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State of California
California State Facts
California, state in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The third largest state in the Union, California covers an area of great physical diversity in which uplands dominate the landscape. The mountains, hills, ridges, and peaks of California flank the coastline, rise to nearly 4,600 m (15,000 ft) in the towering Sierra Nevada, encircle the great fertile basin of the Central Valley, and separate the desert into innumerable basins. However, despite the physical dominance and economic value of the uplands, California’s urban areas and economic production are concentrated in the valleys and lowlands, such as in the huge metropolitan region centered on Los Angeles, the state’s largest and the nation’s second largest city. Manufacturing, agriculture, and related activities are the principal sources of income. They are based in large part on the state’s wealth of natural resources, its productive farmlands, its large and highly skilled labor force, and its ability to market its output both at home and abroad.
The name California was first used to designate the region by the Spanish expedition led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, as it sailed northward along the coast from Mexico in 1542. The name itself was probably derived from a popular Spanish novel published in 1510 in which a fictional island paradise named California was described. The state’s official nickname is the Golden State, referring to the gold rush, which played a central role in California’s entry into the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. The nickname also suggests the state’s golden fields and sunshine.
What Is California Genealogy?
California genealogy is a popular hobby as well as a lucrative business. You may be looking for a way to trace your family history and ancestry, or searching for genealogy records for someone else. Either way, this can be a difficult but rewarding task. There are some tricks and tips you can use to improve your searches when you are looking for documentation to help with your genealogy records.
Genealogy is the tracing of descent through different ancestors. It is also an investigation of family history and how one creates a family tree. It's how families learn about their own history and heritage. Many people have a general idea of their immediate family for a generation or so back, but nothing too in depth. It can take much research to complete a genealogy chart. There can be gaps and finding just the right records can make all the difference for California genealogy records. The key is knowing which records to use for strong genealogy results.
List of California Counties
Select a California county below to view genealogical information & records pertaining to each California county.
California State Historical & Genealogical Societies, Archives, Museums and Libraries
See Also California Archives & Societies for more County Level Sites. Submit a website link, report broken links for California Archives Websites.
California Archives
- California State Archives, Office of Secretary of State, 1020 O Street, Room 130, Sacramento, CA 95814; Reference Desk: (916) 653-2246; General Information: (916) 653-7715; FAX: (916) 653-7363; E-Mail:ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
The California State Archives has microfilm of selected county records, 1850–1919. - The National Archives-Pacific Region maintain three facilities in California
- Laguna Niguel (Archival Research Room, Microfilm Research Room)
- Riverside, CA; (Records Center Research Room - requires originating agency approval)
- San Francisco; (Archival Research Room, Microfilm Research Room, Records Center Research Room - requires originating agency approval)
California Museums
- Ronald Reagan Library, Simi Valley
- Richard Nixon Library, Yorba Linda
California Libraries
- California State Library, 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Sutro Branch of the California State Library, 480 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132
California Historical & Genealogical Societies
