User:Zoeheriot

Realm of California Spanish: Reino de La California Chinese: 加利福尼亞国 Cantonese romanisation: ga1 lei6 fuk1 nei4 a3 gwok3
Flag Coat of arms
Anthems: Lux Aeterna God Save the King
Capital	Monterey 36°36′11″N 121°53′37″W
Largest city	Golden Bay
Official languages	English Spanish Chinese Calsign
Ethnic groups	39.6% Asian 35.0% Latin 33.5% Anglo-Celtic 30.3% Mixed 5.9% Other White 4.2% Indigenous 8.0% Other or No response
Religion (2021)	44.1% Christianity 25.2% Catholic 12.9% Anglican 3.8% Methodist 2.2% Other Christian 35.0% No religion 8.5% Buddhism 5.1% Taoism 2.4% Islam 2.2% Hinduism 1.2% Judaism 1.0% Paganism 0.6% Other religions
Demonym(s)	Californian Californio
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Charles III
• Governor-General	Dame Ellen Ochoa
• Prime Minister	Dame Rebecca Lee
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Legislative Council
• Lower house	Legislative Assembly
Stages of independence  from the United Kingdom
• Purchase from Mexico	29 December 1845
• Responsible government	5 September 1877
• Dominion	26 September 1907
• Statute of Westminster Adoption Act	13 September 1938
• Constitutional Reform Act	17 April 1954
Area
• Total	1,245,616 km2 (480,935 sq mi)
• Water (%)	2.9
Population
• January 2025 estimate	35,830,091
• 2021 census	34,493,923
• Density	27.7/km2 (71.7/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	£1.771 trillion
• Per capita	£50,637
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	£1.179 trillion
• Per capita	£33,740
Gini (2021)	32.2 medium inequality
HDI (2021)	0.926 very high
Currency	California doubloon (Đ) (CAD)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PCT)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Calling code	+64
ISO 3166 code	CA
Internet TLD	.ca

California, officially the Realm of California, is a country in Western America and a member state of the Pan-American Union. California shares borders with fellow Pan-American Union members Oregon to the north and Mexico to the southeast, as well as Missouri to the northeast. The country spans multiple bioregions, from desert to temperate rainforest. California has a population of more than 35 million, over 90% of whom live on its Pacific seaboard or in the Central Valley. California’s capital is Monterey and its largest city is Golden Bay, whose metropolitan area houses about one-third of the country’s population. Other major cities include Ventura, Calais, San Diego and Mariposa.

California was one of the most culturally diverse areas in the pre-Columbian Americas. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to colonisation by the Spanish Empire. The area became part of an independent Mexico in 1821, then was purchased by the United Kingdom in 1845. Under British rule, California’s established population mixed with settlers from the British Isles and migrants from Mexico, China, the Philippines, Japan, South India and elsewhere. Although many migrants arrived under indenture or faced discrimination, a multiracial Californian society thus developed, albeit split between an Anglo-majority North and a Latin-majority South.

California attained independence through a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, beginning with the 1878 election of California’s first Parliament and culminating in the Constitutional Reform Act 1954. During World War II, California’s participation in the Prairie Campaign and the Battle of Chicago played a key role in defeating and dismantling the United States. Afterwards, an economic boom transformed California from a plantation-based society into a highly urbanised advanced economy, specialising in chemicals and high-tech manufacturing. California helped establish the Pan-American Union, whose judicial capital is San Diego.

California is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition. The country's head of government is the Prime Minister, who holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly and is appointed by the Governor General, representing the monarch of California, the ceremonial head of state. The country is a Commonwealth realm and is officially trilingual (English, Spanish and Chinese). California also contains eight self-governing Indigenous states, whose relations with the central government are complex.

California ranks highly in quality of life, health, education, democratic governance, civil and political rights. It is a global leader in science and technology, particularly astronomy, physics, chemistry and electronics. Californians enjoy one of the world’s most advanced public transport networks. The culture of California is a blend of Indigenous, British, Asian and Latin American influences and is globally renowned for its urbanism, its eclectic cuisine, its wine, its music, its fantasy, science-fiction and horror literature, and its Ventura-based animation and video game industries.