Welcome to the state of California! California is known for its pristine land, massive coastline, beautiful land, and cities such as Los Angeles.

The state originally was inhabited by an extremely diverse group of Native Americans, with over 70 distinct ethnic groups of natives. The land would later be under Spanish rule, and transferred to Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence. It would again change hands, being awarded to the United States after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848. Regarding the treatment of natives during this time, the population decreased significantly, as European settlers carried diseased with them that natives had no immunity to. When California came under American rule, the government began forcing indigenous people out, and though California entered the nation as a free state, they would make Native Americans de-facto slaves.

Today, California is the most populated state in the country, and has had huge influences on pop culture. Hollywood, as well as the rest of Los Angeles, is considered a global center for entertainment. Five of the largest film studios, Columbia, Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Warner Bros., are all located in or around this area. In addition to that, television networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, along with Spansih-language broadcasting networks such as Univision and Telemundo all have large production offices in the Hollywood area (all information courtesy of Wikipedia.com, image courtesy of Michael Schweppe / CC BY-SA ).