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California Facts & Worksheets

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California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is the most populated U.S. state, home to one out of eight people who live in the U.S., with a total of 38 million people, and it is the third largest state by area.

See the fact file below for more information about California or download the comprehensive worksheet collection to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Quick Facts

Capital
Sacramento

Became a State
September 9, 1850 (31st)

Location
west coast of the United States

Area
163,707 sq. miles (3rd)

Population
33,871,648 (1st)

Major Cities
Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose

Products
fruits, vegetables, dairy, wine, oil, tourism

Climate
Mediterranean – sub-arctic

Yearly Precipitation
climate varies widely, from arid to subarctic, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast – coastal and southern parts of the state have Mediterranean climate, with somewhat rainy winters and dry summers

Professional Sports Teams
San Francisco 49ers (National Football League)
Oakland Raiders (National Football League)
San Diego Chargers (National Football League)
Los Angeles Dodgers (Mayor Baseball League)
Los Angeles Angels (Major Baseball League)
Oakland Athletics (Major Baseball League)
San Diego Padres (Major Baseball League)
Los Angeles Lakers (National Basketball Association)
Los Angeles Clippers (National Baseball Association)
Sacramento Kings, (National Basketball Association)
Golden State Warriors (National Basketball Association)
Anaheim Ducks (National Hockey League)
Chivas USA (Major League Soccer)
Los Angeles Galaxy (Major League Soccer)
Los Angeles Sparks (Women’s National Basketball Association)
Sacramento Monarchs (Women’s National Basketball Association)
Los Angeles Riptide (Major League Lacrosse)
San Francisco Dragons (Major League Lacrosse)
California Cougars (Major Indoor Soccer League)
San Jose Stealth (National Lacrosse League)

Major Waterways
Sacramento River, Pacific Ocean, Colorado River, San Joaquin River, Klamath River

Most Famous Citizens
John Muir (naturalist)
William Randolph Hearst (publisher)
Earl Warren (Chief Justice of the Supreme Court)
Adlai Stevenson (public Official)
William Saroyan (author)
Richard Nixon (U.S. President)
Joe DiMaggio (baseball player)

State symbols
Bird – California Quail
Flower – Poppy
Animal – Grizzly Bear
Tree – Redwood
Insect – Dogface Butterfly

Additional State Facts & History

  • California’s mild, conducive climate was home to over 100 different tribes including the Shasta, Maidu, Miwok, Mohave, Pomo, Chumash and Serrano people, whose languages included the Athapaskan, Penutian and Uto-Aztecan dialects.
  • The California Native Americans lived in the Californian Central Valley area, between the Pacific coast and the Sierra Nevada.
  • The physical characteristics of California Indians are dark brown eyes, dark skin color, prominent cheekbones, straight black hair, and little facial hair.
  • Different tribes of Native Americans lived in the area that is now California for an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 years and they spoke over 300 dialects of approximately 100 distinct languages.
  • The mild, temperate climate describes the geography and environment of the state.

California Facts

  • The natural resources of California include redwood forests, cedar and oak trees, buckeye, mushrooms, roots, acorns, nuts and grasses, and seaweed. Salt was a valuable trading commodity, which was gathered from mineral deposits, seaweed, grass and saline water.
  • Acorns are a primary traditional food throughout much of California.
  • The different types of houses and shelters depended on the materials available to the California Native Americans and whether the home was permanent or temporary. Grass mat houses were built near the ocean areas and cedar bark lodges in forest areas. Tribes that inhabited the northwest forest areas such as the Yurok, Karok and Hupa lived in cedar or redwood plank houses. Central Californian tribes such as the Maidu and Miwok lived in semi-subterranean pit houses or earth lodges.
  • Animism was a commonly shared doctrine, or belief, of the indigenous people of North America and Canada including the California Indian tribes. Animism is all about the spiritual or religious idea that the universe and all natural objects have souls or spirits.
  • The indigenous people practiced various forms of sophisticated forest gardening in the forests, grasslands, mixed woodlands, and wetlands to ensure availability of food and medicinal plants.
  • In the 19th century, the population of the Native Americans in California was reduced by 90% from 200,000 down to approximately 15,000 due to a malaria epidemic.

California Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use California Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about California which is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is the most populated U.S. state, home to one out of eight people who live in the U.S., with a total of 38 million people, and it is the third largest state by area.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • California Facts
  • California Tribes
  • All About California
  • Home Sweet Home
  • Say Why
  • Gold Rush (+) Effects
  • National Parks
  • Gold Rush (-) Effects
  • Cool Mc-California
  • Know, Wonder & Learn!
  • Visit California

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Link will appear as California Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 8, 2017

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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