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California is the most populated state in the U.S. and the third largest in size, at 163,707 square miles. The name California comes from a mythical Spanish island paradise ruled by Queen Califia; Spanish explorers initially thought California was an island. The state's official nickname, "The Golden State," is due to it historically being a destination during the California Gold Rush in the 1840's. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and Mexico to the south. The Pacific Ocean borders the entire state to the west. The most populated city in California is Los Angeles, the second most populated city in the United States, and Los Angeles County is the most populated county in the United States. There are several other large metropolitan areas throughout California, in addition to Los Angeles, including San Francisco, San Diego, Riverside-San Bernardino and Sacramento, the state capital.

The geography of this large state is quite diverse, ranging from the large area of coastal land to the west and the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the east. There are incredible redwood forests in the northwest, the Mojave Desert in the southeast and the Central Valley area rich in land for agriculture. The state is known for the beauty of its landscapes and coastline, and there are many recreation destinations for water sports, surfing, hiking, camping, golfing, hunting, fishing, and more.

California is considered a center of trending culture, being the home of the film industry and the birthplace of many types of computer technology. It is home to the largest university system in the U.S., California State University, with approximately 430,000 students. There are also several notable private universities, such as Stanford and the University of Southern California. Primary industries of the state are finance, government, real estate services, and technology. California has the highest agriculture and farming output of any U.S. state, though that only accounts for a small part of the state's total economy.