Valley Sunnyslope Temescal Valley Thermal Thousand Palms Valle Vista Vista Santa Rosa Warm Springs Whitewater Winchester Woodcrest Unincorporated communities Alberhill Alessandro Arcilla Arnold Heights Belltown Biskra Palms Bly Bonnie Bell Box Springs Cactus City Cahuilla Cahuilla Hills Chiriaco Summit East Blythe Edgemont El Cariso Gilman Hot Springs La Cresta Lost Lake Mortmar River Bend Lodge Sage Sun City Palm Desert Indian reservations Agua Caliente Indian Reservation Cabazon Indian Reservation Cahuilla Reservation Colorado River Indian Reservation Los Coyotes Reservation Morongo Reservation Ramona Indian Reservation Santa Rosa Indian Reservation Soboba Reservation Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation Ghost towns Alamo Bonito Auld Bergman Caleb Eagle Mountain Hell La Placita Midland Pinacate Saahatpa Terra Cotta

Coordinates: 39°34′52″N 122°00′24″W / 39.58111°N 122.00667°W / 39.58111; -122.00667

Jacinto
—  Unincorporated community  —
Jacinto Location in California
Coordinates: 39°34′52″N 122°00′24″W / 39.58111°N 122.00667°W / 39.58111; -122.00667
Country	United States
State	California
County	Glenn County
Elevation[1]	112 ft (34 m)

Jacinto is a small unincorporated community in Glenn County, California.^[1] Named for Jacinto Rodriques, who received a Mexican land grant in the area in 1844, it is located on the Sacramento River 11 miles (18 km) east-northeast of Willows,^[2] at an elevation of 112 feet (34 m).^[1]

A post office was established at Jacinto March 19, 1858 and operated until November 15, 1910.^[2] Jacinto was the home of Dr. Hugh J. Glenn, a prominent figure in California politics.

References[link]

v t e Municipalities and communities of Glenn County, California, United States County seat: Willows Cities Orland Willows CDPs Artois Elk Creek Hamilton City Unincorporated communities Afton Alder Springs Bayliss Bluegum Butte City Capay Chrome Codora Copper City Cory Dogtown Fiddlers Green Fruto Glenn Grapit Greenwood Jacinto Jenks Place Keller Place Kirkwood Logandale Lone Star Meyers Place Mills Orchard Newville Norman Ordbend Rotavele Wilson Place Wyo Indian reservations Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians Ghost towns Belvedere Floyd Kanawha Kurand Losa Lyman Malton Millsaps Millsholm Monroeville Olimpo Reynolds Place Winslow

This Glenn County, California-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

State of California Flag Seal Nickname(s): The Golden State Motto(s): Eureka[1] Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English (only) 57.6% Spanish 28.2%[2] Demonym Californian Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Area  Ranked 3rd in the U.S.  - Total 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4.7  - Latitude 32° 32′ N to 42° N  - Longitude 114° 8′ W to 124° 26′ W Population  Ranked 1st in the U.S.  - Total 37,691,912 (2011 est)[3]  - Density 242/sq mi  (93.3/km2) Ranked 11th in the U.S.  - Median household income  US$61,021 (9th) Elevation    - Highest point Mount Whitney[4][5][6][7] 14,505 ft (4421.0 m)  - Mean 2,900 ft  (880 m)  - Lowest point Badwater Basin in Death Valley[5][6] −282[8] ft (-86.0 m) Before statehood California Republic Admission to Union  September 9, 1850 (31st) Governor Jerry Brown (D) Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom (D)[9] Legislature California State Legislature  - Upper house California State Senate  - Lower house California State Assembly U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) U.S. House delegation 34 Democrats, 19 Republicans (list) Time zone Pacific: UTC -8/-7 Abbreviations CA Calif. US-CA Website www.ca.gov California State symbols The Flag of California. The Seal of California. Animate insignia Bird(s) California Quail Fish Golden Trout Flower(s) California Poppy Grass Purple Needlegrass Insect California Dogface Butterfly Mammal(s) California grizzly bear (State Animal )[1] Reptile Desert Tortoise Tree California Redwood Inanimate insignia Beverage Wine Colors Blue & Gold Dance West Coast Swing Fossil Sabre-toothed cat Gemstone Benitoite Mineral Native Gold Rock Serpentine Soil San Joaquin Song(s) "I Love You, California" Tartan California State Tartan Route marker(s) State Quarter Released in 2005 Lists of United States state insignia

California (pronounced ⁱ/kælɨˈfɔrnjə/) is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state,^[10] and the third most extensive (after Alaska and Texas). It is home to the nation's second- and sixth-largest census statistical areas (Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and San Francisco Bay Area), and eight of the nation's fifty most populated cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland).^[11] The capital city is Sacramento.

California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east – from the Redwood–Douglas-fir forests of the northwest, to the Mojave Desert areas in the southeast. The center of the state is dominated by Central Valley, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States (Mount Whitney and Death Valley), and has the third-longest coastline of all states (after Alaska and Florida). Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually.^[12]

The name California once referred to a large area of North America claimed by Spain that included much of modern-day Southwestern United States and the Baja California peninsula. Beginning in the late 18th century, the area known as Alta California, comprising the California territory north of the Baja Peninsula, was colonized by the Spanish Empire as part of New Spain. In 1821, Alta California became a part of Mexico following its successful war for independence. Shortly after the beginning of the Mexican-American War in 1846, a group of American settlers in Sonoma declared an independent California Republic in Alta California. Though its existence was short-lived, its flag became the precursor for California's current state flag. American victory in the war led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in which Mexico ceded Alta California to the United States. Western areas of Alta California became the state of California, which was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

The California Gold Rush beginning in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic change, with large scale immigration from the U.S. and abroad and an accompanying economic boom. Key developments in the early 20th century included the emergence of Los Angeles as the center of the American entertainment industry, and the growth of a large, state-wide tourism sector. The late 20th century saw the development of the technology and information sectors, punctuated by the growth of Silicon Valley. California's prosperous agricultural industry also emerged; at least half of the fresh fruit produced in the United States are now cultivated in California, and the state also leads in the production of vegetables.^[13] Other important contributors to its economy include aerospace, education, and manufacturing. If California were a country, it would be the eighth-largest economy in the world^[14] and the 34th most populous nation.

Etymology[link]

Welcome to California sign

The word California originally referred to the entire region composed of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, the current U.S. states of California, Nevada, and Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

The name California is most commonly believed to have derived from a fictional paradise peopled by Black Amazons and ruled by Queen Calafia.^[15][16] The story of Calafia is recorded in a 1510 work The Adventures of Esplandián, written as a sequel to Amadis de Gaula by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.^[17][18][19] The kingdom of Queen Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a remote land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts, and rich in gold.

Know ye that at the right hand of the Indies there is an island called California, very close to that part of the Terrestrial Paradise, which was inhabited by black women without a single man among them, and they lived in the manner of Amazons. They were robust of body with strong passionate hearts and great virtue. The island itself is one of the wildest in the world on account of the bold and craggy rocks.

— Chapter CLVII of The Adventures of Esplandián^[20]

The name California is the fifth oldest surviving European place-name in the US and was applied to what is now the southern tip of Baja California peninsula as the Island of California by a Spanish expedition led by Diego de Becerra and Fortún Ximénez, who landed there in 1533 at the behest of Hernán Cortés.^{[note 1]}

Geography[link]

Topographic map of California

Aerial view of the California Central Valley

Sierra Nevada

Yosemite National Park

Lake Tahoe

California adjoins the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With an area of 160,000 square miles (414,000 km²), it is the third-largest state in the United States in size, after Alaska and Texas.^[22] If it were a country, California would be the 59th-largest in the world in area.

In the middle of the state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. The Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows approximately one-third of the nation's food.^[23][24]

Divided in two by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the northern portion, the Sacramento Valley serves as the watershed of the Sacramento River, while the southern portion, the San Joaquin Valley is the watershed for the San Joaquin River; both areas derive their names from the rivers that transit them. With dredging, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers have remained sufficiently deep that several inland cities are seaports.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta serves as a critical water supply hub for the state. Water is routed through an extensive network of canals and pumps out of the delta, that traverse nearly the length of the state, including the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Water from the Delta provides drinking water for nearly 23 million people, almost two-thirds of the state's population, and provides water to farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The Channel Islands are located off the southern coast.

The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range") includes the highest peak in the contiguous forty-eight states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 ft (4421 m).^[4][5][6] The range embraces Yosemite Valley, famous for its glacially carved domes, and Sequoia National Park, home to the giant sequoia trees, the largest living organisms on Earth, and the deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume.

To the east of the Sierra Nevada are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential migratory bird habitat. In the western part of the state is Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake by area entirely in California. Though Lake Tahoe is larger, it is divided by the California/Nevada border. The Sierra Nevada falls to Arctic temperatures in winter and has several dozen small glaciers, including Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier in the United States.

About 45 percent of the state's total surface area is covered by forests,^[25] and California's diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state. California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska. Many of the trees in the California White Mountains are the oldest in the world; one Bristlecone pine has an age of 4,700 years.

In the south is a large inland salt lake, the Salton Sea. The south-central desert is called the Mojave; to the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest and hottest place in North America, the Badwater Basin at −282 feet (−86.0 m).^[8] The horizontal distance from the nadir of Death Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney is less than 90 miles (140 km). Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with routine extreme high temperatures during the summer. The southeastern border of California with Arizona is entirely formed by the Colorado River, from which the southern part of the state gets about half of its water.

Along the California coast are several major metropolitan areas, including Greater Los Angeles Area, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Diego metropolitan area.

As part of the Ring of Fire, California is subject to tsunamis, floods, droughts, Santa Ana winds, wildfires, landslides on steep terrain, and has several volcanoes. It sees numerous earthquakes due to several faults, in particular the San Andreas Fault.

Climate[link]

Snow on the mountains of Southern California.

Death Valley, in the desert regions of Eastern California

California's climate varies from Mediterranean to subarctic.

Much of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with cool, rainy winters and dry summers. The cool California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. Farther inland, one encounters colder winters and hotter summers.

Northern parts of the state average higher annual rainfall than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well: some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. Northwestern California has a temperate climate, and the Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate but with greater temperature extremes than the coast. The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to moderate heat in summer.