Mention California and images of a beautiful state with diverse landscapes that include sandy beaches and majestic mountains comes to mind. However, did you know that there is so much to discover about California? We’ve put together some interesting facts about the California – some of which you need to know and some of which will surprise you.
Interesting California Facts for Kids
1. Part of California Claimed Independence – for about a Month
Before California became part of the United States of America, it was an independent country in the year 1846. The California Republic was founded in the Sonoma Valley when it broke away from Mexico for a period of 25 days when the US military took over the land from the Mexico. It was also know as the Bear Flag Republic.
2. The California State Flag was derived from the Bear Flag Republic
In 1911, California adopted a modified version of the original bear flag as its state flag. It is now one of the most distinctive state flags in the United States.
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3. Bears once roamed around California
Today, it would be difficult to find a wild bear wandering around California. However, back in the 1800s, California Grizzlies were much more common as estimates of as many 10,000 bears before the Gold Rush. As the population of the state grew, gold miners and settlers ended up destroying more and more of the bears’ habitat. This led to the decline of its numbers until the California grizzly went extinct in the 1920s. The last California grizzly was seen near Yosemite in 1924.
4. California is the 31st State of the United States
Following the treaty of 1848 ending the US-Mexico War, California was ceded to the United States. In 1849, California had enough people to become a state and that’s what they did. On September 9, 1850, California became the 31st State of the United States of America.
5. San Jose was the first State Capital
Originally, the state capital of California was San Jose. However, during the winter of 1850 to 1851, the roads became muddy and wet and the location was deemed unsuitable. As a result, it moved several times before finally settling at Sacramento in 1854.
6. California was thought to be an island for hundreds of years
Till late as 1752, Europeans thought that California was an island. This was how it was depicted on maps. The first time that California was recorded as an island was in 1510. This was taken to be truth until this blunder was exposed by Father Euseebio Kino in his map. Even then, it took another 50 years for mapmakers to correct the mistake and reattach California to the rest of America.
7. The State motto is “Eureka”
An interesting fact about California is that the state motto is Eureka. The Greek word means “I have found it” and has appeared on the state seal since 1946. It is attributed to Archimedes, the Greek mathematician who is said to have shouted it when he discovered the method for determining the purity of gold. It became the official state motto in 1963.
8. California Has the Highest and Lowest Points in Lower 48
California can claim to be home to both the highest and lowest points in the lower 48. What’s even more interesting is that they can both be found in one county in California, Inyo. The highest point is the 14,494-foot Mount Whitney and the lowest is Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park at 282 feet below sea level.
9. The Redwood is the California State Tree
The California Redwood was designated the State tree in 1937.
10. California has the World’s Largest Tree and the World’s Second Largest Tree
You will find many of the world’s largest trees by volume in California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
The world’s largest is the General Sherman Tree at 52,508 cubic feet (1,487 cubic meters). It is a giant sequoia in the Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, in California.
The General Grant Tree is the second largest at 46,608 cubic feet (1,320 cubic meters). it can be found in the General Grant Grove section of Kings Canyon National Park in California. The General Grant Tree is estimated to be around 1,650 years old.
11. California’s nickname is The Golden State
Every state has its nickname and California’s is The Golden State. This came about because its association with the California Gold Rush. According to USA Today, another reason was because of the presence of golden poppies in the springtime. It also appropriate since we also associate California with golden sunsets and the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Golden State was officially adopted as the State’s nickname in 1968.
12. 10,000 Earthquakes in Southern California
According to the United States Geological Survey, southern California area experiences about 10,000 earthquakes each year. Thankfully, most of them are small. So much so that they are not even felt. Several hundred earthquakes have a magnitude of greater than 3.0, and only about 15 to 20 are greater than magnitude 4.0.
13. California and Sourdough
Sourdough bread is closely associated with California, especially in San Francisco. Sourdough traces its origins as far back as ancient Egypt. However, it gained popularity with the gold rush of 1848. It was popular with gold miners because of its durability.
14. State with Largest Population in the United States
California is the state with the highest number of people in the United States. With a population of 39 million, it has more people than many other countries around the world, including Canada!
15. Los Angeles is the Largest City in California
Los Angeles is the largest city in California by population. The next largest are San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno and Sacramento in that order. However, Los Angeles, which includes Hollywood, is by far the largest with a population that is more than double the size of San Diego.
16. California has the most number of National Parks in all the states
There are a total of 59 National Parks in the United States. These are spread out throughout the nation. California is home to 9 state parks of them.
California’s National Parks are some of the best and most visited ones in the country. In the south of the California, visitors can explore Joshua Tree National Park and its out of this world landscapes. On the eastern border is Death Valley National Park. To the north, there is the Redwoods National Park with its towering giants.
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