Portal:Greater Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Portal

Los Angeles is the largest city in the State of California and the second largest city in the USA after New York. Los Angeles (simply L.A.) has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over 498.3 square miles (1,290.6 km2) in Southern California. Additionally, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area is home to nearly 12.9 million residents and is the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated as well as one of the most diverse counties in the United States. The City of Los Angeles was founded in September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of the river of Porziuncola). It became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its independence from Spain. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood. Being as Los Angeles is a huge metropolitan city it is one of the world's centers of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. L.A. is often referred to as the entertainment capital of the world however the credit should can go to the counties' unincorporated city of Hollywood although major companies have moved to cities such as Burbank. Hollywood leads the world in the creation of motion pictures, television production and recorded music and hosts the Oscars as well as other academy awards. The importance of the entertainment business to the city has led many celebrities to call Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs home. More LA...