Located on the west coast of the United States, California is the third largest state by land area and most populous state with a population of about 36.8 million residents.  In fact, California is the second most populous sub-national division behind Sao Paulo, Brazil.  California is bordered by Oregon to the North, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south.  The Pacific Ocean borders the west coast of California.  Some of the largest cities in the state include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, although the state is home to eight of the nation’s fifty largest cities.

Although the California Gold Rush is what brought many people to California in the 19^th century, the major industries supporting California’s economy today include aerospace, petroleum, and information technology.  However, despite the fact that California has one of the largest gross domestic products in the world, being larger than all but eight countries, California has suffered from a budget deficit for the past couple of years, causing many legislations being made in an attempt to alleviate the problem.  California is a state known especially for its car culture, resulting in cities with some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation.  However, the state is still served by public transportation options including Amtrak California, Metro subway and light rail networks, and trolley and bus lines.  Major airports in California include the Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.