California is a U.S. state spanning the southern half of the west coast. With a population of 37 million and an area of 158,402 square miles (410,000 km²), California is the largest U.S. state in population and the third largest in area.

The region was inhabited by Native Americans of Asian origin before European explorers started to make sporadic visitations during the 16th Century. California had the highest density and greatest diversity of indigenous peoples in what is now the United States. Spain colonized the coastal areas of the territory starting in 1769. As a result of the Mexican War of Independence, California became a part of the Mexican Republic in 1821. It was subsequently captured by the United States in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) which was concluded with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The California Gold Rush of 1848-1849 brought about 90,000 additional U.S. immigrants into the state, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850.

Although the state's sunny climate has given it a historic reputation for being laid back compared to the East Coast, the $1.55 trillion (as of 2005) California economy is larger than all but the top 7 national economies in the world ^* and is responsible for 13% of the United States' $13 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). The state's major predominant industries include agriculture, entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. California is also the home of several significant economic regions such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and the Wine Country (wine).

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Los Angeles Times - Top News

Barack Obama's nomination is unanimous and historic
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Democrats come together after a heated primary battle to name Barack Obama the first black major-party presidential nominee. Barack Obama, riding a message of change, swept aside a Democratic dynasty and two centuries of history Wednesday to become the first African American to lead a major political party into the fall campaign for the White House.
3 dead, 2 critically injured in Eagle Rock crash
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:05:00 -0700
Authorities say three people including a pregnant woman and a 12-year-old girl were killed and two others were critically injured when their car slammed into a tree at high speed in northeast Los Angeles.
Diabetes researchers convert pancreas cells to produce insulin
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The Harvard study may ultimately shift treatment options away from stem cells for a variety of diseases. Injecting a cocktail of proteins directly into the bodies of diabetic mice, researchers have converted normal pancreas cells into insulin-producing cells -- a genetic transformation that could pave the way for treating intractable diseases and injuries using a patient's own supply of healthy tissue.

SFGate: Top News Stories

Stock futures rise after GDP data beats forecasts
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:44:30 -0700
Wall Street is heading for a higher open after a better-than-expected reading on the nation's economy. The Commerce Department said Thursday gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 3.3 percent for the April-June period, as a weaker dollar helped...
Obama surprises Dems with convention visit
cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com (Carla Marinucci) Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:07:35 -0700
Barack Obama, who was formally nominated Wednesday as the first major-party African American presidential candidate in history, delighted and electrified Democrats with a surprise visit on the third day of their national convention - one painted with a...
Clintons are powerful weapon in Obama arsenal
clochhead@sfchronicle.com (Carolyn Lochhead) Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:07:35 -0700
Hillary buttons are selling at a deep discount on the streets of Denver, but the most powerful political couple in American history has emerged from the Democratic convention as Sen. Barack Obama's most dangerous weapon. Like all dangerous weapons, Sen....

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