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Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second-largest in the United States of America. Often abbreviated as L.A., it is rated an alpha world city having an estimated 2007 population of 4.0 million and spanning over 469.1 square miles (1,214.9 square kilometers) in Southern California. Additionally, the Los AngelesLong BeachSanta Ana metropolitan area is home to nearly 13 million people who hail from all over the globe and speak more than a hundred different languages.
Los Angeles is the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States. Its inhabitants are sometimes known as "Angelenos."
Los Angeles was founded in the year 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula). It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its independence from Spain. In 1848 at the end of the Mexican-American War, Los Angeles and California became part of the United States. It was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850five months before California achieved statehood.
Los Angeles is one of the world's most prominent centers of culture, technology, and international trade. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields. The city and its immediate vicinity lead the world in producing popular entertainment such as motion picture, television, video games and recorded music which forms the base of Los Angeles' international fame and global status.
Climate
The city is situated in a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical zone (Köppen climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland), USDA Zones 8-11, experiencing mild, somewhat wet winters and warm to hot summers. Breezes from the Pacific Ocean tend to keep the beach communities of the Los Angeles area cooler in summer and warmer in winter than those further inland; summer temperatures can sometimes be as much as 18 F (10 C) warmer in the inland communities compared to that of the coastal communities. A few coastal "micro-climates" have never recorded a temperature below freezing. Coastal areas also see a phenomenon known as the "marine layer," a dense cloud cover caused by the proximity of the ocean that helps keep the temperatures cooler throughout the year. When the marine layer becomes more common and pervades farther inland during the months of May and June, it is called May Gray or June Gloom.
Temperatures in the summer can get well over 90 F (32 C), but average summer daytime highs in downtown are 82 F (27 C), with overnight lows of 63 F (17 C). Winter daytime high temperatures will get up to around 65 F (18 C), on average, with overnight lows of 48 F (10 C) and during this season rain is common. The warmest month is August, followed by July and then September. This somewhat large case of seasonal lag is caused by Los Angeles' proximity to the ocean and its latitude of 34 north.
The median temperature in January is 57 F (13 C) and 73 F (22 C) in August. The highest temperature recorded within city borders was 119.0 F (48.33 C) in Woodland Hills on July 22, 2006;
the lowest temperature recorded was 18.0 F (−7.8 C) in 1989, in Canoga Park. The highest temperature recorded for Downtown Los Angeles was 112.0 F (44.4 C) on June 26, 1990, and the lowest temperature recorded was 28.0 F (−2.0 C) on January 4, 1949.
Rain occurs mainly in the winter and spring months (February being the wettest month), with great annual variations in storm severity. Los Angeles averages 15 inches (38 cm) of precipitation per year. Tornado warnings are also issued, which are extraordinarily rare downtown, though waterspouts are seen during severe storms at beaches. Snow is extraordinarily rare in the city basin, but the mountainous slopes within city limits typically receive snow every year. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was 2.0 inches (5 cm) on January 15, 1932.
Flora
The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub, which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, coast live oak, and giant wild rye grass. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though they are not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the tropical Coral Tree and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia r
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