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Do you remember what the four regions of California are? They are
coastal, valley, mountain, and desert. There are towns and cities in
each region. Let’s talk about how these towns and cities came to be.
As we have already learned, most people in the state live in the coastal
region. Three of the biggest cities on the coast are San Francisco, Los
Angeles, and San Diego. These three cities began because each area had a
good harbor for ships on the Pacific Ocean.
Coastal Cities
The first Europeans to come to California came from Spain. We will study
these people in a later lesson. Spanish missionaries first
 touched land
in San Diego. They built missions up the coast.
The population in San Diego grew when the Santa Fe Railroad came there.
During World War I, large army and navy bases were built in San Diego.
Today San Diego has more military people than any other city in the
nation.
San Francisco is one of the best natural harbors in the world. Many
newcomers sailed into California during the 1800s and 1900s. Most of
them landed in San Francisco. Today, many tourists visit San Francisco.
Los Angeles is in the Los Angeles Basin. This is a largest
lowland area on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Los Angeles grew a lot
during the late 1800s. It has become the most important seaport for
trade in the United States.
Los Angeles is also a center for entertainment. Hollywood is famous for
its movie and TV studios. There are many theme parks near Los Angeles.
These places attract tourists.
Mountain Towns
You may remember that most of California is covered with mountains.
Towns grew in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as people looked for gold in
the late 1800s. Towns grew in the Coastal Mountains as people mined for
coal.
 Today,
many people travel to the mountains to enjoy their beauty. One of the
largest national parks is
Yosemite National
Park, California. People come
from all over the world to look at its large forests, majestic
mountains, and tall waterfalls.
Many people enjoy skiing and snowboarding in California‘s mountains.
They travel to camp, fish, and boat in the mountain lakes.
Valley Cities
Central Valley is made up of two valleys. One is the Sacramento Valley.
The Sacramento River flows through this valley. In the mid 1800s,
thousands of people came to California looking for gold. Many of these
people traveled through the valley.
Sacramento,
Marysville,
Yuba City,
and other towns began as trading posts along the river. Many miners
bought supplies in these towns.
Sacramento is the capital of California. It is the largest city in
Central Valley.
The other valley of Central Valley is the
San Joaquin Valley. The
city of Stockton began as a large ranch where two rivers met.
Fresno and
Bakersfield are also big cities in this part of
the valley.
Desert Towns
California’s deserts are hot and dry. They are just like any other
desert in that way. However, several systems have been built to bring
water to different parts of these deserts. This is called irrigation.
More people can live in the desert because of irrigation. Farming is
important in parts of the
Colorado Desert.
Tourists come to the desert to see the animals, plants, and scenery.
They also look at historical sites where Native Americans and pioneers
lived. Many people visit
Joshua Tree National Park or Death Valley National Park.
Mineral hot springs in the desert are popular. Many people find these
springs to be relaxing for their tired muscles and bones.
Many spas and resorts are built in areas where hot springs bubble.
Palm Springs and Palm Desert in the Colorado Desert are two
popular resort towns.
Indio and
Lancaster are also
important desert cities.
for Students, Parents and Teachers
Now let's do Practice Exercise 1-3 (top). Choose
printer friendly or online exercises. Printer friendly version requires
the Adobe Acrobat Reader 5. Click
HERE to obtain a free copy.
Summary
You have now completed Lesson 1 on California: A Golden State and
are ready to do the Problem and Test sections. You may wish to
review any or all of the topics before answering the questions that
follow. You may also wish to obtain additional material from the
links below before answering the questions.
Good luck!
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