Official language(s)	English
Capital	Sacramento
Largest city	Los Angeles
Largest metro area	Greater Los Angeles
Area	Ranked 3rd in the US
- Total	163,696 sq mi (423,970 km2)
- % water	4.7
Population	Ranked 1st in the US
- Total	36,961,664 (2009 est.) 33,871,648 (2000)
- Median income	US$61,021 (9th)
Governor	Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

Situated on the Pacific coast of the southwestern US, California is the nation's 3rd-largest state (after Alaska and Texas).

California is bordered on the North by Oregon; on the East by Nevada; on the South East by Arizona (separated by the Colorado River); on the South by the Mexican state of Baja California Norte; and on the West by the Pacific Ocean.