California
US state
California, a western U.S. state, stretches from the Mexican border along the Pacific for nearly 900 miles. Its terrain includes cliff-lined beaches, redwood forest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley farmland and the Mojave Desert. The...
Capital: Sacramento
Senators: Laphonza Butler (Democratic Party) and Alex Padilla (Democratic Party)
Number: 31st state
Admitted to the Union: September 9, 1850; 174 years ago (31st)
Before statehood: Mexican Cession unorganized territory
Elevation: 2,900 ft (880 m)