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| In the 18th and 19th centuries Spanish missionaries worked their way up the California coast building the missions that are now some of the state's biggest cities.
Around 1850 gold was discovered in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevadas and California was immediately the place to be: out-of-staters flocked to the promise of quick riches. It was around this time that California became a state.
In the early 20th century Hollywood became home to the nascent film industry. Hollywood and movie stardom have shaped perceptions of California ever since.
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California is famous for its sun but it's a big state and the climate varies. Around Santa Barbara and further south the climate is mild all year, hovering between the 60s and 80s. In the central valley (around Sacramento and Davis) it can get really hot in the summer (over 100ยบ but dry) and cooler in the winter--almost like a desert climate.
Way further north things feel more like an alpine climate.
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Californians speak English but it is a diverse state. There are large Mexican, Chinese, and Indian communities which use their respective languages in daily life.
There are also some differences in dialect. The adverb 'hella' immediately identifies one as from Nor-Cal (northern California). And the "Valley Girl" dialect, made famous in the movie "Clueless", was born the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles, but has now all but swept the nation.
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