Calif.

Cal·i·for·nia  (kl-fôrny, -fôrn-)

Abbr. CA or Cal. or Calif.

A state of the western United States on the Pacific Ocean. It was admitted as the 31st state in 1850. The area was colonized by the Spanish and formally ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848). California is often called the Golden State because of its sunny climate and the discovery of gold during its pioneering days. Sacramento is the capital and Los Angeles the largest city. Population: 36,600,000.

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Cali·fornian adj. & n.

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California, Gulf of

An arm of the Pacific Ocean in northwest Mexico separating Baja California from the mainland.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Calif. - a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes California, Golden State, CA Achomawi - a community of Native Americans who speak a Hokan language and live in northeastern California southwestern United States, Southwest - the southwestern region of the United States generally including New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, California, and sometimes Utah and Colorado Channel Islands National Park - a national park in California featuring sea birds and marine life Kings Canyon National Park - a national park in California that has giant sequoia trees and alpine lakes and glaciers Lassen Volcanic National Park - a national park in California having mountains and volcanic lakes and hot springs Redwood National Park - a national park in California featuring a redwood forest and Pacific Ocean coastline Sequoia National Park - a national park in California that includes Mount Whitney Yosemite National Park - a national park in California famous for its waterfalls and rock formations U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. - North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776 Anaheim - a city in southern California (southeast of Los Angeles); site of Disneyland Bakersfield - a city in south central California at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley Barstow - a town in southeastern California Berkeley - a city in California on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay; site of the University of California at Berkeley Beverly Hills - a city in southwestern California surrounded by Los Angeles; home of many Hollywood actors Chula Vista - an industrial city in southern California (south of San Diego) near the Mexican border Eureka - a town in northwest California on an arm of the Pacific Ocean Fresno - a city in south central California in the San Joaquin Valley; center of an important agricultural area and gateway to the Sierra Nevada Mountains Long Beach - a city in southern California located on 8.5 miles of Pacific beachfront; was a resort until oil was discovered in 1921 City of the Angels, Los Angeles - a city in southern California; motion picture capital of the world; most populous city of California and second largest in the United States Monterey - a town in western California to the south of San Francisco on a peninsula at the southern end of Monterey Bay Oakland - a city in western California on San Francisco Bay opposite San Francisco; primarily and industrial urban center Palo Alto - a university town in California Pasadena - a city in southwestern California to the east of Los Angeles Redding - a town in north central California on the Sacramento River Riverside - a city in southern California capital of California, Sacramento - a city in north central California 75 miles to the northeast of San Francisco on the Sacramento River; capital of California San Bernardino - a city in southern California to the east of Los Angeles San Diego - a picturesque city of southern California on San Diego Bay near the Mexican border; site of an important naval base San Francisco - a port in western California near the Golden Gate that is one of the major industrial and transportation centers; it has one of the world's finest harbors; site of the Golden Gate Bridge San Jose - a city in western California located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay to the south of San Francisco; a center for computer and electronics industries San Mateo - a town in California to the south of San Francisco San Pablo - a town in western California to the north of Oakland on an arm of San Francisco Bay Santa Ana - a city in southern California to the east of Long Beach Santa Barbara - a town in southwestern California on the Pacific Ocean Santa Clara - a city of west central California; residential area with light industry Santa Cruz - a town in western California on Monterey Bay; a tourist center Big Sur - a picturesque coastal region of California to the south of San Francisco Silicon Valley - a region in California to the south of San Francisco that is noted for its concentration of high-technology industries