Map of California

History

California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. Historians generally agree that there were at least 300,000 people living in California before European colonization. The Indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct ethnic groups, inhabiting environments ranging from mountains and deserts to islands and redwood forests.

Living in these diverse geographic areas, the Indigenous peoples developed complex forms of ecosystem management, including forest gardening to ensure the regular availability of important food sources and medicinal plants. This was a form of sustainable agriculture.

Geography

Covering an area of 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2), California is the third-largest state in the U.S. in area, after Alaska and Texas. California is one of the most geographically diverse states in the union and is often geographically bisected into two regions, Southern California, comprising the ten southernmost counties, and Northern California, comprising the 48 northernmost counties. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east and northeast, Arizona to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south (with which it makes up part of The Californias region of North America, alongside Baja California Sur).

Economy

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2025, California's gross state product (GSP) was $4.250 trillion, the largest of any U.S. state and the state's per capita personal income was $91,116. California is responsible for one seventh of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). As of 2025, California's nominal GDP is larger than all but four countries. In terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), it is larger than all but eight countries. California's economy is larger than Africa's and Australia's and is almost as large as South America's. The state recorded total, non-farm employment of 16,677,800 as of September 2021 among 966,224 employer establishments. As of 2024, California is home to 57 of the Fortune 500 companies, the highest number of any U.S. state.

Demographics

Presently, close to one out of every nine U.S. residents live in California. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the population of California was 39.54 million on April 1, 2020, a 6.13% increase since 2010. During that decade, the state's population grew more slowly than the rest of the nation, resulting in the loss of one seat on the U.S. House of Representatives, the first loss in its entire history. The estimated state population in 2023 was 38.94 million. For well over a century (1900–2020), California experienced steady population growth.