Facts and Information for California

Map of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuges in California

Reference: www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/California.html

Official California State Website	http://www.state.ca.us/
State Capital	Sacramento
Origin of State Name	The name California was bestowed by the Spanish conquistadors, taken from "Las Serges de Esplandian," a Spanish romance written about 1510 which describes an imaginary island; an earthly paradise.
Joined the Union	California became the 31st state on September 9,1850
State Bird	California Valley Quail
State Fish	California Golden Trout
State Marine Fish	Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus)
State Animal	California Grizzly Bear
State Marine Mammal	California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
State Reptile	Desert Tortoise (gopherus agassizi)
State Insect	California dogface butterfly also known as Dog Head Butterfly (Zerene eurydice)
State Tree	Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia
State Flower	California Poppy
State Grass	Purple Needlegrass (Nassella pulchra)
State Mineral	Gold
State Rock	Serpentine
State Gemstone	Benitoite
State Prehistoric Artifact	Chipped Stone Bear
State Soil	San Joaquin Soil
State Dance	West Coast Swing Dancing
State Folk Dance	Square Dance
State Fife and Drum Band	The California Consolidated Drum Band
State Fossil	Saber-toothed Cat (Smilodon californicus)
State Song	“I Love You, California”
State Motto	The Greek word "Eureka" "I have found it!"
State Nickname	Golden State
State Colors	Blue and Gold
State Gold Rush Ghost Town	Bodie
State Silver Rush Ghost Town	Calico
State Historical Society	California Historical Society
State Theater	Pasadena Playhouse
State Military Museum	The California State Military Museum is located at 1119 Second Street in the Old Sacramento State Historical Park.
State Tall Ship	The Californian
Time Zone Location	PST - Pacific Standard (GMT - 8 hours)
Population projected estimate for year 2010 based on U.S. Census 2000 results.
Male	18,863,485
Female	19,203,649
Total	38,067,134
Crime Information	Crime Statistics for 1997 - 2006
Median Household Income (latest figures available)	$49,894
Unemployment Rate	5.6
10 Largest Cities by Population	Los Angeles San Diego San Jose San Francisco Long Beach Fresno Sacramento Oakland Santa Ana Anaheim
Cities and Towns	California Cities & Towns
Counties	California Counties
Major Universities	Major California Universities
Major Rivers	Major California Rivers
Major Lakes	Major California Lakes
Total Land Area	155,959.34 Square Miles
Total Water Area	7,736.23 Square Miles
Total of Both Land And Water Area	163,695.57 Square Miles
General Coastline	840 Miles
Lowest Elevation	Death Valley; 282 feet below sea level
Highest Elevation	Mount Whitney; 14,505 feet

REFERENCES
• CA.gov Welcome to the State of California, 2/1/2008, http://www.state.ca.us/
• The Traveler's Guide to Arkansas, 02/24/2008 , http://www.soskids.arkansas.gov/9-12-history-symbols.html
• NWRS - Refuge Locator Map, 2/1/2008, http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/
• Interim Projections of the Male Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030, 2/1/2008, http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA2.pdf
• Interim Projections of the Female Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030, 2/1/2008, http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA3.pdf
• United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2006, 2/1/2008, http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
• California, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=California&oldid=190511053 (last visited Feb. 16, 2008).