American Studies Blog 3

When I think of the state of California, I think of; surfboards, golden beaches and Hollywood, the ideal glamorous lifestyle. The Coast, which is lined with idyllic beaches, is a popular and iconic tourist destination. The climate is often compared to the Mediterranean, a place of dry and warm summers, and mild winters. Within the state the temperature changes slightly, with further inland the summers being slightly warmer and the higher altitudes being colder during the winter. Attracting a wider audience, offering something for everyone. The San Andreas Fault extends through California, on the tectonic boundaries of Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The most devastating earthquake being in San Fransisco (April 1906) with a magnitude of 7.9, killing 3,000 people and costing $524 million in damages.

The map above shows physical features as well as transportation and population. The most populated places are the cities; Los Angeles, San Fransisco and San Diego. These places have a lot of transportation links to help deal with the dense population. Also there are a lot of links to the State Capital, Sacramento.  In contrast to this, further inland the transportation links become fewer and there are a lot of lakes and streams – useful for travelling.