Physical Features
California is 3rd largest state in USA covering an area of 163,696 sq. miles. This state has a very diverge geography with coastlines, mountains, valleys and basins. The state is generally divided into Northern and Southern California without any real boundary between them. In the Northern California there are Klamath Mountains, Cascade Ranges and Modoc Plateau. The state has fertile Central Valley with agricultural lands and there are mountain ranges both east and west of it. The Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges lies to the east of the state which contain Mount Whitney and Yosemite Valley. In the Southern California there is Transverse Mountain Ranges trending from east to west. These Ranges actually separates Southern California from Northern part. The deposits from rivers form the Los Angeles basin to the South-west of these ranges. To the east and north lies vast, arid Mojave Desert. When wind blows over the desert to the Los Angeles basin, it brings dry and warm weather condition called Santa Ana winds. There is Peninsular Ranges to the east of San Diego and to the further east there is Colorado Desert extending into Arizona and Mexico. There are also eight large island off the coast of California.
It should be noted that the both the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in 48 contiguous states are in California.
California is 3rd largest state in USA covering an area of 163,696 sq. miles. This state has a very diverge geography with coastlines, mountains, valleys and basins. The state is generally divided into Northern and Southern California without any real boundary between them. In the Northern California there are Klamath Mountains, Cascade Ranges and Modoc Plateau. The state has fertile Central Valley with agricultural lands and there are mountain ranges both east and west of it. The Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges lies to the east of the state which contain Mount Whitney and Yosemite Valley. In the Southern California there is Transverse Mountain Ranges trending from east to west. These Ranges actually separates Southern California from Northern part. The deposits from rivers form the Los Angeles basin to the South-west of these ranges. To the east and north lies vast, arid Mojave Desert. When wind blows over the desert to the Los Angeles basin, it brings dry and warm weather condition called Santa Ana winds. There is Peninsular Ranges to the east of San Diego and to the further east there is Colorado Desert extending into Arizona and Mexico. There are also eight large island off the coast of California.
It should be noted that the both the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in 48 contiguous states are in California.