Lisa Greathouse - Geography of California

0covercover.xhtmlGeography of California Lisa Greathouse and Ted Faucecover1page0001page0001.xhtml22page0002page0002.xhtml33page0003page0003.xhtml44page0004page0004.xhtmlTable of Contents What Is Geography 4 "I Have Found It " 7 The Coastal Region 10 The Central Valley Region 14 The Mountain Region 18 The Desert Region 22 Something for Everyone 27 Outline It 28 Glossary 30 Index 31 Your Turn 3255page0005page0005.xhtmlWhat Is Geography? Geography is a science. People who study geography are called geographers. They study Earth's physical features. This includes oceans, rivers, lakes, mountains, deserts, and more. They also study the ways that people interact with Earth's features. Where Am I? The idea to first map Earth began in ancient Greece. Mapmakers used lines of latitude and longitude to know where they were. These are made-up lines that circle Earth. These lines can only be seen on maps and globes. Lines of latitude run east and west. The equator is an important example. Lines of longitude run north and south. The prime meridian is an example. Where the lines cross shows an exact place on Earth.66page0006page0006.xhtml Hemispheres and Poles Latitude lines also divide Earth into parts. From the equator to the South Pole is the Southern Hemisphere. It has most of Earth's oceans. From the equator to the North Pole is the Northern Hemisphere. This half of Earth has most of the land. The United States is in the Northern Hemisphere.77page0007page0007.xhtml The state quarter show s John Muir. He loved nature and w anted to protect it. Muir is loo king at Half Dome on the quarter. Half Dome is one of the many nat ural treasures of Yosemite Valley. Th e quarter also features a California co ndor. The condor is the larg est land bird in North Ame rica. State Quarter Sacramento San Francisco Sierra Nevada San Jose Pacific Ocean Monterey88page0008page0008.xhtml"I Have Found It! " California's motto is Eureka. It means, "I have found it" in ancient Greek. The term was believed to be about finding gold during the Gold Rush. It also fits because there is so much to be found in the state. California is the third largest state in land area. But it has more people than any state. The state is bordered by three states. Oregon is to the north, Nevada is to the east, and Arizona is to the southeast. The Pacific Ocean makes up the state's entire western border. The coastline is 840 miles (1, 352 kilometers) long. No other state is like California! State Symbols Every state has its own symbols. They show what makes the state unique. People who live in the state are proud of these symbols. Some symbols tell about the state's history. Others are based on plants and animals in the state. Many of the symbols of California are tied to its geography.