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Geography of California facts for kids

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California Topography-MEDIUM
Map of California topography and geomorphic provinces
California Mountain Ranges
California's major mountain ranges

California is a U.S. state on the western coast of North America. It is bordered by Oregon in the north, Nevada and Arizona on its east, and Mexico in the south. The Pacific Ocean makes up the entire west coast of California. It is among the most geographically diverse states covering an area of 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2). It is home to the world's tallest (coast redwood), most massive (Giant Sequoia), and oldest (bristlecone pine) trees. It is also home to both the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the 48 contiguous states.

Northern California

Mtshasta-large
Mount Shasta from Interstate 5

Northern California usually refers to the state's northernmost 48 counties. The large cities in Northern California include San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose), and Sacramento (the state capital).

The Klamath Mountains are a mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon. Their highest peak is Mount Eddy in Trinity County, California, at 9,037 feet (2,754 m). The climate is cold winters with heavy snowfall and warm dry summers with limited rainfall.

The Cascade Range is a mountainous region stretching from the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada down to south of Lassen Peak, California. The Cascades (as they are called for short) are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. Mount Shasta (the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range after Mount Rainier in Washington) is located in the Cascades.

The Modoc Plateau lies in the northeast corner of the state. The plateau lies between the Cascade Range to the west and the Warner Mountains to the east. Nine percent of the plateau is protected as reserves or wilderness areas, such as the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge.

In the east of the state lies the Sierra Nevada, which runs north–south for 400 miles (640 km). The highest peak in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), lies within the Sierra Nevada. The famous Yosemite Valley lies in the Central Sierra. The large, deep freshwater Lake Tahoe lies to the North of Yosemite. The Sierra is also home to the Giant Sequoia, the most massive trees on Earth. The most famous hiking and horse-packing trail in the Sierra is the John Muir Trail, which goes from the top of Mt. Whitney to Yosemite valley, and which is part of the Pacific Crest Trail that goes from Mexico to Canada. The three major national parks in this province are Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia National Park.

The Basin and Range geological province extends east into Nevada. Mono Lake, which is the oldest lake in North America, is located there. The salt sediments of many lake beds in the Basin and Range has been mined for many years. This is most famously true for Owens Lake and Death Valley. White Mountains which are home to the oldest living organism in the world, the bristlecone pine, are in the province.

California's central feature is the Central Valley, a huge, fertile valley between the coastal mountain ranges and the Sierra Nevada. The whole Central Valley is watered by mountain-fed rivers. The rivers are large and deep enough that they allow seaports in several cities away from the coast.

The Coast Ranges lies to the west of the Central Valley. The Coast Ranges north of San Francisco become increasingly foggy and rainy. These mountains conntain coast redwoods, the tallest trees on earth, which live within the range of the coastal fog.

Southern California

The term Southern California usually refers to the ten southernmost counties of the state. Another definition for Southern California uses the Tehachapi Mountains as the northern boundary. Southern California has a more urban environment. It is home to some of the largest cities in the state. Some of these cities include The dominant areas are Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and Riverside-San Bernardino. About 60% of California's population lives in Southern California. Southern California is known for industries including the film industry, residential construction, entertainment industry, and military aerospace. It is possible to surf in the Pacific Ocean and ski on a mountain during the same winter day in Southern California.

San Gorgonio Mountain
Mount San Gorgonio, the highest mountain in Southern California
Sb 2004 dt snowskyline 003a
Even after the snow melts in San Bernardino, the San Bernardino Mountains in the background retain the snow.

Southern California is separated from the rest of the state by the mountains that run east to west called theTransverse Ranges. They range eastward from the Pacific coast and run about halfway across the state.

The Mojave Desert is located in southeast California and extends eastward into Nevada and Arizona. The Mojave Desert receives less than 6 inches (150 mm) of rain a year and is generally between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (1,000 and 2,000 m) of elevation. It also contains the lowest, hottest place in the Americas: Death Valley.

The southernmost mountains of California are the Peninsular Ranges. They run ast of San Diego and continue into Baja California (Mexico).

CoachellaValleyPreserve
The Coachella Valley Preserve

The Colorado and Sonoran Deserts lie east of the peninsular ranges. They extend into Arizona and Mexico. Calipatria, California, which is the lowest-elevation community, is 160 feet (49 m) below sea level.

The Channel Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Southern California. They are divided into two groups, the Northern Channel Islands and the Southern Channel Islands. There are eight islands total:

Northern islands Southern islands
Anacapa Island San Clemente Island
San Miguel Island San Nicolas Island
Santa Cruz Island Santa Barbara Island
Santa Rosa Island Santa Catalina Island











Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of California. Sea temperatures rarely exceed 65 °F (18 °C), even in summer, because of up-welling deep waters with dissolved nutrients. Therefore, most sea life in and around California more closely resembles Arctic, rather than tropical, biotopes. The sea off California is remarkably fertile, a murky green filled with fish, rather than the clear dead blue of most tropical seas. Before 1930, there was an extremely valuable sardine (herring) fishery off Monterey, but this was depleted, an event later famous as the background to John Steinbeck's Cannery Row.

Geology

Faults, volcanoes, and tsunamis

Earthquakes occur due to faults that run the length of the Pacific coast, the largest being the San Andreas Fault. Major historical earthquakes include, with the magnitudes listed:

Coastal cities are vulnerable to tsunamis from locally generated earthquakes as well as those elsewhere in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Great Chilean earthquake tsunami (1960) killed one person and caused $500,000 to $1,000,000 dollars of damage in Los Angeles, damaged harbors in many coastal cities, and flooded streets in Crescent City. Waves from the Alaskan Good Friday earthquake of 1964 killed twelve people in Crescent City and caused damage as far south as Los Angeles. USGS has released the UCERF California earthquake forecast which models earthquake occurrence in California.

California is also home to several volcanoes, including Lassen Peak, which erupted in 1914 and 1921, and Mount Shasta.

Continental drift

California, when only partially explored by the Spanish, was once thought to be an island, as when the southern Baja California Peninsula is approached from the Gulf of California the land appears to the west. It is expected, through the motions of plate tectonics that the sea floor spreading now acting in the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez) will eventually extend through Southern California and along the San Andreas fault to below San Francisco, finally forming a long island in less than 150 million years. (For comparison, this is also the approximate age of the Atlantic Ocean.) Predictions suggest that this island will eventually collide with Alaska after an additional 100 million years.

Climate

California map of Köppen climate classification
California map of Köppen climate classification.

California's climate varies widely, from arid to subarctic, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. Coastal and Southern parts of the state have a Mediterranean climate, with somewhat rainy winters and dry summers. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers, especially along the coastal areas.

The state is subject to coastal storms during the winter. Eastern California is subject to summertime thunderstorms caused by the North American monsoon. Dry weather during the rest of the year produces conditions favorable to wildfires. California hurricanes occur less frequently than their counterparts on the Atlantic Ocean. Higher elevations experience snowstorms in the winter months.

Floods are occasionally caused by heavy rain, storms, and snowmelt. Steep slopes and unstable soil make certain locations vulnerable to landslides in wet weather or during earthquakes.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Geografía de California para niños

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