Located in southern California, the city of Los Angeles has been and remains one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. It has the second highest population in the country after New York City. Due to the lack of good public transportation, the city also has one of the world's largest highway systems. Los Angeles is the county seat of Los Angeles County.
The city of Los Angeles is located in the heart of Los Angeles county and covers an area of 464 square miles (1,202 square kilometers). There are both beaches and mountains in Los Angeles, and the Santa Monica Mountains divide the city. The city has a generally mild climate, but there are periods of severe weather, and it can get hot in summer.
Los Angeles lies along a major fault line, and the city is sometimes shaken by earthquakes. Usually the quakes are mild and do not cause much damage, but large earthquakes have struck the city, notably in 1994.
The plaza area near the central business district in Los Angeles is the site of the original city. The Mexican American population is centered here, and this area has the first church that was built by its residents. It now forms a part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historical Park, which covers an area of about 40 acres (16.18 hectares).
South of the plaza is the Civic Center, which includes City Hall and several other city and county buildings. About 7 miles (11 kilometers) northwest of the Civic Center is Hollywood, the famous center of the motion picture industry. The western headquarters of many national radio and television networks are also located in Hollywood. Between Hollywood and Beverly Hills is the Sunset Strip, which has shops and restaurants along Sunset Boulevard. To the west of Hollywood is a shopping district called the Farmer's Market as well as the Miracle Mile, which runs along Wilshire Boulevard to the ocean in Santa Monica. Off Santa Monica Boulevard is Rodeo Drive, an area of expensive shops.
The cultural center of the city is the Los Angeles Music Center. It includes the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The Ahmanson Theatre, used for plays, musical comedies, and light operas, and the cake-shaped Mark Taper Forum are also a part of the center. In Hollywood, there is the Hollywood Bowl, an outdoor theater. Mann's Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame are also in Hollywood.
Many major schools are located in Los Angeles. They include the University of Southern California (USC), Occidental College, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The California Institute of Technology is in nearby Pasadena.
Los Angeles was once the richest agricultural county in the country. But due to population growth, thousands of acres of land were used up for constructing buildings and highways. Today, the city's economy relies on a number of different areas, including tourism, banking, insurance, oil, health care, and the entertainment business for which the city is known. Equipment for airplanes, medicines, electronics, glass, rubber, and cement are also manufactured in Los Angeles.
Spanish settlers founded Los Angeles in 1781. They called it El Pueblo de la Reyna de los Angeles, which means “the town of the queen of the angels.” In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, United States forces captured the town. On April 4, 1850, Los Angeles became a city and was named the seat of Los Angeles County. The city grew rapidly in the early 20th century. Population (2000 census), 3,694,820.
