California

California was inhabited only by the Native Americans for many centuries, until 1542, when it was visited by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer. In the 1700s, Spanish missionaries arrived here for the first time. However, it was not until 1847 that California became a territory of the U.S, according to the treaty that put an end to the Mexican-American War. In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill and thousands of settlers came to the west coast in the hopes of making a fortune by prospecting the yellow metal.

California, in 1850, became the 31st state of the U.S. Now, it is the 3rd largest state after Alaska and Texas. The state has farmland spread over millions of acres, and leads agricultural production in the United States. Today, it is home to many popular national parks, cultural institutions and other important tourist destinations such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz, Yosemite National Park and Disneyland. It is also home to Hollywood.