I.

Introduction

California, one of the Pacific Coast states of the United States, bordered on the north by Oregon, on the east by Nevada and Arizona, on the south by the Mexican state of Baja California, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The Colorado River forms the southern portion of the state’s eastern border.

California entered the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Agriculture and mining have always been important to the economy of California. Industrial activity expanded rapidly in the 20th century along with a booming population. By the 1990s California had a larger population than any other state and was the leading producer by value of both agricultural and manufactured goods. The name “California” was first given to the Baja California peninsula by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542 and was applied by other explorers to more northern areas. The word is derived from the name of an imaginary island in a popular Spanish romance of the time. California is also known as the “Golden State”.