Description

Los Angeles

Officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by itsinitialsL.A., is the second-largest city in the United States afterNewYork City, the most populous city in the state of California,andthe county seat of Los Angeles County. Situated inSouthernCalifornia, Los Angeles is known for its mediterraneanclimate,ethnic diversity, sprawling metropolis, and as a majorcenter ofthe American entertainment industry. Los Angeles lies in alargecoastal basin surrounded on three sides by mountains reachingup toand over 10,000 feet (3,000 m).

Historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles wasclaimedby Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with therest ofwhat would become Alta California. The city was officiallyfoundedon September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve.It becamea part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War ofIndependence.In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, LosAngeles and therest of California were purchased as part of theTreaty of GuadalupeHidalgo, thereby becoming part of the UnitedStates. Los Angeles wasincorporated as a municipality on April 4,1850, five months beforeCalifornia achieved statehood. The cityexperienced rapid growthwith the discovery of oil.

The city is the focal point of the larger Los Angelesmetropolitanarea and the Greater Los Angeles Area region, whichcontains 13million and over 18 million people, respectively, as of2010,making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in theworldas well as the second-largest in the United States. LosAngeles isthe seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated countyin theUnited States. The city's inhabitants are referred toasAngelenos.

Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a global city withadiverse economy in entertainment, culture, media, fashion,science,sports, technology, education, medicine and research. Ithas beenranked sixth in the Global Cities Index and 9th [GlobalEconomicPower Index Global Economic Power Index]]. The city is hometorenowned institutions covering a broad range of professionalandcultural fields and is one of the most substantial economicengineswithin the United States. The Los Angeles combinedstatistical area(CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of$831 billion (as of2008), making it the third-largest in the world,after the GreaterTokyo and New York metropolitan areas. Los AngelesincludesHollywood and leads the world in the creation oftelevisionproductions, video games, and recorded music; it is alsoone of theleaders in motion picture production. Los Angeles hostedthe SummerOlympic Games in 1932 and 1984, and is currently biddingfor the2024 Summer Olympics.