(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm FaithLapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. People have been following a dream toCalifornia for more than one hundred fifty years. More thanthirty-five million people live there now, more than in any otherstate. Today we tell about California and its people.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Over the years, many people have dreamed of going to California.At first, the dream was to find gold. In eighteen forty-eight, a mannamed James Marshall was working at a sawmill. It was on theAmerican River, about one hundred kilometers northeast of SanFrancisco. He found a piece of bright metal where the river flowedthrough the sawmill. It was gold.

People who rushed to California the following year, eighteenforty-nine, became known as "forty-niners." A few found gold andbecame rich. The people who stayed made homes for themselves. Theyfound work. Some started schools and religious centers. In eighteenfifty California became a state.

VOICE TWO:

California became the dream ofmany people in the cold, crowded cities of the East and Middle West.Today, California is still a land of dreams. People want to livethere because of the warm weather and sunshine. There are beautifulocean beaches and mountains. There are jobs in the cities and onfarms.

But the weather and the forces of nature in California aresometimes dangerous. For example, earlier this month there were manydays of heavy rain in normally dry southern California. Mudslidesthat resulted killed at least ten people in the Pacific Coast townof La Conchita.

VOICE ONE:

Earthquakes are always a possible threat in California. Innineteen-oh-six an earthquake destroyed the city of San Francisco.It killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people. More recently, apowerful earthquake in nineteen ninety-four shook SouthernCalifornia. The quake killed about sixty people in the Los Angelesarea. It caused twenty thousand million dollars in damage tobuildings and roads. Scientists also say a huge and destructivetsunami wave is possible from the Pacific Ocean.

Yet another problem is fire. Dry winds race across the desertinto Southern California in the fall. Any fire can suddenly become amajor wildfire.

In October of two thousand three, major wildfires burned acrossareas of San Diego, Ventura and San Bernardino counties. More thanthree thousand homes were destroyed. More than twenty people werekilled.

VOICE TWO:

But danger from nature does not seem to keep people from movingto California or having children there. The estimated populationgrew almost five percent between two thousand and two thousandthree. About half the population growth is from people who arrivefrom other states and countries. About eleven million people ofMexican ancestry live in California. Many others come from countriesin Asia. San Francisco, for example, has one of the largest Chinesepopulations outside Asia.

Some newcomers dream of Hollywood. They come to find a job in themovie capital of the world. But these young men and women are likethe early settlers who searched for gold. Only a few ever becomemovie stars or successful writers, directors or producers.

VOICE ONE:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, a formerHollywood actor and champion bodybuilder, is finishing his firstyear as governor of California. He became the state's top officialin an unusual way. In October of two thousand three, citizens votedto remove their governor, Gray Davis, a Democrat. To take his place,they elected Mister Schwarzenegger, a Republican. MisterSchwarzenegger was born in Austria. Many Californians call him"Arnold."

Gray Davis had been elected for a second term. But Republicansused a recall law passed almost one hundred years ago to call for avote to remove him. Many Californians were angry at Mister Davisbecause he raised taxes.

VOICE TWO:

Many people were especially angryat a big increase in the vehicle tax. Governor Schwarzeneggercancelled that increase as his first official act. Californiacurrently has an eight thousand million dollar deficit. The governoris trying to avoid raising taxes. To do this, he is proposing budgetcuts. But observers say he will have to compromise with thelegislature to pass his legislation. Most legislators are members ofthe Democratic Party.

VOICE ONE:

Earlier this month, two state officials led a publicdemonstration. They were protesting against Governor Schwarzeneggerfor not proposing enough money for schools. His proposal calls forcutting two thousand million dollars in the education budget.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

To educate its young people, California has more state collegesand universities than any other state. The California StateUniversity system has more than twenty colleges and universities.The University of California, another system, has schools in ninecities. California also has more than one hundred communitycolleges. These offer two-year study programs to any student whocompletes high school.

VOICE ONE:

Those governing California have abig responsibility for land as well as people. California isAmerica's third largest state in land area. California is more thanone thousand kilometers long and four hundred kilometers wide. MountWhitney, in the Sequoia National Park, is the highest mountain inthe forty-eight connected states. It is more than four thousand fourhundred meters high.

California also has the lowest place in the United States. It isin Death Valley National Park, in the eastern desert near the borderwith Nevada. The place is called Badwater Basin. It is eighty-sixmeters below sea level. In fact, it is the lowest place anywhere inthe Americas.

VOICE TWO:

The coastline of California begins at the border with Mexico. Itextends one thousand three hundred fifty kilometers north, to thestate of Oregon. The central and southern California coast has manybeautiful, sandy beaches. The big waves of the Pacific make theseareas great places to surf – to ride on the ocean waves on boards.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The first Europeans to see the California coast were explorersfrom Spain and Portugal, almost five centuries ago. The peninsulathat extends into Mexico made them think it was an island. Infifteen thirty-nine a member of one sailing party recorded the nameas "California." California was the name of an imaginary island in abook, a romance novel that was popular in Spain.

Spain claimed the new land. Later it built religious settlementsto spread Christianity among the native people. Mexico won itsindependence from Spain in the eighteen twenties. But Mexico lostCalifornia in a war with the United States about twenty-five yearslater. Then came the discovery of gold in California.

The state is rich in natural resources. It has wide areas offarmland and large forests. And it has oil, natural gas and valuableminerals.

VOICE TWO:

America's largest city is New York. The second largest city inthe nation is Los Angeles, with about four million people. SanDiego, on the border with Mexico, is the second largest city inCalifornia. It has one million two hundred thousand people. San Joseand San Francisco are the third and fourth largest cities. San Joseis near the so-called Silicon Valley, home to many high- technologycompanies.

Many famous Americans were born in California. Here are a few ofthem: Movie maker George Lucas. Former President Richard Nixon. PoetRobert Frost. Writers Jack London and John Steinbeck. Actors RobertRedford and Leonardo DiCaprio. Tennis players Serena and VenusWilliams. And golfer Tiger Woods.

The state's beautiful trees and flowers, ocean and mountains,make it very inviting to travelers. Last year, some of the peoplewho came to visit decided to make their homes there. More than acentury and a half has passed since the forty-niners dreamed ofgold. But people still dream of life in California.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written by Frank Beardsley and Jerilyn Watson.It was produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for another THIS ISAMERICA in VOA Special English.