California

California is a state located on the west coast of the United States. It is the most populous state in the U.S., as well as physically the most diverse, with the highest and the lowest points in the lower 48 states located within 150 miles of each other. If California were an independent nation, it would have the fifth largest economy in the world (see economy of California). The state's official nickname is "The Golden State" in reference to California's 1849 Gold Rush. {{ref|origin_of_nickname}} California's U.S. postal abbreviation is CA, and its Associated Press abbreviation is Calif.

Economy

California is responsible for 14% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP). The gross state product (GSP) is about $1.5 trillion ($1,500,000,000,000, as of 2004){{ref|econ}}, making it greater than that of every other U.S. state, and most countries in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity).

Related Topics:
Gross domestic product - Gross state product - Trillion - U.S. state - Countries in the world - Purchasing Power Parity

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next, is agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine). This is followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar volume, although many movies are still made in California; and light manufacturing including computer hardware and software, and the mining of borax.

Related Topics:
Agriculture - Fruit - Vegetable - Dairy - Wine - Aerospace - Entertainment - Television - Movies - Computer hardware - Software - Mining - Borax

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Per capita personal income was $33,403 as of 2003, ranking 12th in the nation. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The Central Valley has the most extreme contrasts of income, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage. While some coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S., notably San Francisco and Marin County, the non-agricultural central counties have some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic downturn caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data indicates that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%. The international boom in housing prices has been most pronounced in California, with the median property price in the state rising to about the half-million dollar mark in April 2005.

Related Topics:
Migrant farm workers - Minimum wage - San Francisco - Marin County - Silicon Valley - Santa Clara - San Mateo counties - Dot.com bust

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~