Page 3 - California Diving and Surfing

Portable Cards and eBooks The eBooks contain
links to the 3DAVI
We appreciate you purchasing The California flip- Explore the Sea
book and the hours of enjoyment in the form of module of over 400
written text, maps, video, slideshows and hyper- web pages that
links to external information. describes Coral,
Sponges and Sea
Critters.

C alifornia is the most populous U.S. state, W hat is now California was first settled
home to one out of eight people who live by various Native American tribes
in the U.S., with a total of 38 million people, and before being explored by a number of
it is the third largest state by area (after Alaska European expeditions throughout the 16th
and Texas). California is bordered by Oregon to and 17th centuries. It was then claimed by
the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the the Spanish Empire as part of Alta California
southeast, and the Mexican state of Baja Califor- in the larger territory of New Spain. Alta
nia to the south. It is home to the nation’s second California became a part of Mexico in 1821
and fifth most populous census statistical areas following its successful war for independ-
(Greater Los Angeles Area and San Francisco Bay ence, but would later be ceded to the
Area, respectively), and eight of the nation’s 50 United States in 1848 after the Mexican-
most populated cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, American War.
San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento,
Long Beach, and Oakland).[ Sacramento is the
state capital, and has been since 1854.