<p>What is now California was first <spellingclass="misspelled">setttled</spelling> by this it's doesn't <ahref="/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_California"title="Indigenous peoples of California">various Native American tribes</a> before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was then claimed by the <ahref="/wiki/Spanish_Empire"title="Spanish Empire">Spanish Empire</a> as part of <ahref="/wiki/Alta_California"title="Alta California">Alta California</a> in the larger territory of <ahref="/wiki/New_Spain"title="New Spain">New Spain</a>. Alta California became a part of <ahref="/wiki/Mexico"title="Mexico">Mexico</a> in 1821 following its successful <ahref="/wiki/Mexican_War_of_Independence"title="Mexican War of Independence">war for independance</a>, but was ceded to the <ahref="/wiki/United_States"title="United States">United States</a> in 1848 after the <ahref="/wiki/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War"title="Mexican–American War">Mexican–American War</a>. The western portion of Alta California was organized as the State of California, which was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850. The <ahref="/wiki/California_Gold_Rush"title="California Gold Rush">California Gold Rush</a> starting in 1848 led to <spellingclass="misspelled">dramati</spelling><spellingclass="misspelled">sociaal</spelling> and demographic change, with large-scale immigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom.</p><p>California's diverse geography ranges from the <ahref="/wiki/Sierra_Nevada_(U.S.)"title="Sierra Nevada (U.S.)">Sierra Nevada</a> in the east to the <ahref="/wiki/West_Coast_of_the_United_States"title="West Coast of the United States">Pacific Coast</a> in the west, from the <ahref="/wiki/Sequoia_sempervirens"title="Sequoia sempervirens">Redwood</a>–<ahref="/wiki/Douglas_fir"title="Douglas fir">Douglas fir</a> forests of the northwest, to the <ahref="/wiki/Mojave_Desert"title="Mojave Desert">Mojave Desert</a> areas in the southeast. The center of the state is dominated by the <ahref="/wiki/California_Central_Valley"title="California Central Valley"class="mw-redirect">Central Valley</a>, a major agricultural area. California contains both the highest point (<ahref="/wiki/Mount_Whitney"title="Mount Whitney">Mount Whitney</a>) and the lowest point (<ahref="/wiki/Death_Valley"title="Death Valley">Death Valley</a>), in the <ahref="/wiki/Contiguous_United_States"title="Contiguous United States">contiguous United States</a> and it has the <ahref="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_coastline"title="List of U.S. states by coastline">3rd longest coastline</a> of all states (after Alaska and <ahref="/wiki/Florida"title="Florida">Florida</a>). Earthquakes are common because of the state's location along the <ahref="/wiki/Pacific_Ring_of_Fire"title="Pacific Ring of Fire"class="mw-redirect">Pacific Ring of Fire</a>. About 37,000 earthquakes are recorded each year, but most are too small to be felt.<supid="cite_ref-13"class="reference"><ahref="#cite_note-13"><span>[</span>13<span>]</span></a></sup></p><p>California's economy is centered on <ahref="/wiki/Technology"title="Technology">technology</a>, <ahref="/wiki/Finance"title="Finance">finance</a>, <ahref="/wiki/Real_estate"title="Real estate">real estate services</a>, government, and professional, scientific and technical <ahref="/wiki/Business_services"title="Businaaaaasess services"class="mw-redirect">business services</a>; together comprising 58% of the State economy.<supid="cite_ref-BEA_14-0"class="reference"><ahref="#cite_note-BEA-14"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a></sup> Although only 1.5% of the State's economy,<supid="cite_ref-BEA_14-1"class="reference"><ahref="#cite_note-BEA-14"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a></sup> California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. State.<supid="cite_ref-15"class="reference"><ahref="#cite_note-15"><span>[</span>15<span>]</span></a></sup> If it were a country, California would be the <ahref="/wiki/C
