Sacramento New Technology High School: Fill & Download for Free

To expand on Myles Guest’s answer-West Coast (California, Washington State, Oregon)Size- 333,524 sq. miles (863,823 sq. kilometers)Population- 51,085,172Liberal, although rural areas are quite conservativeFar more leisurely pace of life compared to the NortheastWide swaths of Desert in Southern California, Eastern Washington, and Eastern OregonTends to be quite rainy in Coastal Washington, Oregon, and Northern CaliforniaVery diverse populationAll three states are hugeLots of weedHuge tech industryBeautiful beachesGreat outdoor opportunities and natural wondersVery urbanizedPeople tend to be quite friendly, albeit it seems pretty superficialWell educated populace, although public school system quality varies, the region is home to excellent universities such as UCLA, UC Berkley, UC Davis, USC, University of Oregon, University of Washington, and moreEntertainment industry is hugeVery entrepreneurial-minded populaceSpanish is widely spokenLots of fantastic Asian and Mexican cuisine. Large Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and Latino/Hispanic populationVery high cost of livingBelow average in terms of religiosityYouthful and growing populationMajor cities in the region include- Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland (OR), and SeattleLos Angeles is the largest city on the West Coast and the 2nd largest in the nation with about 4 million inhabitantsSilicon Valley is testament to the West Coast’s entrepreneurial mindset. Many world-famous companies such as Google, Apple, and Facebook are based out of the Silicon Valley. Seattle is also a tech juggernaut with Amazon Inc., Microsoft, and Boeing getting their starts in SeattleThe West Coast is home to wide swaths of desert throughout California, Oregon, and WashingtonNew England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont)Size- 62,688 sq. miles (162,361 sq. kilometers)Population- 14,810,001Solidly liberal, the Democratic Party is competitive and successful in rural New EnglandSouthern New England (Mass, Conn, RI) are fast paced states with some aggressive driversHigh population density (Southern New England has a population density comparable to Belgium)Although Southern New England is very densely populated and urbanized, Northern New England is still very rural with most people living in small towns or rural areasSmall size. All of the New England states are some of the smallest in the nation with the exception of Maine which is over 50% of New England’s land area. New England is officially the smallest region in the United States by a very long shotLots of weed ((Seriously, all six New England states beat California in terms of the proportion of people using weed with all six New England states among the top ten “stoner” states))Traditionally Roman Catholic, however rates of church attendance, prayer, and belief in God are the lowest in the US (majority are irreligious) here in New England, especially in Northern New England. Religious landscape is similar to CanadaHeavily forested and mountainous. New England states are among the most forested in the United StatesVery homogenous population with the exception of large cities in Southern New EnglandSome of the best seafood on the planet, and obviously a seafood-orientated cuisineCold and dreary WintersPopulace tends to be quiet and rather introverted. It may be difficult to make friends if moving hereWorld renowned for its AutumnsVery affluent region with the lowest poverty levels in the nation along with a high cost of living. Taxes are also some of the highest in the nation hereLarge Francophone minority in Northern New EnglandVery outdoorsy minded people. Hunting, skiing, boating, hiking, and 4x4ing are popular activitiesWell known for its maple syrupSome people say that New Englanders have funny accents and vocabulary. Not everybody has a “Boston” accent, but the New England accent is still quite prevalent, especially among natives and older peopleVery intellectual and well-educated populace with New England being one of the intellectual meccas of the planet with Boston and the Greater New England region being home to some of the best universities on the planet. To no surprise, New England is the best educated region in the United States with excellent public school systems and the highest proportion of adults attaining higher degrees. We all know the famous New England universities such as Harvard, Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Colby, UMass Amherst, Tufts etc..New Englanders are rabid sports fans. College sports aren’t very popular with the exception of hockey and basketball, but almost everyone in New England follows the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Celtics with upmost loyalty.Very little agriculture with New England being one of the prime industrial areas of the world in its heyday. Nowadays services and high-tech manufacturing are the prime cornerstones of our economyVery historical and old by American standardsAging population and a very low birthrate. Population decline on the forecast, especially in the Northern half where the median age is about 44 years, the oldest in the United StatesMajor cities in the region include- Boston, Worcester, Providence, Stamford, Hartford, Manchester, Portland (ME), and Burlington (VT)Boston, Massachusetts, New England’s largest city with about 685,000 inhabitants, a city that punches way above its weight in the fields of education, healthcare, technology, and cultural influenceMt. Washington in New Hampshire, New England’s highest peak at 6,288 ft. (1,917M)New England is quite well known for its maritime culture and numerous seaside cities such as Portsmouth, New HampshireMid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, D.C.)Size- 123,790 sq. miles (320,615 sq. kilometers)Population- 49,395,836Fast paced and aggressive lifestyleDensely populatedVery diverse population. The Mid-Atlantic is/was often the gateway for immigrants entering into the United StatesHeavily urbanizedCold Winters, hot SummersRelatively affluent with high cost of living andGreat seafood and pizzaInhabitants tend to be brash and rather blunt. It may come off as rude to someArguably the most important region of the United States. It is home to our government and New York City is our prime financial and cultural centerRelatively mountainous away from the coastNot really entrepreneurial minded compared to the West Coast. Much more hierarchical work environment and cultureWell educated populace, public school systems are quite good and the region is also home to excellent universities such as Colombia, Princeton, John Hopkins, NYU, SUNY Buffalo/Stony Brook, UPenn, and moreMostly Roman Catholic, however below average in terms of religiosityMostly liberal although rural areas can be quite conservativeEntertainment industry is also quite large in the Mid-Atlantic with numerous actors and musicians having their start in New York CityUpstate New York is severely underrated for its natural beauty and outdoor excursionsSimilar to New England, the Mid-Atlantic is also quite historical by American standardsStagnant population growthMajor cities include- New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Newark, Buffalo, Albany, and WilmingtonNew York City, the largest city in the United States and one of the most important cultural and economic centers on the planetAlong with the Mid-Atlantic’s huge power regarding economics and culture, they are also home to our nation’s capital where one of the world’s most powerful nations makes its decisionsAlthough this region is known for its bustling cities, it has a well-kept secret, Upstate New York, one of the most underrated places in the United StatesThe South (Virginia, Carolinas, West Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma)Size- 835,387 sq. miles (2,163,642 sq. kilometers)Population- 112,336,036Mild Winters with little to no snowfall. Summers are very hot and humidHistorically very agricultural and still is to this dayFriendly and warm populace. Southerners are some of the most hospitable and welcoming people in the USThe South is pretty known for having a slow and leisurely pace of lifeDiverse population. The American South is home to large numbers of Blacks, Latinos/Hispanics, Asians, Florida and Texas have large Spanish speaking populations, and a large Francophone minority in Louisiana. Despite its dark history regarding race, it is arguable that the American South has the best racial integration in the United States in the presentThe South is very conservative politically. All of the South is pretty solidly Republican with the exceptions of Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina being GOP leaning swing statesThe South is considered to be very religious with the “Bible Belt” located in the South. Although Louisiana has a fair number of Roman Catholics due to its French origins, most of the South identifies with Evangelical Protestantism. The South leads the nation and the developed world in rates of religiosity, making the American South rather unique as a developed region with such high religiositySouthern cuisine is flat out delicious. Louisiana has a very unique Acadian/Creole infused cuisine and of course the South is quite well known for having some of the best BBQ and fried chicken on the planetThe South, similar to New England, is actually pretty outdoorsy with wide outdoor opportunities. The prospects for hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, and 4x4ing are quite ampleThe South isn’t very affluent with high levels of poverty, however the cost of living is among the lowest in the United States. 80K a year stretches you much farther here than 80k a year in MassachusettsCollege football almost rivals Christianity as a religion in the South with some of the best NCAA DI teams in the nation hailing from the SEC conferenceLike New England, the South is also known for its accents, but due to the increased diversity of the South, the Southern accent isn’t as prevalent as beforeThe South has pretty subpar public school systems, but I will say that the South is also home to some very reputable and excellent universities such as Tulane, Vanderbilt, UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, and Georgia TechThe South will likely become more and more influential and prevalent in the United States. The population is growing rapidly, many companies are moving to Southern cities such as Dallas and Atlanta, and Florida recently overtook New York as the third most populous state in the nation. The South is rising again, but in a good wayThe South is also diverse geographically with deserts in Texas, the prairie of Oklahoma, the mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the swamps of Louisiana and FloridaMajor cities include- Houston, Dallas, Austin, Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, and BirminghamHouston, Texas. The largest city in the South with over 2 million inhabitants and is a major player in the fields of logistics, aeronautics, and energyClassic Southern meal of chicken, collard greens, mac n’ cheese, and a biscuitThe Bayous of Louisiana where the Acadians settled and created Cajun cultureThe Midwest (Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri)Size- 734,874 sq. miles (1,903,315 sq. kilometers)Population- 68,179,351Agricultural, especially in the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska while manufacturing is the traditional economic driver of the Great Lakes States (Illinois, Michigan etc..)All of the main American automakers with the exception of Tesla is based out of Detroit, Michigan. Ford, GM, and Chrysler all call Detroit home.Although Illinois and Minnesota are blue states, the rest of the region is kind of all over the place. Michigan and Wisconsin are swing states, Ohio and Iowa are GOP-leaning swing states, Nebraska, Indiana, and Missouri are red states, while the Dakotas and Kansas are among the “reddest of the red.” This is one of the most competitive regions in the nation politicallyThe region ranges from prairies out in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas to the rolling farmland of Illinois to the sparsely populated forests and lakes of Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and MichiganMost of the region is kind of in an economic slump as the nation moves away from manufacturing, however North Dakota is among the fastest growing states in the nation with a booming oil industry and a healthy and growing economyThe region is also quite diverse with large amounts of Blacks, Asians, Hispanics/Latinos, and Native Americans. Minnesota and North Dakota are also home to large Somali populationsThis region received large amounts of immigration from Germany and Scandinavia/Nordic nations. The cuisine is hearty and simple along with plenty of beer. Wisconsin in particular is known for its brewersThe region is pretty average in terms of religiosity with the Lutheran Church being more prevalent here than anywhere else, mainly due to the large amount of immigration from Germany and Scandinavia/Nordic nationsWinters are cold and snowy with very hot SummersMost of the region has a pretty neutral American accent (the one you hear in TV and movies) although many in Minnesota and North Dakota have accents that sound pretty CanadianPeople here tend to be quite “wholesome” for a lack of a better term and quite friendlyThe cost of living is quite low and your salary can stretch quite far hereThis region also has many outdoor pursuits with hunting, boating, and fishing being big hereThe school systems here are varying in quality and this region is home to some excellent universities such as the University of Chicago, Notre Dame University, University of Michigan, and MarquetteCollege football is also quite big here with well known teams from the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and more. This region is also huge in college basketball with Notre Dame, Indiana University, University of Kansas, etc.. having successful basketball teamsOverall, there is population decline, especially in Illinois and Michigan, while North and South Dakota are growing quite rapidlyMajor cities in this region include- Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland, Fargo, Des Moines, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Wichita, Indianapolis, and moreChicago, Illinois. The region’s largest city with 2.7 million inhabitants, and the third largest in the US. Chicago is an important economic and cultural center and is a world cityThe Ford F-150, manufactured in Michigan, has been the best selling vehicle in the United States and Canada for over 20 years and runningThe Great Lakes are one of the key features of the Midwest and the Great Lakes led to the Midwest becoming an industrial powerhouse. The Great Lakes contain 21% of the world’s freshwater volumeMountain West (Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico)Size- 863,942 sq. miles (2,237,600 sq. kilometers)Population- 24,158,117These states are very sparsely populated and huge in size. To give perspective, they are larger than many nations, and some are over 2.5x the size of the entire New England regionThe region is heavily urbanized and the economy revolves around services and resource extraction along with the federal government owning a vast amount of land in this regionThis region ranges from arid deserts to alpine mountains and forests. Many of the most beautiful natural wonders in the United States are located in this regionThis region is quite diverse with a large amounts of Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans. Spanish is widely spoken in some Mountain West states such as Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and New MexicoThe region is pretty below average in terms of religiosity with the exception of Utah which is the only state where Mormons constitute a majority of the population. Mormons also exist in sizable numbers in Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and ArizonaPeople in this region tend to speak in a neutral American accent (the one you hear in tv and movies)Outdoor opportunities in this region are ample with hiking, skiing, and 4x4ing being hugeYes, cowboys still do exist, especially in Montana and Wyoming. Instead of horses, most drive large pick-up trucks and SUVs nowadaysSummers tend to be hot and dry while Winters are cold and snowy in more mountainous areasSince there is so little rainfall in this part of the nation, agriculture is only sustainable via irrigationMany of the roads out here are flat and straight for miles and you can go for many miles without seeing any roadside services. The American West really give you a perspective on how huge the United States isThe region is politically diverse as well. New Mexico is a blue state while Colorado and Nevada are blue leaning swing states. Arizona and Montana are GOP leaning states while Utah and Idaho are very red statesThis region is growing rapidly in population, especially in Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona. The population is quite young and youthful as wellMajor cities include- Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tuscon, Boise, Billings, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, and CheyennePhoenix, Arizona, the largest city in the Mountain West region with over 1.5 million inhabitants in the middle of a desert wastelandSalt Lake City is home to the world headquarters of the LDS or Mormon Church. The Mountain West is the only region in the United States with a considerable amount of Mormons among its populationAnasazi cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. These Native American ruins have been around for hundreds of years. This area has been inhabited by humans since 7500 BCEAlaska and HawaiiSize- 674,199 sq. miles (1,746,167 sq. kilometers)Population- 2,167,333The only two US states which are separated from the continental United StatesHawaii isn’t even in North America. It’s located in Oceania and is the Northernmost island group in PolynesiaAlaska is the Northernmost state in the US with part of its territory above the Arctic CircleAlaska is the most sparsely populated and remote state in the USAlaska and Hawaii are very diverse states. Alaska is home to a sizable native population and Hawaii is a blend of everything from Native Hawaiians, Asians, Blacks, Whites, and more. Native languages are spoken by sizable minorities throughout these two statesBoth of these states are below average in terms of religiosityHawaii is a solidly blue state while Alaska is a solidly red stateLike New England and the West Coast, weed is quite prevalent in Alaska with a high proportion of recreational usersMuch of Alaska isn’t really hospitable for humans with wide stretches of Arctic tundra and most of the state having a cold climate for most of the year with brief stretches of warm Summer. Hawaii is a tropical paradise with warm temperatures year roundAs said earlier Alaska is covered in everything from mountains, forests, tundra, and much more. Hawaii is covered in active volcanoes, beautiful beaches, and tropical rainforestsThe cost of living is also quite high in both of these states due to logisticsMajor cities include- Honolulu, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and HiloHonolulu, the largest city with over 390,000 inhabitantsDenali, the highest peak in the US and North America at 20,310 ft. (6,190M). This peak makes Mt. Washington look like a small hillNative HawaiiansOf course we can’t also forget about the numerous American territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands etc.. These territories are also unique and different in their own ways, but that’s for another question.Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels

It's going to take me a while to flesh this answer out, because like the proverbial blindmen trying to describe an elephant, it can be answered in multiple ways (like Rashomon in a way). I'll try to give you a couple ways of seeing various answers to the question.So I'm a 3rd generation Californian, born in the same hospital in Los Angeles that my mom was (my Dad was born in Montana and raised with my uncles in Utah and further grew up in Chicago). I've also worked with 7-8 generation Californians. So during WW2 mom was allowed to finish high school (Los Angeles High, later used as the backdrop for the series Room 222) and started internment in a horse stable in Santa Anita Race Track.One way to answer this question is to give observations I had in life about life elsewhere like: one of my first plane trips when I was young was to Salt Lake City, UT. This trip and later numerous business trip to Washington DC surprised me by the number of brick (dirty brick from when coal was burned more) buildings and structures. Europe had similar coal stained buildings with other older materials as well.Many people elsewhere value the old, tried and tired, and staid. California is one of the places where a 20 year old can become a billionaire with good reason.California homes and buildings are code covered from a 1925 and a 1933 earthquake standard. We use more stucco, glass, steel, and brick (where it appears) are mostly found in few remaining chimneys. At least 3 friends own and live in geodesic dome homes (or have an attached dome). One friend lives out of 2 tee pees (no, she is not a native American, and she used to own an Alaskan wolf, oh that's another issue). Several friends own and raise what might be termed wild animals (one professionally for use in the TV and movie industry (another acquaintance owned 200 armored vehicles (tanks and more) used in various movies)).Until recently, ranch style homes had more yard space. I grew up with a front yard and a back yard where we kept 3 desert tortoises (you can't take them as pets anymore) and variously dogs, cats, a chicken (got small eggs), etc. Now you can only find homes like that in the Central Valley.The main population centers in California are the Los Angeles corrador which depending how you count extends South to San Diego and NW to Ventura, or Santa Barbara ...Santa Maria, SLO ... or ... and the San Francisco Bay Area. The population centers have a democratic (note small 'd') emphasis which make them think everything is for them (this is the story of the country mouse versus the city mouse). I'll say a little more about that in the next section. Of course there is all kinds of weird music about all these California locations.One difference: odor, if and when you travel South into Mexico, south past Ensenada (but you can experience this South of TJ if you go in land into the mountains (which go up to 9-10K ft), you don't smell the trash burns in the country side. The odors are different in a number of ways, and you can experience them when you get here. The LA Basin was where Arnie H-Smit did his first studies on smog, and I can recall seeing the San Gab (Mtns) when we switched to un-Pb gasoline for cars. LA Basin smog is bad for the topography (the highest point of LA County is over 10K ft, and the highest point in So Cal is over 11.5K ft, and the lowest pass is just over 2K ft (from sea level). People have proposed tunnels with fans.Life has a considerable Spanish/Mexican motif. The differences are slight and subtle. In LA they tell you to go visit Olivera Street in old LA. SF only has the Mission District (you need to find out about Fr. Serra's Missions), and Redwood City for instance. You will pick up Spanish/Mexican phrases by osmosis. Cities like Santa Barbara (1925 earthquake) architectural Review Board force building review for a Spanish motif. You will also get a little of the Catholic religion forced upon you, since that came with the Spanish/Mexicans. Anglo students in elementary schools get some Spanish language exposure. However, this is changing since there are now other ethnic groups having a hard enough time with English. Hola! See separate lower paragraph on the 2 Baja states.Annoying: non-locals and newbies who mispronounce Js without using an H: like La Jolla or Jesus or Juanipero or Jorge. Try these city names: Eureka, Ukiah, Yreka, Yucaipa.Earthquakes are a great topic to scare prospective residents off. That and fall fire season (you know what Phos-check and aluma-gel are), and winter flash foods and mud slides. And spring hay fever season.What's unique about the State of California's geography is like Chile: a long narrow skinny state (not as extreme as Chile). We span 10 degrees of latitude as opposed to original states further East which chose -East-West expansion. It's also where the 10 degrees at a transition belt in a temperate area: the South part of the State is desert, and the North is forest. This is why we have water problems. CA is comparatively narrow in a N-S sense.Our state requires extensive water movement for a population to live in its pseudo-Mediterrean climate (I've been to Cadiz and Tarifa, Andaluccia, Spain as well as Gibraltar: you almost can't tell the difference in veg.). The critical clever idea was to tap the annual snow pack for water. This is because it requires the use of fewer smaller dams. The phase change of 80 Cal/cc (almost 2 orders of magnitude) from ice to water is what makes our water system useful. This is accomplished by 2 (3) major N-S mountain ranges: the coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada/Cascade ranges. The total relief in CA from sea-level to almost 14.5K ft. squeezes water out of the air and forms snow. Snow is far more important than water because of that 80 Cal. difference. California is a 3-D major state.The Central Valley (Sacramento River Valley in the N, and San Joaquin River Valley in the S), and the lesser Salinas and Imperial Valleys are major ag centers. These are slowly being converted into urban areas. These Valleys as well as San Diego and Orange Counties for the major part of the conservative political base in California. You will even find the hints of both the California Nationalist Socialist (Nazi) Party (the documentary California Reich), KKK, and JBS (John Birch Society with "Get us out of the UN" signs).The State Government is composed of 58 counties in a State Senate and an Assembly. By now, I may have visited all of them (not intentionally). This is mostly about agriculture (land). They have very little concept about technology (GPS and chemicals are used extensively in agriculture but before that it was map, compass and surveying equipment). I've had discussions (representing the Feds.) in Sacramento, and they were good ones (I was challenged to visit 4 counties to see Internet connectivity: 2 good ones, and 2 poor ones (this was a geographic knowledge test (Siskiyou and Shasta (I had no problems), and then Inyo and Plumas (I've friends in the first and may retire fully there), and at the time I was stumped briefly (have been to Quincy a number of times now (including small plane flying)))))). A book about all county high points exists.I should note that if you want a survey of the whole State, visit the Cal Expo in Sacramento from the end of August to the beginning of Sept. This is the State Fair. Some city folk will poo-poo Fairs, but this is a survey of activity, not all agricultural in every CA county. I took a 2nd place for technical drawing (I drew an incomplete drawing for a Sikorsky S-64 Sky crane) while in Jr. High School and I started getting college offers while still in 9th grade. This is the kind of thing which distinguishes you in college and life.A neighbor and I have landed at over 100 public airports in CA (mostly Northern Calif. including OR, WA, NV, AZ, and UT, over 260) in a small plane.The urban Democrats learned the lessons of their defeat in the 2004 Presidential elections (too much time in the cities), and went into Nevada, AZ, and OR (the first two were difference) in 2008. Various Republicans are irked. Interior counties are more red but not like the East coast, ditto Orange and San Diego counties.So I know where Republicans live; in the Central Valley from Redding to Bakerfield (Demo studying rural health care economics). My HS mentor moved to Visalia. Friends grew up in Fresno. The other major areas at Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and San Diego as well as the North Coast and Central Coast. Dad rose to the level of Dept. official in the American Legion.The motion picture industry (it's not called Show BUSINESS for nothing) is a major force in So. Cal. So much media is recorded here, that when the video is placed, residents can identify when and when something was recorded/filmed. The house I grew up in (just a middle class house) was used in a film. Because of the aforementioned latitude location, you can just about find any natural environment for filming, and they have location scouts for this. Yeah, you can tour studios, get jobs, grow up into the industry. Friends from high school and college work in the industry: I see their names roll by on credits occasionally. I briefly considered, when younger, working for WED Enterprises (Walt E. Disney) in Burbank as an Imagineer. Friends from my ACM/SIGGRAPH chapter (in the Bay Area) did (Jim has since died from Covid-19).Lucas made effective use of his time in Modesto and Petaluma.Because of WWII, a lot of aerospace industry is in So. Cal. and a little in Northern California. This has shrunk substantially, as has the oil industry (on and off shore). There is a gun culture; it's the Democrats who own cannons (really; I’ve attended cannon shoots). Some places do Renaissance Faire and Civil War reenactments. But the car culture reigns big (hot rods, motorcycles, etc.). The Conservatives count gays and Lesbians among them. What you will occasionally see are the Libertarians (people citing Ayn Rand are common (Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead)) around the coastlines and the Green Party in the far NW.Proposals to splint the state go from 2 (5 degree dividing line in CA 145 thru Madera near the geographic center of the state), three, and most recently 6 States. If you travel to the North you hear about how they almost combined with Southern OR (don't forget that part, they have their problem with OR government) to form the State of Jefferson (prospective State insignia of 2 Xs for Double Cross).Education is a big deal. It's not as snooty as the Eastern Ivy League. If you examine the very first ARPAnet map, 3 of the first four universities were in California. The 4th (Utah) was still in the West. They were thinking about the future of technology back then. They didn't have excess baggage. Unfortunately the education system is stressed. The first think tanks were here (e.g., RAND Corporation).Smokers in CA are basically very accommodating of non-smokers. It was tough dating one, but she was the finest woman I ever dated (her dad was a Caltech physics prof who recently passed away, she was not your average smoker).When you went to elementary school, you learned we are the Golden State for the brief Au rush. Other important California topics were citrus (can you name the types?), what was the California fishing, in particular tuna, industry (they were the cause of Chile and Peru to adopt 200 mile limits from the earlier 12 mile and 3 mile). The cultures which moved here, got clobbered here, would all be studied.The weather helps an outdoor health craze to this day (not that every one partakes). Public transit is poor and attempting to catch up. Distances are long and people feel forced to buy cars (Teslas are coming on but also other electrics). The Eastern US talks about the Atlantic and Ellis Island and Columbus (Italian, much less Leif Erickson). California has the Pacific and Angel Island. Some of our parents got rounded up and interned, this was overruled, and some people still to this day complain about that action (the over turning).Slavery didn't have a big hold during the Civil War. CA was part of the "North". This is lost on many on the East Coast, South. The Mason-Dixon Line took a turn South at Texas. The natives enslaved by the Missions weren’t counted.You can be in a snow storm (winter is optional; we go have quite a number of real glaciers) one moment and in a desert dust storm in a couple hours. The best place to experience this is the Palm Springs aerial tramway during a serious winter storm, but not so bad as to shut the tram down. Doesn't require car chains.Surfing is another story. Said enough.And Woody Allen noted the cultural advantage is the ability to make a right turn at a red light (not all, make certain to read all traffic signs). Many in CA like it that simple.You do need to be mindful on freeways and highways of road rage. This includes your pets.You have remaining tall Redwoods of various species (most were cut down). You have some of the oldest Bristlecone pines. Agriculture is still a big industry which many city dwellers tend to discount. Prisons are the new industry in part due to the three-strikes law. They are most visible at night in areas away from population centers. Some counties have rejected prison jobs.Many foreign countries have consulates in California. The Russians have major signal collection facilities from the Soviet era. We have the People's Republics of Berkeley, Oakland, and Santa Cruz.Tourists are always wondering what to see. We have more ghettos than people realize; some have corporate HQs like Nissan, Toyota, and Honda. Californians tend to drive more Priuses, than Honda Insights: a friend from Houston once commented.I know 3 German markets, a Scandinavian market, 3 Japanese markets, numerous Chinese, Mexican, Indian/Pakistani/Afghan markets. Mexican food isn't just tacos and burritos: it's mariscos, too. Abalone is a complex eating issue now (caught by self North of SF Bay or farm raised (hope this works)).Some of us residents have to put up with the meat and potatoes crowd making fun of our eating rice and raw fish. And tofu. The lactose intolerant have to put up with the assumptions of the lactose tolerant.Upper and middle class people pay to play harvesting wine grapes. Meanwhile, Mexicans are doing it in the Central Valley as professionals. Friends and I are caught in the middle doing it as a neighborly thing. I'm accused to taking high value PhDs and turning them into slave labor (they are just glad to get away for the day). Does this increase the value of the grapes (and then the wine) if people knew who picked them?The status car is a Tesla (one friend at google owns 2: one West coast, one at their East coast home) or various other electrics like RAV4s or EV-1s when they were out. Volts are coming along. Gas powered cars for an older generation or live in the Central Valley (Camaros, Chargers, Mustangs and many other foreign gas powered cars). I just had my car broken into (3x in my 2 vehicles now).....Many of us bike. And someone tried to steal my bike (couple of different times, it's a cheap bike, now stolen, got a donated bike from a friend). I live in a neighborhood of multi-colored bicycles most of which are single gear. We also have weird self driving cars, street view cars, etc. And they aren't all from google. They include bing (.com) and other panoramic mapping cameras, and other self driving cars from Michigan and the major automakers.Growing up as a kid, many white kids thought that the Asian kids knew Tae Kwondo, or Judo, or Karate. So I picked it up. (Actually, my parents said we descended from archers, so I've tried archery (actually recently got a gift bow (a compound model not a simple recurve bow) for a friend's son who joined the Scouts). I have to wrestle with the lethal force problem (to stay current), and may be purchasing a shot gun for trips to Alaska. I've expended $200 in 2 seconds (ammo for an M-134). Jumped out of perfectly good planes. Did the sail plane thing with my high school chemistry teacher. In turn, I taught him the basics of night sky astronomy.Many of the new rich don't feel the need to wear suits. Zuck legitimized the hoodie. The old rich (I know a few: I had Thanksgiving dinner at the SF Yacht Club: you will know if you know the rules of dress there) are disgusted by this. Women are caught in the middle of this but pull to the old, conservative. Ditto other non-whites.I see less ROTC, and church going, compared to other parts of the country.Let's see: I finished hiking the Muir Trail at the end of the 1980s. Climbed the 14Kers a number of times by various routes by that time, too before heading out of state for other objectives. We have the university which developed the atomic bomb (in another state no less, but they brought it back here later).I, at least, had a nice time in all my schools (public). Had fantastic educational experiences. Got to know a few Nobel laureate families. Met a few veterans in their time. Traveled the roads extensively (from Alturas (I edited a Knuth paper mentioning it) and Likely in the NE (Cedarville is also very nice) to Algondones near Yuma, National City to Crescent City. Our state has islands and a lot of interesting ocean. Nuclear reactors and accelerators, National labs and space and aero facilities. All Mach 3 planes were developed here.We have Death Valley. We have to share Lake Tahoe and the Colorado River with neighboring states. We have a 3rd world country to our South (rapidly changing toward 1st world). We have a fence which is porous with tunnels with a cross section for trucks which are found underneath it.We have a lot of privately owned wide open space. We have a few playas, but Nevada has more easily accessible day lake beds (CA's are used for bombing ranges, etc.; well El Mirage is open (flew in a sail plane (an S-33-2 with my HS chem teacher here)).One stands in a crowd. And some annoying person notes that everyone here is an immigrant to California, not even acknowledging that some of us grew up here.California is the home of both Sunset magazine and Scotts Lawn care products (Scotts Valley). If you are a keeping up with the Jones type, this is our version of Martha Stewart.If you are a real geek or nerd, you will know how to pronounce "halted .com". If you are a software person, your pronunciation can be forgiven. You know what district of Tokyo to visit.The most irksome thing about new California drivers is that they fail to pay attention to the road or freeway they are driving. When they miss a turn or ramp, they will attempt to cut across 2 or more lanes of traffic to make the ramp or turn, instead of realizing they blew it, get off at the next ramp and backtrack. You try to be too smart/clever and be overly quick to make up for your failure of attention. This is how you might cause a traffic accident here.Cars I have owned. This is a common computer security verification question. Largely economy cars. I've owned a car which got over 50 MPG, 4 decades ago (got over 300K miles on it). I've owned 2 SUVs (1 got over 400K miles on it), and I use 4WD low with some frequency (like yesterday in Silicon Valley). 2 of my new vehicles I didn't even bother to buy an AM/FM radio (this should give you an idea how dull I am). I care almost nothing about their color except urban camo (see my answer about Do men care about the color of their computing devices?), and thermal issues.I have met some amazing people growing up in California. Part of that was via correspondence (paper letters: introduced me to a now long time friend named Marvin Minsky, had nothing to do with computers). Then in college, I had the ARPAnet (no email at the time) and with email I was able to email people in computing like Marvin. Work allowed me to meet Nobel laureates. And Usenet was a great way to expand Internet horizons. While I didn't grow up in Silicon Valley and didn't get into microprocessors until later, I had contact. And most of these guys I run into grocery shopping. Or sometimes we carpool together (John McCarthy of Stanford was one such friend). You'd get bored with this if you didn't understand the place.California also refers to 2 States in the United States of Mexico: Baja California and Baja California Sur. Not nearly as populated, and most news concentrates on immigration (legal and illegal), but some very nice small towns like Loretto, Tecate (yes that's where they make the beer), the wine growing region. La Paz, Guerrero Negro, Todos Santos. Yes, there is crime, but there's also snowy 10K ft. peaks (possible to X-C ski). The largest Chinese population in Mexico is in Mexicali (they speak Spanish; do you expect them to speak English along with Chinese?). The Baja California States are not quite treated like the mainland Mexican states.Silicon Valley: if you have or hear of a problem (tech), you hear or get the weirdest reactions. An early noted OCR software, had an early version problem. So I called Tech Support (which just happened to be in Los Gatos). And the person on the phone said that Yes, that was an early bug and we fixed that and can mail you the update. And I gave my work address. "Do you know Frank ...?" Yes he's one of our Branch Chiefs. "He's my dad. I'll see him at dinner this evening and give him the disk then." And I got it in an interoffice mail envelope (this was back in the 1990s).East coast positives: Seasons: summer time fireflies are quite amazing. East coasters cite fall colors (New England). I've now visited Maine. California has nothing like that, but in certain higher elevations in the various mountain ranges where snow falls, you can get select fall color, like places where there are Aspens and cottonwoods. You just have to work on it. The duration and areal extent are shorter and smaller than the East coast. We have many more evergreens and scrub oaks. We are a little like coastal Spain. Better beaches (gradual slope).If you don't "Like" California, you can leave. This is why Oregon came up with the word Californication. We now have to deal with Oregon tourism ads (“It’s the economy, stupid”).For college summer jobs, I worked and climbed in Yosemite Valley. Ask me my zip code. So I have answers to tourist questions there. Friends still live there, but it’s best for me to visit them in winter or at least the off tourist season. Following that I drew masks for thin film circuits for 2 summers, so I’ve also have VLSI development.My body shop mechanic, Hispanic, once said, “You have to know 5 languages to do business in this place (Redwood City).”The furtherest South Russian colony/settlement was Fort Ross, CA, just North of SF.CA isn’t for everybody, but some of us were born here. And 1 friend’s relatives were here before statehood and were among the Donner Party rescuers.The Chinese-Americans can spot the Chinese spies (intelligence operatives trying to recruit Chinese-Americans) in Chinese restaurants. You can even read about them here on Quora (company).Quora (company) is here. It’s why you are reading this. It’s also the home of Facebook (See the movie Social Network? ever wonder why?), google, Yahoo!, even Microsoft, IBM, Wal-Mart know to have labs and offices here. The bio-tech Silicon Valley is South San Francisco where Genentech and it’s associated companies. Amgen has an office on the other side of the Bay.If you have a life variable you want addressed, let me know.Reference links:What was Mountain View, CA like before Google? Did Google have a huge impact on the development of the surrounding area, or was it just another piece of the growing puzzle?What facts about the United States do foreigners not believe until they come to America?

Full disclosure: I’m the original guy who posted this question, because the U of A doesn’t seem to be represented a lot on Quora as far as weighty and interesting questions, and I’m curious as to the responses that will appear. A lot of what I will be sharing I already answered about a year ago here (How did you get accepted into University of Arizona?) but it bears repeating for the purpose of this question. My memories are not as strong any longer as my graduation was back in the Late Neolithic Era (1993) but I’ll do my best.I transferred to the University of Arizona (U of A) for fall semester 1990 from the University of California, Davis (see Michael Sheldon Reed's answer to What is it like to attend UC Davis? for my impressions about that school). The U of A was actually my first choice out of high school in 1988, and my first acceptance, but my application came too late to get on-campus housing, as I recall, so I went for UC Davis, which was my “backup.”UC Davis was a good school but had no graphic design curriculum. By and by I decided I wanted to be in a graphic design program, so at the beginning of my sophomore year at Davis I started shopping around and eventually settled on another try at getting into the U of A.A UC Davis official, that somehow I began talking to (don't recall the context) personally knew the then-director of admissions at Arizona and put in a good word for me; not sure if that helped or not. I took a brief visit to the campus towards the end of spring 1990 and fell in love with Tucson and the campus (I had never been in the Southwest save for one vacation to Las Vegas). Tucson seemed like a comfortable, sleepy, somewhat “one-horse” little town that reminded me a LOT more of medium-sized Sacramento than my hustling, bustling, technologically advanced hometown of Oakland.Arizona accepted me as a transfer student, but not all my UC Davis courses transferred over, so I had to repeat my sophomore year, meaning I graduated in 1993 instead of 1992 as I should have. I also had to repeat a couple of English courses, and a math course, because of this, which is still a sore spot with me 25 years later. I mean, come on guys, you can't accept coursework from one of the greatest systems of higher education on the planet????My University of Arizona experience, at least academically, was bittersweet. I struggled in the graphic design program for a few reasons: 1) a minor personality conflict with the department head; 2) ultra-competitive program where students weren't very supportive of one another and 3) this was just as the "desktop publishing" revolution was beginning in the design profession - awkward transition between traditional paste-up skills, which I struggled with in the beginning, and creating things in what we now know as Adobe Creative Suite, which was still a new technology in those days. The kids with their own Macs had a slight advantage as far as ability to create professional-looking designs with a minimum of effort. I also had a huge leaning towards the “international” or “Swiss” design aesthetic at a time when it was NOT in favor in the larger design/advertising world. Towards the end of my time there (especially senior year) I was given more “respect” and my grades improved. I did not make a huge amount of friends at the U of A (I also was never a member of any fraternity at either the U of A or UC Davis) and do not really keep in touch with the few friends I did make.(Arizona's graphic design program established a Mac design/production lab the semester AFTER I graduated. Most of my desktop publishing skills were acquired in later one-off community college classes and “on the job.”)Most, if not all, of my other classes at the U of A (outside of the major) I excelled in and enjoyed greatly, although I could tell there was a noticeable drop-off in quality in some of the lower division introductory courses as compared to UC Davis. The classes in the huge stadium-seating lecture halls were on the boring side and most of the students there seemed to only be interested in their social lives. (I briefly dated a girl I met in one of them, in fact, my very first U of A class which was a music appreciation course.) This may have changed as the years have ensued. I took summer session courses to advance my program in the summer of ’91 and ’93 (I went back to the Bay Area in the summer of ’92 and took a summer job).(If you can do summer session at the U of A at least one year, my advice to you is, DO IT. You will have the campus all to yourself, practically, and Tucson, despite the summer heat, is even MORE friendly and laid-back at this time.)I lived in an off-campus apartment for my first year (1990-91) school year, which was difficult as I had lived in the dorms at UC Davis and all the dorms were taken when I applied to the U of A. I wanted to live in Manzanita-Mohave (“Manzi-Mo”) which at that time was THE flagship dorm on campus and just a 3-5 minute walk from the graphic design building. It was FULL. I was bummed. I did join a group for off-campus students where I made a handful of “friends” and attended a few events. I even went down to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (the fabled “Rocky Point”) with a few of them, driving down a bumpy, dusty, unpaved dirt road (the gang I was with included a stunningly beautiful young lady of color who could have easily been on America’s Next Top Model if it were on the air back then); we all hung out on the beach for the afternoon, watched a stunningly beautiful sunset as we waded in the ocean, and ate tacos and drank Coronas and Dos Equis at night. I remember NONE of their names. This was almost immediately before the massive development that Rocky Point achieved in later years.For the 1991-92 summer session and regular school year, I was able to get into Kaibab-Huachuca, a mid-rise dorm towards the southern end of campus. A decent dorm, not as nice as Manzi-Mo (and somewhat primitive compared to the UC Davis dorms, although I believe it has since been renovated), but I was able to make a couple good friends, one of whom I kept in touch with for several, several years after graduation, even after he married and started his family.After this, I rented an apartment across the street from the first off-campus apartment I had, and this comfortable, Mid-Century Modern bachelor pad, called University Lee (it’s still there and you can still rent studio units there) was where I spent the final period of my U of A life. I graduated in December 1993.The University of Arizona was the school where I met my (now ex-) wife, we began dating my senior year and kept dating after my graduation (I declined an advertising internship in Los Angeles because of her), and my son was born in Tucson. I loved being in Tucson (a comfortable and inexpensive town) but I felt I needed to establish my post-graduate career, so after my divorce I moved to Atlanta, which was an excellent move and a story for another Quora question.As I am approaching middle age, I now live again in Arizona, I still follow Wildcat sports, especially the football program (Bear Down!) and visit the U of A campus from time to time (making sure to stop by at least eegee’s or Lucky Wishbone), and I'm pleased with how the campus, and Tucson as a whole, has slowly grown and evolved. The amenities both on and off campus for students has now approached the level I was wishing for back in the 1990s, with more high-rise apartments and eating/drinking establishments adjacent to campus, as well as a student union which is actually quite spacious, well-appointed and nice, with many delicious dining options, compared to the overcrowded joke it was “back in the day” (I was spoiled by UC Berkeley’s student union which I visited sometimes as a teenager).I NEVER run into any old friends, professors or acquaintances when I am on campus; the folks I was friends with all live out-of-state now. All I see on today’s U of A campus are basically current students and younger (within the last 5–10 years) alums (I was last on campus for this year’s football Spring Game).