California geography
From the giant redwoods of the northwest to the Mars-like landscapes of the southeast; from snowy mountain peaks to its fertile valleys, California presents (arguably) the most diverse series of landforms in the entire United States.
Fronted by the sandy beaches of its Pacific coastline, California’s land is rapidly rising into the steep rocky cliffs and foothills of the Coast Mountains. The mile-long Central Plains 462 (including the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys) are placed between those Coastal Mountain Ranges and the massive peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east; within the Sierra Nevada stands Mt Whitney at 14,494 ft., the highest point in the 48 (contiguous) US states.
- Allcitycodes: Provides map of area codes in California by county and city.
- Ask4beauty: Introduction to the state of California, addressing geography, history, politics, economy and population.
- Toppharmacyschools: Lists all educational institutes in California, including psychology, biological science, clinical psychology, computer science, economics, fine arts, etc.
Additional mountain ranges include the Klamath and Cascade Mountains to the north, and the Los Angeles Ranges, a series of mountains usually running west-east into the immediate north of the city of Los Angeles.
The Mojave and Colorado deserts dominate the far south and southeast; this wide and generally flat expanse of land is punctuated by irregular mountain peaks. Death Valley, an arid, inhospitable and extremely hot desert region, runs along the eastern border with Nevada. Within it, the lowest point in all of the United States is found, (282 feet below sea level).
Significant rivers include the Colorado and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in the Central Plains. Lake Tahoe is the most significant lake.
California Famous Natives
People listed are almost always native to the state. We do (on occasion) include those who have either lived within the state for most of their adult lives or have made significant contributions to the state in their personal endeavors.
A
- Paula Abdul singer, choreographer
- Ansel Adams photographer
- Ben Affleck actor
- Troy Aikman football player
- Actress Jessica Alba
- Marcus Allen footballer
- Luis Walter Alvarez inventor
- Actress Jennifer Aniston
- Actress Christina Applegate
- Billie Joe Armstrong singer
- Written by Gertrude Atherton
B
- David Belasco playwright, producer
- Model Tyra Banks
- Actress Adrienne Barbeau
- Actress Drew Barrymore
- Cheer musician
- Interior designer Nathan “Nate” Berkus
- Bill Bixby actor
- Jack Black actor, musician
- Actress Shirley Temple Black
- Actress Jolene Blalock
- Carla Blee composer, pianist, organist, band leader
- Barry Bonds baseball player
- Pleasant musician, guitarist
- Caprice Bourret model, actress
- Robert Bauer inventor
- Tom Brady football player
- Benjamin Bratt actor
- Lloyd Bridges actor
- Model Christie Brinkley (born in MI)
- David Brubeck musician
- Carola Burnett actress, comedian
- Directed by Tim Burton
- Reggie Bush football player
- Octavia Butler author
- Actress Amanda Bynes
C
- John Cage composer
- Nicolas Cage actor
- Stephanie Downing-Cantwell inventor of chocolate chip cookies, award-winning web designer, professional whistler, crystallographer, master bread maker, fashion forecaster, faux fur hat aficionado
- Actress Linda Cardellini
- David Carradine actor
- Keith Carradine actor
- Richard Chamberlain actor
- Cesar Chavez civil rights activist (born in AZ)
- Cher actress, singer
- Jack T. Cheek cartoonist
- Julia Child Chef, broadcaster
- Actress Melinda Clark
- Psychic Miss Cleo
- Sasha Cohen figure skater
- Kevin Kesner actor
- Actress Nikki Cox
- James Cromwell actor
- David Crosby musician
- Actress Mary Crosby
D
- John Daly golfer
- Oscar De La Hoya boxer
- Branch actress Derek
- Actress Zooey Deschanel
- Actress Cameron Diaz
- Actor Leonardo DiCaprio
- Baseball player Joe DiMaggio
- Landon Donovan football player
- James Harold Doolittle military commander, aviator
- Dre rapper
- Isidora Duncan dancer, choreographer
- Robert Duval actor, director
E
- Clint Eastwood actor, director
- Zac Efron actor
- Actress Jenna Elfman
- Don Ellis musician, trumpeter
F
- Actress Mia Farrow
- Kevin Federline singer
- Will Ferrell actor, comedian
- Actress Sally Field
- Actress Carrie Fisher
- John Fogerty singer, songwriter
- Actress Jodie Foster
- Robert Frost poet
- Actress Soleila Moon Fry
G
- Jerry Garcia musician, guitarist
- Baseball player Nomar Garciaparra
- Jason Giambi baseball player
- Richard Pancho Gonzalez tennis player
- Dexter Gordon musician, saxophonist
- Jeff Gordon Racer
- James Griffith actor, musician, screenwriter
- Josh Groban singer
- Vince Guaraldi musician, pianist
- Model Natalie Gulbis, golfer
- Jake Gyllenhaal actor
H
- Gene Hackman actor
- Merle Haggard singer, songwriter
- Mark Hamill actor
- Written by Daniel Handler
- Tom Hanks actor
- Directed by Ray Harryhausen
- Alvin Youngblood Hart musician
- Actress Teri Hatchera
- Skateboarder Tony Hawk
- Fashion designer Edith Head
- William Randolph Hearst publisher
- Actress Marieli Hemingway
- Dustin Hoffman actor
- Johnny Horton singer
- Playwright Sidney Howard
- Actress Vanessa Hudgens
- Actress Kate Hudson
- Actress Helen Hunt
I
- Ice Cube rapper, actor
- Don Imus radio host
- Cathy Ireland model, actress
J
- TV presenter Jesse James
- Apple computers by founder Steve Jobs
- Randy Johnson baseball player
- Actress Angelina Jolie
- Jerral “Jerry” Jones owner Dallas Cowboys
- Actress Ashley Judd
K
- Television presenter Kimberly “Kim” Kardashian
- Actress Diane Keaton
- Jason Kidd basketball player
- Tennis player Billie Jean King
- Actress Lisa Kudrow
- Figure skater Michelle Kwan
Hollywood
Welcome to Hollywood, California, the birthplace of the motion picture industry and yet the center of the motion picture universe. ‘Tinsel City’ offers a wide variety of celebrity tours for your California vacation. Many Hollywood studios invite the public to be part of the audience for sitcoms, talk shows and game shows.
This land of charm and glitz is only minutes from Sunset Strip, and Beverly Hills and high priced shopping on Rodeo Drive.
Combining old time movie charm and fabulous theme park rides, “Universal Pictures” Hollywood is located in Universal City, another busy area of LA, and is only minutes away.
- The iconic Hollywood sign overlooking the area was erected in 1923 as an advertisement for the ‘Hollywoodland’ real estate company. In 1949 the last four letters were removed.
- Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a resting place for hundreds of famous stars and attracts tourists from all over the world. Every Saturday night the Cemetery Theater plays classic movies!
- The Kodak Theater has become the crown jewel of Hollywood & the Highlands, having hosted the spectacle of the Academy Awards since its opening in 2001.
- Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood
Walk of Fame stretches for 18 blocks of sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard through the heart of Tinseltown. Over 2,000 stars are included in the walk showing the famous past and present of actors and actresses. The Hollywood Walk of Fame was commissioned as part of a larger ‘remodeling’ operation for the Los Angeles area in the 1950s and has since become part of Hollywood legend and California history. - Grauman’s Chinese Theater
This famous California landmark was opened on Hollywood Boulevard in 1927 with Cecil B. deMille premier ‘King of Kings’. Grauman’s Theater is best known for the 200 plus concrete blocks in front of the theatre, containing signatures, hand seals and foot prints of popular stage stars and hide from the 1920s through today. - Hollywood Wax Museum
This attraction features amazingly like live reproductions of some of the most famous movie stars to grace the Movie Industry. Famous Californians from today as well as past eras are shown with extreme detail in expressions, gestures and costumes. Another “must see” on the way down Hollywood Boulevard.