The State of California

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The capital of California is Sacramento.

The Postal Code for California: CA

Typical abbreviations for California: Cal., Calif.

Time Zone: The state of California is in the Pacific Time (PST/PDT) zone and observes daylight saving time.

Note:

Starting in 2007, Daylight Savings Time will be begin 3 weeks earlier and end 1 week later. Click here for details.

When the people of California refer to themselves: Californian

Population: According to the 2006 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,457,549 people. This represents 12.18% of the national total, making it the country's most populous state.

The following are population changes since the last Census. The population counts after year 2000 are estimates.

Year	Population	Change
2006	36,457,549	+0.84% since 2005
2005	36,154,147	+0.87% since 2004
2004	35,841,254	+1.07% since 2003
2003	35,462,712	+1.25% since 2002
2002	35,024,517	+1.37% since 2001
2001	34,550,466	+2.00% since 2000
2000	33,871,648	Last Census Count

Area: The area of California is 163,696 square miles (423,970.69 km²). This represents 4.31% of the national total. California ranks as the 3rd largest state.

	State Flag

Density: The population density of California is 233.76 people per square mile (90.26 people/km²). California ranks 11th in population density.

Nickname for California: "The Gold State"

State Motto: "Eureka" (I have found it)

State Bird: California Valley Quail (lophortyx californica)

State Tree: California Redwood (sequoia sempervirens)

State Flower: Golden Poppy (eschscholtzia californica)

State Song: "I Love You, California"

Statehood: California became the 31st state on Sep 9, 1850.

Useful State Links

The state website for California can be found at:

www.state.ca.us

The portal for California tourism:

www.gocalif.ca.gov

For information about California fishing regulations and licenses requirements:

www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing/index.html

For information about California hunting regulations and licenses requirements:

www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/index.html

Communities Ranked by Population (Top-15)

Rank	City	2005 Population	National Rank
1	Los Angeles	3,844,829	2
2	San Diego	1,255,540	7
3	San Jose	912,332	11
4	San Francisco	739,426	13
5	Long Beach	474,014	34
6	Fresno	461,116	37
7	Sacramento	456,441	40
8	Oakland	395,274	42
9	Santa Ana	340,368	51
10	Anaheim	331,804	55
11	Riverside	290,086	66
12	Stockton	286,926	69
13	Bakersfield	295,536	70
14	Fremont	200,468	86
15	Glendale	200,065	98

Other Roadside Stops

The Lighthouses of California

Miscellaneous Information

Census Region:   4   (West)

Census Division:   9   (Pacific)

State FIPS-55 Code:   06

Office of Management and Budget (OMB):   Region IX   /   Region 9

ISO-3166-2 Code:   US-CA

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