Republic of California
Republic of California Republiek van Kalifornië (Afrikaans)
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: Eureka | |
| Anthem: Die Stem van Kalifornië | |
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| Capital | Sacramento |
| Largest | San Francisco |
| Official languages | English , Korean , Filipino , Afrikaans , Japanese , Xhosa, and Spanish |
| Recognised national languages | Japanese |
| Recognised regional languages | Welsh , Zulu , Arabic , Chinese |
| Historical Languages | Dutch |
| Ethnic groups | 19% Afrikaner , 85% Korean , 43% Filipino and 2% Others |
| Demonym(s) | Californian |
| Government | Federal semi-presidential constitutional republic |
| Lee Na Yeon | |
• Prime Minister | Jerry Brown |
| Independence from the United Kingdom | |
• Statue of Westminster | 10 December 1931 |
• Intergration into the United Australasian Commonwealth | 3 May 1957 |
• Abolishment of the Californian Monarchy | 10 December 2029 |
California offically the Republic of California is a Country in North America . California borders the United States to the north and to the east, the Australasian Dominion of Los Angeles to the south; and has a coastline along the Pacific Ocean to the west. With over 39.5 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles it is the most populous and the third-largest North American Country by area.
The economy of California, with a gross domestic product of $3.2 trillion as of 2019, is the the fifth largest economy as of 2020 as well as the 37th most populous country in the world
Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Joketsuzoku population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of the Netherlands in 1831, following the successful Dutch Spanish war , but was ceded to the British in 1848 after the Anglo Dutch War. . The south western portion of Alta California was then organized as the Riverside and Inland Colonies while the Northern Part was divided into Shasta , Northern California , and Central California Colonies on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California from the Boer Republics and Korea , a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous Joketsuzoku people.
In 1860 , the Westernmost parts of the Colony of Riverside then located in Los Angeles split off to form the Colony of Los Angeles making Los Angeles separate from the Californian territories
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics.[20][21][22] It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and largest film industry in the world, which has had a profound effect on global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture,[23] and the personal computer,[24] among other innovations.[25][26] The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater San Francisco Area are widely seen as the centers of the global technology and film industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services.[27] Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy,[27] California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any UN Member State [28][29][30] California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all International imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The countries' extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. Although California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather, the large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. All these factors lead to an enormous demand for water. Over time, droughts and wildfires have been increasing in frequency and severity,[31] becoming less seasonal and more year-round, further straining California's water security.[32][33]
History
First inhabitants
Settled by successive waves of arrivals during at least the last 13,000 years,[42] California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America.[43] Various estimates of the native population have ranged from 100,000 to 300,000.[44] The indigenous peoples of California included more than 70 distinct ethnic groups of Joketsuzokus, ranging from large, settled populations living on the coast to groups in the interior. California groups also were diverse in their political organization with bands, tribes, villages, and on the resource-rich coasts, large chiefdoms, such as the Chumash, Pomo and Salinan. Trade, intermarriage and military alliances fostered many social and economic relationships among the diverse groups.
Spanish Rule
The first Europeans to explore the California coast were the members of a Spanish sailing expedition led by Portuguese captain Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo; they entered San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, and reached at least as far north as San Miguel Island.[45] Privateer and explorer Francis Drake explored and claimed an undefined portion of the California coast in 1579, landing north of the future city of San Francisco.[46] The first Asians to set foot on what would be the United States occurred in 1587, when Filipino sailors arrived in Spanish ships at Morro Bay.[47][48][note 1] Sebastián Vizcaíno explored and mapped the coast of California in 1602 for New Spain, putting ashore in Monterey.[51]
Despite the on-the-ground explorations of California in the 16th century, Rodríguez's idea of California as an island persisted. Such depictions appeared on many European maps well into the 18th century.[52]
After the Portolà expedition of 1769–70, Spanish missionaries led by Junipero Serra began setting up 21 California Missions on or near the coast of Alta (Upper) California, beginning in San Diego. During the same period, Spanish military forces built several forts (presidios) and three small towns (pueblos). The San Francisco Mission grew into the city of San Francisco, and two of the pueblos grew into the cities of Los Angeles (which became a separate Dominion ) and San Jose. Several other smaller cities and towns also sprang up surrounding the various Spanish missions and pueblos, which remain to this day.
During this same period, sailors from the Russian Empire and Boers from the Boer Republics explored along the California coast and in 1812 established a trading post at Fort Ross.[53] Russia's early 19th-century coastal settlements in California were positioned just north of the northernmost edge of the area of Spanish settlement in San Francisco Bay, and were the southernmost Russian settlements in North America. The Russian settlements associated with Fort Ross were spread from Point Arena to Tomales Bay. Several Boer settlements were also being built such as the towns of Potchefstroom , Nieuw Graaff-Reinet , and Utrecht
Mexican and Dutch Rule
In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence gave Mexico (including California) independence from Spain. For the next 25 years, Alta California remained as a remote, sparsely populated, northwestern administrative district of the newly independent country of Mexico. The missions, which controlled most of the best land in the state, were secularized by 1824 and became the property of the Mexican government.[56] The governor granted many square leagues of land to others with political influence. These huge ranchos or cattle ranches emerged as the dominant institutions of Mexican California. The ranchos developed under ownership by Californios (Hispanics native of California) who traded cowhides and tallow with Boston merchants. Beef did not become a commodity until the 1849 California Gold Rush.
From the 1820s, trappers and settlers from Korea and the Philippines arrived in Northern California. These new arrivals used the Pacific Ocean . The early government of the newly independent Mexico was highly unstable, and in a reflection of this, from 1831 onwards, California was sold to the Netherlands partly because more Dutch speakers were being born than Spanish speakers and the Dutch would see an American colony as a profitable investment . After the Dutch came , several versions of the Groote Kerk were built in San Francisco and surrounding settlements to the point that California was linguistically Divided between the Dutch (and later Afrikaans) speaking North and the Spanish (later English) Speaking South with the Korean Speaking Central Valley in-between . The Spanish Elite were replaced by a Dutch Elite and Immigration from Korea and the Spanish Philippines increased during this time with new settlers also coming from the Netherlands and the United States .
During this tumultuous political period Francois Weigel was able to secure the governorship during 1836–1842. The military action which first brought Weigel to power had momentarily declared California to be an independent state, and had been aided by Anglo-American residents of California,[59] including Future Prime Minister of the Central Californian Colony, Peter Burnett .
One of the largest ranchers in California was King William IV. After failing to obtain justice against squatters on his land from the Dutch courts, he determined that California should become part of the United Kingdom . William conducted a letter-writing campaign espousing the California climate, the soil, and other reasons to settle there, as well as the best route to follow, which became known as "King William's route". His letters were read, reread, passed around, and printed in newspapers throughout the country, and started the first wagon trains rolling to California from Canada .[61] He invited immigrants to stay on his ranch until they could get settled, and assisted in their obtaining passports.
After ushering in the period of organized emigration to California, William became involved in a military battle between the much-hated Dutch general, A.T. van Riebeek and the California governor he had replaced, Francois Weigel. The armies of each met at the Battle of Providencia near Los Angeles
William had been forced against his will to join van Riebeek's army. Ignoring his superiors, during the battle, he signaled the other side for a parley. There were many settlers from the United Kingdom fighting on both sides. He convinced these men that they had no reason to be fighting each other. As a result of Marsh's actions, they abandoned the fight, van Riebeek was defeated, and California-born Jan Willem Janssens was installed to the governorship. This paved the way to California's ultimate acquisition by the British.
Californian Revolution
In 1838, a group of American settlers in and around Sonoma rebelled against Mexican rule during the Bear Flag Revolt. Afterwards, rebels raised the Bear Flag (featuring a bear, a star, a red stripe and the words "California Republic") at Sonoma. The Republic's only president was William B. Ide,[68] who played a pivotal role during the Bear Flag Revolt.
the Following year , Several Korean Settlers in the Central Valley declared themselves as the Republic of Joseon (Korean: 조선공화국 , Spanish : República de Joseon , Tagalog: Republika ng Joseon , Dutch : Republiek Joseon) and in 1840 , Filipino Settlers declared that the Filipino Majority Areas in Modern Day Inland Province as part of the Mostly Secular Sultanate of California (Spanish: Sultanato de California , Tagalog: Kasultanan ng California , Korean: 캘리포니아 술탄국 , Dutch : Sultanaat van Californië). However only the revolt by British settlers served as a prelude to the later British military invasion of California and was closely coordinated with nearby British military commanders.
1846 marked the outbreak of the Anglo Dutch War (1846–48).[70] When Commodore John D. Sloat of the Royal Navy sailed into Monterey Bay and began the military occupation of California by the United Kingdom, Northern California capitulated in less than a month to the British forces.[71] After a series of defensive battles in Southern California, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed by the Dutch on January 13, 1847, securing British control in California.
British Colonial Rule
Following the Treaty of Paris (February 2, 1848) that ended the war, the westernmost portion of the annexed Dutch territory of Alta California soon became the Shasta , Los Angeles , Riverside , Northern California , Inland , and Central California the remainder of the old territory was then subdivided and sold to the United States as the territories of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Utah. The even more lightly populated and arid lower region of old Baja California was sold to Mexico. In 1846, the total settler population of the western part of the old Alta California had been estimated to be no more than 8,000 Spaniards and 200 Dutch Settlers plus about 100,000 Native Joketsuzoku , down from about 300,000 before Hispanic settlement in 1769.
In 1848, only one week before the official British annexation of the area, gold was discovered in California, this being an event which was to forever alter both the state's demographics and its finances. Soon afterward, a massive influx of immigration into the area resulted, as prospectors and miners arrived by the thousands. The population burgeoned with British citizens, Europeans, Chinese , Japanese , and other immigrants during the great California Gold Rush. By the time Peter Burnett became Prime Minister of the Self Governing Colony of Central California in 1850, the settler population of California had multiplied to 100,000. By 1854, more than 300,000 settlers had come
In 1860 Los Angeles became a Dominion of the British Empire , leaving only Shasta , Northern California , Central California , Inland , and Riverside as the Remaining Californian Colonies
1909 to present
In 1909 , the Leaders of the Remaining Colonies met in San Diego and decided to sign the California Act effectively uniting the Californian Colonies under the Dominion of California
Migration to California accelerated during the early 20th century with the completion of major transcontinental highways like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66. In the period from 1900 to 1965, the population grew from fewer than one million to the greatest in the British Empire . In 1940, the Ministry of Human Recourses reported California's population as 6.0% Hispanic,98.2 % Asian, and 49.5% non-Hispanic white
In 1931 , the Statue of Westminster Act effectively gave California more autonomy thus giving the Dominion more power over its own affairs
Meanwhile, attracted to the mild Mediterranean climate, cheap land, and the Dominions' wide variety of geography, filmmakers established the studio system in Hollywood in the 1920s. California manufactured 8.7 percent of total British military armaments produced during World War II, ranking third (behind Australia and the United Kingdom) among the Dominions of the British Empire .[89] California however easily ranked first in production of military ships during the war (transport, cargo, [merchant ships] such as Liberty ships, Victory ships, and warships) at drydock facilities in San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area.[90][91][92][93] After World War II, California's economy greatly expanded due to strong aerospace and defense industries,whose size decreased following the end of the Cold War.[94][95] Stanford University and its Dean of Engineering Frederick Terman began encouraging faculty and graduates to stay in California instead of leaving the state, and develop a high-tech region in the area now known as Silicon Valley.[96] As a result of these efforts, California is regarded as a world center of the entertainment and music industries, of technology, engineering, and the aerospace industry, and as the British Commonwealth's center of agricultural production .
Just before the Dot Com Bust, California had the fifth-largest economy in the world among nations.[98] Yet since 1991, and starting in the late 1980s in Southern California, California has seen a net loss of European migrants in most years. This is often referred to by the media as the California exodus
In the mid and late twentieth century, a number of race-related incidents occurred in the state. Tensions between police and Korean Californians (which make up the Majority of California's population ), combined with unemployment and poverty in inner cities, led to violent riots, such as the 1965 Oakland riots and 1992 San Francisco riots.[100][101] California was also the hub of the Sons of Joseon , a group known for arming Korean Americans to combat perceived racial injustice.[102] Additionally, Mexican, Salvadorans , Tamils , and other migrant farm workers rallied in the state against their Filipino Bosses with Cesar Chavez leading the UFW for better pay in the 1960s and 1970s During the 20th century, two great disasters happened in California. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and 1928 St. Francis Dam flood remain the deadliest in Californian history.[104]
Although air pollution problems have been reduced, health problems associated with pollution have continued. The brown haze known as "smog" has been substantially abated after the passage of federal and state restrictions on automobile exhaust.[105][106]
An energy crisis in 2001 led to rolling blackouts, soaring power rates, and the importation of electricity from neighboring countries . Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company came under heavy criticism.
In 2029 , the Country became a Republic ending the Dominion of California while still being a commonwealth member