California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. Nicknamed "The Golden State," it is the most populous and third-largest state by land area, after Alaska and Texas. It is home to the nation's second- and sixth-largest census statistical areas and eight of the nation's 50 most populous cities. Its five largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, and Fresno. California's capital is Sacramento.California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast to the west, to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east, to the Mojave Desert areas in the southeast and to the Redwood–Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the contiguous United States. After Florida, California has the second-longest coastline in the contiguous United States, which is approximately 840 miles long. Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, with about 37 thousand recorded annually.

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