I.

Introduction

Los Angeles, city in southern California, the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city and metropolitan region in the United States, after New York City. Located on the Pacific Ocean, the metropolis is noted for its balmy climate, scenic setting, motion-picture and television industries, and many freeways—as well as for occasional earthquakes, wildfires, and smog. Referred to casually as “LA,” Los Angeles is one of the major industrial, commercial, and financial centers of the United States.

Los Angeles traces its origins to a tiny, 18th-century colonial settlement at the extreme northern frontier of the colony of New Spain. The Spanish colonial governor Felipe de Neve originally named the settlement El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of the River Porciúncula). However, both the town and the river soon became known simply as Los Angeles (The Angels).

Los Angeles has grown at a phenomenal rate since the late 19th century. Since the 1920s it has been the leading city of California as well as the most important metropolis west of the Mississippi River. Its population increased during the last decades of the 20th century as the result of immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, and from Asia. According to the 2000 census, about 40 percent of the city’s residents were born outside the United States. The influx of immigrants has made Los Angeles one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities. The city’s population in the year 2000 was about 3.7 million.

Decades of self-promotion and the global reach of the movies and television shows set in the city have broadcast a glorified image of Los Angeles around the world. The city, with its palm trees, beaches, and swimming pools, has been idealized as the ultimate “American Dream” for millions in the United States and abroad. As an immigrant metropolis on the Pacific Rim, it faces the problems and prospects of modern society on a larger scale than almost any other U.S. city. Therefore, Los Angeles is often looked to for important national and global trends.

Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This gives the region a year-round growing season suitable for everything from cacti and citrus fruits to walnuts and corn. Temperatures vary widely from the desert regions to the high mountains, but July averages range from highs of 24°C (75°F) and lows of 17°C (63°F). January averages range from highs of 19°C (66°F) to lows of 9°C (48°F). The Pacific Ocean moderates the climate, providing a periodic layer of fog to the coastal areas. Rainfall is greatest in the mountain zones, averaging 760 to 1,020 mm (30 to 40 in) a year, and lowest along the coastal zones, which receive an average of 250 to 381 mm (10 to 15 in) annually. Interaction between these two climatic zones causes hot and dry winds (called Santa Ana winds) to blow downward from the mountains to the coast during the late summer and fall. Sometimes fierce and dangerous, these winds can reach 110 km/h (70 mph) and are often responsible for fanning wildfires.