California

Capital: Sacramento

Population: 33,871,648

Entered the Union: September 9, 1850

As the: 31st state

Motto: Eureka (I Have Found It)

Nicknames: The Golden State

Origin of Name: From the name of a fictional earthly paradise in a book called Las Sergas de Esplanidian, written by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo around 1500

Major Industries: Manufacturing, Agriculture, Biotechnology

Historical Sites: Sutter's Mill, where gold was first discovered in California in 1848

Points of Interest: Disneyland (Walt Disney's original theme park), the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay, Hollywood, Sequoia National Park