Capital: Sacramento
Largest City: Los Angeles
Abbreviation: CA
Joined the Union: September 9, 1850
Nickname: The Golden State

The anchor of the West Coast, California is as diverse culturally as it is geographically. The state is home to the capital of entertainment, some of the world’s tallest trees, the only manually-operated trolley system in the country, and both the highest and lowest points in the lower 48. From the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas to the sunny shores of the Pacific coast, California really is a land all its own.