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Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Ynez Valley

The Santa Ynez Valley is a community of about 20,000 residents living in the smaller communities of Solvang, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, Buellton, Los Alamos, and Ballard.Ballard

Geography

The Santa Ynez Valley is a river valley located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the San Rafael Mountains.

Culture

The 2004 film Sideways was set (and shot on location) in the Santa Ynez Valley. Since then, visits from tourists looking to recreate the experiances of the fictional characters Miles and Jack, have become common. Fans of the movie can often be seen making a pilgrimage from the Buellton Days Inn to the [http://www.hitchingpost2.com/restaurant.html Hitching Post] restaurant.

Politics

The valley is largely conservative. The valley is usually considered part of northern Santa Barbara County and would be included in the proposed Mission County. Numerous Smart growth-type coalitions have formed such as Preservation of Los Olivos (POLO), Preservation of Santa Ynez (POSY), WeWatch, and the Santa Ynez Valley Concerned Citizens. These groups' stated mission is the preservation of the Santa Ynez Valley. Their main focus is on opposing the Chumash tribe's Chumash Casinio expansion plans through lobbying of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Secondary focuses have been directed against Fess Parker's proposed plans for development.

Economy

The economy of the Santa Ynez Valley is driven by agriculture (particularly viticulture), the equine industry, and tourism.

Agriculture

The wine industry is a major part of the Santa Ynez Valley's economy. The Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association lists over 70 wineries and tasting rooms on their website. Besides grapes, the valley also has numerous apple farms, many of them with roadside apple stands or "pick your own" programs.

Equine

Horses are seen throughout the valley and a historic Western atmosphere is kept alive. Notable ranches include Monty Roberts' Flag Is Up Farms, River Edge Farm (thoroughbreds), and the nationally-known Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center.

Tourism

Tourists often visit the valley for its attractions including numerous art galleries, wine tasting rooms, and antique stores as well as resorts such as the Alisal Guest Ranch, Lake Cachuma, PCPA's Theatrefest, and the Chumash Casino. Because of good weather year round, many participate in outdoor activities such as hiking in the nearby Los Padres National Forest or bicycling throughout the valley (seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong trains in the valley annually).

Education


- Allan Hancock College: Solvang Campus
- Santa Ynez Valley Union High School
- Refugio High School
- Olive Grove High School
- Dunn School
- Midland School

Notable Residents

Notable present or past residents include
- Robert Carradine
- Jimmy Connors
- Jake Copass
- David Crosby
- Bo Derek
- Bob Eubanks
- Brooks Firestone
- Richard A. Harris
- Dan Henry
- Michael Jackson (Neverland Ranch)
- Ed Joyce
- Kelly LeBrock
- Fess Parker
- Ronald Reagan (Rancho del Cielo)
- Monty Roberts
- Doc Severinsen
- Bernie Taupin
- Noah Wyle

External links


- [http://syv-online.com/wxdisplay.php Current weather]
- [http://www.syvva.com/ Santa Ynez Valley Visitors' Association] represents all six communities.
- [http://www.syvnews.com/ Santa Ynez Valley News] is the local newspaper.
- [http://syv-online.com/ SYV-Online] serves as a community webportal. Category:California valleys Category:Santa Barbara County, California Category:U.S. wine regions

Solvang, California

Solvang is a city located in Santa Barbara County, California. The city of Solvang is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,332. Much of the Oscar-winning 2004 film "Sideways" was filmed here and in nearby Buellton. Solvang means "Sunny Field" in Danish. It was founded in 1911 on 9,000 acres (36 km²) of formerly Spanish land by a group of Danish educators. The settlers of this city left for the west to escape midwestern winters. The city is home to several bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California. The architecture of many, even most, of the buildings follows traditional Danish styles. Mission Santa Ines, one of the California missions, is both a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark. It is located near the center of the town, at the junction of State Highway 246 and Alisal Road.

Geography

Solvang is located at 34°35'38" North, 120°8'23" West (34.593793, -120.139656). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²). 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 5,332 people, 2,185 households, and 1,415 families residing in the city. The population density is 826.8/km² (2,143.3/mi²). There are 2,288 housing units at an average density of 354.8/km² (919.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.24% White, 0.43% African American, 0.66% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.51% from other races, and 4.07% from two or more races. 19.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 2,185 households out of which 26.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% are married couples living together, 8.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% are non-families. 30.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 2.96. In the city the population is spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.2 males. The median income for a household in the city is $45,799, and the median income for a family is $57,703. Males have a median income of $41,429 versus $30,175 for females. The per capita income for the city is $25,363. 6.7% of the population and 2.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.5% of those under the age of 18 and 5.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links


- [http://www.solvangca.com/ Solvang CA]
- [http://travel.thecountry.com/CA/Solvang.html Solvang Lodging Guide] Category:Santa Barbara County, California Category:Cities in California

Los Olivos, California

Los Olivos is a place in Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Los Olivos is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is located about five miles north. Approximately 1000 people live in and near Los Olivos. The town is sterotypical of small communities in the area, with most residents living on farms surrounding the town. The town was founded in 1861, and had service from stage coaches and the Pacific Railway. One of the oldest resturants in town, Mattei's Tavern, was originally the stagecoach stop. Nowadays, Los Olivos is reknowned for its various wine vineyards and wine tasting shops, which draw visitors from all around the country and even around the world.
- [http://www.losolivosca.com/ Los Olivos] Category:Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Ynez, California

: Santa Ynez redirects here. For other uses, see Santa Ynez (disambiguation). Santa Ynez is a census-designated place located in Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,584.

Geography

Santa Ynez is located at 34°36'43" North, 120°5'18" West (34.612080, -120.088262). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 20.2 km² (7.8 mi²); none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 4,584 people, 1,627 households, and 1,277 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 226.6/km² (586.7/mi²). There are 1,670 housing units at an average density of 82.6/km² (213.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 91.84% White, 0.17% African American, 1.22% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.08% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 9.21% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,627 households out of which 36.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% are married couples living together, 7.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% are non-families. 15.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.78 and the average family size is 3.09. In the CDP the population is spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the CDP is $80,284, and the median income for a family is $84,467. Males have a median income of $56,286 versus $45,688 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $33,811. 5.5% of the population and 3.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 2.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The Chumash Casino is operated in Santa Ynez by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

External links

Category:Santa Barbara County, California Category:Census-designated places in California

Buellton, California

Buellton is a city located in Santa Barbara County, California, USA. The city of Buellton is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,828. Much of the 2004 motion picture Sideways took place and was filmed in Buellton and neighboring Solvang.

Geography

Buellton is located at 34°36'51" North, 120°11'38" West (34.614136, -120.193798). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²). 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water. Buellton is on the Santa Ynez River in the Santa Ynez Valley, and in 2004 was one of the fastest-growing towns in central Santa Barbara County. It is a common stop for travelers on U.S. Highway 101, being the first town north of Santa Barbara after the scenic and undeveloped stretch of about 25 miles through the Gaviota coast. Santa Barbara]

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 3,828 people, 1,433 households, and 1,000 families residing in the city. The population density is 947.4/km² (2,450.4/mi²). There are 1,483 housing units at an average density of 367.0/km² (949.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 81.50% White, 0.55% African American, 1.15% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 12.23% from other races, and 3.27% from two or more races. 25.73% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,433 households out of which 34.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% are married couples living together, 8.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% are non-families. 23.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.17. In the city the population is spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.7 males. The median income for a household in the city is $48,490, and the median income for a family is $54,839. Males have a median income of $46,379 versus $28,542 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,907. 8.8% of the population and 6.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links


- [http://www.cityofbuellton.com/ City of Buellton] Category:Santa Barbara County, California Category:Cities in California

Los Alamos, California

(not to be confused with Los Alamos, New Mexico, which is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory) ---- Los Alamos is a census-designated place located in Santa Barbara County, California. Although located in the Los Alamos Valley, the town of Los Alamos is usually considered to be a part of the Santa Ynez Valley community. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 1,372.

Geography

Los Alamos is located at 34°44'31" North, 120°16'31" West (34.741984, -120.275397). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.1 km² (2.3 mi²). 6.1 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water. Los Alamos is located near the Santa Ynez Valley, along U.S. Highway 101. It is a small, unincorporated town surrounded primarily with ranches, vegetable farms (broccoli, lettuce, and strawberries), and wine grape vineyards. Los Alamos is relatively isolated. It is about 10 miles to Buellton, California and Los Olivos, California to the Southeast, and Santa Maria, California to the Northwest along Highway 101. Lompoc, California and Vandenberg Air Force Base are to the Southwest.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 1,372 people, 471 households, and 349 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 225.4/km² (582.8/mi²). There are 488 housing units at an average density of 80.2/km² (207.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 76.90% White, 0.22% African American, 1.82% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.51% Pacific Islander, 15.09% from other races, and 4.74% from two or more races. 34.69% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 471 households out of which 44.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% are married couples living together, 11.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% are non-families. 20.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.91 and the average family size is 3.36. In the CDP the population is spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.0 males. The median income for a household in the CDP is $47,321, and the median income for a family is $49,125. Males have a median income of $32,206 versus $30,714 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $18,013. 13.1% of the population and 10.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.2% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Community

U.S. Highway 101 used to pass right through town on Bell Street before the highway was realigned in the 1950s. This realignment was both a blessing and a curse for Los Alamos. There were a number of deaths due to cars versus pedestrians in Los Alamos when Highway 101 went through town. However, when the highway was moved just North of town, there was far less traffic to patronize the local businesses, and Los Alamos declined economically. At the end of September of each year, Los Alamos hosts a town festival called "Old Days." Food and craft vendors line Bell Street and there is music and other forms of entertainment. Old Days has been held for more than 55 years. The Los Alamos Ranch House is an adobe building dating from the Mexican era, and is a National Historic Landmark.

External links

Category:Santa Barbara County, California Category:Census-designated places in California

Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of Southern California, in the state of California, just west of Ventura County. There is a movement afoot to divide the northern part of the county from the south. As of 2000 the county had a population of 399,347. The county seat is Santa Barbara.

History

For thousands of years, the area was home to the Chumash tribe of Native Americans. The Santa Barbara Channel received its name from Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino when he sailed over the channel waters in 1602; he entered the channel on December 4, the day of the feast of Santa Barbara. He was not, however, the first European to enter the channel: that honor went to the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who arrived in 1542. Mission Santa Barbara was founded on December 4, 1786 in what is now Santa Barbara. The county derives its name from the mission. Santa Barbara County was one of the original counties of California, formed in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county's territory were given to Ventura County in 1872.

Politics

Politically the county has long been divided between competing interests, for the economies of the north and south counties are dramatically different. North of the Santa Ynez Mountains, agricultural activities and oil development have long predominated, though in recent years oil leases have been decommissioned, and more white-collar workers have been moving in as people choose to live in north county and commute to the south county because of the relatively favorable housing prices in the north. On the other hand, the south county has had an economy based on tourism, but with a significant percentage of people with white-collar jobs, formerly in aerospace but more recently in software and other high-tech pursuits. Additionally, the north county contains a large military base, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the south county has the University of California, Santa Barbara. The voting record of north and south counties has indeed shown a strong split between a "conservative" north and "liberal" south. In 1978, some residents of the northern area initiated an effort to create a Los Padres County carved out of the northern area of the county. That effort did not succeed. More recently, northern county organizations have initiated a similar secession proposal, to create a proposed Mission County. That effort is currently ongoing. The County has appointed a formation commission to research the viability of the proposed northern county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 9,814 km² (3,789 mi²). 7,089 km² (2,737 mi²) of it is land and 2,725 km² (1,052 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 27.77% water. Four of the Channel Islands--San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara Island, Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island-- are in Santa Barbara County. Santa Barbara County has a mountainous interior, and several important coastal valleys which contain most of the population. The largest concentration of people is on the south coast--the part of the county south of the Santa Ynez Mountains--which includes the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria, as well as the unincorporated areas of Hope Ranch, Mission Canyon, Montecito and Isla Vista. North of the mountains are the towns of Santa Ynez, Solvang, Buellton and Lompoc in the Santa Ynez Valley, as well as Vandenberg Air Force Base, where the Santa Ynez River flows out to the sea. North of the Santa Ynez Valley are the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe, and the unincorporated towns of Orcutt, Los Olivos and Los Alamos. The principal mountain ranges of the county are the Santa Ynez Mountains in the south, and the San Rafael Mountains and Sierra Madre Mountains in the interior and northeast. Most of the mountainous area is within the Los Padres National Forest, and includes two wilderness areas: the San Rafael Wilderness and the Dick Smith Wilderness. The highest elevation in the county is 6820 feet (2079 m) at Big Pine Mountain in the San Rafaels. North of the mountains is the arid and sparsely populated Cuyama Valley, portions of which are in San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. Oil production, ranching, and agriculture dominate the land use in the privately owned parts of the Cuyama Valley; the Los Padres National Forest is adjacent to the south, and regions to the north and northeast are owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy. Air quality in the county, unlike much of southern California, is generally good because of the prevailing winds off of the Pacific Ocean. The county is in attainment of federal standards for ozone and particulate matter, but exceeds state standards for these pollutants. Sometimes in late summer and early autumn there are days with higher ozone levels; usually this occurs when there is a low inversion layer under a stagnant air mass, which traps pollutants underneath. In these cases a traveler into the mountains encounters a curious paradox: the temperature rises as altitude increases. On these days the visibility from the higher summits may be more than a hundred miles, while the population on the coastal plain experiences haze and smog.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 399,347 people, 136,622 households, and 89,487 families residing in the county. The population density is 56/km² (146/mi²). There are 142,901 housing units at an average density of 20/km² (52/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 72.72% White, 2.30% Black or African American, 1.20% Native American, 4.09% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 15.20% from other races, and 4.31% from two or more races. 34.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 136,622 households out of which 32.40% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.40% are married couples living together, 10.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.50% are non-families. 24.30% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.40% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.80 and the average family size is 3.33. In the county the population is spread out with 24.90% under the age of 18, 13.30% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.10 males. The median income for a household in the county is $46,677, and the median income for a family is $54,042. Males have a median income of $37,997 versus $29,593 for females. The per capita income for the county is $23,059. 14.30% of the population and 8.50% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.30% of those under the age of 18 and 6.20% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The population of the area south of the Santa Ynez Mountain crest—the portion known as "South County"—was 201,161 according to the 2000 census; thus the population is almost exactly split between north and south. Recent years have shown slow or even negative growth for regions in the south county, while areas in the north county have continued to grow at a faster rate.

Cities and towns


- Ballard
- Buellton
- Carpinteria
- Casmalia
- Cuyama
- Goleta
- Guadalupe
- Hope Ranch
- Isla Vista
- Lompoc - center of the world's most important commercial flower growing region
- Los Alamos
- Los Olivos
- Mission Canyon
- Mission Hills
- Montecito
- New Cuyama
- Orcutt
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Maria
- Santa Ynez
- Solvang
- Summerland
- Toro Canyon
- Vandenberg Air Force Base with spaceport
- Vandenberg Village

See also


- List of school districts in Santa Barbara County, California
- Santa Barbara County Probation

External links


- [http://www.countyofsb.org Official Santa Barbara COUNTY website]
- [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06083.html County quick facts]
- [http://trafficsolutions.info/Transit/busing.htm Bus services]
- [http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/home.htm Official Santa Barbara CITY website]
- [http://www.csac.counties.org/ California State Association of Counties]
- [http://www.mhainsb.org/ Mental Health Association in Santa Barbara website] for information on local mental health services.
- [http://www.sbceo.org/ Santa Barbara County Education Office]
- [http://wikitravel.org/en/Santa_Barbara Travel information on Santa Barbara] Category:California counties

California

California is a state located on the west coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous state in the U.S., as well as the most physically diverse, with the highest and the lowest points in the lower 48 states located within 150 miles of each other. If California were an independent nation, it would have the sixth largest economy in the world (after the rest of the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain and France; see economy of California). The state's official nickname is "The Golden State" in reference to California's 1849 Gold Rush. California's U.S. postal abbreviation is CA, and its Associated Press abbreviation is Calif. As one of the most demographically diverse states in the nation, California is a dominant force in American culture as well as the nation's economy. It has some of the nation's largest cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco, and is responsible for many legal and technological innovations. The entire region originally known as California was composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and much of the land in the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Wyoming, known as Alta California. In these early times, the boundaries of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast were only partially explored and California was shown on early maps as an island. The name comes from Las sergas de Esplandián (Adventures of Splandian), a 16th century novel, by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. (For further discussion, see: Origin of the name California.)

History

:Main articles: History of California, History of California (20th century) The first European to explore parts of the coast was the Portuguese João Rodrigues Cabrilho in 1542. The first to explore the entire coast and claim possession of it was Francis Drake in 1579. Beginning in the late 1700s, Spanish missionaries set up tiny settlements on enormous grants of land in the vast territory north of Baja California. The missions played a dominant role in the decimation of California's indigenous population. Upon Mexican independence from Spain, the chain of missions became the property of the Mexican government, and they were quickly dissolved and abandoned. In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War, the California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown, which featured a golden bear and a star. The Republic came to a sudden end, however, when Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States. Following the war, the region was divided between Mexico and the United States. The Mexican portion, Baja (lower) California was later divided into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The western part of the U.S. portion, Alta (upper) California, was to become the state of California. In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000. But after gold was discovered, the population burgeoned with Americans and a few Europeans in the great California gold rush. In 1850, the state was admitted to the Union of the USA. During the American Civil War, popular support in California was divided 70% for the South and 30% for the North, and although California officially entered on the side of the North, many troops went east to fight for the Confederacy CSA. At first, travel between the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers was time-consuming and dangerous, requiring either long ocean voyages, or difficult transcontinental passages. A more direct connection came in 1869 with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. After this rail link was established, hundreds of thousands of Americans came west, where new Californians were discovering that land in the state, if irrigated during the dry summer months, was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. Citrus, oranges in particular, was widely grown, and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production of today. During the early 20th century, migration to California accelerated with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the Union. From 1965 to the present, the population demographic changed radically and became one of the most diverse in the world. The state is generally liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry and, as mentioned above, American agricultural production.

Law and government

California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government, the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other independently elected constitutional officers, the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate, and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by referendum, recall, and ratification. The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be re-elected only once. The California State Legislature consists of a 40 member Senate and 80 member Assembly. Senators serve four year terms and Assembly members two. The terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years. The Senators representing the odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four, i.e., presidential election years. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. California's legislature is organized in such a way that the party caucus leaders wield great power and can usually speak on behalf of their caucuses. Many important legislative decisions are thus not made on the floor of the legislature but in back-room deals by the "Big Five", which comprises the governor and the Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber. For the 2005–2006 session, there are 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans in the Assembly. In the Senate, there are 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans. The current Governor is the Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose current term lasts through January 2007. Schwarzenegger was only the second person in the history of the United States to be put into office by a recall of a sitting governor (the first was the 1921 recall of North Dakota Governor Lynn J. Frazier). Schwarzenegger replaced Governor Gray Davis (1999–2003), who was removed from office by the October 2003 California recall election. The state's capital is Sacramento. During California's early history under European control, the capital was successively located in Monterey (1775–1849), San Jose (1849–1851), Vallejo (1852–1853), Benicia (1853–1854), and San Francisco (1862). The capital moved to Sacramento temporarily in 1852 when construction on a State House could not be completed in time in Vallejo. The capital's final move to Sacramento was on February 25, 1854 where it has been permanently, except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco, due to severe flooding in Sacramento. California's giant judiciary is the largest in the United States (with a total of 1,600 judges, while the federal system has only about 840). It is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of California. Justices of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal are appointed by the Governor, but are subject to retention by the electorate every 12 years. Judges of the trial courts, the Superior Courts in each county, may be appointed by the Governor or elected directly by the voters, depending on when the vacancy occurs. Superior Court judges serve six-year terms, after which they may run for re-election. Unlike the retention elections for Supreme Court and Court of Appeal justices, Superior Court judges run for re-election in open races, in which other qualified candidates may run as challengers. California's legal system is explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from Spanish civil law. Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment and the state has the largest "Death Row" population in the country. At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives, as of 2005. It has 55 electoral votes in the U.S. Electoral College. (As California is the most populous state in the Union, its counts of Congressmen and Presidential Electors are, of course, also the largest.) The two U.S. Senators from California are Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. While California is among the most Democratic and liberal states in the nation because of the large concentration of voters in populous areas, much of California is politically very conservative, notably the Central Valley, the Inland Empire, Orange and San Diego counties, and most inland, eastern, and rural areas. Democratic bastions are mostly coastal and include the entire San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Salinas, Santa Barbara, and Imperial County. The state has supported Democrats in the last four presidential elections. In 2004, Republican President George W. Bush received a majority of votes in more than half the state's 58 counties, but still lost California's 55 electoral votes to John Kerry, who won 54.3% of the popular vote, by a margin of 10 percentage points. See also: List of California Governors, U.S. Congressional Delegations from California, List of California counties, List of California ballot propositions

Geography

California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. The state has strikingly beautiful natural features, including an expansive central valley, tall mountains, hot deserts, and hundreds of miles of scenic coastline. With an area of 411,000 km² it is the third largest state in the U.S and larger than Germany in size. Most major cities cling to the cool seacoast along the Pacific, notably Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana/Orange County, and San Diego. However, the capital, Sacramento is in the Central Valley. California has extremely varied geography. In the center of the state lies the Central Valley, a huge, fertile valley bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the granite Sierra Nevada to the east, the volcanic Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley. With dredging, several of these rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities, notably Stockton, California, are seaports. The hot, fertile Central Valley is California's agricultural heartland and grows a large portion of America's food, yet near freezing temperatures are not uncommon during winter which sometimes wipe out portions of crops. The bottom part of the valley, which is part desert, is known as the San Joaquin Valley while the upper half is known as the Sacramento Valley. In the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada (meaning Snowy Range in Spanish), containing the highest peak in the contiguous lower 48 states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4421 m). Also located in the Sierra are the world famous Yosemite National Park and a deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume. To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat. To the west is Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake by area. The Sierra Nevada receives arctic temperatures in the winter and holds several dozen small glaciers, including the most southern glacier in the United States (Palisade Glacier). California has about 35% of its total surface area covered by forests. California's diversity of pine species is unmatched by any other state. Though other states have a higher percentage of their land area covered by forests, in terms of total area, California contains more forestland than any other state except Alaska. Most of the forest is found in 2 places. First, in the northwestern part of the state and along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Smaller forests, mainly consisting of oaks, can be found along the coast ranges of California closer to the coast, and also in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Smaller areas of pine forests can be found in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains of Southern California and also in the mountain areas of Central San Diego Country. Deserts in California make up about 25% of the total surface area. In the south lie the Transverse Ranges and a large salt lake, the Salton Sea. The south-central desert is called the Mojave. To the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in North America. The lowest point of Death Valley and the peak of Mount Whitney are less than 200 miles apart. The hiking trek between the two points has been attempted, several times, most notably by Lee Bergthold. Indeed, almost all of southeastern California is arid, hot desert, with the Coachella Valley routinely experiencing extreme high temperatures during the summer. Finally, along the densely-populated but long California coast lie a number of major metropolitan areas, including San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Climates near the Pacific Ocean are remarkably moderate compared with inland climates. Winter temperatures never reach freezing (snow is unheard of) and summer temperatures rarely reach above the high 80's Fahrenheit (27 °C). California is famous for its earthquakes, due partly to the presence of the San Andreas Fault. While more powerful earthquakes in the United States have occurred in Alaska and along the Mississippi River, California earthquakes are notable in their frequency and location in highly populated areas. Some people believe, eventually, a huge earthquake will result in the splitting of coastal California from the continent, either to sink into the ocean or form a new landmass. The fact that this scenario is completely implausible from a geologic standpoint does not lessen its acceptance in public conventional wisdom, or its exploitation by the producers of science fiction and fantasy media. Notable movies in which the possible destruction of much of California by an earthquake includes the titles Earthquake, A View to a Kill, Escape from L.A. and Superman. California is also home to several volcanoes, some active such as Mammoth Mountain. Other volcanoes include Lassen Peak, which erupted from 1914 and 1921, and Mount Shasta.

Climate

Different regions of California have very different climates, depending on their latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers, and the cold oceanic California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. As one moves away from the coast, the climate becomes more continental, with colder winters and markedly hotter summers. The temperature gradient between immediate coast and low-lying inland valleys in the north is about 7 °F (4 °C) in winter, coast being warmer, and in summer roughly 25 °F (14 °C) but opposite. In the south, the figures are approximately 4 and 23 °F (2 °C and 13 °C), respectively; however 4 °F and 35 °F (2 °C and 20 °C) between Santa Barbara and Death Valley. Westerly winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher rainfall than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well: moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15–40 inches (400–1000 mm) per year. The Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate, but with greater temperature extremes than the coastal areas; parts of the valley are often filled with thick fog, similar to that found in the coastal valleys. The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to moderate heat in summer. On the east side of the mountains is a drier "rain shadow." California's desert climate regions lie east of the high Sierra Nevada and southern California's Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains, including the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the lower Colorado River, are part of the Sonoran Desert, with hot summers and mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California, including the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, are part of the Great Basin region, with hot summers and cold winters. Death Valley, in the northern portion of the Mojave Desert on the east side of the state, is the hottest spot on the Western Hemisphere, with high temperatures over 120 °F common in the summer. The highest temperature in the Western Hemisphere, 134 °F (56.6 °C), was recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. Temperatures of 130 °F or higher have been recorded as recently as 2005. The 24-hour average July temperature in Death Valley is 101 °F (38 °C) (1961--1990 standard).

Ecology

Ecologically, California is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world, and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities. California's diverse geography, geology, soils and climate have generated a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life. The State of California is part of the Nearctic ecozone, and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions, and is perhaps the most ecologically diverse state in the United States. California has a rather high percentage of endemic species. California endemics include relict species that have died out elsewhere, including the redwoods and the Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus). Many other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions. California's great abundance of species of California lilac (Ceanothus) is an example of adaptive radiation. Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. Furthermore, California is home to the largest trees in the world, the Giant Sequoias. California's native grasses were perennials, which stayed green year-round in most of the state's subclimates. After European contact, these were generally replaced by invasive species of European annual grasses; and, in modern times, California's hills turn a characteristic golden brown in summer and fall. California's nickname The Golden State is in reference to the California Gold Rush, and not to the golden brown summer hillsides as is sometimes stated.

Economy

California Gold Rush California Gold Rush] California has the fifth largest economy in the world. It is responsible for 14% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP). The gross state product (GSP) is about $1.5 trillion ($1,500,000,000,000, as of 2004), making it greater than that of every other U.S. state, and most countries in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity). The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next, is agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine). This is followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar volume, although many movies are still made in California; and light manufacturing including computer hardware and software, and the mining of borax. Per capita personal income was $33,403 as of 2003, ranking 12th in the nation. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The Central Valley has the most extreme contrasts of income, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage. While some coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S., notably San Francisco and Marin County, the non-agricultural central counties have some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic downturn caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. Recent (Spring 2005) [http://uclaforecast.com economic data] indicates that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%. The international boom in housing prices has been most pronounced in California, with the median property price in the state rising to about the half-million dollar mark in April 2005.

Demographics

Population

As of 2004 California had a population of 35,893,799. The state had 9,400,000 foreign-born residents (26.5% of the population), of which an estimated 2,209,000 were illegal aliens (illegal aliens accounted for nearly one-fourth of the foreign-born population and 6.2% of the total state population). California is the most populous state—more than 12 percent of Americans live in the state. California's population is larger than all but 33 countries; more populated than Canada.

Racial and Ancestral Makeup

The Census Bureau considers race and Hispanic origin to be two separate categories. Hispanics must not only select "Hispanic"; they must also select a race such as White or Asian, or, simply "some other race." This makes interpreting Census data difficult. Thus, for the sake of simplicity, the data below does consider Hispanic origin to be its own category. It therefore shows only non-Hispanic members of each group: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Eskimos, non-Hispanic people of two or more races, etc. For more information on race and the Census, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_%28U.S._Census%29 here].
2000 Census [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2003-03/SC-EST2003-03-28.pdf] 2003 Estimate [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2003-03/SC-EST2003-03-28.pdf]
White 47.4% 45.2%
Hispanic/Latino 32.4% 34.3%
Asian 11.0% 11.4%
Black 6.5% 6.3%
Two or More Races 1.9% 1.9%
Native American and Inuit 0.5% 0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.3% 0.3%
 
California lacks a majority ethnic group. It is the third minority-majority state, after Hawaii and New Mexico. Non-Hispanic Whites are still the largest group, but are no longer a majority of the population due to high levels of immigration in recent years. Hispanics make up over one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asians, Blacks, and Native Americans. Because of high levels of immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, and higher birth rates among the Hispanic population, Hispanics are predicted to become a majority in the state around 2040. California has the second-largest Asian population (percentage-wise) of any state, Hawaii having the largest. The largest ancestries in California are Mexican (25%), Filipino, German, Irish, and Asian. Mexicans and Chicanos predominate in Southern California, the Central Valley, Salinas, and parts of the San Francisco Bay area. Irish and German ancestries are dominant in the eastern Sierra Nevada, the far north, and the North Coast. San Francisco has the greatest concentration of Asians in the continental United States, with Chinese numerous in San Francisco, Alameda, and Santa Clara counties and Filipinos particularly numerous in San Mateo county.

Languages

As of 2000, 60.5% of California residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 25.8% speak Spanish. Chinese is the third most spoken language at 2.6%, followed by Tagalog at 2.5% and Vietnamese at 1.3%. The indigenous languages of California number more than one hundred, but most are in danger of language death, despite revitalization efforts. Since 1986, the California Constitution has specified English as the common and official language of the state. The politics of language, particularly concerning language policy regarding the teaching and official use of immigrant languages is a major political issue in the state.

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of California:
- Christian – 75%
  - Protestant – 38%
    - Baptist – 8%
    - Presbyterian – 3%
    - Methodist – 2%
    - Lutheran – 2%
    - Other Protestant or general Protestant – 23%
  - Roman Catholic – 34%
  - Other Christian – 3%
- Jewish – 2%
- Other Religions – 3%
- Non-Religious – 20% As with many other western states, the percentage of California's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" is comparatively high in relation to the rest of the U.S.

Important cities and towns

Image:Sacramento from Riverwalk.jpg|Sacramento Image:DowntownLosAngeles.jpg|Los Angeles Image:Sandiego.arp.750pix.jpg|San Diego Image:Lightmatter sanfrancisco.jpg|San Francisco Image:SanJoseDowntownIMG016elf wb.jpg|San Jose Image:Long Beach, CA at night.jpg|Long Beach Image:La2-oakland.jpg|Oakland Image:Anaheimdland.jpg|Anaheim The state of California has 478 cities, the majority of which are within one of the large metropolitan areas. 68% of California's population lives in its two largest metropolitan areas, Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Population greater than 10,000,000 (urbanized area)
  - Los Angeles/Long Beach (Greater Los Angeles)
- Population greater than 5,000,000 (urbanized area)
  - San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose/Santa Rosa (San Francisco Bay Area)
- Population greater than 2,500,000 (urbanized area)
  - San Diego
  - Orange County
  - Inland Empire (Riverside/San Bernardino)
- Population greater than 1,000,000 (urbanized area)
  - Fresno
  - Sacramento
- Population greater than 500,000 (urbanized area)
  - Bakersfield
  - Stockton
  - Oxnard/Ventura (Ventura County)
- Population greater than 250,000 (urbanized area)
  - Visalia/Tulare/Porterville (Tulare County)
  - Modesto
  - Salinas/Monterey (Monterey County)
  - Santa Barbara/Goleta/Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County)
  - Palmdale/Lancaster (Antelope Valley)
  - Indio/Palm Springs (Coachella Valley) For a list of important suburbs within the above areas, see List of urbanized areas in California (by population).

25 wealthiest places in California

Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet. The following list is ranked by per capita income: 1 Belvedere, California - Marin County - $113,595
2 Rancho Santa Fe, California - San Diego County - $113,132
3 Atherton, California - San Mateo County - $112,408
4 Rolling Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $111,031
5 Woodside, California - San Mateo County - $104,667
6 Portola Valley, California - San Mateo County - $99,621
7 Newport Coast, California - Orange County - $98,770
8 Hillsborough, California - San Mateo County - $98,643
9 Diablo, California - Contra Costa County - $95,419
10 Fairbanks Ranch, California - San Diego County - $94,150
11 Hidden Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $94,096
12 Los Altos Hills, California - Santa Clara County - $92,840
13 Tiburon, California - Marin County - $85,966
14 Sausalito, California - Marin County - $81,040
15 Monte Sereno, California - Santa Clara County - $76,577
16 Indian Wells, California - Riverside County $76,187
17 Malibu, California - Los Angeles County - $74,336
18 Del Monte Forest, California - Monterey County - $70,609
19 Piedmont, California - Alameda County - $70,539
20 Montecito, California - Santa Barbara County - $70,077
21 Palos Verdes Estates, California - Los Angeles County - $69,040
22 Emerald Lake Hills, California - San Mateo County - $68,966
23 Loyola, California - Santa Clara County - $68,730
24 Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara, California - Contra Costa County - $66,972
25 Los Altos, California - Santa Clara County - $66,776
Note: Marin County ranks as the wealthiest county in the United States based on per capita personal income.

Education

Image:Berkeley glade afternoon.jpg|UC Berkeley Image:Stanford campus aerial photo.jpg|Stanford Image:USC Bovard Auditorium enh.jpg|USC Image:RHall.JPG|UCLA Image:Tower Hall and MDA.JPG|San Jose State Image:UCSD_lib1024.jpg|UC San Diego Image:Millikan Library.jpg|Caltech Image:Csulb pyramid.jpg|CSU Long Beach California's public educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education. The preeminent state university is the University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the finest public higher-education systems in the country. The nine general UC campuses are in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, and Merced. The University of California, San Francisco, teaches only graduate health-sciences students, and the Hastings College of Law, also in San Francisco, is one of UC's four law schools. The UC system is intended to accept students from the top 12.5% of college-bound students, and provide most graduate studies and research. The University of California also administers federal laboratories for the Federal Department of Energy: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The California State University system provides education for teachers, the trades, agriculture and industry. With over 400,000 students, the CSU system is the largest university system in the United States. It is intended to accept most college-bound high-school students, while carrying out some research, especially in applied sciences. Lower-division course credits are frequently transferable to the University of California. The California Community Colleges system provides vocational education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. It awards certificates and associate degrees. It also provides lower division general-education courses, whose credit units are transferable to the CSU and UC systems. It is composed of 109 colleges organized into 72 districts. The system serves a student population of over 2.9 million. Notable private universities include Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA). California has hundreds more private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions. This leads to many unique entertainment and educational opportunities for residents. For example, Southern California, with one of the highest densities of post-secondary institutions in the world, has a very large base of classically trained vocalists that compete in large choir festivals. Near Los Angeles, there are numerous art and film institutes, including the CalArts Institute. Public secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective courses in trades, languages and liberal arts with tracks for gifted, college-bound and industrial arts students. They accept students from roughly age 14 to 18, with mandatory education ceasing at age 16. In many districts, junior high schools or middle schools teach electives with a strong skills-based curriculum, for ages from 11 to 13. Elementary schools teach pure skills, history and social studies, with optional half-day kindergartens beginning at age 5. Mandatory full-time instruction begins at age 6. The primary schools are of varying effectiveness. The quality of the local schools depends strongly on the local tax base, and the size of the local administration. In some regions, administrative costs divert a significant amount of educational monies from instructional purposes. In poor regions, literacy rates may fall below 70%. One thing they all have in common is a state mandate to teach fourth grade students about the history of California, including the role of the early missions; most schools implement this by requiring students complete a multiple medium project.

Sports

California's large population has helped to make it home to many professional sports teams, including fifteen major professional sports league franchises, far more than any other state. However, since the re-location of the Los Angeles Raiders and Los Angeles Rams in the 1990s, it could be argued that no one city is able to lay claim to a "Grand Slam" (i.e. having a team in each of the four leagues) unless Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose are counted as being in a single metropolitan area.

Major league teams

Major League Baseball
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Oakland Athletics
- San Diego Padres
- San Francisco Giants National Basketball Association
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Sacramento Kings National Football League
- Oakland Raiders
- San Diego Chargers
- San Francisco 49ers National Hockey League
- Anaheim Mighty Ducks
- Los Angeles Kings
- San Jose Sharks

Other teams

Arena Football League
- San Jose Sabercats
- Los Angeles Avengers Major League Soccer
- Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- San Jose Earthquakes Women's National Basketball Association
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Sacramento Monarchs

Transportation

Sacramento MonarchsCalifornia's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of freeways, expressways, and highways, all maintained by Caltrans and patrolled by the California Highway Patrol, except for the numbered expressways in Santa Clara County which were built and maintained by the county itself. Californians typically take to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, giving California's cities a reputation for severe traffic congestion. Almost all California highways are non-toll roads. Notable exceptions are any major bridges. As for air travel, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport are major hubs for trans-Pacific and transcontinental traffic. There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more general aviation airports throughout the state's 58 counties. California also has several important seaports. The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United States. The Port of Oakland handles most of the ocean containers passing through Northern California. Port of Oakland ]] Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. Los Angeles and San Francisco both have subway networks, in addition to

San Rafael Mountains

The San Rafael Mountains are a mountain range in central Santa Barbara County, California, USA. They are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, which are themselves part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America. North America The mountains mainly consist of sedimentary rocks, of Jurassic age or younger, though there are a few regions of igneous intrusions. Several prominent faults exist, including the Big Pine Fault, which trends eastward towards the San Andreas Fault about forty miles away. The highest peaks include Big Pine Mountain (6820 ft, 2079 m), San Rafael Mountain (6593 ft, 2010 m) and McKinley Mountain (6220 ft, 1896 m), none of which are easily accessible except by foot, horse or mountain bike. Most of the mountain range is within the Los Padres National Forest, and the northern slope is included in the remote San Rafael Wilderness area. The mountains are steep and rugged, and lower slopes are covered with almost impenetrable chaparral, except where it has been burned, an event which occurs naturally every ten or twenty years; decades of fire suppression, however, have resulted in some areas of brush which have not burned within the last century. The Forest Service occasionally conducts controlled burns to remove areas of high fire hazard and restore ecological balance. Above the chaparral zone are stands of conifers. Snow is common in the winter on the summits, above about 6000 feet, though overall the climate of the mountain range is Mediterranean, with mild rainy winters and warm, dry summers. The earliest known residents of the San Rafael Mountains were the Chumash Indians, and evidence of their habitation can still be found by intrepid hikers in the form of rock paintings in remote areas. In historic times, mercury mining was conducted on portions of the southern slopes. Tailings from these old mines sometimes contain high levels of mercury, and recent environmental investigations have been conducted to determine if cleanup is necessary and feasible. The most famous local resident is probably Michael Jackson, whose Neverland Ranch is in the lower foothills of the San Rafael Mountains. The presence of hundreds of media satellite trucks along the only road leading to the wilderness trailheads occasionally makes access difficult. Category:Mountain ranges of California

Sideways

Sideways is a 2004 comedy/drama film, co-written and directed by Alexander Payne. It is based on the novel of the same name by Rex Pickett (ISBN 0312324669).

Plot summary

Paul Giamatti plays an unpublished writer, eighth-grade English teacher, and oenophile named Miles, who takes his soon-to-be-married actor friend jack(played by Thomas Haden Church) on a week-long road trip through Santa Ynez wine country. Miles wants to drink wine and play golf, but Jack has other plans. He wants to "cut loose" before his wedding and have sex with other women. Soon after their arrival they cross paths with two women (played by Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh).

Awards and nominations

Sideways won the following awards:
- Best Picture, IFP Gotham Awards
- Top Ten Film of 2004, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
- Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Screenplay, Golden Globe Awards
- Best Male Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Feature, IFP Independent Spirit Awards (won in all categories it was nominated for)
- Best Film, 2004 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
- 2004 Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen. It was nominated for the following awards:
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Original Score, and Best Director, Golden Globe Awards
- Academy Awards for Best Picture, Church as Best Supporting Actor, Madsen as Best Supporting Actress

Taglines


- In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves.

Trivia


- George Clooney campaigned for the part of Jack, but Alexander Payne thought Clooney was too big a star.
- The film dialogue heard while Miles and Jack are in their hotel room is Henry Fonda's famous "I'll be there" speech from The Grapes of Wrath.
- After the release of this movie Pinot Noir wines rose by more than 20% over the Christmas/New Year period of 2004-2005, compared to the same period the previous year. A similar phenomenon was experienced in British wine outlets. Merlot sales also dropped after the film came out.

Soundtrack

Merlot

External links


- [http://www.foxsearchlight.com/sideways/ Official site]
- [http://www.SidewaysWineClub.com/ Related Wines and Wine Club]
-
- [http://slate.msn.com/id/2109290/ Review of the movie] from the perspective of an oenophile
- [http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/Sideways.pdf May 29, 2003 draft script]
- [http://www.hollywoodlitsales.com/cf/journal/dspJournal.cfm?intID=2834 Review of Writers on Writing Series appearance of screenwriters Payne and Taylor] Category:2004 films Category:American films Category:Buddy films Category:Comedy-drama films Category:Films based on novels Category:Road movies Category:Best Picture Oscar Nominee Category:Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominee (film) Category:Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominee (film) Category:Novels Category:Wine ja:サイドウェイ

Chumash

:Chumash is also an alternate spelling of Humash, a Hebrew word for a section of the Bible. Humash Humash The Chumash Indians, a Native American tribe, mainly inhabited the southern coastal regions of California, in the vicinity of what is now Santa Barbara and Ventura, extending as far south as Malibu. They also occupied the three northern islands of the Santa Barbara group, a part of the Channel Islands. Modern place names with Chumash origins include: Malibu, Point Mugu, Piru, Lake Castaic, and Simi Valley. Estimates of their population range from 10,000 to 20,000 before contact with Spanish settlers in Mexico, though the population had apparently been devastated by disease prior to that. By 1900, this population had declined to just 200, though there are now some 5,000 people who identify themselves as Chumash. The name Chumash is from the Syuxtun Aqliw (Santa Barbara language) and refers to the people from an island they named Micchumash (Santa Cruz Island). Chumash literally means "makers of shell bead money". When outsiders came, they called all people within the "Chumash" language family, which embraces 7 distinct languages, "Cchumash". The diferent spelling here shows that there is aspiration after the ch sound. Cchumash people working on resuscitating the languages, are working to create a fixed orthography as of today (11/15/05). The Chumash were hunter-gatherers, who were good in fishing. They are one of only two New World people who regularly navigated the ocean (the other was the Tongva, a neighboring tribe located to the South). Some settlements built plank canoes called tomols, which facilitated the distribution of goods, and could even be used for whaling. Remains of a developed Chumash culture, including rock paintings (petroglyphs) apparently depicting the Chumash cosmology, can still be seen. Anthropologists eagerly sought Chumash baskets as prime examples of the craft, and two of the finest collections are at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Musée de l’Homme (Museum of Mankind) in Paris, France. The Museum of Natural History at Santa Barbara is believed to have the second-largest collection of Chumash baskets. On September 9, 2001, members of the Chumash tribe paddled from the mainland to Santa Cruz Island in a tomol, the first such crossing of the Santa Barbara Channel in 125 years. Their craft "Elyewun", which means swordfish, is reported to have been circled by a pod of at least 30 dolphins during part of their voyage. The Chumash now run a casino in Santa Ynez, California. The tribe is featured in the book Sky Coyote by Kage Baker.

Languages

The Chumash spoke seven closely related Chumashan languages which can't be connected to any other language family. For a while it was assumed the Chumash family was part of the Hokan language phylum, but this was based solely on a few easily borrowed words such as that for shell-bead money.

Possible pre-Columbian trans-Pacific contact with Polynesians

Recent research indicates that the Chumash may have been visited by Polynesians between 500 and 700 AD, nearly 1,000 years before Christopher Columbus reached North America. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/20/MNG9GDBBLG1.DTL]

See also


- Chumashan languages

External links:


- [http://www.santaynezchumash.org/ Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians]
- [http://www.chumashlanguage.com Inezeño Chumash Language Tutorial]
- [http://www.chumashcasino.com/ Chumash Casino]
- [http://avim.parks.ca.gov]The Antelope Valley Indian Museum (California Department of Parks and Recreation)includes a searchable database of its collections with many Tongva artifacts. Category:Native American tribes Category:California tribes

U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Indian Affairs
Seal of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Established:March 11, 1824
Activated:March 11, 1824
Assistant Secretary:TBD-Interim Asst. Secretary Jim Cason
Budget:$2.4 billion (2004)
Employees:9,688 (2004)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is an agency of the United States Federal Government within the Department of the Interior charged with the administration and management of 55.7 million acres (87,000 sq. miles or 225,000 km²) of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes, and