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Wikipedia - Los Angeles , California
| Los Angeles | |||
| — City — | |||
| City of Los Angeles | |||
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| Nickname(s): L.A., The City of Angels, The Big Orange, The Entertainment Capital of the World | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | California | ||
| County | Los Angeles County | ||
| Settled | September 4, 1781 | ||
| Incorporated | April 4, 1850 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-Council | ||
| - Mayor | Antonio Villaraigosa | ||
| - City attorney | Rocky Delgadillo | ||
| - Governing body | City Council | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 498.3 sq mi (1,290.6 km²) | ||
| - Land | 469.1 sq mi (1,214.9 km²) | ||
| - Water | 29.2 sq mi (75.7 km²) 5.8% | ||
| - Urban | 1,667.9 sq mi (4,319.9 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 233 (city hall) ft (71 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 3,849,378 (2nd U.S., 45th World) | ||
| - Density | 8,205/sq mi (3,168/km²) | ||
| - Urban | 12,875,587 | ||
| - Metro | 17,755,322 | ||
| - Demonym | Angeleno | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP code | 90001-90068, 90070-90084, 90086-90089, 90091, 90093-90097, 90099, 90101-90103, 90174, 90185, 90189 | ||
| Area code(s) | 213, 310, 323, 424, 661, 818 | ||
| Website: lacity.org | |||
Los Angeles (IPA: /l?'sænd??l?s/, IPA: /los 'a?xeles/ in Spanish) is the largest city in the state of California and the American West as well as second largest in the United States.[1] Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated an alpha world city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million[2] and spans over 498.3 square miles (1,290.6 km2) in Southern California. Additionally, the Los Angeles metropolitan area is home to nearly 12.9 million residents,[3] who hail from all over the globe and speak 224 different languages. Los Angeles is the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most diverse counties[4] in the United States. Its inhabitants are known as "Angelenos" (IPA: /ænd??'lino?z/).
Los Angeles was founded September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porziuncola). It became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its independence from Spain. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War, Los Angeles and California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States; Mexico retained the territory of Baja California. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.
Los Angeles is one of the world's centers of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. Los Angeles leads the world in producing popular entertainment — such as motion picture, television, and recorded music — which forms the base of its international fame and global status.
Contents |
History
The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva (or Gabrieleños) and Chumash Native American tribes hundreds of years ago. The first Europeans arrived in 1542 under Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese-born explorer who claimed the area as the City of God for the Spanish Empire. However, he continued with his voyage and did not establish a settlement.[5] The next contact would not come until 227 years later, when Gaspar de Portola, along with Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769. Crespí noted that the site had the potential to be developed into a large settlement.[6]
In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra built the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel near Whittier Narrows, in what is now called San Gabriel Valley.[7] In 1777, the new governor of California, Felipe de Neve, recommended to Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, viceroy of New Spain that the site noted by Juan Crespí be developed into a pueblo. The town was founded on September 4, 1781, by a group of forty-four settlers known as "los Pobladores". They were escorted by four Spanish colonial soldiers and their families. It was named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels on the Porciúncula River).[8] These pueblo settlers came from the common Hispanic culture that had emerged in northern Mexico among a racially-mixed society. Two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto, and therefore, had African and Indian ancestry. More importantly, they were intermarrying.[9] The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820 the population had increased to about 650 residents.[10] Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street, the oldest part of Los Angeles.[11]
New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico, made Los Angeles Alta California's regional capitol. Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847.
Railroads arrived when the Southern Pacific completed its line to Los Angeles in 1876.[12] Oil was discovered in 1892, and by 1923 Los Angeles was producing one-quarter of the world's petroleum.[13]
By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000 people,[14] putting pressure on the city's water supply.[15] 1913's completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city.
In the 1920s, the motion picture and aviation industries flocked to Los Angeles. In 1932, with population surpassing one million,[16] the city hosted the Summer Olympics.
The post-war years saw an even greater boom, as urban sprawl expanded the city into the San Fernando Valley.[17] In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from UCLA to SRI in Menlo Park.[18]
Also in the 1980s, Los Angeles became the center of the heavy metal music scene, especially glam metal bands.[19] In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time. It became the most financially successful Olympics in history, and only the second Olympics to turn a profit — the other being the 1932 Summer Olympics, also held in Los Angeles.
During the remainder of the 1970s into the 1980s, Los Angeles was plagued by increasing gang violence, drug trades, and police corruption. Racial tensions erupted again in 1992 with the Rodney King controversy and the large-scale riots that followed the acquittal of his police attackers. In 1994, the 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook the city, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.[20]
Voters defeated efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city in 2002.[21]
Gentrification and urban redevelopment have occurred in many parts of the city, most notably Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Echo Park and Downtown.[22]
Geography
- See also: Los Angeles Basin, Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, Maps of Los Angeles, California, and List of California area codes
Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 498.3 square miles (1,291 km2), comprising 469.1 square miles (1,214.9 km²) of land and 29.2 square miles (75.7 km²) of water. The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) longitudinally and for 29 miles (47 km) latitudinally. The perimeter of the city is 342 miles (550 km). It is the only major city in the United States bisected by a mountain range.
The highest point in Los Angeles is Mount Lukens, also called Sister Elsie Peak.[23] Located at the far reaches of the northeastern San Fernando Valley, it reaches a height of 5,080 ft (1,548 m). The major river is the Los Angeles River, which begins in the Canoga Park district of the city and is largely seasonal. The river is lined in concrete for almost its entire length as it flows through the city into nearby Vernon on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
Geology
Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The geologic instability produces numerous fault lines both above and below ground, which altogether cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes every year.[24][broken citation] One of the major fault lines is the San Andreas Fault. Located at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, it is predicted to be the source of Southern California's next big earthquake.[25] Major earthquakes to have hit the Los Angeles area include the 2008 Chino Hills earthquake, 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Sylmar, and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Nevertheless, all but a few quakes are of low intensity and are not felt.[24][broken citation] The most recent earthquake felt was the 5.4 Chino Hills earthquake on July 29th 2008. Parts of the city are also vulnerable to Pacific Ocean tsunamis; harbor areas were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake in 1960.[26]
The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes.[27]
Climate
Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland). Los Angeles receives plenty of sunshine, with 325 sunny days and only 27 rainy days on average every year.
Summers are warm to hot and dry with average high temperatures of 81 - 84°F (27 - 29°C) and lows of 63°F (16°C), however temperatures sometimes exceed 90°F (32°C) during the summer. Winters are mild and somewhat rainy with high temperatures of 68 - 70°F (20 - 21°C) and lows of 48 - 50°F (9 - 10°C). Spring and autumn bring mild days and cool evenings.
The Los Angeles area is also subject to the phenomenon typical of a microclimate. As such, the temperatures can vary as much as 18°F (10°C) between inland areas and the coast, with a temperature gradient of over one degree per mile from the coast inland.
Rainfall occurs mainly in the winter and spring months (February being the wettest month), with light rainfall, but sometimes as thunderstorms. Los Angeles averages 15 inches (385 mm) of precipitation per year, but is lower at the coast and higher at the mountains. Tornadoes are extraordinarily rare downtown, though waterspouts can be seen during severe storms at beaches. Snow is extraordinarily rare in the city basin, but the mountainous slopes within city limits typically receive snow every year. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was 2.0 inches (5 cm) on January 15, 1932.[28]
 Weather averages for Los Angeles, California (downtown)  |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Record high °F (°C) | 95 (35) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
106 (41) |
102 (39) |
112 (44) |
107 (42) |
105 (41) |
110 (43) |
108 (42) |
100 (38) |
92 (33) |
|
| Average high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
70 (21) |
70 (21) |
73 (23) |
75 (24) |
80 (27) |
84 (29) |
85 (29) |
83 (28) |
79 (26) |
73 (23) |
69 (21) |
|
| Average low °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
50 (10) |
52 (11) |
54 (12) |
58 (14) |
61 (16) |
65 (18) |
66 (19) |
65 (18) |
60 (16) |
53 (12) |
49 (9) |
|
| Record low °F (°C) | 28 (-2) |
25 (-4) |
35 (2) |
39 (4) |
43 (6) |
49 (9) |
53 (12) |
51 (11) |
50 (10) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
24 (-4) |
|
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.33 (84.6) |
3.68 (93.5) |
3.14 (79.8) |
0.83 (21.1) |
0.31 (7.9) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.01 (0.3) |
0.13 (3.3) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.37 (9.4) |
1.05 (26.7) |
1.91 (48.5) |
|
| Source: The Weather Channel.[29] August 2008 | |||||||||||||
Flora
The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub, which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, Coast Live Oak, and giant wild rye grass. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though they are not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the tropical Coral Tree and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia reginae.[30]
Environmental issues
Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources.[31] Unlike other large cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only 15 inches (381 mm) of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low emission vehicles.[32]
As a result, pollution levels have dropped in recent decades. The number of Stage 1 smog alerts has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[33][34] In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution.[35] In addition, the groundwater is increasingly threatened by MTBE from gas stations and perchlorate from rocket fuel. With pollution still a significant problem, the city continues to take aggressive steps to improve air and water conditions.[36][37]
Cityscape
The city is divided into many neighborhoods, many of which were towns that were annexed by the growing city. There are also several independent cities in and around Los Angeles, but they are popularly grouped with the city of Los Angeles, either due to being completely engulfed as enclaves by Los Angeles, or lying within its immediate vicinity. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Los Angeles, Northeast - including Highland Park and Eagle Rock areas, the Eastside, South Los Angeles (still often colloquially referred to as South Central by locals), the Harbor Area, Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside and the San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys.
Some well-known communities of Los Angeles include West Adams, Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice Beach, the Downtown Financial District, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Westwood and the more affluent areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades, and Brentwood.
Landmarks
Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kodak Theatre, Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Boulevard, Capitol Records Tower, Los Angeles City Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Watts Towers, Staples Center, Dodger Stadium and La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street.
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Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,610 |
|
|
| 1860 | 4,385 | 172.4% | |
| 1870 | 5,728 | 30.6% | |
| 1880 | 11,183 | 95.2% | |
| 1890 | 50,395 | 350.6% | |
| 1900 | 102,479 | 103.4% | |
| 1910 | 319,198 | 211.5% | |
| 1920 | 576,673 | 80.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,238,048 | 114.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,504,277 | 21.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,970,358 | 31% | |
| 1960 | 2,479,015 | 25.8% | |
| 1970 | 2,816,061 | 13.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,966,850 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 3,485,398 | 17.5% | |
| 2000 | 3,694,820 | 6% | |
| Est. 2006 | 3,849,378 | 4.2% | |
The census[38] of 2000 recorded 3,694,820 people, 1,275,412 households, and 798,407 families residing in the city, with a population density of 7,876.8 people per square mile (3,041.3/km²). There were 1,337,706 housing units at an average density of 2,851.8 per square mile (1,101.1/km²). Los Angeles has become a multiethnic/diverse city, with major new groups of Latino and Asian immigrants in recent decades. As of the 2000 US Census, the racial distribution in Los Angeles was 46.9% White American, 11.2% African American, 10.5% Asian American, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 25.7% from other races, and 5.2% from two or more races. 46.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino (of any race).[39]
42.2% spoke English, 41.7% Spanish, 2.4% Korean, 2.3% Filipino, 1.7% Armenian, 1.5% Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin) and 1.3% Persian as their first language.[40] Since the mid-1980s, Los Angeles has been a minority-majority city.
According to the census, 33.5% of households had children under 18, 41.9% were married couples, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 28.5% of households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size 3.56.
The age distribution was: 26.6% under 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.
The median income for a household was $36,687, and for a family was $39,942. Males had a median income of $31,880, females $30,197. The per capita income was $20,671. 22.1% of the population and 18.3% of families were below the poverty line. 30.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.6% of those aged 65 or older were below the poverty line.
Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages.[41] Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little India, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.
Economy
- Further information: Los Angeles County Economy
- See also: Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, apparel, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the United States.[42] The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together comprise the fifth busiest port in the world and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere. They are some of the most important ports in the world, and vital to trade within the Pacific Rim.[42] Other significant industries include media production, finance, telecommunications, law, health medicine, and transportation.
The University of Southern California (USC) is the city's largest private sector employer.[43]
Until the mid-1990s, Los Angeles was home to many major financial institutions in the western United States. Mergers meant reporting to headquarters in other cities. For instance, First Interstate Bancorp merged with Wells Fargo in 1996, Great Western Bank merged with Washington Mutual in 1998, and Security Pacific Bank merged with Bank of America in 1992. Los Angeles was also home to the Pacific Exchange, until it closed in 2001.
The city has six major Fortune 500 companies, including aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman, energy company Occidental Petroleum, healthcare provider Health Net, homebuilding company KB Home, metals distributor Reliance Steel & Aluminum, and real estate group CB Richard Ellis.
Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include 20th Century Fox, Latham & Watkins, Univision, Metro Interactive, LLC, Premier America, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Guess?, O’Melveny & Myers; Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Tokyopop, The Jim Henson Company, Paramount Pictures, Robinsons-May, Sunkist Growers, Incorporated, Fox Sports Net, Capital Group, 21st century Insurance and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Korean Air's United States passenger operations and cargo operations headquarters are located in two separate offices in Los Angeles.[44]
The metropolitan area contains the headquarters of companies who moved outside of the city to escape its taxes but keep the benefits of proximity.[45] For example, Los Angeles charges a gross receipts tax based on a percentage of business revenue, while many neighboring cities charge only small flat fees.[46] The companies below benefit from their proximity to Los Angeles, while at the same time avoiding the city's taxes (and other problems). Some of the major companies headquartered in the cities of Los Angeles county are Shakey's Pizza (Alhambra), Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Beverly Hills), City National Bank (Beverly Hills), Hilton Hotels (Beverly Hills), DIC Entertainment (Burbank), The Walt Disney Company (Fortune 500 – Burbank), Warner Bros. (Burbank), Countrywide Financial (Fortune 500 – Calabasas), THQ (Calabasas), Belkin (Compton), Sony Pictures Entertainment (parent of Columbia Pictures, located in Culver City), California|El Segundo]]), DirecTV (El Segundo), Mattel (Fortune 500 – El Segundo), Unocal Corporation (Fortune 500 – El Segundo), DreamWorks (Glendale), Sea Launch (Long Beach), ICANN (Marina del Rey), Cunard Line (Santa Clarita), Princess Cruises (Santa Clarita), Activision (Santa Monica), and RAND (Santa Monica).
