California Economic Overview

California Economic Overview

INTRODUCTION 

Space Shuttle Atlantis is Mounted Atop a 747 for Flight Back to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida California is a bellwether economy for the United States, and what happens in the Golden State will affect the national economy on a scale that no other state can match. California is home to high-tech, military, finance, and entertainment powerhouses as well as being a major global agricultural player. California is the most populous state in the USA, and its economy is as big as that of France (and bigger than that of 180 other countries). The state also has one of the country's highest dependencies on illegal immigration and was one of the hardest hit by the mortgage crisis in 2007–2008. Although many people have left California in recent years for more promising economic situations, the state is still a big draw for Americans and foreigners alike who want to make it big in the state where no opportunity goes unexploited and no business plan is considered too crazy.

ECONOMIC HISTORY

Mission Santa Barbara The Spanish were the first to see California as a business opportunity when they set up the religious mission system running the length of "Alta California" beginning in the mid-18th century. These self-supporting religious and military outposts safeguarded Spanish territorial claims and provided the "seeds" of cities like San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. These were eventually ceded to Mexico at independence (1821) and then to the United States after the Mexican–American War (1846–48). California was still a sleepy agricultural outpost until gold was discovered in 1848 at Sutter's Mill just one month before the war ended.  By 1849 small towns like San Francisco and Sacramento had become cities crammed with people from all over the world seeking their fortunes. By 1850, Congress had already admitted California as a self-governing state, and a whole series of service businesses had begun to develop to "mine the miners" coming back from the hills with bulging saddle bags of gold. Over time, as the gold ran out in the mountains, California moved into its next phase as an agricultural haven, and sparsely populated valleys became huge farms and ranches. When the physical and financial ravages of the Great Depression of the 1930s took down one state economy after another, Americans packed their bags and headed to the land of promises, California. Southern California at this time turned to the entertainment business and light manufacturing, while the northern part of the state embraced finance and global commerce. The Central Valley became the "fruit basket" of the nation. The high-tech industry first developed just south of San Francisco in Silicon Valley beginning in the late 1960s, as did the venture capital business, both being two of the state's most lucrative inventions. The movie, television, and music businesses centered in the Los Angeles region became three of America's biggest exports as well as sources of great cultural influence abroad. Nowadays, California faces problems of budgetary chaos, high unemployment, and a dwindling tax base. However, hardly anyone believes that California cannot reinvent itself once again to stay on top of the American economic pile.

AGRICULTURE

Vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley California may have an image of high tech and glitzy entertainment, but at its heart is a massive agricultural industry. More than half of America's fruit, nuts, and vegetables are grown here, as are 80 percent of America's olives. Grapes for wine and table use amount to close to 4 million tons per year, topping $3 billion in revenues even before they are turned into wine and juices that rake in $45 billion. California accounts for over 99 percent of American production of almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwi, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, and walnuts.  The state is the nation's leading producer of strawberries at 1.4 billion pounds per year with a value of $700 million and employing more than 48,000 people. Much to the dismay of Wisconsin, California is the nation's number one dairy state and its top farm commodity is milk, not grapes. Milk and cream generate over $7 billion, while beef cattle add another $2 billion per year to the state's economy. Chickens and eggs bring in $1 billion of annual revenue for the Golden State; hogs, sheep, and lambs account for $75 million per year. Aquaculture and honey production each produce $14 million annually. California's total agricultural output—before processing—is over $37 billion per year, almost twice that of its nearest U.S. competitor, Texas.

BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

Transamerica Pyramid in the Financial District of San Francisco California has some big homegrown players in the banking industry. Wells Fargo, the state's oldest bank (founded 1852), has $1.3 trillion in assets, 10,000 branch banks, and 12,000 ATMs nationwide. Bank of America was also originally a California company before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. Every big American bank and just about every major international bank has a presence in California to make sure they can tap into the nation's biggest economy. California's banking and finance industries are centered in San Francisco and the Bay Area, as is the Pacific Stock Exchange. California also has one of the nation's nine reserve banks responsible for the printing of money and minting of coins, although the state's pioneers began minting their own coins well before statehood in 1850.

COMMUNICATIONS

California has been on the cutting edge of communications technology from the time of its association with the aeronautics industry just prior to World War II. Further work provided by NASA and the state's 21,627 defense contractors has kept it in the forefront, as has the location of top research universities throughout the state. This is "the home of the Internet" and the state has the highest number of mobile phones in the United States, as well as a 13.1% tax on their usage.

CONSTRUCTION

The construction business in California was hit hard by the credit crisis of 2008–2009. Jobs in this industry make up about 6 percent of all jobs in the state with an average wage of $51,621. Residential construction starts (new homes) began to tail off in 2006, having peaked at 13,064 in June of that year, and were down to 2,772 by June 2009. Non-residential (commercial, industrial, and institutional) projects have shown increases since early 2008 and were greatly assisted by the national stimulus packages of 2009. According to McGraw-Hill's "California Construction Outlook 2009," this sector will decline as a whole by 4 percent in 2009 versus almost 20 percent in 2008. The non-residential sector will suffer the most with a projected 14 percent decrease.

EDUCATION

The Golden State is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and USC, all with top international reputations. In addition to 36 public university campuses with over 600,000 students, the state has hundreds of private universities serving students from all over the world. California has 9,846 public schools serving over six million students in kindergarten through high school. It has the highest spending on primary and secondary public education of any state, at almost $48 billion per year. Nearly 3,500 private K-12 schools serve 565,000 students.

ENERGY

Oil Platform Near Point Conception, Central California The oil and gas industry employs 65,000 people directly and 304,500 indirectly in California, generating $46.3 billion in economic output and the second-highest average wages. Its biggest company, Chevron, directly employs almost 10,000 workers, adding an output of $4.5 billion to the state's economy. Refineries are concentrated in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, while gas extraction is centered in Bakersfield. California is also pursuing geothermal energy extraction with nine such power plants scattered around the state, including the world's largest dry-steam power plant at The Geysers Geothermal Area just north of San Francisco. This single plant provides power to 1.8 million Californians.

ENTERTAINMENT

Universal Studios Arts and Entertainment jobs make up 1.6% of the California labor force and have average wages of $46,982 per year. Unlike many business sectors in California, the entertainment industry still has a respectable growth rate in excess of 6 percent per year, proving once again that entertainment is recession-proof. Entertainment, by no means the largest business in the state, is certainly one of its best known and one with massive international cultural impact. The nation's television, music, and motion picture businesses are all centered in southern California, with Los Angeles County getting the bulk of the trade, although the music industry is gradually migrating north to the San Francisco Bay Area.

INSURANCE

Insurers in California employ 244,000 people and invest $723 billion in the state economy, including $29.2 billion for state and municipal bonds. These investments finance the construction of schools, highways, water treatment systems, low-cost housing, and other civic projects. Insurance companies generate over $2 billion each year in taxes paid on insurance premiums, making insurance the fourth largest source of revenue for the state's coffers. Health insurance plans spend more than $79 billion on medical care for their California members.

MANUFACTURING

About 1.3 million Californians still hold manufacturing jobs, accounting for 9.1 percent of total private company payroll, and these jobs do, on average, pay $66,200 per year versus a statewide wage of $54,500. Nevertheless, manufacturing in California is in a deep decline. According to a 2009 report by the Milken Institute, a publicly supported, independent think tank, America's most populous state lost nearly 26 percent of its total manufacturing employment from 1990 to 2007. The steepest declines occurred in high-tech manufacturing with an average yearly wage of $115,000. Computers and electronic products still remain California's top export, accounting for 42 percent of all exports. Jobs lost in the tech-manufacturing area, it should be noted, were mainly taken over by robotics rather than outsourcing to other states or nations. Any gains across the state in specific industrial manufacturing jobs were in lower-value industries like food and beverage processing and cement works. Traditional manufacturing jobs tend to be centered in southern California, while the northern part of the state has drawn the majority of technical manufacturing, barring those in aeronautics. Most of California's overall decline in manufacturing has been blamed on regulatory burden and high workers' compensation costs. However, losses in the state's manufacturing sector are not significantly different than the overall percentage losses for the United States to date (respectively 1.3 percent and 1.2 percent per annum).

MINING AND EXTRACTION

California ranks third behind Arizona and Nevada in non-fuel mineral production, and it extracts about 6.3% of the U.S. total. The total market value of mineral production in the state runs around $4 billion per year. California produces about 30 different industrial minerals and leads the nation in the production of sand, gravel, portland cement, diatomite, and natural sodium sulfate and is the country's only producer of boron and rare earths. The only metals California produces are gold and silver. The Golden State is in sixth place for gold production nationwide. There are about 660 active mines producing non-fuel minerals, and approximately 10,000 people are employed in this sector.

NONPROFIT

Conducting Research at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary California has over 144,000 nonprofit organizations and is home to 10.2 percent of all nonprofits in the United States. There are 893,000 nonprofit employees in California (one out of every 17 paid workers statewide). Of the state's nonprofits, 74.3 percent are "public charities" and are registered as 501(c)3 organizations. California has three charities per 1,000 citizens.

RETAIL

The retail sector in California generates over $350 billion per year (about $10,000 per capita). It also employs 10.7 percent of the workforce (slightly less than the national percentage) with an average annual wage of $30,887. The California image of a "shopping mall society" has given way as more retail sales move from over-the-counter to over-the-Internet. This might explain why this Internet-intensive state's retail jobs are growing by an average of 6.7 percent as other job sectors have declined in the face of recession.

TECHNOLOGY

Apple Computer and Their Popular iPod Product Line No place in the world is more associated with technology than California and, more specifically, Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose. The development of the silicon computer chip launched a technology boom that grows every year at statewide, national, and international levels. The information technology (IT) sector in California is so integrated into the economy that it is difficult to isolate it as an individual area of business. All aspects of the entertainment industry use computer technology, as do the state's sizeable financial services and the state's largest cargo port in Los Angeles County. No respectable California farmer would be without a satellite link to check on global commodity prices before selling. Google, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Apple, Oracle, and Industrial Light & Magic are just a handful of the world's big high-tech players that call California their birthplace and home. The state is also at the center of biotechnology, with clusters of biotech firms in Silicon Valley and in the San Diego area. High tech plays a dominant role in almost every aspect of the state's $1.7 trillion economy.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation and warehousing generate 2.7 percent of California's jobs. Rail, truck, air, sea, and pipeline transport are all active businesses in the state. Rail: 31 freight railroads on 5,861 miles of track Road: 168,076 miles of public roads Sea: 9 seaports Air: 87,421,283 passengers per year Pipeline: $16 billion worth of natural gas transported per year

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Total direct spending on travel in California currently exceeds $97.6 billion per year. Tourism directly supports 924,000 jobs, with wages of $30.6 billion. Tourism generates over $1.5 billion in local taxes and $2.8 billion in state taxes. Almost 19 percent of all travel spending in the state is attributable to international tourism. California also hosts over 300 million American visitors each year with 76 percent traveling for leisure and 24 percent for business. The state has the largest portion of domestic travel (approx. 11.3%) in the United States each year.

California State Climate

Climate Map OVERVIEW Spanning nine degrees of latitude and almost 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) of elevation, California has five distinct climates. They include the Mediterranean, for which the state is famous, as well as desert, mountain, continental, and subarctic. The state is noted for its mild, rainy winters. Unlike almost all of the rest of the United States, summers are dry. They are characterized by mild temperatures in the 60s and 70s F (16°–26°C) along the coast, quickly climbing to three-digit numbers inland (100°+ F/38°+ C), especially in the deserts that dominate the state's southern third. A great influence on the state's climate is the cool California Current off the coast, which creates summer fog.   Mediterranean: This climate is distinguished by cool, wet winters and dry, warm-to-hot summers. It extends along the coast from Cape Mendocino to San Diego, and inland through most parts of the Central Valley. The coastal variation features frequent fog or overcast skies in summer, which keeps daily temperatures mild. Freezing temperatures are rare. The inland variation usually has very hot summers, and winters that can bring intense, ground-hugging "tule fog," as well as rain. Continental: Although it follows the Mediterranean norm of rainless summers, the southern part of the state's vast Central Valley has a semi-arid steppe climate like that found on the Great Plains. Rainfall is lower than with the Mediterranean climate, summers can be decidedly warmer, and winter freezes occur more frequently. Desert: California's two major deserts, the high-altitude Mojave and the lower-altitude Sonoran, are both very dry and subject to summer temperatures above 100°F (38°C). In winter, the Mojave is cool, often reaching freezing temperatures, while the Sonoran is warmer, with daytime temperatures in the 70s F (21°–26° C). Winter brings snow to the Mojave. Occasional summer thunderstorms occur in the Sonoran. Desert conditions prevail east of the Sierra Nevada because of the rain shadow formed by that range. The northeastern part of the state is part of the Great Basin, an extensive high desert. Sonoran Desert Mountain: The state's major mountain ranges undergo significant snowfall in winter and rain in spring. Like the rest of the state, the mountains experience summer drought, although occasional thunderstorms occur. Subarctic: California has extensive areas in the Sierra Nevada above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) where climatic conditions resemble those just south of the Arctic Circle: very cold winters and warm, brief summers. The same conditions prevail on 14,179-foot (4,322-meter) Mt. Shasta in the state's far north. Temperatures rise according to elevation and distance inland. Average January temperatures range from the mid-60s F (17°C to 19°C) along the central and southern coasts to 10-20°F (-12° to -7°C) in the High Sierra. Average July temperatures range from the low 60s to 70s F (17°–23°C) along the north coast to Central Valley temperatures in the 90s F (32°–37°C) to desert temperatures in the 100s F (38°+ C). California's all-time extreme temperatures span 179°F (82°C). Its all-time highest temperature of 134°F (57°C) was recorded at Death Valley on July 10, 1913, and its all-time lowest temperature of -45°F (-43°C) was recorded at Boca on January 20, 1937.   Flooding Along the Russian River When floods occur, it is in winter or early spring, the seasons of heaviest rainfall. Areas most vulnerable to major flooding are in the Central Valley, especially near the Sacramento and American river flood plains. The more common forms of flooding are flash floods created by heavy rainfall in coastal areas and near the Transverse Ranges in Southern California. In the Bay Area, high tides can combine with "stalled" rainstorms to create local flood conditions. Dams and diversion pumps have curbed most major flooding, but flash flooding of minor creeks and streams still poses a threat in urban and suburban areas where plant cover has been removed. Drought is a recurring part of the state's climatic cycle, often lasting for years at a time. The cause is thought to be high-pressure areas that "park" over the state, sometimes for years, forming a barrier that prevents rainstorms from entering the state. The state's last major drought was from 1987 to 1992. Beginning in 2007, the state has experienced successive years of drought-like rain and snowfall levels. SEASONS Mammoth Mountain in the Sierra Nevada Winter varies from extremely mild on the central and southern coasts to bitterly cold in the Sierra Nevada. Snow is rare anywhere along the coast and in the Central Valley. The heaviest snowfalls are in the Sierra Nevada, followed by the northern and southern mountains. Snowfalls in the high (Mojave) desert are comparatively light. Rain is heaviest in winter and California's annual grasses respond by carpeting the state in green. Spring is marked by the end of the rainy season, although wet weather can occur into May. The state is lushly green and rivers and streams run high. Temperatures are cool in early spring, then warm almost to summer highs in June. Summer is the hottest season, although in June, cool air along the Pacific, called the Marine Layer, keeps coastal cities 10°–20°F (up to 5°C) cooler than inland cities. The state's annual drought, a feature of its Mediterranean climate, begins in summer. Seasonal grasses die, turning a gold color on the hillsides. Statewide, autumn is characterized by warm days and cool nights. The rainy season usually begins in late October. Snow is unusual in early autumn, but begins by mid-November in most years. TEMPERATURE Cool Coastal Temperatures Temperatures rise according to elevation and distance inland. Average January temperatures range from the mid-60s F (17°–19°C) along the central and southern coasts, and the southeastern low desert to 10-20 degrees F (-12° to -7°C) in the High Sierra. About half of the state, including the north coast, Central Valley and high desert, average daytime temperatures in the mid-50s F (12° –14°C). Foothills and northern mountains average in the 30s F (0°–3°C). Average July temperatures range from the mid-70s to mid 80s F (24°–29°C) along the central and southern coasts, and the low 60s to 70s F (17°–23°C) along the north coast. Central Valley temperatures are in the 90s F (32°–37°C), while desert temperatures are in the 100s F (38°+ C). The Sierra, Cascade, and Klamath Mountains are generally cooler, in the high 70s F (25°C). PRECIPITATION Precipitation Map The state's average rainfall, regardless of region or climate, is 17.28 inches. Rain falls most heavily in the state's northwest and decreases as one moves south and east.  Northwestern California receives up to 50 inches (1,300 mm) of rain per year, with some redwood forests in the area receiving more than 100 inches (2,500 mm). Moving south, coastal areas receive decreasing rainfall: San Francisco, 20.4 inches (518 mm); Los Angeles, 14.77 inches (375 mm); and San Diego, 9.9 inches (251 mm). In the northern Central Valley, Redding receives 33.52 inches (851 mm) of rain while Bakersfield in the south receives 6.49 inches (165 mm). Barstow in the desert and Bishop in the Sierra rain shadow receive, respectively, 4.64 inches (118 mm) and 5.02 inches (128 mm). Snow is rare on the coast and in the Central Valley. The Sierra routinely receives up to 350 inches (8,890 mm) of snow at some of its higher elevations. The snowpack later becomes a source of drinking water for much of the state. Snow in the Klamath and Cascade Mountains can also be heavy. Snow in the southern mountains is less heavy due to the "wringing out" of moisture that occurs as storms move over the state. HUMIDITY   Humidity is highest along the coast and decreases inland. Although Los Angeles (79 percent morning/65 percent afternoon) and San Francisco (84 percent morning/62 percent afternoon) have high relative humidities, their coastal location controls temperatures and keeps humidity from becoming uncomfortable. Humidity is low inland (66 percent morning/39 percent afternoon at Bakersfield; 54 percent morning/20 percent afternoon at Bishop), giving the state a reputation for "dry heat" in summer versus the hot, clammy heat of more humid U.S. climates.    SUNSHINE The state is one of the sunniest in the United States, averaging seven to eight hours of sunshine daily in winter, and up to 14 hours daily in dry inland regions. Averages on the coast are somewhat less because of fog and rain: six to seven hours in winter; nine to 10 hours in summer. REGIONS Central Valley California divides into five regions: Coastal: The strip of land, up to 15 miles wide, that extends from Oregon to Mexico. Mediterranean climate. Inland Valleys: Valleys formed by the coastal ranges that are warmer than the coastal areas in summer and cooler in winter. Mediterranean climate. Central Valley: The great agricultural plain at the heart of the state. Mediterranean climate in the north, semi-arid continental climate in the south. Desert: High desert (Mojave) that is hot in summer and cold in winter, and low desert (Sonoran) that is hot in summer and warm in winter. Both have low precipitation. Mountains: The Sierra Nevada, Cascades, Klamath, and Transverse ranges all have mild summers and cold, snowy winters. Grape-growing Region of Santa Ynez Valley Micro-climates: Unlike continental climates, where temperature and humidity can be remarkably consistent over a huge area, California's complex geography and proximity to cold ocean water creates "micro-climates." Micro-climates are variations in temperature that occur as one moves inland. For example, coastal San Francisco has an average summer temperature of 68°F (20°C) while suburban Walnut Creek, 20 miles (32 km) east, has a summer average of 87°F (31°C), a temperature gain of approximately one degree F (0.56°C) per mile (1.6 km). Micro-climates become less pronounced further inland, where temperatures remain more uniform over a greater area.   WEATHER EXTREMES Smog in the Los Angeles Basin Tornadoes: Although California is 1,400 miles from "Tornado Alley," it experienced 303 tornadoes from 1950 through 2004. Only 21 of the storms (7 percent) reached F2 force, which is defined on the Fujita Scale (F0–F6, with F6 being an "inconceivable tornado") as a "significant tornado" with winds up to 157 miles per hour, and the ability to tear roofs off frame houses, demolish mobile homes, and uproot large trees. Tropical cyclones: The state has been hit by the remnants of tropical cyclones (called hurricanes on the East Coast) several times in its history, but only two delivered memorable amounts of warm, wet, intense rainfall by the time they reached California: 14.76 inches (374.9 mm) in 1976 at San Gorgonio from Hurricane Kathleen, and 11.6 inches (294.6 mm) in 1939 at Mt. Wilson from an unnamed storm.   Hail occurs in winter in the state's more northerly areas. It is rare in Southern California. Hail pellets are small compared to those in other areas where hail occurs, and damage from them is usually negligible. Blizzards are unknown in coastal California. However, in the high mountains, such as the Sierra Nevada, Klamath and Transverse Coastal ranges, heavy snowfall and wind can create blizzard conditions. Thunderstorms are unusual but not rare in California. The aftermath of tropical Mexican storms can bring them on, as well as the onset of the monsoon season in summer in the Sonoran Desert.   Fighting Wildfires Wildfires can be extreme in California, consuming tens of thousands of acres at a time. The state's summer drought conditions combine with high temperatures and low humidity to create ideal conditions for large fires. Mudslides: Heavy winter rains on slopes that have been denuded by summer and autumn wildfires often create large mudslides that can block highways or destroy hillside homes. High Winds: The state's most famous wind is the Santa Ana, a hot, almost gale-force wind that comes in autumn when low pressure over the coast pulls warm inland air over and down the mountains north of Los Angeles. As the air descends from the mountains, compression heats it. Other parts of the state experience similar winds under similar conditions. Smog, trapped particles from car exhaust, atmospheric dust, and industrial emissions, is created when an inversion layer, an overlap of cool air, traps warmer air below it and prevents it from rising and dispersing. The Los Angeles Basin has the state's severest smog because of its inversion layer of cool ocean air hemmed in by mountains.   INTERESTING FACTS California is one of five areas on earth with a Mediterranean climate. The other four are the Mediterranean Sea, South Africa (Cape Town), Australia (Perth and Adelaide), and Central Chile (Santiago). Of the top 10 U.S. cities with the least weather variety (temperature, rain, wind, severe storms), eight are in California: San Francisco (ranked No. 1), San Diego (2), Los Angeles (3), Santa Barbara (4), Eureka (5), Long Beach (6), Santa Maria (8), and San Luis Obispo (9). California's snowiest city, Blue Canyon (240.8 inches/6,116.3 mm of snow per year), is only 69.3 miles (111.5 km) from Bishop, the state's driest city (5.61 inches/142.5 mm of rain per year). Blue Canyon is the snowiest inhabited area in the United States, while Bishop is the fourth driest population center in the country. Californians often give certain weather patterns distinctive names. One, "the Pineapple Express," describes a condition where the jet stream draws in warm, moist air from around Hawaii and produces torrential rains. Another expression, "earthquake weather," describes unseasonably hot, humid, uncomfortable weather, with high cloud cover, that supposedly is a sign of an impending earthquake. (Statistically, there is no correlation between this kind of weather and the occurrence of earthquakes.) California is home to five of the 10 U.S. cities considered the worst places to live for people who have allergies: Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno, and Hanford. The latter four cities are in the Central Valley, a heavily agricultural region. Six of the nation's 10 cities that have the fewest days of rain per year are in California: Bishop (29 days), Santa Barbara (30), Long Beach (32), Los Angeles (35), Bakersfield (37), and San Diego (42). The coolest place in the continental United States in summer is Pt. Reyes, on the coast about 20 miles north of San Francisco. The average daily temperature there is 55°F (13°C). -World Trade Press

Arts and Culture in California

With the largest population among all 50 states, the arts and culture scene in California defies summarization. For over 150 years, California has been the destination of dreamers— it is the farthest west in the U.S. before reaching the Pacific Ocean, and there is quite simply room enough for every kind of art, daydream, and desire. It has a Western and modern culture with statewide cultural Hispanic Latin American, and Asian influences. A true melting pot where alternative lifestyles and choices are accepted amiably, California boasts many different cultural influences, including Hispanic and Asian. Northern California and southern California have had very different cultures since the 1800s. The "49er" Gold Rush turned San Francisco, in the northern part of the state, into a booming metropolis practically overnight. Los Angeles, in the south, enjoyed a more bucolic existence until oil was discovered at the turn of the 19th century, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was built in 1913, and the motion picture industry blossomed. While San Francisco and Los Angeles are the most well known cities in California, the state is filled with distinctive cities and towns like San Diego and Oakland that have their own cultures and identities. HIGH ARTS Los Angeles has a reputation as one of the foremost art capitals in America as well as the world. The California Philharmonic (CalPhil) is a part of that reputation. It presents 30 concerts annually in five separate venues in Los Angeles County, including at Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. CalPhil offers free community outreach events, such as "CalPhil Family Night," "Talks with the Maestro," and "Sounds Fun: Concert Experience for Young Minds." The Walt Disney Concert Hall, the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center, is the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The Frank Gehry-designed building opened in 2003. Its acoustics, designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, have been universally acclaimed. Founded in 1986, the Los Angeles Opera is today the fourth largest opera company in the country under the leadership of General Director, Plácido Domingo. The company unites major Los Angeles artists with international singers, designers, directors and conductors to create critically lauded productions. Domingo has also performed in more than 100 company productions, as well as conducted operas likeLa Traviata, Rigoletto, La Bohème, and Tosca. San Francisco Opera is the second largest opera company in the U.S. Its season now contains roughly 75 performances of 10 operas between September and July. In 2007, the company celebrated the 75th anniversary of the War Memorial Opera House, its home venue. The War Memorial, designed in the beaux arts style, was inaugurated in 1932 and was the first American opera house not built by and for wealthy donors. The building was paid for by private citizens, who persuaded thousands of San Franciscans to buy subscriptions. San Francisco Opera offers many training programs and performance opportunities for young artists via a joint effort of the San Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program. Founded in 1933, the San Francisco Ballet performed the first American productions of Swan Lake,Nutcracker, and the first 20th-century American production of Coppélia. It is one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson since 1985, the company commissions new works by renowned choreographers, nurtures young talent, obtains existing works by master choreographers, and interprets the classics. The Los Angeles Ballet is a repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust. Co-Artistic Director Colleen Neary continues the Balanchine tradition after studying under Balanchine as a young dancer. The San Francisco Symphony was founded in 1911 and is thought by many to be the most artistically adventurous, financially stable arts institutions in the country. Approximately 600,000 people hear over 220 concerts and performances by SFS each annually. SFS performs internationally as well as nationally and has created over 150 recordings. Annually, the symphony gives 7,000 complimentary tickets to Bay Area community groups and underserved populations. Over the course of 30 years, its All San Francisco Concert has performed for more than 100 local social service and neighborhood organizations. SFS is known for its educational outreach including Adventures in Music, SFKids.com, and Keeping Score, a PBS television series and multimedia project. SFS performs in Davies Symphony Hall in downtown San Francisco. MUSIC California has seen the rise of countless native popular music acts. Some of the more recent success stories include Green Day, Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine, No Doubt, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Snoop Dogg. Formed in 1961, Hawthorne, California's the Beach Boys epitomized Southern California beach and teen culture with its songs about surfing, girls, and cars. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and has enjoyed four Billboard number-one hits: "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," "Good Vibrations," and "Kokomo." San Francisco's psychedelic scene began in the 1960s as bands like Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Country Joe and the Fish began performing. The Fillmore, still in operation today, was a major San Francisco venue for these bands. In the 1970s, California gave birth to "country rock" bands like The Eagles and Poco. Songwriters such as Jackson Browne became popular, and California acts Journey and Carlos Santana got their starts. Natives Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac and found international success. Los Angeles contributed bands to the late 1970s punk scene including the Screamers, the Germs, Black Flag, and X. Later, California's skate scene birthed "skate punk," epitomized by bands like the Offspring, NOFX, and Bad Religion. The Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center contains the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theater, Mark Taper Forum, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Over 2.3 million people enjoy performances every year by resident companies the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theatre Group, L.A. Opera, and Los Angeles Master Chorale. Native-born Californian composers include Henry Cowell (1897–1965) and John Cage (1912–92). Important composers who lived in California include Arnold Schoenberg, who immigrated from Austria, Ernest Bloch, who moved there from Switzerland, and Igor Stravinsky, who was originally from Russia. PERFORMING ARTS California is filled with talented performers. The Los Angeles Music Center contains four internationally acclaimed resident companies including the Center Theatre Group. The Music Center presents family, Active Arts, Global Pop, and dance programs, as well as thousands of performances, tours, and events each year. It provides arts education to more than 350,000 students and teachers annually through nearly 14,000 programs presented in 20 languages. Center Theatre Group presents plays at Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. It also has a New Play Production program that is designed to foster development and of new work from Los Angeles artists as well as from around the country and world. American Conservatory Theatre San Francisco won the prestigious Regional Theatre Award in 1979. (Eight California theater companies have won since the regional awards were first given out in 1976.) The A.C.T. began its first San Francisco season at the Geary Theater in 1967. More than 300 A.C.T. productions have been seen by a combined audience of seven million people. A.C.T.'s educational outreach programs inspire more than 250,000 people in the San Francisco Bay Area every year. A.C.T.'s program to develop creative theater talent won the prestigious Jujamcyn Theaters Award in 1996. FILM Hollywood is both an actual district of Los Angeles as well as a "catch-word" that stands for all of American studio film. Los Angeles is the place many movie stars live, where the annual Academy Awards are held, and where star-struck movie fans can stroll along the Walk of Fame or tour studio lots. Even the most jaded of people are impacted by the glamour of "Tinseltown." Most historians consider "talking picture" The Jazz Singer to be the beginning of the "Golden Age of Hollywood" in 1927. Thousands of movies were made in Hollywood until the late 1950s. Most were studio films, movies made by a particular studio, with its own contract stars, craftspeople, and technical crews. The studio-controlled system of moviemaking began to weaken in the late 1940s as television and antitrust laws forced the studios to open up theater ownership. Today, independent "art house" films are often made alongside studio movies in California and also filmed on location all over the United States. Many independent films become "crossover hits" so the major studios in Hollywood all have smaller production companies that make alternatives to their bigger budget "popcorn" features. San Francisco has a long history both as a setting or backdrop in movies and as a hotbed of cinematic creativity. The very first moving image was captured in Northern California and filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Clint Eastwood, Chris Columbus, Francis Ford Coppola, Phillip Kaufman, and George Lucas have all produced films and lived in the area. Many, many movies have been filmed in the Bay Area, including The Fog (1923), The Caine Mutiny(1954), American Graffiti (1973), and Pumping Iron (1977), the latter of which featured the future governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many television shows are also shot on location there. The San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in North America. Produced by the San Francisco Film Society, SFIFF is held every spring and presents around 150 films from over 50 countries annually. The festival highlights current trends and shows films that haven't necessarily procured U.S. distribution. LITERARY ARTS John Steinbeck is one of the best-known writers of the 20th century. His novel Cannery Row described life in Monterey, California's sardine canning factories in the 1940s. The Monterey fishery was one of the most productive in the world before being depleted in the 1950s. Steinbeck influenced generations of social protesters, such as Cesar Chavez, union sympathizers, and the "common" workingman. A multi-talented artist, he was a writer, a realist, a naturalist, a journalist, and a playwright. After graduating from Salinas High School in 1919, Steinbeck attended Stanford University. His novelThe Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939. In 1962, Steinbeck became the only native-born Californian to win the Nobel Prize for literature. His strongest themes were the strengths of the American family, the environment and its effects, and social protest. His work also dealt with the triumphs and tribulations of rural labor. Steinbeck had many leftist writer friends and he publicly denounced government interference. Later in life, he was criticized by the left as not being liberal enough. California has been home to several of the country's major newspaper editors and publishers, including the legendary William Randolph Hearst, the founder of a newspaper empire that included the San Francisco Examiner, and Harrison Gray Otis, the former owner and publisher of the Los Angeles Times. California-born Joan Didion, the author of five novels and eight nonfiction books, became renowned for her chronicling of modern California in titles like The White Album. Raymond Chandler, another native, wrote about the unseemly side of mid–20th century Los Angeles in his wildly popular hardboiled detective novels. Ken Kesey moved to San Francisco in the 1960s and helped found the psychedelic movement before writing, among other works, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Other prominent California writers (either native-born or longtime residents) are María Ruiz de Burton (the first female Mexican-American author to write in English), Dashiell Hammett, Charles Bukowski, and Jack London. Robert Frost (1874–1963) is associated with his writings about rural life in New England, but he was born and raised (until age 11) in San Francisco. VISUAL ARTS California enjoys myriad museums featuring an impressive collection of American and international visual art. Located near the famous La Brea Tar Pits in the heart of Los Angeles the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is currently undergoing a 10-year expansion and renovation designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. The first phase of the project opened in early 2008. The museum contains over 100,000 pieces of art spanning all of documented history. It showcases many modern artists including Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and José Clemente Orozco, and its Islamic art is one of the most significant such collections in the world. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art boasts a film program co-hosted with the San Francisco Film Society; live art performances; and educational programs for families, teens, and educators done in partnership with organizations such as the Exploratorium, Youth Speaks, and Pixar. San Francisco native Ansel Adams (1902–1984) was an internationally famous California photographer that documented the American West (especially Yosemite) during his lifetime. (For more on Adams, see Historic Art Movements below.) ARCHITECTURE Arguably the most iconic architectural symbol of California, the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge traverses San Francisco Bay, connecting the city and county of San Francisco to Marin County to its north. It was completed in 1937 and has remained a powerful tourist draw ever since. Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, the stainless steel-encased Walt Disney Concert Hall is an architectural marvel featuring perfect acoustics. Also in the greater Los Angeles area, the Getty Center in nearby Brentwood enjoys acclaim for its art collection and equally for its architecture, gardens, and panoramic views. HANDICRAFT AND FOLK ART Originally founded by Edith Wyle as innovative café and shop Egg and The Eye in 1965, the Los Angeles Craft & Folk Art Museum is uniquely L.A. The nonprofit museum displays folk art and contemporary craft. The eclectic organization closed in the late 1990s but was resurrected in 2005 when Maryna Hrushetska was appointed executive director. Exhibition themes focus on expanding the traditional definitions of craft and folk art and responding to globalization and cultural assimilation. The Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco offers inventive exhibitions and educational programs designed to bring together diverse communities. It is the only folk art museum in northern California. HISTORIC ART MOVEMENTS San Francisco native Ansel Adams (1902–1984) influenced many California photographers. He co-founded Group f/64 with contemporaries Edward Weston, Willard Van Dyke, and Imogen Cunningham. He and Fred Archer invented "the zone system," a method that gave photographers more control over the light in their photographs. Adams spearheaded the idea that a photographer should visualize an image before taking the photo in order to get the desired composition and to achieve more artistic control. Adams influenced thousands of amateur photographers through his books and his workshops.

how berkin elvan killed?

How was Berkin Elvan killed? (in 13 languages)

English;

14 year old ‪#‎Berkin‬ Elvan was shot with a 850 gr. gas cannister on june 16th. He was not a protester he was going to the market to buy some bread. He was in a coma trying to survive fighting infections and high fever for 268 days. He was 16 kgs when he died today, at 07.00 am. Now the police are attacking the hospital he has been staying at and another protester was shot in the head during the attacks. He is unconscious now. The family did not have time to mourn their child before the police attack. Be aware of the police violence in Turkiye. Let everyone know about the dictator.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/15-year-old-gezi-victim-berkin-elvan-dies-after-269-days-in-coma-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=63429&NewsCatID=341

Español/Castellano;

Berkin Elvan de 15 años. El 16 de junio fue golpeado por una cápsula de gas lacrimógeno disparado por la policia.No era activista sino que simplemente iba a comprar pan para desajunar con su famila. Durante los ultimos 268 dias, Berkin se encontraba en estado de coma luchando por su vida. En el día de hoy, en Estambul, la policia se encuentra atacando a la gente que está protestando en el hospital en donde falleció Berkin. Un activista ha resultado herido en la cabeza por recibir un disparo de gas lacrimógeno justo como le paso a Berkin el 16 de junio pasado. La familia de Berkin nunca tuvo la oportuninad de llorar para su hijo. Es necesario que seamos conscientes de la brutalidad policial en Turquia. Haz que sepa todo el mundo a este asesino dictador!!

http://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2014/03/11/531eec67ca47415f118b4582.html

Français;

Le premier juin, Berkin Elvan , un garçon de 14 ans a eu une capsule de gaz de 850 grammes sur sa tête, il n’était pas parmi les manifestants il allait seulement acheter du pain. Pendant 268 jours il a lutté contre l’infection et la fièvre au coma. Ce matin, quand il est décédé, il pesait 16 kg. Maintenant, les polices attaquent les manifestants devant l’hôpital et cependant un manifestant a eu une balle dans sa tête, il a perdu sa conscience. Sa famille, elle n’a pas eu le temps de faire son deuil, prends conscience de la violence policière en Turquie. Parle à tout le monde de cet dictateur.

http://www.rfi.fr/europe/20140311-turquie-gezi-taksim-repression-mort-berkin-abdullah-gul/

Deutsch;

Berkin Elvan, ein 14 jaehriger Junge, ist heute im Koma gestorben. Er wurde am 1. Juni von einem 850gr. Traenengaskanister am Kopf getroffen. Er war nicht gekommen um zu protestieren, sondern kaufte ein Brot im Laden und war auf dem Weg nach Hause. Seit heute Morgen werden die Menschen, die zum Krankenhaus gekommen sind, um ihr Beileid auszusprechen, wieder von Gaskanistern bombardiert. Die Gassbomben werden teilweise auch ins Krankenhaus geschossen. Ein weiterer Mann wurde bei diesen Attacken am Kopf getroffen und schwer verletzt- er ist derzeit bewusstlos. Lasst alle wissen, was hier los ist! Der Staat laesst morden ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken!

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/tuerkei-gezi-opfer-berkin-elvan-ist-tot-a-957873.html

Catala;

Darrere del Berkin Avui, 11 de març de 2014, he perdut un amic que estava al meu costat, ens recolzàvem contra tot el mal que hi ha en aquest país que cada vegada sembla més un infern. Un amic del qui no conec la seva cara, del qui no conec la seva olor tendra, no sé com eren els seus ulls negres que veia com a olives, no sé quins somnis tenia, no sé si es va enamorar alguna vegada. Mai vaig poder tocar la seva mà. Ell estava al meu costat, em recolzava, creixíem junts, i ens oferia la seva espatlla quan un dels nostres no tenia força; només calia girar-nos cap a un costat, i allí es trobaven els nostres ulls, així superàvem la nostra desesperança. Empentàvem el món perquè es mogués, per a que caigués tot a la merda que hi havia dins d’ell. Van arrancar el meu amic del meu costat, i la meva espatlla esquerra s’ha quedat tallada, ara sangra. Berkin Elvan no era activista. Tenia només 14 anys quan va ser ferit per una bomba de gas l6’1 de juny de 2014. Anava a comprar pa per casa seva i es va trobar amb la violència de l’Estat turc. Va resistir 268 dies en un hospital d’Istanbul i aquest matí se li han tancat els seus ulls. Ara continua la guerra davant d’aquest hospital, la mateixa violència ja ha ferit un amic més.

Türkçe;

14 yaşindaki Berkin Elvan 1 Haziran’da başından 850 gramlık bir gaz kapsülüyle vuruldu. Eylemci değildi, ekmek almaya gidiyordu. 268 gün boyunca enfeksiyon ve yüksek ateşle mücadele ederek komada kaldı. Bugün sabah saat 07.00 da öldüğünde 16 kiloydu. Şu anda polis bunca zamandır yatmakta olduğu hastaneye saldırmakta ve bu saldırılar sırasında bir eylemci daha başından vuruldu. Şu anda bilinci kapalı. Ailesinin çocuklarının yasını tutmaya fırsatı olmadı. Türkiye’deki polis vahşetinin farkında ol. Diktatörü herkesin bilmesini sağla!

Italiano;

“Berkin Elvan aveva 14 anni ed il primo giugno è stato colpito da un lacrimogeno che pesava 850 grammi. Non era un attivista. Stava andando a comprare il pane. Per 268 giorni ha provato a combattere contro infezioni e febbre alta: era in coma. Oggi, alle 07:00, quando è morto, pesava 16 chili. In questo momento la polizia sta attaccando l’ospedale dove Berkin era ricoverato, e durante questi attacchi un altro attivista è rimasto colpito alla testa ed ha perso conoscenza. La sua famiglia non ha nemmeno avuto la possibilità di piangere il proprio figlio: la polizia ha subito attaccato. Sii consapevole delle brutalità che la polizia attua in Turchia. Fai sapere a tutte le persone del dittatore assassino!”

Swenska;

Berkin Elvan (14) blev skjuten av turkiska polisen med en tårgaskapsyl när han var på väg till affären för 268 dagar sedan. Sedan dess har han legat i koma, fram till i morse då han slutligen avled. Han vägde endast 16 kilo när han dog. 14 år gammal # BerkinElvan blev skjuten med en 850 gr. gas cannister den 1 juni. Han var inte en demonstrant han var på väg till marknaden för att köpa lite bröd. Han låg i koma försöker överleva bekämpa infektioner och hög feber för 268 dagar. Han var 16 kg när han dog idag, kl 07:00. Nu polisen attackerar sjukhuset han har kvar på och en annan demonstrant sköts i huvudet under attackerna. Han är medvetslös nu. Familjen har inte haft någon tid att sörja sina barn innan polisen har börjat attackera igen. Var medveten om polisvåld i Turkiye. Låt alla veta om diktatorn (Recep Tayyip Erdogan).

Norska;

Berkin Elvan (14) ble skutt av tyrkisk politi med tåregass hette da han var på vei til butikken 268 dager siden. Siden da har han ligget i koma, før morgenen når han til slutt døde. Han veide bare 16 kilo da han døde. 14 år gammel # BerkinElvan ble skutt med en 850 gr. gass cannister den 1. juni. Han var ikke en demonstrant han skulle til markedet for å kjøpe brød. Han var i koma prøver å overleve bekjempe infeksjon og høy feber i 268 dager. Han var 16 kg da han i dag døde på 7:00. Nå politi angriper sykehuset han har igjen på og en annen demonstrant ble skutt i hodet under angrepene. Han er bevisstløs nå. Familien har ikke hatt tid til å sørge over hennes barn før politiet har begynt å angripe igjen. Vær klar over politiets brutalitet i Turkiye. La alle få vite om diktator.

PT | Berkin Elvan, 14 anos foi atingido com uma garrafa de gás em 1 de Junho de 2013. Ele não era um manifestante, ia apenas ao mercado comprar pão. Esteve em coma a tentar sobreviver combatendo infecções e febre durante 268 dias. Pesava 16 kgs quando morreu esta manhã às 7h da manhã. A polícia está a atacar o hospital em que ele estava e outro manifestante foi baleado na cabeça durante os protestos. Está inconsciente. A família não teve oportunidade de velar a criança, antes do ataque da polícia. Que se tome consciência da violência policial na Turquia.Que todo o mundo saiba acerca deste ditador.

CZ | Dnes v 7 hodin ráno zemřel 14letý ‪#‎Berkin‬ Elvas v kómatu v nemocnici. Do hlavy jej 1. června při protivládních prostestech zasáhla 850gramová plechovka slzného plynu. Nešel protestovat, pouze si koupil v obchodě chleba a byl na cestě domů. Od dnešního rána přicházejí k nemocnici lidé vyjádřit svou soustrast a policie je znovu bombarduje plechovkami plynu. Plechovky slzného plynu létají vzduchem i v nemocnici. Do hlavy byl při těchto útocích zasažen další muž, který je vážně zraněn a je v současné době v bezvědomí. Ať všichni vědí, co se tady děje! Stát nechává vraždit lidi bez mrknutí oka!

Pусский – 16 июня четырнадцатилетний ‪ Беркин‬ Эльван (Berkin‬ Elvan) был застрелен с 850 гр. газовой пулей. Он не был протестующим. Он собирался на рынок, чтобы купить хлеб. Он был в коме и боролся с инфекцией и высокой температурой на 268 дней, чтобы выжить. Он умер сегодня в 7:00 утра. После смерти он весил 16 кг. Теперь полицейские атакуют больницу, которая лежал Беркин, а другой протестующий выстрелян в голову во время нападений. Сейчас он находится в бессознательном состоянии. У семьи никогда не было возможности, чтобы оплакать своего ребенка, так как снова полицейские напали. Будьте в курсе о насилии со стороны полиции в Турции. Пусть все знают о диктаторе.

Dutch Op 16 juni kreeg de 14-jarige Berkin Elvan een gascapsule tegen zijn hoofd geschoten. Hij behoorde niet tot de demonstranten. Hij ging gewoon een brood kopen. Hij belandde in een coma en gedurende 268 dagen heeft hij gevochten tegen infecties en hoge koorts. Om 7u vanochtend, toen hij stierf, was zijn gewicht nog maar 16 kilogram. Op datzelfde moment valt de politie demonstranten aan voor het ziekenhuis waar hij verbleef. Weer is tijdens die aanval een demonstrant tegen het hoofd geschoten. Hij verloor het bewustzijn. De familie kreeg, voordat de politie aanviel, niet eens de kans om te rouwen voor hun kind. Neem hiermee akte van het politiegeweld in Turkije. Laat iedereen van deze dictator weten.