West Coast Candids
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 an alpha world city having an estimated
2006 population of 3.8 million. and spanning over
469.1 square miles (1,214.9 square kilometers)
in Southern California. Additionally, the
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan
area is home to nearly 13 million people who hail
from all over the globe. They 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 call themselves
"Angelenos." The city's most popular nickname
is the "City of Angels". Los Angeles was founded
in the year of 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, 1850—five 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 world-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, and recorded music — which
forms the base of Los Angeles' international fame
and global status.
