California is the most populous U.S. state. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state is home to eight of the nation's fifty largest cities.

California is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and, to the south, the Mexican state of Baja California. Ranking third among the U.S. states in area, California has a diverse topography and climate.

California has an enormously productive economy, which for a nation would be one of the ten largest in the world. Although agriculture is gradually yielding to industry as the core of the state's economy, California leads the nation in the production of fruits and vegetables, including carrots, lettuce, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, and almonds.

The state's most valuable crops are grapes, cotton, flowers, and oranges; dairy products, however, contribute the single largest share of farm income, and California is again the national leader in this sector. The state also produces the major share of U.S. domestic wine. Manufacturing, notably of electronic equipment, computers, machinery, transportation equipment, and metal products, has increased enormously.

Vacation and entertainment have always been major industires.