The city of Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles County, Southern California, USA. After New York, it is the most populous city in the United States.
Los Angeles stretches across the coastal plain between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Los Angeles county consists of about 90 other incorporated cities, including Beverly Hills, Pasadena and Long Beach. The two canal islands of Santa Catalina and San Clemente also belong to the county. The highest mountain, Mount San Antonio, is 3062 meters high. It is also called Mount Baldy or Old Baldy.
For many centuries, the area was occupied by about 5,000 to 10,000 Native Americans from Tongva (Gabrielino) and Chumash. They lived in villages and lived to hunt, fish, gather and trade with other groups. In 1542, the Spaniards sailed in under the command of Captain Juan RodrÃguez Cabrillo.
In the fall of 1781, California Governor Felipe de Neve, along with settlers, established a village near the Rio de Porciúncula River. They renamed the village El Pueblo de la Reina de los Angeles (“The Village of the Queen of Angels”), which was later renamed to just Los Angeles. The village was elevated to a city by the new Mexican government in 1835. The white settlers ignored all rules and built their houses wherever they wanted in Los Angeles, and for two years the Mexican-American War lasted (1846-48). In 1850, California became a Province of the United States and Los Angeles became officially an American city, for a short time Los Angeles was California’s largest residential community, with a population of about 1,500. The city grew rapidly after the railway was drawn there in 1876 and 1885.
In 1913, an aqueduct was built to supply it with water from the slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
Today, the city has just over 3.9 million inhabitants. Los Angeles is usually abbreviated to LA only.
The city is divided by the Santa Monica Mountains. The Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Pacific Palisades are separated from the San Fernando Valley and are close to the San Andreas Fault. Earthquakes are very common in the area.
In 1994, the city was hit by a major earthquake. Interesting cultural sites to visit are the Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Several universities are located in Los Angeles, including the University of Southern California, Occidental College and the University of California at Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is a very big city and it is difficult to keep up with everything if you are only there for a short vacation. Choose the parts of the city that seem most interesting as each district is worth exploring.
Santa Monica is a must, the pier and a nice pedestrian street with shops and a good shopping center.
Universal studio is another stop that should not be missed, a whole day should be spent here to be able to absorb everything.
In the Hollywood district there is a lot to see. All of Los Angeles’s beaches can be difficult to choose from, but Manhattan Beach is a safe bet.
Griffith park is worth a visit, this is located outside LA and is a large park that you can walk in or just have a coffee and enjoy nature.