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 city of Los Angeles is the seat of the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hilly San Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and cable cars.
Capital: Sacramento
Minimum wage: 10.50 USD per hour (Jan 1, 2017)
Population: 39.14 million (2015)
Governor: Jerry Brown
Senators: Kamala Harris (D), Dianne Feinstein (D)