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ایالت متحده آمریکا
ایالات متحده آمریکااز ویکی‌پدیا، دانشنامهٔ آزاد(تغییرمسیر از آمریکا)
مختصات: ۳۸°۵۳′ شمالی ۷۷°۰۱′ غربی«ایالات متحده» تغییر مسیری به این صفحه است. برای کاربردهای دیگر ایالات متحده (ابهام‌زدایی) را ببینید.«آمریکا» تغییر مسیری به این صفحه است. برای کاربردهای دیگر آمریکا (ابهام‌زدایی) را ببینید.
United States of Americaایالات متحده آمریکاپرچمنشان ملیشعار ملی: توکل ما به خداست. (رسمی)واحدی متشکل از تعدد (سنتی)سرود ملی: پرچم پُرستاره فهرست0:00پایتختواشینگتن دی. سی.۳۸°۵۳′ شمالی ۷۷°۰۲′ غربیبزرگترین شهرنیویورک سیتیزبان رسمینداردزبان ملیانگلیسی (دوفاکتو)نوع حکومتجمهوری مشروطهٔ فدرالنام حاکمان • رئیس جمهور• معاون رئیس‌جمهور• رییس مجلس نمایندگان• قاضی ارشدباراک اوباما (د)جوزف بایدن (د)جان بینر (ج)جان رابرتس قوه مقننهکنگره - مجلس علیاسنا - مجلس سفلیمجلس نمایندگانموارد منجر به تشکیلاز بریتانیای کبیراعلامرسمیقانون اساسی فعلی۴ ژوئیه ۱۷۷۶۳ سپتامبر ۱۷۸۳۲۱ ژوئن ۱۷۸۸مساحت - مساحت۹٬۸۲۶٬۶۷۵کیلومتر مربع (سوم) - آب‌ها (٪)۶٫۷۶جمعیت - سرشماری۳۱۴٬۷۲۴٬۰۰۰ (سوم) - تراکم جمعیت۳۳٫۷/km۲ (۱۷۲ام)تولید ناخالص داخلی(تخمین ۲۰۱۱) - مجموع۱۵٫۰۶۵ تریلیون دلار (اول) - سرانه۴۸٬۱۴۷ دلار (ششم)جینی (۲۰۰۷)۴۵٫۰[۱] شاخص توسعه انسانی (۲۰۱۱)۰٫۹۱۰ (بسیار بالا) (چهارم[۲])واحد پولدلار آمریکا ($) (USD)منطقه زمانیCET (ساعت جهانی-۵ تا -۱۰) - تابستانی (DST)CEST (ساعت جهانی)جهت رانندگیراستدامنه اینترنتی.us .gov .edu .mil .umپیش‌شماره تلفنی+۱برق - اختلاف پتانسیل۱۱۰ ولت
آمریکا یا ایالات متّحدهٔ آمریکا (به انگلیسی: The United States of America) (با نماد اختصاری USA)، کشوری در آمریکای شمالی، و به پایتختی شهر واشینگتن، دی. سی. است. آمریکا سومین کشور پر جمعیت دنیا و سومین کشور پهناور جهان است، و از لحاظ نژادی و گوناگونی مردم، متنوع‌ترین کشور جهان شناخته می‌شود[۳]. آمریکا با تولید ناخالص داخلی بیش از ۱۳٬۰۰۰ میلیارد دلار در سال و ۱۹٪ قدرت خرید جهان، بزرگترین اقتصاد در میان کشورهای جهان را دارا است.[۴]
نظام حکومتی آمریکا در چارچوب قانون اساسی، و بر اساس سیستم جمهوری فدرال بنیان نهاده شده‌است. این کشور در سال ۱۷۷۶ میلادی (۱۱۵۵ ه. خ.)، در پی اعلام استقلال و اتحاد ۱۳ مستعمرهٔ سابق بریتانیا شکل گرفت.
کشور آمریکا از شرق با اقیانوس اطلس، در غرب با اقیانوس آرام، از شمال با کشور کانادا، و از جنوب با مکزیک همسایه‌است. این کشور از راه پایگاه دریایی گوانتانامو نیز مرز مشترک اندکی با کوبا دارد. آمریکا همچنین از طریق آلاسکا با روسیه مرز آبی دارد. به علاوه، مجموعه‌ای از جزیره‌ها، ناحیه‌ها، و مناطق متعلق به آمریکا در سراسر جهان پراکنده‌اند.
ایالات متحده آمریکا پس از حضور در جنگ جهانی اول و جنگ جهانی دوم، قدرت اثرگذاری خود در جهان را گسترش داد. آمریکا به عضویت دائم شورای امنیت سازمان ملل در آمده‌است و از بنیانگذاران پیمان نظامی ناتو محسوب می‌شود.[۵] و پس از فروپاشی شوروی و پایان جنگ سرد به عنوان یک ابرقدرت منحصربه‌فرد درآمد.[۶] شهروند ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا را معمولاً «آمریکایی» می‌نامند.
محتویات۱ نام۲ جغرافیای طبیعی ۲.۱ وسعت آمریکا۲.۲ مختصات و موقعیت جغرافیایی آمریکا۳ جغرافیای انسانی۴ زبان۵ تاریخ۶ نظام سیاسی۷ سیاست خارجی۸ ایالت‌ها۹ شهرهای آمریکا۱۰ آموزش و پژوهش۱۱ اقتصاد ۱۱.۱ حمل و نقل۱۲ دین و مذهب۱۳ فرهنگ۱۴ غذا و آشپزی۱۵ ورزش۱۶ نیروهای مسلح ۱۶.۱ امنیت و قوای نظمیه۱۷ رسانه‌ها۱۸ منابع۱۹ پیوند به بیرون
نام
نام «آمریکا» اقتباسیست از نام آمریگو وسپوچی جهانگرد و کاشف ایتالیایی که توسط یک نقشه‌ساز آلمانی در سال ۱۵۰۷ میلادی ثبت گردید.[۷] «ایالات متحده آمریکا» نیز در مدارک رسمی نخستین بار در یازدهم ژوئیه سال ۱۷۷۸ میلادی استفاده گردید و از آن زمان تا کنون جاری بوده است.[۸][۹]
این کشور با نام‌های دیگری مانند ایالات متحدهٔ امریکا، (اِمریکا یا آمریکا) و ایالات متحده خوانده می‌شود. در فارسی در گذشته به آن (بطور عامیانه) ینگه دنیا[۱۰] و در نوشته‌ها، اتازونی (برگرفته از واژهٔ فرانسوی États-Unis، به معنای ایالت‌های متحد)[۱۱] نیز می‌گفتند. ینگه دنیا برگرفته از ترکی عثمانی و به معنی «دنیای جدید» است.جغرافیای طبیعینوشتار اصلی: محیط زیست ایالات متحده آمریکا عقاب سرسفید پرنده ملی آمریکا از سال ۱۷۸۲ میلادی
ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا در نیمکرهٔ غربی زمین، و در شمال قارهٔ آمریکا واقع است. این کشور از ۴۸ ایالت همجوار، و دو ایالت جدا از دیگران (شبه جزیره آلاسکا در شمال شرق قارهٔ آمریکا و مجمع‌الجزایر هاوایی در اقیانوس آرام) تشکیل شده‌است. همچنین، در دو منطقهٔ حوزهٔ دریای کارائیب، و نیز بخش‌هایی از اقیانوس آرام، جزایر کوچک و پراکنده‌ای وجود دارند که قلمرو آمریکا محسوب می‌شوند، ولی به گونه‌ای خودگردان اداره می‌شوند (مانند پورتو ریکو).[۱۲]آلاسکا بزرگترین[۱۳] و رودآیلند کوچکترین ایالت در آمریکا می‌باشند.[۱۴] مقایسه وسعت آلاسکا بزرگترین ایالت آمریکا با وسعت ۴۸ ایالت این کشور (به جز هاوایی و آلاسکا).
قسمتی از رشته کوههای راکی در غرب آمریکا قرار گرفته‌است که بزرگترین قله آن در ایالت کلرادو قرار دارد. مرتفع‌ترین نقطه در آمریکا قله کوه مک کینلی (۶۱۹۴ متر) در آلاسکا می‌باشد. در ۴۸ ایالت پایین نیز مرتفع ترین قله بر فراز کوه ویتنی (۴۴۲۱ متر) در کالیفرنیا قرار دارد. رودخانه می‌سی‌سی‌پی بزرگترین و مهمترین رودخانه آمریکای شمالی و چهارمین رودخانه طولانی جهان در آمریکا قرار دارد. این رودخانه که به رودخانه میسوری می‌پیوندد، نقش تجاری و اقتصادی مهمی برای آمریکادارد. قسمتی از آبشار نیاگارا در مرز بین آمریکا و کانادا قرار دارد و ازجاذبه‌های طبیعی توریستی در آمریکا به شمار می‌رود.وسعت آمریکا کوه هود و دریاچه تریلیوم در ایالت ارگن
از نظر کل وسعت آب و خاک، آمریکا بعد از روسیه و کانادا، سومین کشور پهناور جهان است.[۱۵] به طور تقریبی، کشور آمریکا، شش برابر بزرگ‌تر از ایران، ۲۵ درصد بزرگ‌تر از استرالیا، ۳۵ برابر بزرگ‌تر از انگلستان، ۱۴ برابر بزرگ‌تر از فرانسه، و نصف روسیه است.
همچنین این کشور، کمتر از یک سوم قارهٔ آفریقا، نصف آمریکای جنوبی، اندکی بزرگ‌تر از برزیل، ۳۰۰ برابر بزرگ‌تر از کشور هائیتی، و دو و نیم برابر بزرگ‌تر از مجموع کشورهای اروپای غربی است.مختصات و موقعیت جغرافیایی آمریکانوشتار اصلی: مناطق جغرافیایی و فرهنگی ایالات متحده آمریکا
ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا از شمال با کشور کانادا، و در جنوب با کشور مکزیک مرز خاکی دارد. این کشور در شمال غرب قارهٔ آمریکا و سواحل آلاسکا نیز با روسیه مرزهای مشترک آبی دارد. ۴۸ ایالت به هم پیوسته که خاک اصلی آمریکا را تشکیل می‌دهند، از شرق و جنوب شرقی به اقیانوس اطلس و خلیج مکزیک، و از غرب به اقیانوس آرام منتهی می‌شوند. ایالت آلاسکا نیز از شمال به اقیانوس منجمد شمالی، از غرب به تنگهٔ برینگ، و از جنوب غربی به اقیانوس آرام ختم می‌شود. مجمع‌الجزایر هاوایی هم در جنوب غرب خاک اصلی آمریکا و در اقیانوس آرام واقع شده‌اند.
مناطق جغرافیایی و فرهنگی ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا عبارت‌اند از: نیوانگلند، ایالت‌های ساحلی اقیانوس اطلس، ایالت‌های جنوب، ایالت‌های غرب میانه (میدوست)، ایالت‌های جنوب غربی آمریکا و ایالت‌های غرب.
کشور ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا در مجموع ۹٬۸۲۶٬۶۳۰ کیلومتر مربع وسعت دارد[۱۶] که البته ۴۷۰ هزار کیلومتر آنرا جزایر پراکنده و تحت قلمرو آمریکا در اقیانوس آرام و دریای کارائیب تشکیل می‌دهند.جغرافیای انسانی نقشهٔ پراکندگی مردمی آمریکا از نظر نژاد و نسب قومی (همه‌پرسی رسمی سال ۲۰۰۰)نوشتارهای اصلی: جغرافیای انسانی ایالات متحده آمریکا و آمریکایی‌ها
جمعیت ایالات متحده آمریکا بر پایه برآورد سال ۲۰۱۱ ادارهٔ آمار ایالات متحده آمریکا در حدود ۳۱۴٬۷۲۴٬۰۰۰ نفر تخمین زده شده است.[۱۷] نرخ کلی باروری در ایالات متحده آمریکا بر پایه برآورد سال ۲۰۱۱ در حدود ۱٫۸۹ فرزند برای هر زن است.
بر اساس آمار منتشرهٔ سال ۲۰۰۳، ترکیب نژادی مردم ایالات متحده آمریکا، بدین شرح است:سفیدها: ۸۱٪سیاهان (آمریکایی‌های آفریقایی‌تبار): ۱۲٫۹٪آسیایی‌ها: ۴٫۲٪سرخپوستان آمریکایی: ۱٪بومیان هاوایی و جزایر پاسفیک: ۰٫۲٪
در این آمار، نژاد اسپانیایی‌تبار (موسوم به هیسپانیک، یا لاتینو) همراه با نژاد سفید محاسبه شده‌است. بر اساس بررسی سال ۲۰۰۰ مهاجران کشورهای دیگر به ترتیب جمعیت برابر بودند:مکزیک(۱۷۳٬۹۱۹ مهاجر)، چین(۴۵٬۶۵۲)، فیلیپین(۴۲٬۴۷۴)، هند(۴۲٬۰۴۶)، ویتنام(۲۶٬۷۴۷)، السالوادور(۲۲٬۵۷۸)هائیتی(۲۲٬۳۶۴)، کوبا(۲۰٬۸۳۱)، جمهوری دومینکن(۱۷٬۵۳۶)، روسیه(۱۷٬۱۱۰)، جامائیکا(۱۶٬۰۰۰)کانادا(۱۶٬۲۱۰)، کره(۱۵٬۸۳۰)، اوکراین(۱۵٬۸۱۰)، پاکستان(۱۴٬۵۳۵)، کلمبیا(۱۴٬۴۹۸)، بریتانیا(۱۳٬۳۸۵)، بوسنی و هرزگوین(۱۱٬۸۲۸)، گواتمالا(۹٬۹۷۰)، ایران(۸٬۹۱۵ بنگرید به ایرانیان مقیم آمریکا)[۱۸]زبان
کشور ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا دارای زبان رسمی نیست، گرچه انگلیسی آمریکایی نقش زبان ملی را دارد و در عمل نیز زبان اصلی کشور است. یکی از پیش‌نیازهای مهاجرت و اقامت در آمریکا برای خارجیان، تسلط نسبی به زبان انگلیسی است.[۱۹]
همچنین زبان انگلیسی در ۲۸ ایالت به عنوان زبان رسمی شناخته می‌شود، و فعالیت‌هایی برای به رسمیت شناختن انگلیسی به عنوان زبان رسمی دولتی نیز در جریان است.[۲۰][۲۱]زبان‌ها (۲۰۰۵)[۲۲]فقط انگلیسی آمریکایی۲۱۶٫۲ میلیوناسپانیایی (دربردارندهٔ زبان‌های کریول اسپانیایی)۳۲٫۲ میلیونچینی۲٫۳ میلیونفرانسوی (دربردارندهٔ زبان‌های کریول فرانسوی)۱٫۹ میلیونتاگالوگ۱٫۴ میلیونویتنامی۱٫۱ میلیونآلمانی۱٫۱ میلیون
زبان‌های مرسوم در آمریکا به ترتیب عبارت‌اند از[۲۳]:انگلیسی آمریکایی: ۸۲٫۱٪اسپانیولی: ۱۰٫۷٪سایر زبان‌های هند و اروپایی: ۳٫۸٪زبان‌های آسیایی و اقیانوسیه: ۲٫۷٪سایر زبان‌ها: ۰٫۷٪.تاریخ نخستین ساکنان این قاره را اقوام سرخپوستان آمریکایی تشکیل می‌داده‌اند. نگاره‌ای از جورج واشنگتن در مبارزه با بریتانیا، هنگام عبور از رودخانه دلاویراطلاعات بیشتر: تاریخ ایالات متحده آمریکا، روزشمار تاریخ ایالات متحده آمریکا، و تاریخ زنان در ایالات متحده آمریکا
بیش از ده هزار سال است که انسان در قارهٔ آمریکا زندگی میکند.[۲۴] قاره آمریکا توسط کریستف کلمب و در سال ۱۴۹۲ کشف شد اما او به اشتباه فکر کرد که آنجا هندوستان است اما مدت‌ها بعد آمریگو وسپوچی[۲۵] اعلام کرد که این قاره جدیدی است.[۲۶] اما تاریخ آمریکا به عنوان یک کشور مستقل به سال ۱۷۸۳ میلادی باز می‌گردد که در آن آمریکا بر طبق معاهدهٔ پاریس به رسمیت شناخته گردید.[۲۷][پیوند مرده]
قبل از اعلام استقلال آمریکا در سال ۱۷۷۶،[۲۸] آمریکا مجموعه‌ای از مستعمرات اروپایی بود. بطور مثال، اسپانیایی‌ها در منطقهٔ فلوریدای امروزی ساکن شدند، بریتانیایی‌ها شهر جیمز تاون در ویرجینیای امروزی را آباد کردند، هلندی‌ها نیو آمستردام را که اکنون نیویورک خوانده می‌شود ساختند، و فرانسوی‌ها نیز در ایالت جنوبی لوئیزیانا و اطراف رودخانه می‌سی‌سی‌پی ساکن شدند.
به تدریج، بخش‌های زیادی از مستعمرات سیزده‌گانه شاهد درگیری و شورش علیه حکومت بریتانیا شدند. بدین ترتیب جنگ‌های انقلاب آمریکا از آوریل ۱۷۷۵ با نبرد لگزینگتون آغاز شد، و در سال ۱۷۸۳ در پی امضای قرارداد صلح با بریتانیا پایان یافت. استقلال ۱۳ مستعمرهٔ آمریکای شمالی با صدور اعلامیه استقلال آمریکا در ۴ ژوئیه ۱۷۷۶ محقق شد.[۲۹]
آمریکا ابتدا متشکل از ۱۳ ایالت خودمختار بود که تعارض قوانین هر ایالت مانند مالیات بر واردات باعث رکود اقتصادی و در نتیجه شورش‌هایی مانند شورش شیز شد به همین دلیل ۵۵ نماینده از ۱۲ ایالت (به جز رودآیلند) در فیلادلفیا من‌جمله جورج واشنگتن، بنجامین فرانکلین و جیمز مدیسون قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا را تصویب کردند که اکنون نیز قانون اساسی آمریکا است و از آن موقع ۲۵ اصلاحیه خورده‌است.[۲۹]
با شروع قرن جدید و انتقال پایتخت از فیلادلفیا به واشینگتن، دی. سی. و خرید لوئیزیانا در سال ۱۸۰۳، در سال ۱۸۱۲ ارتش بریتانیا بار دیگر به آمریکا قشون کشی کرده و پایتخت جدید را به آتش کشانید، اما موفق به استقرار در منطقه نگردید.
دوواقعهٔ بزرگ و پر تنش دیگر در تاریخ آمریکا یکی جنگ داخلی آمریکا در قرن نوزدهم، و سقوط بازار آزاد در اواخر دهه ۱۹۲۰ میلادی بود. سال ۱۸۶۱ شاهد جنگ داخلی آمریکا بود که با ۶۰۰٬۰۰۰ تلفات و ۵۰۰٬۰۰۰ نفر زخمی، خونین‌ترین جنگ در تاریخ این کشور بوده‌است.[۳۰] علت این جنگ به برده‌داری در ۱۱ ایالت جنوبی مشهور به ایالات مؤتلفه آمریکا مربوط می‌شد که آبراهام لینکلن خواهان براندازی آن بود. این جنگ در سال ۱۸۶۵ با پیروزی شمالی‌ها به فرماندهی یولیسیز سایمن گرانت، پایان گرفت.[۳۱] سقوط بازار آزاد آمریکا در ۱۹۲۹ آغازگر یک دوره رکود اقتصادی چند ساله بود که در آن نزدیک به یک چهارم جمعیت آمریکا شغل‌های خود را از دست دادند.[۲۷]
با پیروزی در جنگ جهانی اول، و غلبهٔ متفقین در جنگ جهانی دوم و شکست نهایی آلمان نازی در این جنگ و تخریب شدید زیرساخت‌های اقتصادی و صنعتی اروپا، آمریکا که کمترین خسارات را متحمل شده بود، به عنوان قدرت بزرگ جهانی پدیدار شد. حذف شدن اتحاد جماهیر شوروی از صحنهٔ رقابت با آمریکا در میادینی چون جنگ سرد، جنگ ویتنام، و جنگ کره، عملاً آمریکا را رفته رفته در موقعیت منحصربه‌فردی در جهان قرار داد.[۳۲]
وقایع یازدهم سپتامبر آغازگر دوران جدیدی از تمرکز و حضور نظامی آمریکا در کشورهای خاورمیانه و افغانستان بود که تا به امروز ادامه دارد.نظام سیاسینوشتار اصلی: سیاست ایالات متحده آمریکااطلاعات بیشتر: فهرست احزاب سیاسی ایالات متحده آمریکا و کابینه ایالات متحده آمریکا
نظام سیاسی ایالات متحده آمریکا در چارچوب یک قانون اساسی و به صورت یک نظام فدرالی است که از ویژگی‌های حکومتی این کشور به شمار می‌رود. سیستم تفکیک قوا در این کشور به شکل کاملاً بارزی به مرحله اجرا درآمده‌است. بنیان گذاران و نویسندگان اعلامیه استقلال ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا و قانون اساسی ایالات متحده به دلیل نگرانی از ظهور نظام سلطنتی اروپایی که در آن پادشاه قدرت مطلق را در دست داشت، نظام سیاسی جدید خود را به گونه‌ای طراحی کردند که در آن فرد یا نهادی نتواند قدرت مطلق بدست آورد.[۳۳] این قوانین همچنین طوری در نظر گرفته شده‌اند که از قدرت گرفتن بیش از حد اکثریت بر اقلیت‌ها،[۳۴] و نیز هر یک از شاخه‌های ۳گانهٔ قدرت ممانعت بعمل آورد.[۳۵]
بر اساس قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا، قوهٔ مقننه و یا کنگره ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا از دو مجلس تشکیل شده‌است که مسؤولیت قانونگذاری را به طور کامل بر عهده دارند: مجلس نمایندگان و مجلس سنا. بر اساس نظام انتخاباتی آمریکا، نمایندگان با رأی مستقیم و برابر مردم انتخاب می‌شوند.[۳۶]قوای سه‌گانه ایالات متحده آمریکاقوهٔ قضائیه: دیوان عالی فدرال ایالات متحده آمریکا. قوهٔ مجریه: کاخ سفید، محل کار و زندگی رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده آمریکا. قوهٔ مقننه: ساختمان کاپیتول محل دائم کنگره ایالات متحده آمریکا. روسای فعلی قوای سه‌گانه ایالات متحده آمریکاجان جی. رابرتس، هفدهمین قاضی ارشد دیوان عالی فدرال ایالات متحده آمریکا. باراک اوباما چهل و چهارمین رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده آمریکا. جان بینر شصت و یکمین رئیس مجلس نمایندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا.
رئیس جمهور ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا نیز به عنوان رئیس قوهٔ مجریه و فرمانده کل قوا با رأی مستقیم مردم و از طریق آرای هیات الکترال انتخاب می‌شود و در برگزیدن مشاورانش به عنوان وزرا اختیارات تام دارد. در حقیقت رئیس جمهور، نیازی به کسب رأی اعتماد از کنگره ندارد و کنگره نیز متقابلاً نمی‌تواند با رأی عدم اعتماد، هیأت دولت و یا وزرا را برکنار کند.
سومین شاخه از نظام سیاسی آمریکا، سیستم حقوقی ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا است که کاملاً مستقل عمل میکند و نه قوهٔ مجریه و نه قوهٔ مقننه نمی‌توانند بر روند تصمیم‌گیری‌های آن تأثیر بگذارند. به عبارت دیگر، رئیس جمهور و یا کنگره نمی‌توانند مصوبات قانونی دیوان عالی فدرال ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا را باطل اعلام کنند و یا از اجرای آنان سر باز زنند. نظام حزبی در ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا نیز در شکل‌دهی به سیاست و حکومت این کشور، نقش مهمی دارد.سیاست خارجینوشتار اصلی: سیاست خارجی ایالات متحده آمریکا جان کری وزیر امور خارجه ایالات متحده و مسئول رسمی سیاست خارجی آمریکاست.
ایالات متحده آمریکا به کمک توانایی‌های اقتصادی و نظامی قابل توجه خود، نقش مهمی را درسیاست جهانی ایفا میکند. این کشور عضو ثابت شورای امنیت سازمان ملل است و دفتر مرکزی سازمان ملل در شهر نیویورک قرار دارد. به استثنای کشورهای ایران، کره شمالی و سودان، کوبا، ونزوئلا و بولیوی،[۳۷] سایر کشورها دارای روابط دیپلماتیک رسمی با آمریکا می‌باشند.
آمریکا بوسیله قرارداد تجارت آزاد آمریکای شمالی و سازمان کشورهای آمریکایی با همسایگان خود (کانادا و مکزیک) روابط نزدیکی دارد. دولت این کشور هرساله میلیاردها دلار کمک مالی برای توسعه کشورهای دیگر اختصاص می‌دهد، اما درصد این کمک‌ها از تولید ناخالص ملی نسبت به دیگر کشورهای کمک کننده، پائین می‌باشد.
رئیس جمهور آمریکا یکی از عوامل اصلی تعیین کنندهٔ جهت‌های کلی سیاست خارجی آمریکا است. بسیاری از مدارک و اسناد دوران هر رئیس جمهور امروزه در کتابخانه‌های ویژه هر رئیس جمهور موجود می‌باشد. کنگره آمریکا بودجه‌های کمک‌های خارجی را تعیین میکند، تحریم‌های خارجی وضع میکند، و بکمک کمیته‌های مخصوصی در مسائل سیاست خارجه اختیارات بررسی و بازبینی امور ویژه (همانند بررسی عملکرد افراد در ماجرای ایران-کنترا) را دارد.
بسته به نوع حزب یا گروه در قدرت در هر برهه از زمان (همانند حزب دموکرات یا حزب جمهوریخواهان)، سیاست خارجهٔ آمریکا تحت تاثیر تحولات و گرایش‌های خاص آن حزب یا گروه قرار می‌گیرد.[۳۸] گروههای لابی نیر دارای قدرت نفوذ زیادی در تصمیم گیری‌های سیاست خارجه هستند.ایالت‌ها
کشور آمریکا ۵۰ ایالت دارد که هر کدام از آنها بنا بر سامانه فدرالی حاکم، دارای سطح بالایی از خودگردانی هستند.
البته ناحیهٔ واشینگتن، دی. سی. جزو هیچ‌یک از ایالات آمریکا نیست و در منطقه خودمختار کلمبیا قرار دارد. ناحیهٔ کلمبیا، در اصل بخشی از ایالت مریلند بود که در سال ۱۷۹۰ برای تأسیس مرکز آمریکا یعنی شهر واشینگتن، دی. سی. در نظر گرفته شد.
شهرهای آمریکا شهر نیویورک، بزرگترین شهر آمریکا، به «سیب بزرگ» شهرت دارد. شهر لس‌آنجلس که دومین شهر بزرگ آمریکا به شمار می‌آید. شیکاگو، سومین شهر بزرگ ایالات متحدهاطلاعات بیشتر: فهرست شهرهای ایالات متحده آمریکا و فهرست شهرهای ایالات متحده آمریکا بر پایه جمعیترتبهشهرجمعیتدر محدوده شهری(۲۰۱۲)[۳۹][۴۰]ایالت۱نیویورک۸٬۳۳۶٬۶۹۷نیویورک۲لس‌آنجلس۳٬۸۵۷٬۷۹۹کالیفرنیا۳شیکاگو۲٬۷۱۴٬۸۵۶ایلینوی۴هوستون۲٬۱۶۰٬۸۲۱تگزاس۵فیلادلفیا۱٬۵۴۷٬۶۰۷پنسیلوانیا۶فینیکس۱٬۴۸۸٬۷۵۰آریزونا۷سن‌آنتونیو۱٬۳۸۲،۹۵۱تگزاس۸سن دییگو۱٬۳۳۸٬۳۴۸کالیفرنیا۹دالاس۱٬۲۴۱،۱۶۲تگزاس۱۰سن خوزه۹۸۲،۷۶۵کالیفرنیارتبهکلان‌شهر (شهر با احتساب حومه)جمعیت۲۰۱۲[۴۱]منطقه۱نیویورک-نیوآرک-لانگ آیلند-جرزی سیتی۱۸،۸۳۱،۸۵۸آتلانتیک۲لس‌آنجلس بزرگ۱۳٬۰۵۲،۹۲۱غرب۳شیکاگو-گری۹٬۵۲۲،۴۳۴غرب میانه۴منطقه دالاس-فورت وورث۶٬۷۰۰٬۹۹۱جنوب غرب۵هیوستون-شوگرلند-گلوستون۶٬۱۷۷،۰۳۵جنوب۶فیلادلفیا-کمدن-ویلمینگتن۶٬۰۱۸٬۸۰۰آتلانتیک۷واشینگتن دی. سی.-آرلینگتن۵٬۸۶۰٬۳۴۲آتلانتیک۸میامی-فورت لادردیل-وست پالم بیچ۵٬۷۶۲،۷۱۷جنوب۹آتلانتا۵٬۴۵۷،۸۳۱جنوب۱۰بوستون۴٬۶۴۰٬۸۰۲نیو انگلند۱۱منطقه خلیج سانفرانسیسکو۴٬۴۵۵،۵۶۰غرب۱۲دترویت۴٬۲۹۲،۰۶۰غرب میانه۱۳ریورساید-سن برناردینو-انتاریو۴٬۳۵۰٬۰۹۶غرب۱۴فینیکس-گلندیل-میزا-سکاتزدیل۴٬۳۲۹٬۵۳۴جنوب غرب۱۵سیتل-تاکوما-بلویو۳٬۵۵۲،۱۵۷غرب
اگر لس‌آنجلس بزرگ را متشکل از ریورساید، سن برناردینو، انتاریو، لانگ بیچ، سنتا آنا و خود شهر لس آنجلس حساب کنیم، این منطقه شهری بیش از ۱۷،۸۰۰،۰۰۰ سکنه خواهد داشت که پس از کلانشهر نیویورک بزرگترین منطقه شهری ایالات متحده خواهد بود.آموزش و پژوهش پرچم ایالات متحده آمریکا برروی کره ماه در سفر آپولو ۱۷. کتابخانه آکادمی فیلیپس اکستر بزرگترین کتابخانه در مقطع دبیرستان در جهان.نوشتار اصلی: آموزش عالی در آمریکانوشتار اصلی: دانشگاه‌های آمریکانوشتار اصلی: تاریخ آموزش عالی در آمریکا
در اواخر قرن نوزدهم میلادی در ایالات متحده آمریکا نزدیک به ۱۶۰٬۰۰۰ دانشجو در ۱٬۰۰۰ دانشگاه در سرتاسر کشور مشغول به تحصیل بودند. برخی از موسسات دانشگاهی آمریکا (همانند دانشگاه تنسی بطور نمونه) قبل از تاسیس ایالتی که در آن واقع بودند تاسیس شدند. در این میان، و در بین موسسات آموزش عالی در آمریکا، موسسات زیر دارای کهن‌ترین سابقه هستند:موسسهسال تاسیس[۴۲]دانشگاه هاروارد۱۶۳۶دانشگاه ویلیام اند ماری۱۶۹۳دانشگاه ییل۱۷۰۱دانشگاه پرینستون۱۷۴۶دانشگاه کلمبیا۱۷۵۴دانشگاه پنسیلوانیا۱۷۵۷
امروزه هزینهٔ آموزش و تحصیلات در سطوح مدرسه‌ای و متوسطه در ایالات متحده را اکثراً دولت پرداخت میکند. ایالات متحده با داشتن قریب به ۵٬۸۰۰ دانشگاه و یا مؤسسه آموزش عالی[۴۳] تقریباً امکان تحصیلات در سطوح آموزش عالی را برای تمامی افراد جامعه فراهم کرده‌است. وام‌های کم‌بهره، کمک هزینه‌های بلاعوض، و انواع بورس‌های تحصیلی، از اقسام راههایی‌اند که دانشجویان اقدام به پرداخت شهریه‌های خود می‌کنند. در این میان دانشگاه ایالتی اوهایو با داشتن بیش از ۵۳٬۷۱۵ دانشجو در یک پردیس، پرجمعیت‌ترین دانشگاه آمریکا محسوب می‌شود.[۴۴]
در میان آمریکاییان بالای ۲۵ سال، ۸۴٫۶ درصد از دبیرستان فارغ‌التحصیل شده‌اند، ۵۲٫۶ درصد وارد کالج، دانشگاه یا مؤسسات دیگر آموزش عالی شده‌اند، ۲۷٫۲ درصد مدرک کارشناسی دریافت کرده‌اند، و ۹٫۶ درصد دارای مدارک کارشناسی ارشد و بالاتر هستند.[۴۵]
تقریباً ۹۹ درصد آمریکاییان دارای حداقل سواد پایه هستند. در طبقه‌بندی سازمان ملل متحد، شاخص آموزشی در کشور ایالات متحده ۰٫۹۷ است که در رتبه دوازدهم جهانی جای دارد.[۴۶] در سال ۲۰۱۲ ایالات متحده آمریکا در میان کشورهای دنیا از نظر تعداد تحصیل کردگان آموزش عالی به نسبت جمعیت در رتبه چهارم جهان قرار داشت.[۴۷]
پژوهش و توسعه در آمریکا در دو جبهه دولتی و خصوصی با هم رقابت می‌کنند. دره سیلیکون نمونه بارزی از فعالیتهای بخش خصوصی در توسعه صنعت و فناوری آمریکاست. از سوی دیگر مراکز ملی همانند آزمایشگاههای فدرال، ناسا، و مؤسسات ملی بهداشت ایالات متحده آمریکا در پیشبرد صنعت و فناوری کشور نقش کلیدی بر عهده دارند.
آمریکا یکی از تنها سه کشور دنیا است که هنوز رسماً از سامانه استاندارد بین‌المللی یکاها استفاده نمی‌کند و بلکه پایبند به دستگاه امپراتوری بریتانیاییست.[۴۸] با اینحال سیستم متریک رفته رفته در صنعت و سطوح دانشگاهی به تدریج رواج می‌یابد.اقتصاد ورودی ساختمان بورس اوراق بهادار نیویورک در وال استریت بزرگترین بازار بورس در جهان در معاملات دلاری است. ایالات متحده در تولید برق از انرژی بادی در جهان پیشتاز است، هم اکنون (مارچ ۲۰۱۱) حدود ۳ درصد[۴۹] برق مورد نیاز این کشور از این طریق تامین می‌گردد. مقایسه ی تولید ناخالص داخلی ایالت های آمریکا با سایر کشور ها در سال ۲۰۱۲. بدهی دولت فدرال ایالات متحده به مردم به عنوان درصدی از تولید ناخالص داخلی، از ۱۷۹۰ تا ۲۰۱۳نوشتار اصلی: اقتصاد ایالات متحده آمریکا
ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا اقتصاد کاپتالیستی از نوع سرمایه‌داری انحصاری دارد. ویژگی بارز اقتصاد ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا عبارتست از تسلط انحصارها در رشته‌های مختلف، که بر مبنای منابع طبیعی فراوان، زیربنای توسعه‌یافته، تولید انبوه، و مصرف زیاد استوار است. تولید ناخالص داخلی ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا با بیش از ۱۳ تریلیون دلار،[۵۰] یعنی حدود ۲۰٪ تولید ناخالص جهان، نخستین اقتصاد بزرگ جهان است.[۵۱]
ایالات متحده بزرگترین واردکننده، و - پس از آلمان و چین - سومین صادرکنندهٔ بزرگ جهان است.[۵۲] کانادا، چین، مکزیک، ژاپن و آلمان، به ترتیب بزرگترین شرکای تجاری آمریکا هستند.[۵۳] آمریکا در دههٔ اخیر بزرگترین بدهی جهان را نیز بر شانه داشته‌است.[۵۴]
بزرگترین اقلام صادراتی آمریکا بترتیب تجهیزات صنعتی (۲۹٫۸٪)، ماشین‌آلات (۲۹٫۵٪)، کالاهای مصرفی غیر اتومبیل (۱۲٫۴٪)، خودرو و تولیدات وابسته (۹٫۳٪)، تولیدات صنایع غذایی (۸٫۳٪)، و تولیدات صنایع هوایی (۶٫۶٪) هستند، در حالی که بزرگترین اقلام وارداتی به آمریکا کالاهای مصرفی غیر اتومبیل (۲۳٪)، سوخت (۲۲٫۱٪)، ماشین‌آلات (۱۹٫۹٪)، تجهیزات صنعتی (۱۴٫۸٪)، تولیدات خودرو (۱۱٫۱٪)، صنایع غذایی (۴٫۲٪)، و صنایع هوایی (۱٫۷٪) هستند.[۵۵]
اما بزرگترین محصولات تولیدی آمریکا مواد شیمیایی، تولیدات نفتی، فولاد، خودرو، تولیدات صنایع هوایی، ارتباطات، الکترونیک، تولیدات غذایی و مصرفی، و صنایع معدن و چوب هستند.[۵۶] آمریکا همچنین در تولید برق،[۵۷] ظرفیت پالایش نفت،[۵۸] ذخیره‌های ذغال سنگ،[۵۹] تولید انرژی بادی،[۶۰] و انرژی هسته‌ای[۶۱] در جهان، رتبه نخست را دارا است.
بیشتر چرخ‌های اقتصادی آمریکا متعلق به بخش خصوصی است، تا جاییکه بخش دولتی فقط ۱۲٫۴٪ تولید ناخالص ملی را سالیانه باعث می‌شود.[۶۲] با اینحال ۷۵٪ تولید ناخالص ملی محصول بخش خدماتی بوده‌است. با اینکه تولیدات کشاورزی آمریکا حدود ۱٪ تولید ناخالص ملی این کشور است، همین سطح تولید حدود ۶۰٪ کل تولیدات کشاورزی جهان را تشکیل می‌دهد.شاخص‌های اقتصادینرخ بیکاری۷،۳٪ اوت ۲۰۱۳[۶۳]رشد تولید ناخالص داخلی۴٫۶٪ سال ۲۰۱۲۲٫۸٪ سال ۲۰۱۲[۶۴]تورم شاخص بهای مصرف‌کننده۰٫۱٪ ۲۰۱۳[۶۵]بدهی۱۶٫۷ هزار میلیارد دلار۲۰۱۳[۶۶]میزان فقر۱۵٪ ۲۰۱۲[۶۷]
بخش بهداشت و خدمات اجتماعی با داشتن ۱۶ میلیون نفر شاغل، بزرگترین بخش اشتغال آمریکا را تشکیل می‌دهد.[۶۸] از لحاظ مجموع ساعات کاری در طول سال، آمریکایی‌ها بیشترین تعداد روز در سال را کار می‌کنند.[۶۹] با این حال در مقایسه با کشورهای صنعتی دیگر، از نظر تولید بر حسب ساعات کاری آمریکایی‌ها از برخی کشورهای اروپایی عقب‌ترند.[۷۰]
در میان ۵۰ ایالت آمریکا، از لحاظ درآمد سرانه،[۷۱] ایالت نیوجرسی در رتبه اول، و ایالت می‌سی‌سی‌پی در رتبه آخر در مقایسه با ایالات دیگر قرار دارند.[۷۲] نزدیک به ۱۳٪ آمریکاییان در زیر خط فقر تعیین شده توسط دولت فدرال قرار دارند[۷۳] و فاصله طبقاتی بین بالاترین و پایین‌ترین قشرها جامعه آمریکا همچنان در حال افزایش است.[۷۴]حمل و نقل سامانه بزرگراه‌های میان ایالتی شامل ۴۶۸۷۶ مایل.[۷۵]
در سال ۲۰۱۰ به ازای هر ۱٬۰۰۰ آمریکایی ۷۹۷ اتومبیل در این کشور وجود داشت[۷۶] و برابر آمار به طور متوسط هر آمریکایی بالغ روزانه ۵۵ دقیقه (یا ۲۹ مایل) از اتومبیل استفاده میکند.[۷۷] اما در مقایسه با گسترهٔ اتومبیل، پایانهٔ ریلی آن به نسبت کمتر است.[۷۸] از نظر حمل و نقل عمومی، تنها ۹٪ از سفرها از این طریق انجام می‌شود در صورتی که این مقدار برای اروپا ۳۸٪است.[۷۹] استفاده از دوچرخه نیز نسبت به اروپا کمتر است.[۸۰] پنج شرکت بزرگ هواپیمایی دنیا -بر اساس تعداد مسافران- آمریکایی هستند. شرکت امریکن ایرلاینز اولین رتبه را در این میان داراست..[۸۱] همچنین از سی فرودگاه پرترافیک دنیا شانزده فرودگاه متعلق به آمریکاست.[۸۲]دین و مذهبنوشتار اصلی: مذهب در ایالات متحده آمریکا دین و مذهب اکثریت بر پایه ایالت: کاتولیک با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت کاتولیک با کمتر از ۴۰ درصد کل جمعیت کاتولیک با کمتر از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت کاتولیک با بیش از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با کمتر از ۴۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با کمتر از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با بیش از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت متودیست با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت لوترن با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت لوترن با کمتر از ۴۰ درصد کل جمعیت مورمون با بیش از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت ناخداباور با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت
آمریکا به طور رسمی یک کشور سکولار می‌باشد. در ایالات متحده آمریکا بر اساس متمم اول قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا، هیچ دینی بطور رسمی وجود ندارد، اما همین متمم نیز آزادی تمام ادیان را تضمین کرده‌است. به همین دلیل است که مثلاً زنان محجبهٔ مسلمان آمریکایی اجازه حضور در مراکز دولتی و دانشگاهی کشور را از نظر قانونی دارند.
در سال ۱۷۷۶ با اعلامیهٔ استقلال، رسماً ایالات متحده آمریکا بنیان‌گذاری شد و چند سال بعد، در ۱۷۹۱، قانون اساسی فعلی آمریکا که شامل اصلاحیهٔ نخست متضمن آزادی‌ها و حقوق مدنی (من‌جمله جدایی نهاد دین از نهاد حکومت، آزادی در انتخاب دین و آزادی در اجرای مناسک دینی) به تصویب رسید. به یمن کثرت و تنوع ادیان ساکنان و نیز اصلاحیهٔ نخست قانون اساسی، آمریکا هیچ‌گاه صاحب دین رسمی و حکومتی نبود.[۸۳]
با وجود جدایی دین از سیاست در آمریکا، دین اهمیت ونقش مهمی در این کشور دارد که نماد آن جمله توکل ما به خداست شعار کشور آمریکا است که بر روی اسکناس دلار آمریکا نیز نقش بسته است[۸۴] گروههای مذهبی قدرت اثر گذاری قابل توجهی در آمریکا دارند در دهه ۱۹۲۰ این گروهها توانستند دولت را ترغیب به ممنوعیت تولید و مصرف مشروبات الکلی کنند[۸۵](اصلاحیه هجدهم قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا ولی با افزایش خشونت‌ها در پی گسترش قاچاق در اصلاحیه بیست و یکم برداشته شد[۲۹])و بر تدریس نظریه تکامل در مدارس آمریکا بصورت محدود و در برخی ایالات محدودیت ایجاد کنند..[۸۶] گروههای مذهبی به خصوص پروتستانهای اونجلیکال و کاتولیک‌ها، مواضع سرسختانه‌ای را دربرابر موضوعات چون همجنسگرایی، سقط جنین و آموزش مختلط در مدارس آمریکا، اتخاذ کرده‌اند.
بر اساس آمار سال ۲۰۰۲، ترکیب مذهبی مردم آمریکا به شرح زیر بوده‌است[۴]: پروتستان ۵۲٪، کاتولیک ۲۴٪، مورمون ۲٪، یهودی ۲٪، مسلمان ۱٪، دیگران ۱۰٪، بدون دین ۱۰٪.
پروتستانهای آمریکا نیز به فرقه‌های متعددی تقسیم می‌شوند. برخی از آنان میلیون‌ها نفر را دربر می‌گیرند، در حالی که کلیساهای کوچک، تنها هزاران عضو دارند.
برخی از فرقه‌های مذهبی معروف آمریکا عبارت‌اند از:
اپیسکوپلین‌ها، پرسبیترین‌ها، متدیست‌ها، باپتیست‌ها، یونیتارین‌ها، مریدان مسیح، کلیسای اصلاحی هلندی، کویکرها و کانگروگیشنالیست‌ها.
کلیسای لیک وود در شهر هیوستون، بزرگترین کلیسای پروتستان آمریکا
باسیلیکای عبادتگاه ملی لقاح معصوم، بزرگترین کلیسای کاتولیک آمریکا
مرکز اسلامی آمریکا، بزرگترین مسجد شیعی مذهب آمریکا
معبد بودایی سی-لای در لس آنجلس
معبد هندوهای مالیبو در کالیفرنیافرهنگ بوفالوی دونده، اثر ایدویرد مویبریج در سال ۱۸۸۷ در شهر فیلادلفیا به نمایش در آمد.اطلاعات بیشتر: فرهنگ و هنر آمریکا
در عرصه هنر و معماری هنرمندان آمریکایی از فرانک لوید رایت گرفته تا اندی وارهال آثار بسیار قابل توجهی در سطح جهانی خلق کرده‌اند. هرم ورودی موزه لوور، کاخ مجلس ملی بنگلادش، برج خلیفه دوبی، و دروازهٔ اروپا در مادرید اسپانیا، نمونه‌هایی از خلاقیت معماران آمریکایی در سراسر جهان است.
ایدویرد مویبریج در سال ۱۸۷۸ برای نخستین بار تصاویر متحرکی را خلق کرد که اسب و بوفالوی وحشی آمریکایی را در حال دویدن نشان می‌داد. نخستین فیلم تجارتی آمریکا فیلمی بود که توسط دستگاه کینتسکوپ ساخت توماس ادیسون در ۱۸۹۴ در شهر نیویورک به نمایش در آمد.[۸۷] از آن زمان تا کنون آمریکا دارای صعنت فیلمسازی و سینمایی بسیار بزرگی شده است که مرکز آن امروزه هالیوود در شهر لس آنجلس است. هالیوود امروزه با ۶۳ میلیارد دلار درآمد، ۳۵ درصد کل تولیدات صنعت فیلمسازی جهان را به خود اختصاص داده‌است.[۸۸] این صنعت با هنر تئاتر در آمریکا رابطهٔ تنگاتنگی دارد، اما بر خلاف سینما، مرکز هنر تئاتر همچنان در شهر نیویورک است، جاییکه عمده ترین مراکز هنرهای نمایشی در جهان در آن قرار دارند.[۸۹] برادوی از این لحاظ دارای شهرت و سابقهٔ بی همتاییست.
موسیقی امروزه به شکل تولید و اجرای زنده در آمریکا دارای فعالیت بسیار زیادیست بطوریکه در سال ۲۰۰۸ میلادی بیش از ۱۰ میلیارد دلار درآمد تنها حاصل از صنعت ضبط و فروش موسیقی در آمریکا کسب گردید.[۹۰] سبکهای اصیل موسیقی آمریکایی می‌توان به سبکهای جاز، بلوز، هیپ هاپ و کانتری اشاره کرد.
ادبیات آمریکا در مدت نسبتاً کوتاه عمر این کشور، از مشهورترین چهره‌های شناخته شده ادبیات بشری را به دنیا ارزانی داشته. از مارک تواین و ادگار آلن پو و رالف والدو امرسون گرفته تا ارنست همینگوی و جک لندن و امیلی دیکنسون، ادبیات آمریکا را قطعاً از نقاط درخشان فرهنگ این کشور می‌توان به حساب آورد که بر هنرهای کشورهای دیگر تاثیرات فراوانی داشته‌است. از دیگر نویسندگان برتر تاریخ آمریکا می‌توان تی اس الیوت، ویلیام فاکنر، تنسی ویلیامز، جی دی سالینجر، آیزاک آسیموف، مایکل کرایتون، و ریموند کارور را نام برد که آشنای نزدیک صاحبان قلم ادبیات جهان‌اند.
عمارت دادگستری شهرستان الیس ساخت سال ۱۸۹۶ در تگزاس، یک نمونه از معماری بومی
موسیقی جاز نوین هویت خود را مدیون هنرمندانی همچون لویی آرمسترانگ است.
مایکل جکسون، پرفروش‌ترین هنرمند سرگرمی‌ساز تمام دوران‌ها است که هواداران بیشماری در سراسر جهان دارد.
صنایع دستی سرخپوستان آمریکایی طرفداران زیادی دارد. این نمونه در موزه ایالتی آریزونا نگهداری می‌شود.
تندیس وودی آلن در اسپانیا، هالیوود یکی از صادرات اصلی آمریکا به جهانیان بوده‌است.
غذا و آشپزی
آشپزی آمریکایی همچون سرزمین آمریکا دارای تنوع و گوناگونی فراوانیست و از آشپزی آمریکایی چینی تا آشپزی مستعمرات سیزده‌گانه، غذای آمریکاییان دارای طعم و خواص منحصربه‌فردیست که برخی از این غذاها همانند استیک و باربیکیو و چیزبرگر در دنیا محبوبیت عام دارند و برخی دیگر همانند خوراک مار زنگی، پاستای گولاش آمریکایی، پیتزای نیویورکی و گامبو کمتر در خارج از مرزهای آمریکا شهرت یافته‌اند.ورزشنوشتار اصلی: ورزش در آمریکا
از قرن نوزدهم بیسبال به عنوان ورزش ملی آمریکا شناخته شد. در وهله بعد فوتبال آمریکایی، بسکتبال و هاکی روی یخ ورزش‌های ملی آمریکا قرار گرفتند. شاید امروزه فوتبال آمریکایی پرطرفدارترین ورزش در آمریکا باشد. اما بسته به موقعیت جغرافیایی ترتیب اهمیت این ورزشها تفاوت خواهد داشت.
این ورزشها در سطوح مختلف نیز برگزار می‌شوند. بطور نمونه فوتبال کالجی و بسکتبال کالجی در سطوح ملی و سراسری بسیار پرطرفدارند.[۹۱] بوکس و اسب‌دوانی نیز بسیار پرطرفدارند، اما این ورزشها زیر سایه دو ورزش گلف و اتومبیل‌رانی (به خصوص مسابقات نسکار) هستند.
ایالات متحده آمریکا در بازیهای المپیک سابقه درخشانی دارد. این کشور تا کنون هشت مرتبه بترتیب در بازیهای سالهای ۱۹۰۴، ۱۹۳۲ (زمستانی)، ۱۹۳۲ (تابستانی)، ۱۹۶۰، ۱۹۸۰، ۱۹۸۴، ۱۹۹۶، و ۲۰۰۲ میزبان بازیهای المپیک بوده است. آمریکا با داشتن ۲٬۱۰۳ مدال در المپیک تابستانی موفق‌ترین کشور دنیا در المپیک محسوب می‌شود،[۹۲][۹۳] و با داشتن ۲۱۶ مدال در بازیهای المپیک زمستانی در رده دوم جای می‌گیرد.[۹۴] رتبه در جهان تعداد طلاتعداد نقرهتعداد برنزدر مجموع۱سابقه آمریکا در مجموع دوره‌های بازیهای المپیک تابستانی۹۷۶۷۵۸۶۶۶۲۴۰۰۲سابقه آمریکا در مجموع دوره‌های بازیهای المپیک زمستانی۹۶۱۰۲۸۳۲۸۱
مخترع ورزش والیبال ویلیام مورگان
فوتبال در میان زنان آمریکا بسیار ورزش محبوبیست. تیم ملی فوتبال زنان آمریکا در جام جهانی فوتبال زنان تا کنون دو مرتبه قهرمان شده است.
مایکل فلپس شناگر امریکایی صاحب ۱۶ مدال المپیک و ۷ رکورد جهانی در این ورزش
در حال حاضر فوتبال آمریکایی پرطرفدارترین ورزش ایالات متحده است.
مایکل جردن و دیگر ستارگان لیگ بسکتبال حرفه‌ای آمریکا طرفداران بیشماری دارندنیروهای مسلح ناو هواپیمابر آبراهام لینکلن.آمریکا با دارا بودن دوازده ناو هواپیمابر بزرگترین نیروی دریایی دنیا را داراست.نوشتار اصلی: نیروهای مسلح ایالات متحده آمریکا
نیروهای نظامی آمریکا به پنج دسته اصلی تقسیم می‌شوند:[۹۵]نیروی زمینی ایالات متحده آمریکانیروی هوایی ایالات متحده آمریکانیروی دریایی ایالات متحده آمریکانیروهای تفنگدار دریایی ایالات متحده آمریکاگارد ساحلی ایالات متحده آمریکا
وزیر دفاع (در حال حاضر چاک هیگل) زیر نظر رییس جمهور (در حال حاضر باراک اوباما) که مقام فرمانده کل قوا را بر عهده دارد فعالیت میکند.
در سال ۲۰۰۴ ایالات متحده آمریکا با بودجه نظامی ۵۲۲ میلیارد دلار، ۳٫۷٪ تولید ناخالص داخلی را صرف هزینه‌های نظامی کرد، که این هزینه‌های نظامی به تنهایی تقریباً معادل نصف هزینه‌های نظامی جهانی بودند.[۹۶]
رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده آمریکا برای اقدام نظامی از مشورت‌های مشاور امنیت ملی ایالات متحده آمریکا برخوردار است. در رده پایین‌تر، وزیر دفاع قرار دارد؛ رییس ستاد مشترک ارتش ایالات متحده آمریکا هم به فرمانده کل قوا و هم به وزیر دفاع مشورت می‌دهد.امنیت و قوای نظمیه
نظم و امنیت در سطح شهر و ایالت را کلانتر و پلیس‌های محلی و ایالتی بر عهده دارند. در برخی موارد و در مواقع مشخص و معینی، ارگانهای فدرال همانند اف بی آی و مارشال‌ها وارد عمل می‌شوند. سیستم قضایی نیز به همین گونه (و از سطوح محلی به سمت سطوح فدرال) بنا نهاده شده است. آمریکا در میان کشورهای پیشرفته دارای آمار جرم و جنایت بالاتری بوده است، بخصوص در موارد مربوط به سلاح‌های گرم.[۹۷] در سال ۲۰۰۹ به ازای هر یکصدهزار نفر تعداد ۵ قتل در آمریکا رخ داد.[۹۸] نقش متمم دوم قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا (در اعطای آزادی حمل سلاح گرم به شهروندان) همواره مورد توجه بحث‌های فراوانی بوده است. آمریکا همچنین دارای تعداد نسبی بیشتری جمعیت زندانی می‌باشد.[۹۹] و این کشور از معدود کشورهای پیشرفته است که هنوز مجرمین را (در ۳۴ ایالت و برخی موارد فدرال) اعدام میکند. از سال ۱۹۷۶ تا کنون، تعداد یکهزار اعدام صورت گرفته.[۱۰۰] در سال ۲۰۱۰ پس از کشورهای چین، ایران، کره شمالی، و یمن، آمریکا از این لحاظ در جهان در رتبه پنجم بود.[۱۰۱] با اینحال این قانون از ایالت به ایالت فرق میکند. بطور مثال حکم اعدام در ایالات نیوجرسی، نیومکزیکو و ایلینوی ممنوع است.[۱۰۲]رسانه‌ها دفتر مرکزی روزنامه یو اس ای تودی در ویرجینیا قرار دارد که در صدر پرتیراژترین روزنامه‌های آمریکا می‌باشد.نوشتار اصلی: فهرست روزنامه‌های آمریکا
به غیر از ارگان‌هایی همانند گروه فرارسی شماره‌ای، صدای آمریکا، و یا هیئت کارفرمایان پخش که توسط ارگانهای دولتی برای مخاطبین خارج از آمریکا تنظیم می‌شوند، اکثر رسانه‌های درون آمریکا یا همانند شبکه‌هایی نظیر فاکس، اچ بی او، ام‌تی‌وی، و سی ان ان بطور کاملاً خصوصی و با درآمد حاصل از تبلیغات و آگهی‌های تجارتی اداره می‌گردند، و یا همانند رادیوی عمومی ملی و پی‌بی‌اس توسط موسسات و بنیادهای خیریه تامین مالی می‌گردند.
از ۱۲۰۰ شبکهٔ تلویریونی آمریکا، از بزرگترین و نامدارترین آنان در تاریخ رسانه‌های آمریکا می‌توان به ۳ شبکهٔ ای‌بی‌سی، ان‌بی‌سی، و سی‌بی‌اس اشاره نمود.[۱۰۳]
قدیمیترین روزنامه آمریکا با تیراژ ثابت و برنامه چاپ روزانه در ۳۰ می سال ۱۷۸۳ شروع به کار کرد، و فیلادلفیا ایونینگ پست نام داشت. در سال ۲۰۰۸، ۶۲۵۳ هفته نامه و ۱۴۲۲ روزنامه در آمریکا در حال فعالیت بود.[۱۰۴
مختصات: ۳۸°۵۳′ شمالی ۷۷°۰۱′ غربی«ایالات متحده» تغییر مسیری به این صفحه است. برای کاربردهای دیگر ایالات متحده (ابهام‌زدایی) را ببینید.«آمریکا» تغییر مسیری به این صفحه است. برای کاربردهای دیگر آمریکا (ابهام‌زدایی) را ببینید.
United States of Americaایالات متحده آمریکاپرچمنشان ملیشعار ملی: توکل ما به خداست. (رسمی)واحدی متشکل از تعدد (سنتی)سرود ملی: پرچم پُرستاره فهرست0:00پایتختواشینگتن دی. سی.۳۸°۵۳′ شمالی ۷۷°۰۲′ غربیبزرگترین شهرنیویورک سیتیزبان رسمینداردزبان ملیانگلیسی (دوفاکتو)نوع حکومتجمهوری مشروطهٔ فدرالنام حاکمان • رئیس جمهور• معاون رئیس‌جمهور• رییس مجلس نمایندگان• قاضی ارشدباراک اوباما (د)جوزف بایدن (د)جان بینر (ج)جان رابرتس قوه مقننهکنگره - مجلس علیاسنا - مجلس سفلیمجلس نمایندگانموارد منجر به تشکیلاز بریتانیای کبیراعلامرسمیقانون اساسی فعلی۴ ژوئیه ۱۷۷۶۳ سپتامبر ۱۷۸۳۲۱ ژوئن ۱۷۸۸مساحت - مساحت۹٬۸۲۶٬۶۷۵کیلومتر مربع (سوم) - آب‌ها (٪)۶٫۷۶جمعیت - سرشماری۳۱۴٬۷۲۴٬۰۰۰ (سوم) - تراکم جمعیت۳۳٫۷/km۲ (۱۷۲ام)تولید ناخالص داخلی(تخمین ۲۰۱۱) - مجموع۱۵٫۰۶۵ تریلیون دلار (اول) - سرانه۴۸٬۱۴۷ دلار (ششم)جینی (۲۰۰۷)۴۵٫۰[۱] شاخص توسعه انسانی (۲۰۱۱)۰٫۹۱۰ (بسیار بالا) (چهارم[۲])واحد پولدلار آمریکا ($) (USD)منطقه زمانیCET (ساعت جهانی-۵ تا -۱۰) - تابستانی (DST)CEST (ساعت جهانی)جهت رانندگیراستدامنه اینترنتی.us .gov .edu .mil .umپیش‌شماره تلفنی+۱برق - اختلاف پتانسیل۱۱۰ ولت
آمریکا یا ایالات متّحدهٔ آمریکا (به انگلیسی: The United States of America) (با نماد اختصاری USA)، کشوری در آمریکای شمالی، و به پایتختی شهر واشینگتن، دی. سی. است. آمریکا سومین کشور پر جمعیت دنیا و سومین کشور پهناور جهان است، و از لحاظ نژادی و گوناگونی مردم، متنوع‌ترین کشور جهان شناخته می‌شود[۳]. آمریکا با تولید ناخالص داخلی بیش از ۱۳٬۰۰۰ میلیارد دلار در سال و ۱۹٪ قدرت خرید جهان، بزرگترین اقتصاد در میان کشورهای جهان را دارا است.[۴]
نظام حکومتی آمریکا در چارچوب قانون اساسی، و بر اساس سیستم جمهوری فدرال بنیان نهاده شده‌است. این کشور در سال ۱۷۷۶ میلادی (۱۱۵۵ ه. خ.)، در پی اعلام استقلال و اتحاد ۱۳ مستعمرهٔ سابق بریتانیا شکل گرفت.
کشور آمریکا از شرق با اقیانوس اطلس، در غرب با اقیانوس آرام، از شمال با کشور کانادا، و از جنوب با مکزیک همسایه‌است. این کشور از راه پایگاه دریایی گوانتانامو نیز مرز مشترک اندکی با کوبا دارد. آمریکا همچنین از طریق آلاسکا با روسیه مرز آبی دارد. به علاوه، مجموعه‌ای از جزیره‌ها، ناحیه‌ها، و مناطق متعلق به آمریکا در سراسر جهان پراکنده‌اند.
ایالات متحده آمریکا پس از حضور در جنگ جهانی اول و جنگ جهانی دوم، قدرت اثرگذاری خود در جهان را گسترش داد. آمریکا به عضویت دائم شورای امنیت سازمان ملل در آمده‌است و از بنیانگذاران پیمان نظامی ناتو محسوب می‌شود.[۵] و پس از فروپاشی شوروی و پایان جنگ سرد به عنوان یک ابرقدرت منحصربه‌فرد درآمد.[۶] شهروند ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا را معمولاً «آمریکایی» می‌نامند.
محتویات۱ نام۲ جغرافیای طبیعی ۲.۱ وسعت آمریکا۲.۲ مختصات و موقعیت جغرافیایی آمریکا۳ جغرافیای انسانی۴ زبان۵ تاریخ۶ نظام سیاسی۷ سیاست خارجی۸ ایالت‌ها۹ شهرهای آمریکا۱۰ آموزش و پژوهش۱۱ اقتصاد ۱۱.۱ حمل و نقل۱۲ دین و مذهب۱۳ فرهنگ۱۴ غذا و آشپزی۱۵ ورزش۱۶ نیروهای مسلح ۱۶.۱ امنیت و قوای نظمیه۱۷ رسانه‌ها۱۸ منابع۱۹ پیوند به بیرون
نام
نام «آمریکا» اقتباسیست از نام آمریگو وسپوچی جهانگرد و کاشف ایتالیایی که توسط یک نقشه‌ساز آلمانی در سال ۱۵۰۷ میلادی ثبت گردید.[۷] «ایالات متحده آمریکا» نیز در مدارک رسمی نخستین بار در یازدهم ژوئیه سال ۱۷۷۸ میلادی استفاده گردید و از آن زمان تا کنون جاری بوده است.[۸][۹]
این کشور با نام‌های دیگری مانند ایالات متحدهٔ امریکا، (اِمریکا یا آمریکا) و ایالات متحده خوانده می‌شود. در فارسی در گذشته به آن (بطور عامیانه) ینگه دنیا[۱۰] و در نوشته‌ها، اتازونی (برگرفته از واژهٔ فرانسوی États-Unis، به معنای ایالت‌های متحد)[۱۱] نیز می‌گفتند. ینگه دنیا برگرفته از ترکی عثمانی و به معنی «دنیای جدید» است.جغرافیای طبیعینوشتار اصلی: محیط زیست ایالات متحده آمریکا عقاب سرسفید پرنده ملی آمریکا از سال ۱۷۸۲ میلادی
ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا در نیمکرهٔ غربی زمین، و در شمال قارهٔ آمریکا واقع است. این کشور از ۴۸ ایالت همجوار، و دو ایالت جدا از دیگران (شبه جزیره آلاسکا در شمال شرق قارهٔ آمریکا و مجمع‌الجزایر هاوایی در اقیانوس آرام) تشکیل شده‌است. همچنین، در دو منطقهٔ حوزهٔ دریای کارائیب، و نیز بخش‌هایی از اقیانوس آرام، جزایر کوچک و پراکنده‌ای وجود دارند که قلمرو آمریکا محسوب می‌شوند، ولی به گونه‌ای خودگردان اداره می‌شوند (مانند پورتو ریکو).[۱۲]آلاسکا بزرگترین[۱۳] و رودآیلند کوچکترین ایالت در آمریکا می‌باشند.[۱۴] مقایسه وسعت آلاسکا بزرگترین ایالت آمریکا با وسعت ۴۸ ایالت این کشور (به جز هاوایی و آلاسکا).
قسمتی از رشته کوههای راکی در غرب آمریکا قرار گرفته‌است که بزرگترین قله آن در ایالت کلرادو قرار دارد. مرتفع‌ترین نقطه در آمریکا قله کوه مک کینلی (۶۱۹۴ متر) در آلاسکا می‌باشد. در ۴۸ ایالت پایین نیز مرتفع ترین قله بر فراز کوه ویتنی (۴۴۲۱ متر) در کالیفرنیا قرار دارد. رودخانه می‌سی‌سی‌پی بزرگترین و مهمترین رودخانه آمریکای شمالی و چهارمین رودخانه طولانی جهان در آمریکا قرار دارد. این رودخانه که به رودخانه میسوری می‌پیوندد، نقش تجاری و اقتصادی مهمی برای آمریکادارد. قسمتی از آبشار نیاگارا در مرز بین آمریکا و کانادا قرار دارد و ازجاذبه‌های طبیعی توریستی در آمریکا به شمار می‌رود.وسعت آمریکا کوه هود و دریاچه تریلیوم در ایالت ارگن
از نظر کل وسعت آب و خاک، آمریکا بعد از روسیه و کانادا، سومین کشور پهناور جهان است.[۱۵] به طور تقریبی، کشور آمریکا، شش برابر بزرگ‌تر از ایران، ۲۵ درصد بزرگ‌تر از استرالیا، ۳۵ برابر بزرگ‌تر از انگلستان، ۱۴ برابر بزرگ‌تر از فرانسه، و نصف روسیه است.
همچنین این کشور، کمتر از یک سوم قارهٔ آفریقا، نصف آمریکای جنوبی، اندکی بزرگ‌تر از برزیل، ۳۰۰ برابر بزرگ‌تر از کشور هائیتی، و دو و نیم برابر بزرگ‌تر از مجموع کشورهای اروپای غربی است.مختصات و موقعیت جغرافیایی آمریکانوشتار اصلی: مناطق جغرافیایی و فرهنگی ایالات متحده آمریکا
ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا از شمال با کشور کانادا، و در جنوب با کشور مکزیک مرز خاکی دارد. این کشور در شمال غرب قارهٔ آمریکا و سواحل آلاسکا نیز با روسیه مرزهای مشترک آبی دارد. ۴۸ ایالت به هم پیوسته که خاک اصلی آمریکا را تشکیل می‌دهند، از شرق و جنوب شرقی به اقیانوس اطلس و خلیج مکزیک، و از غرب به اقیانوس آرام منتهی می‌شوند. ایالت آلاسکا نیز از شمال به اقیانوس منجمد شمالی، از غرب به تنگهٔ برینگ، و از جنوب غربی به اقیانوس آرام ختم می‌شود. مجمع‌الجزایر هاوایی هم در جنوب غرب خاک اصلی آمریکا و در اقیانوس آرام واقع شده‌اند.
مناطق جغرافیایی و فرهنگی ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا عبارت‌اند از: نیوانگلند، ایالت‌های ساحلی اقیانوس اطلس، ایالت‌های جنوب، ایالت‌های غرب میانه (میدوست)، ایالت‌های جنوب غربی آمریکا و ایالت‌های غرب.
کشور ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا در مجموع ۹٬۸۲۶٬۶۳۰ کیلومتر مربع وسعت دارد[۱۶] که البته ۴۷۰ هزار کیلومتر آنرا جزایر پراکنده و تحت قلمرو آمریکا در اقیانوس آرام و دریای کارائیب تشکیل می‌دهند.جغرافیای انسانی نقشهٔ پراکندگی مردمی آمریکا از نظر نژاد و نسب قومی (همه‌پرسی رسمی سال ۲۰۰۰)نوشتارهای اصلی: جغرافیای انسانی ایالات متحده آمریکا و آمریکایی‌ها
جمعیت ایالات متحده آمریکا بر پایه برآورد سال ۲۰۱۱ ادارهٔ آمار ایالات متحده آمریکا در حدود ۳۱۴٬۷۲۴٬۰۰۰ نفر تخمین زده شده است.[۱۷] نرخ کلی باروری در ایالات متحده آمریکا بر پایه برآورد سال ۲۰۱۱ در حدود ۱٫۸۹ فرزند برای هر زن است.
بر اساس آمار منتشرهٔ سال ۲۰۰۳، ترکیب نژادی مردم ایالات متحده آمریکا، بدین شرح است:سفیدها: ۸۱٪سیاهان (آمریکایی‌های آفریقایی‌تبار): ۱۲٫۹٪آسیایی‌ها: ۴٫۲٪سرخپوستان آمریکایی: ۱٪بومیان هاوایی و جزایر پاسفیک: ۰٫۲٪
در این آمار، نژاد اسپانیایی‌تبار (موسوم به هیسپانیک، یا لاتینو) همراه با نژاد سفید محاسبه شده‌است. بر اساس بررسی سال ۲۰۰۰ مهاجران کشورهای دیگر به ترتیب جمعیت برابر بودند:مکزیک(۱۷۳٬۹۱۹ مهاجر)، چین(۴۵٬۶۵۲)، فیلیپین(۴۲٬۴۷۴)، هند(۴۲٬۰۴۶)، ویتنام(۲۶٬۷۴۷)، السالوادور(۲۲٬۵۷۸)هائیتی(۲۲٬۳۶۴)، کوبا(۲۰٬۸۳۱)، جمهوری دومینکن(۱۷٬۵۳۶)، روسیه(۱۷٬۱۱۰)، جامائیکا(۱۶٬۰۰۰)کانادا(۱۶٬۲۱۰)، کره(۱۵٬۸۳۰)، اوکراین(۱۵٬۸۱۰)، پاکستان(۱۴٬۵۳۵)، کلمبیا(۱۴٬۴۹۸)، بریتانیا(۱۳٬۳۸۵)، بوسنی و هرزگوین(۱۱٬۸۲۸)، گواتمالا(۹٬۹۷۰)، ایران(۸٬۹۱۵ بنگرید به ایرانیان مقیم آمریکا)[۱۸]زبان
کشور ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا دارای زبان رسمی نیست، گرچه انگلیسی آمریکایی نقش زبان ملی را دارد و در عمل نیز زبان اصلی کشور است. یکی از پیش‌نیازهای مهاجرت و اقامت در آمریکا برای خارجیان، تسلط نسبی به زبان انگلیسی است.[۱۹]
همچنین زبان انگلیسی در ۲۸ ایالت به عنوان زبان رسمی شناخته می‌شود، و فعالیت‌هایی برای به رسمیت شناختن انگلیسی به عنوان زبان رسمی دولتی نیز در جریان است.[۲۰][۲۱]زبان‌ها (۲۰۰۵)[۲۲]فقط انگلیسی آمریکایی۲۱۶٫۲ میلیوناسپانیایی (دربردارندهٔ زبان‌های کریول اسپانیایی)۳۲٫۲ میلیونچینی۲٫۳ میلیونفرانسوی (دربردارندهٔ زبان‌های کریول فرانسوی)۱٫۹ میلیونتاگالوگ۱٫۴ میلیونویتنامی۱٫۱ میلیونآلمانی۱٫۱ میلیون
زبان‌های مرسوم در آمریکا به ترتیب عبارت‌اند از[۲۳]:انگلیسی آمریکایی: ۸۲٫۱٪اسپانیولی: ۱۰٫۷٪سایر زبان‌های هند و اروپایی: ۳٫۸٪زبان‌های آسیایی و اقیانوسیه: ۲٫۷٪سایر زبان‌ها: ۰٫۷٪.تاریخ نخستین ساکنان این قاره را اقوام سرخپوستان آمریکایی تشکیل می‌داده‌اند. نگاره‌ای از جورج واشنگتن در مبارزه با بریتانیا، هنگام عبور از رودخانه دلاویراطلاعات بیشتر: تاریخ ایالات متحده آمریکا، روزشمار تاریخ ایالات متحده آمریکا، و تاریخ زنان در ایالات متحده آمریکا
بیش از ده هزار سال است که انسان در قارهٔ آمریکا زندگی میکند.[۲۴] قاره آمریکا توسط کریستف کلمب و در سال ۱۴۹۲ کشف شد اما او به اشتباه فکر کرد که آنجا هندوستان است اما مدت‌ها بعد آمریگو وسپوچی[۲۵] اعلام کرد که این قاره جدیدی است.[۲۶] اما تاریخ آمریکا به عنوان یک کشور مستقل به سال ۱۷۸۳ میلادی باز می‌گردد که در آن آمریکا بر طبق معاهدهٔ پاریس به رسمیت شناخته گردید.[۲۷][پیوند مرده]
قبل از اعلام استقلال آمریکا در سال ۱۷۷۶،[۲۸] آمریکا مجموعه‌ای از مستعمرات اروپایی بود. بطور مثال، اسپانیایی‌ها در منطقهٔ فلوریدای امروزی ساکن شدند، بریتانیایی‌ها شهر جیمز تاون در ویرجینیای امروزی را آباد کردند، هلندی‌ها نیو آمستردام را که اکنون نیویورک خوانده می‌شود ساختند، و فرانسوی‌ها نیز در ایالت جنوبی لوئیزیانا و اطراف رودخانه می‌سی‌سی‌پی ساکن شدند.
به تدریج، بخش‌های زیادی از مستعمرات سیزده‌گانه شاهد درگیری و شورش علیه حکومت بریتانیا شدند. بدین ترتیب جنگ‌های انقلاب آمریکا از آوریل ۱۷۷۵ با نبرد لگزینگتون آغاز شد، و در سال ۱۷۸۳ در پی امضای قرارداد صلح با بریتانیا پایان یافت. استقلال ۱۳ مستعمرهٔ آمریکای شمالی با صدور اعلامیه استقلال آمریکا در ۴ ژوئیه ۱۷۷۶ محقق شد.[۲۹]
آمریکا ابتدا متشکل از ۱۳ ایالت خودمختار بود که تعارض قوانین هر ایالت مانند مالیات بر واردات باعث رکود اقتصادی و در نتیجه شورش‌هایی مانند شورش شیز شد به همین دلیل ۵۵ نماینده از ۱۲ ایالت (به جز رودآیلند) در فیلادلفیا من‌جمله جورج واشنگتن، بنجامین فرانکلین و جیمز مدیسون قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا را تصویب کردند که اکنون نیز قانون اساسی آمریکا است و از آن موقع ۲۵ اصلاحیه خورده‌است.[۲۹]
با شروع قرن جدید و انتقال پایتخت از فیلادلفیا به واشینگتن، دی. سی. و خرید لوئیزیانا در سال ۱۸۰۳، در سال ۱۸۱۲ ارتش بریتانیا بار دیگر به آمریکا قشون کشی کرده و پایتخت جدید را به آتش کشانید، اما موفق به استقرار در منطقه نگردید.
دوواقعهٔ بزرگ و پر تنش دیگر در تاریخ آمریکا یکی جنگ داخلی آمریکا در قرن نوزدهم، و سقوط بازار آزاد در اواخر دهه ۱۹۲۰ میلادی بود. سال ۱۸۶۱ شاهد جنگ داخلی آمریکا بود که با ۶۰۰٬۰۰۰ تلفات و ۵۰۰٬۰۰۰ نفر زخمی، خونین‌ترین جنگ در تاریخ این کشور بوده‌است.[۳۰] علت این جنگ به برده‌داری در ۱۱ ایالت جنوبی مشهور به ایالات مؤتلفه آمریکا مربوط می‌شد که آبراهام لینکلن خواهان براندازی آن بود. این جنگ در سال ۱۸۶۵ با پیروزی شمالی‌ها به فرماندهی یولیسیز سایمن گرانت، پایان گرفت.[۳۱] سقوط بازار آزاد آمریکا در ۱۹۲۹ آغازگر یک دوره رکود اقتصادی چند ساله بود که در آن نزدیک به یک چهارم جمعیت آمریکا شغل‌های خود را از دست دادند.[۲۷]
با پیروزی در جنگ جهانی اول، و غلبهٔ متفقین در جنگ جهانی دوم و شکست نهایی آلمان نازی در این جنگ و تخریب شدید زیرساخت‌های اقتصادی و صنعتی اروپا، آمریکا که کمترین خسارات را متحمل شده بود، به عنوان قدرت بزرگ جهانی پدیدار شد. حذف شدن اتحاد جماهیر شوروی از صحنهٔ رقابت با آمریکا در میادینی چون جنگ سرد، جنگ ویتنام، و جنگ کره، عملاً آمریکا را رفته رفته در موقعیت منحصربه‌فردی در جهان قرار داد.[۳۲]
وقایع یازدهم سپتامبر آغازگر دوران جدیدی از تمرکز و حضور نظامی آمریکا در کشورهای خاورمیانه و افغانستان بود که تا به امروز ادامه دارد.نظام سیاسینوشتار اصلی: سیاست ایالات متحده آمریکااطلاعات بیشتر: فهرست احزاب سیاسی ایالات متحده آمریکا و کابینه ایالات متحده آمریکا
نظام سیاسی ایالات متحده آمریکا در چارچوب یک قانون اساسی و به صورت یک نظام فدرالی است که از ویژگی‌های حکومتی این کشور به شمار می‌رود. سیستم تفکیک قوا در این کشور به شکل کاملاً بارزی به مرحله اجرا درآمده‌است. بنیان گذاران و نویسندگان اعلامیه استقلال ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا و قانون اساسی ایالات متحده به دلیل نگرانی از ظهور نظام سلطنتی اروپایی که در آن پادشاه قدرت مطلق را در دست داشت، نظام سیاسی جدید خود را به گونه‌ای طراحی کردند که در آن فرد یا نهادی نتواند قدرت مطلق بدست آورد.[۳۳] این قوانین همچنین طوری در نظر گرفته شده‌اند که از قدرت گرفتن بیش از حد اکثریت بر اقلیت‌ها،[۳۴] و نیز هر یک از شاخه‌های ۳گانهٔ قدرت ممانعت بعمل آورد.[۳۵]
بر اساس قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا، قوهٔ مقننه و یا کنگره ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا از دو مجلس تشکیل شده‌است که مسؤولیت قانونگذاری را به طور کامل بر عهده دارند: مجلس نمایندگان و مجلس سنا. بر اساس نظام انتخاباتی آمریکا، نمایندگان با رأی مستقیم و برابر مردم انتخاب می‌شوند.[۳۶]قوای سه‌گانه ایالات متحده آمریکاقوهٔ قضائیه: دیوان عالی فدرال ایالات متحده آمریکا. قوهٔ مجریه: کاخ سفید، محل کار و زندگی رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده آمریکا. قوهٔ مقننه: ساختمان کاپیتول محل دائم کنگره ایالات متحده آمریکا. روسای فعلی قوای سه‌گانه ایالات متحده آمریکاجان جی. رابرتس، هفدهمین قاضی ارشد دیوان عالی فدرال ایالات متحده آمریکا. باراک اوباما چهل و چهارمین رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده آمریکا. جان بینر شصت و یکمین رئیس مجلس نمایندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا.
رئیس جمهور ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا نیز به عنوان رئیس قوهٔ مجریه و فرمانده کل قوا با رأی مستقیم مردم و از طریق آرای هیات الکترال انتخاب می‌شود و در برگزیدن مشاورانش به عنوان وزرا اختیارات تام دارد. در حقیقت رئیس جمهور، نیازی به کسب رأی اعتماد از کنگره ندارد و کنگره نیز متقابلاً نمی‌تواند با رأی عدم اعتماد، هیأت دولت و یا وزرا را برکنار کند.
سومین شاخه از نظام سیاسی آمریکا، سیستم حقوقی ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا است که کاملاً مستقل عمل میکند و نه قوهٔ مجریه و نه قوهٔ مقننه نمی‌توانند بر روند تصمیم‌گیری‌های آن تأثیر بگذارند. به عبارت دیگر، رئیس جمهور و یا کنگره نمی‌توانند مصوبات قانونی دیوان عالی فدرال ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا را باطل اعلام کنند و یا از اجرای آنان سر باز زنند. نظام حزبی در ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا نیز در شکل‌دهی به سیاست و حکومت این کشور، نقش مهمی دارد.سیاست خارجینوشتار اصلی: سیاست خارجی ایالات متحده آمریکا جان کری وزیر امور خارجه ایالات متحده و مسئول رسمی سیاست خارجی آمریکاست.
ایالات متحده آمریکا به کمک توانایی‌های اقتصادی و نظامی قابل توجه خود، نقش مهمی را درسیاست جهانی ایفا میکند. این کشور عضو ثابت شورای امنیت سازمان ملل است و دفتر مرکزی سازمان ملل در شهر نیویورک قرار دارد. به استثنای کشورهای ایران، کره شمالی و سودان، کوبا، ونزوئلا و بولیوی،[۳۷] سایر کشورها دارای روابط دیپلماتیک رسمی با آمریکا می‌باشند.
آمریکا بوسیله قرارداد تجارت آزاد آمریکای شمالی و سازمان کشورهای آمریکایی با همسایگان خود (کانادا و مکزیک) روابط نزدیکی دارد. دولت این کشور هرساله میلیاردها دلار کمک مالی برای توسعه کشورهای دیگر اختصاص می‌دهد، اما درصد این کمک‌ها از تولید ناخالص ملی نسبت به دیگر کشورهای کمک کننده، پائین می‌باشد.
رئیس جمهور آمریکا یکی از عوامل اصلی تعیین کنندهٔ جهت‌های کلی سیاست خارجی آمریکا است. بسیاری از مدارک و اسناد دوران هر رئیس جمهور امروزه در کتابخانه‌های ویژه هر رئیس جمهور موجود می‌باشد. کنگره آمریکا بودجه‌های کمک‌های خارجی را تعیین میکند، تحریم‌های خارجی وضع میکند، و بکمک کمیته‌های مخصوصی در مسائل سیاست خارجه اختیارات بررسی و بازبینی امور ویژه (همانند بررسی عملکرد افراد در ماجرای ایران-کنترا) را دارد.
بسته به نوع حزب یا گروه در قدرت در هر برهه از زمان (همانند حزب دموکرات یا حزب جمهوریخواهان)، سیاست خارجهٔ آمریکا تحت تاثیر تحولات و گرایش‌های خاص آن حزب یا گروه قرار می‌گیرد.[۳۸] گروههای لابی نیر دارای قدرت نفوذ زیادی در تصمیم گیری‌های سیاست خارجه هستند.ایالت‌ها
کشور آمریکا ۵۰ ایالت دارد که هر کدام از آنها بنا بر سامانه فدرالی حاکم، دارای سطح بالایی از خودگردانی هستند.
البته ناحیهٔ واشینگتن، دی. سی. جزو هیچ‌یک از ایالات آمریکا نیست و در منطقه خودمختار کلمبیا قرار دارد. ناحیهٔ کلمبیا، در اصل بخشی از ایالت مریلند بود که در سال ۱۷۹۰ برای تأسیس مرکز آمریکا یعنی شهر واشینگتن، دی. سی. در نظر گرفته شد.
شهرهای آمریکا شهر نیویورک، بزرگترین شهر آمریکا، به «سیب بزرگ» شهرت دارد. شهر لس‌آنجلس که دومین شهر بزرگ آمریکا به شمار می‌آید. شیکاگو، سومین شهر بزرگ ایالات متحدهاطلاعات بیشتر: فهرست شهرهای ایالات متحده آمریکا و فهرست شهرهای ایالات متحده آمریکا بر پایه جمعیترتبهشهرجمعیتدر محدوده شهری(۲۰۱۲)[۳۹][۴۰]ایالت۱نیویورک۸٬۳۳۶٬۶۹۷نیویورک۲لس‌آنجلس۳٬۸۵۷٬۷۹۹کالیفرنیا۳شیکاگو۲٬۷۱۴٬۸۵۶ایلینوی۴هوستون۲٬۱۶۰٬۸۲۱تگزاس۵فیلادلفیا۱٬۵۴۷٬۶۰۷پنسیلوانیا۶فینیکس۱٬۴۸۸٬۷۵۰آریزونا۷سن‌آنتونیو۱٬۳۸۲،۹۵۱تگزاس۸سن دییگو۱٬۳۳۸٬۳۴۸کالیفرنیا۹دالاس۱٬۲۴۱،۱۶۲تگزاس۱۰سن خوزه۹۸۲،۷۶۵کالیفرنیارتبهکلان‌شهر (شهر با احتساب حومه)جمعیت۲۰۱۲[۴۱]منطقه۱نیویورک-نیوآرک-لانگ آیلند-جرزی سیتی۱۸،۸۳۱،۸۵۸آتلانتیک۲لس‌آنجلس بزرگ۱۳٬۰۵۲،۹۲۱غرب۳شیکاگو-گری۹٬۵۲۲،۴۳۴غرب میانه۴منطقه دالاس-فورت وورث۶٬۷۰۰٬۹۹۱جنوب غرب۵هیوستون-شوگرلند-گلوستون۶٬۱۷۷،۰۳۵جنوب۶فیلادلفیا-کمدن-ویلمینگتن۶٬۰۱۸٬۸۰۰آتلانتیک۷واشینگتن دی. سی.-آرلینگتن۵٬۸۶۰٬۳۴۲آتلانتیک۸میامی-فورت لادردیل-وست پالم بیچ۵٬۷۶۲،۷۱۷جنوب۹آتلانتا۵٬۴۵۷،۸۳۱جنوب۱۰بوستون۴٬۶۴۰٬۸۰۲نیو انگلند۱۱منطقه خلیج سانفرانسیسکو۴٬۴۵۵،۵۶۰غرب۱۲دترویت۴٬۲۹۲،۰۶۰غرب میانه۱۳ریورساید-سن برناردینو-انتاریو۴٬۳۵۰٬۰۹۶غرب۱۴فینیکس-گلندیل-میزا-سکاتزدیل۴٬۳۲۹٬۵۳۴جنوب غرب۱۵سیتل-تاکوما-بلویو۳٬۵۵۲،۱۵۷غرب
اگر لس‌آنجلس بزرگ را متشکل از ریورساید، سن برناردینو، انتاریو، لانگ بیچ، سنتا آنا و خود شهر لس آنجلس حساب کنیم، این منطقه شهری بیش از ۱۷،۸۰۰،۰۰۰ سکنه خواهد داشت که پس از کلانشهر نیویورک بزرگترین منطقه شهری ایالات متحده خواهد بود.آموزش و پژوهش پرچم ایالات متحده آمریکا برروی کره ماه در سفر آپولو ۱۷. کتابخانه آکادمی فیلیپس اکستر بزرگترین کتابخانه در مقطع دبیرستان در جهان.نوشتار اصلی: آموزش عالی در آمریکانوشتار اصلی: دانشگاه‌های آمریکانوشتار اصلی: تاریخ آموزش عالی در آمریکا
در اواخر قرن نوزدهم میلادی در ایالات متحده آمریکا نزدیک به ۱۶۰٬۰۰۰ دانشجو در ۱٬۰۰۰ دانشگاه در سرتاسر کشور مشغول به تحصیل بودند. برخی از موسسات دانشگاهی آمریکا (همانند دانشگاه تنسی بطور نمونه) قبل از تاسیس ایالتی که در آن واقع بودند تاسیس شدند. در این میان، و در بین موسسات آموزش عالی در آمریکا، موسسات زیر دارای کهن‌ترین سابقه هستند:موسسهسال تاسیس[۴۲]دانشگاه هاروارد۱۶۳۶دانشگاه ویلیام اند ماری۱۶۹۳دانشگاه ییل۱۷۰۱دانشگاه پرینستون۱۷۴۶دانشگاه کلمبیا۱۷۵۴دانشگاه پنسیلوانیا۱۷۵۷
امروزه هزینهٔ آموزش و تحصیلات در سطوح مدرسه‌ای و متوسطه در ایالات متحده را اکثراً دولت پرداخت میکند. ایالات متحده با داشتن قریب به ۵٬۸۰۰ دانشگاه و یا مؤسسه آموزش عالی[۴۳] تقریباً امکان تحصیلات در سطوح آموزش عالی را برای تمامی افراد جامعه فراهم کرده‌است. وام‌های کم‌بهره، کمک هزینه‌های بلاعوض، و انواع بورس‌های تحصیلی، از اقسام راههایی‌اند که دانشجویان اقدام به پرداخت شهریه‌های خود می‌کنند. در این میان دانشگاه ایالتی اوهایو با داشتن بیش از ۵۳٬۷۱۵ دانشجو در یک پردیس، پرجمعیت‌ترین دانشگاه آمریکا محسوب می‌شود.[۴۴]
در میان آمریکاییان بالای ۲۵ سال، ۸۴٫۶ درصد از دبیرستان فارغ‌التحصیل شده‌اند، ۵۲٫۶ درصد وارد کالج، دانشگاه یا مؤسسات دیگر آموزش عالی شده‌اند، ۲۷٫۲ درصد مدرک کارشناسی دریافت کرده‌اند، و ۹٫۶ درصد دارای مدارک کارشناسی ارشد و بالاتر هستند.[۴۵]
تقریباً ۹۹ درصد آمریکاییان دارای حداقل سواد پایه هستند. در طبقه‌بندی سازمان ملل متحد، شاخص آموزشی در کشور ایالات متحده ۰٫۹۷ است که در رتبه دوازدهم جهانی جای دارد.[۴۶] در سال ۲۰۱۲ ایالات متحده آمریکا در میان کشورهای دنیا از نظر تعداد تحصیل کردگان آموزش عالی به نسبت جمعیت در رتبه چهارم جهان قرار داشت.[۴۷]
پژوهش و توسعه در آمریکا در دو جبهه دولتی و خصوصی با هم رقابت می‌کنند. دره سیلیکون نمونه بارزی از فعالیتهای بخش خصوصی در توسعه صنعت و فناوری آمریکاست. از سوی دیگر مراکز ملی همانند آزمایشگاههای فدرال، ناسا، و مؤسسات ملی بهداشت ایالات متحده آمریکا در پیشبرد صنعت و فناوری کشور نقش کلیدی بر عهده دارند.
آمریکا یکی از تنها سه کشور دنیا است که هنوز رسماً از سامانه استاندارد بین‌المللی یکاها استفاده نمی‌کند و بلکه پایبند به دستگاه امپراتوری بریتانیاییست.[۴۸] با اینحال سیستم متریک رفته رفته در صنعت و سطوح دانشگاهی به تدریج رواج می‌یابد.اقتصاد ورودی ساختمان بورس اوراق بهادار نیویورک در وال استریت بزرگترین بازار بورس در جهان در معاملات دلاری است. ایالات متحده در تولید برق از انرژی بادی در جهان پیشتاز است، هم اکنون (مارچ ۲۰۱۱) حدود ۳ درصد[۴۹] برق مورد نیاز این کشور از این طریق تامین می‌گردد. مقایسه ی تولید ناخالص داخلی ایالت های آمریکا با سایر کشور ها در سال ۲۰۱۲. بدهی دولت فدرال ایالات متحده به مردم به عنوان درصدی از تولید ناخالص داخلی، از ۱۷۹۰ تا ۲۰۱۳نوشتار اصلی: اقتصاد ایالات متحده آمریکا
ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا اقتصاد کاپتالیستی از نوع سرمایه‌داری انحصاری دارد. ویژگی بارز اقتصاد ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا عبارتست از تسلط انحصارها در رشته‌های مختلف، که بر مبنای منابع طبیعی فراوان، زیربنای توسعه‌یافته، تولید انبوه، و مصرف زیاد استوار است. تولید ناخالص داخلی ایالات متحدهٔ آمریکا با بیش از ۱۳ تریلیون دلار،[۵۰] یعنی حدود ۲۰٪ تولید ناخالص جهان، نخستین اقتصاد بزرگ جهان است.[۵۱]
ایالات متحده بزرگترین واردکننده، و - پس از آلمان و چین - سومین صادرکنندهٔ بزرگ جهان است.[۵۲] کانادا، چین، مکزیک، ژاپن و آلمان، به ترتیب بزرگترین شرکای تجاری آمریکا هستند.[۵۳] آمریکا در دههٔ اخیر بزرگترین بدهی جهان را نیز بر شانه داشته‌است.[۵۴]
بزرگترین اقلام صادراتی آمریکا بترتیب تجهیزات صنعتی (۲۹٫۸٪)، ماشین‌آلات (۲۹٫۵٪)، کالاهای مصرفی غیر اتومبیل (۱۲٫۴٪)، خودرو و تولیدات وابسته (۹٫۳٪)، تولیدات صنایع غذایی (۸٫۳٪)، و تولیدات صنایع هوایی (۶٫۶٪) هستند، در حالی که بزرگترین اقلام وارداتی به آمریکا کالاهای مصرفی غیر اتومبیل (۲۳٪)، سوخت (۲۲٫۱٪)، ماشین‌آلات (۱۹٫۹٪)، تجهیزات صنعتی (۱۴٫۸٪)، تولیدات خودرو (۱۱٫۱٪)، صنایع غذایی (۴٫۲٪)، و صنایع هوایی (۱٫۷٪) هستند.[۵۵]
اما بزرگترین محصولات تولیدی آمریکا مواد شیمیایی، تولیدات نفتی، فولاد، خودرو، تولیدات صنایع هوایی، ارتباطات، الکترونیک، تولیدات غذایی و مصرفی، و صنایع معدن و چوب هستند.[۵۶] آمریکا همچنین در تولید برق،[۵۷] ظرفیت پالایش نفت،[۵۸] ذخیره‌های ذغال سنگ،[۵۹] تولید انرژی بادی،[۶۰] و انرژی هسته‌ای[۶۱] در جهان، رتبه نخست را دارا است.
بیشتر چرخ‌های اقتصادی آمریکا متعلق به بخش خصوصی است، تا جاییکه بخش دولتی فقط ۱۲٫۴٪ تولید ناخالص ملی را سالیانه باعث می‌شود.[۶۲] با اینحال ۷۵٪ تولید ناخالص ملی محصول بخش خدماتی بوده‌است. با اینکه تولیدات کشاورزی آمریکا حدود ۱٪ تولید ناخالص ملی این کشور است، همین سطح تولید حدود ۶۰٪ کل تولیدات کشاورزی جهان را تشکیل می‌دهد.شاخص‌های اقتصادینرخ بیکاری۷،۳٪ اوت ۲۰۱۳[۶۳]رشد تولید ناخالص داخلی۴٫۶٪ سال ۲۰۱۲۲٫۸٪ سال ۲۰۱۲[۶۴]تورم شاخص بهای مصرف‌کننده۰٫۱٪ ۲۰۱۳[۶۵]بدهی۱۶٫۷ هزار میلیارد دلار۲۰۱۳[۶۶]میزان فقر۱۵٪ ۲۰۱۲[۶۷]
بخش بهداشت و خدمات اجتماعی با داشتن ۱۶ میلیون نفر شاغل، بزرگترین بخش اشتغال آمریکا را تشکیل می‌دهد.[۶۸] از لحاظ مجموع ساعات کاری در طول سال، آمریکایی‌ها بیشترین تعداد روز در سال را کار می‌کنند.[۶۹] با این حال در مقایسه با کشورهای صنعتی دیگر، از نظر تولید بر حسب ساعات کاری آمریکایی‌ها از برخی کشورهای اروپایی عقب‌ترند.[۷۰]
در میان ۵۰ ایالت آمریکا، از لحاظ درآمد سرانه،[۷۱] ایالت نیوجرسی در رتبه اول، و ایالت می‌سی‌سی‌پی در رتبه آخر در مقایسه با ایالات دیگر قرار دارند.[۷۲] نزدیک به ۱۳٪ آمریکاییان در زیر خط فقر تعیین شده توسط دولت فدرال قرار دارند[۷۳] و فاصله طبقاتی بین بالاترین و پایین‌ترین قشرها جامعه آمریکا همچنان در حال افزایش است.[۷۴]حمل و نقل سامانه بزرگراه‌های میان ایالتی شامل ۴۶۸۷۶ مایل.[۷۵]
در سال ۲۰۱۰ به ازای هر ۱٬۰۰۰ آمریکایی ۷۹۷ اتومبیل در این کشور وجود داشت[۷۶] و برابر آمار به طور متوسط هر آمریکایی بالغ روزانه ۵۵ دقیقه (یا ۲۹ مایل) از اتومبیل استفاده میکند.[۷۷] اما در مقایسه با گسترهٔ اتومبیل، پایانهٔ ریلی آن به نسبت کمتر است.[۷۸] از نظر حمل و نقل عمومی، تنها ۹٪ از سفرها از این طریق انجام می‌شود در صورتی که این مقدار برای اروپا ۳۸٪است.[۷۹] استفاده از دوچرخه نیز نسبت به اروپا کمتر است.[۸۰] پنج شرکت بزرگ هواپیمایی دنیا -بر اساس تعداد مسافران- آمریکایی هستند. شرکت امریکن ایرلاینز اولین رتبه را در این میان داراست..[۸۱] همچنین از سی فرودگاه پرترافیک دنیا شانزده فرودگاه متعلق به آمریکاست.[۸۲]دین و مذهبنوشتار اصلی: مذهب در ایالات متحده آمریکا دین و مذهب اکثریت بر پایه ایالت: کاتولیک با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت کاتولیک با کمتر از ۴۰ درصد کل جمعیت کاتولیک با کمتر از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت کاتولیک با بیش از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با کمتر از ۴۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با کمتر از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت باپتیست با بیش از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت متودیست با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت لوترن با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت لوترن با کمتر از ۴۰ درصد کل جمعیت مورمون با بیش از ۵۰ درصد کل جمعیت ناخداباور با کمتر از ۳۰ درصد کل جمعیت
آمریکا به طور رسمی یک کشور سکولار می‌باشد. در ایالات متحده آمریکا بر اساس متمم اول قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا، هیچ دینی بطور رسمی وجود ندارد، اما همین متمم نیز آزادی تمام ادیان را تضمین کرده‌است. به همین دلیل است که مثلاً زنان محجبهٔ مسلمان آمریکایی اجازه حضور در مراکز دولتی و دانشگاهی کشور را از نظر قانونی دارند.
در سال ۱۷۷۶ با اعلامیهٔ استقلال، رسماً ایالات متحده آمریکا بنیان‌گذاری شد و چند سال بعد، در ۱۷۹۱، قانون اساسی فعلی آمریکا که شامل اصلاحیهٔ نخست متضمن آزادی‌ها و حقوق مدنی (من‌جمله جدایی نهاد دین از نهاد حکومت، آزادی در انتخاب دین و آزادی در اجرای مناسک دینی) به تصویب رسید. به یمن کثرت و تنوع ادیان ساکنان و نیز اصلاحیهٔ نخست قانون اساسی، آمریکا هیچ‌گاه صاحب دین رسمی و حکومتی نبود.[۸۳]
با وجود جدایی دین از سیاست در آمریکا، دین اهمیت ونقش مهمی در این کشور دارد که نماد آن جمله توکل ما به خداست شعار کشور آمریکا است که بر روی اسکناس دلار آمریکا نیز نقش بسته است[۸۴] گروههای مذهبی قدرت اثر گذاری قابل توجهی در آمریکا دارند در دهه ۱۹۲۰ این گروهها توانستند دولت را ترغیب به ممنوعیت تولید و مصرف مشروبات الکلی کنند[۸۵](اصلاحیه هجدهم قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا ولی با افزایش خشونت‌ها در پی گسترش قاچاق در اصلاحیه بیست و یکم برداشته شد[۲۹])و بر تدریس نظریه تکامل در مدارس آمریکا بصورت محدود و در برخی ایالات محدودیت ایجاد کنند..[۸۶] گروههای مذهبی به خصوص پروتستانهای اونجلیکال و کاتولیک‌ها، مواضع سرسختانه‌ای را دربرابر موضوعات چون همجنسگرایی، سقط جنین و آموزش مختلط در مدارس آمریکا، اتخاذ کرده‌اند.
بر اساس آمار سال ۲۰۰۲، ترکیب مذهبی مردم آمریکا به شرح زیر بوده‌است[۴]: پروتستان ۵۲٪، کاتولیک ۲۴٪، مورمون ۲٪، یهودی ۲٪، مسلمان ۱٪، دیگران ۱۰٪، بدون دین ۱۰٪.
پروتستانهای آمریکا نیز به فرقه‌های متعددی تقسیم می‌شوند. برخی از آنان میلیون‌ها نفر را دربر می‌گیرند، در حالی که کلیساهای کوچک، تنها هزاران عضو دارند.
برخی از فرقه‌های مذهبی معروف آمریکا عبارت‌اند از:
اپیسکوپلین‌ها، پرسبیترین‌ها، متدیست‌ها، باپتیست‌ها، یونیتارین‌ها، مریدان مسیح، کلیسای اصلاحی هلندی، کویکرها و کانگروگیشنالیست‌ها.
کلیسای لیک وود در شهر هیوستون، بزرگترین کلیسای پروتستان آمریکا
باسیلیکای عبادتگاه ملی لقاح معصوم، بزرگترین کلیسای کاتولیک آمریکا
مرکز اسلامی آمریکا، بزرگترین مسجد شیعی مذهب آمریکا
معبد بودایی سی-لای در لس آنجلس
معبد هندوهای مالیبو در کالیفرنیافرهنگ بوفالوی دونده، اثر ایدویرد مویبریج در سال ۱۸۸۷ در شهر فیلادلفیا به نمایش در آمد.اطلاعات بیشتر: فرهنگ و هنر آمریکا
در عرصه هنر و معماری هنرمندان آمریکایی از فرانک لوید رایت گرفته تا اندی وارهال آثار بسیار قابل توجهی در سطح جهانی خلق کرده‌اند. هرم ورودی موزه لوور، کاخ مجلس ملی بنگلادش، برج خلیفه دوبی، و دروازهٔ اروپا در مادرید اسپانیا، نمونه‌هایی از خلاقیت معماران آمریکایی در سراسر جهان است.
ایدویرد مویبریج در سال ۱۸۷۸ برای نخستین بار تصاویر متحرکی را خلق کرد که اسب و بوفالوی وحشی آمریکایی را در حال دویدن نشان می‌داد. نخستین فیلم تجارتی آمریکا فیلمی بود که توسط دستگاه کینتسکوپ ساخت توماس ادیسون در ۱۸۹۴ در شهر نیویورک به نمایش در آمد.[۸۷] از آن زمان تا کنون آمریکا دارای صعنت فیلمسازی و سینمایی بسیار بزرگی شده است که مرکز آن امروزه هالیوود در شهر لس آنجلس است. هالیوود امروزه با ۶۳ میلیارد دلار درآمد، ۳۵ درصد کل تولیدات صنعت فیلمسازی جهان را به خود اختصاص داده‌است.[۸۸] این صنعت با هنر تئاتر در آمریکا رابطهٔ تنگاتنگی دارد، اما بر خلاف سینما، مرکز هنر تئاتر همچنان در شهر نیویورک است، جاییکه عمده ترین مراکز هنرهای نمایشی در جهان در آن قرار دارند.[۸۹] برادوی از این لحاظ دارای شهرت و سابقهٔ بی همتاییست.
موسیقی امروزه به شکل تولید و اجرای زنده در آمریکا دارای فعالیت بسیار زیادیست بطوریکه در سال ۲۰۰۸ میلادی بیش از ۱۰ میلیارد دلار درآمد تنها حاصل از صنعت ضبط و فروش موسیقی در آمریکا کسب گردید.[۹۰] سبکهای اصیل موسیقی آمریکایی می‌توان به سبکهای جاز، بلوز، هیپ هاپ و کانتری اشاره کرد.
ادبیات آمریکا در مدت نسبتاً کوتاه عمر این کشور، از مشهورترین چهره‌های شناخته شده ادبیات بشری را به دنیا ارزانی داشته. از مارک تواین و ادگار آلن پو و رالف والدو امرسون گرفته تا ارنست همینگوی و جک لندن و امیلی دیکنسون، ادبیات آمریکا را قطعاً از نقاط درخشان فرهنگ این کشور می‌توان به حساب آورد که بر هنرهای کشورهای دیگر تاثیرات فراوانی داشته‌است. از دیگر نویسندگان برتر تاریخ آمریکا می‌توان تی اس الیوت، ویلیام فاکنر، تنسی ویلیامز، جی دی سالینجر، آیزاک آسیموف، مایکل کرایتون، و ریموند کارور را نام برد که آشنای نزدیک صاحبان قلم ادبیات جهان‌اند.
عمارت دادگستری شهرستان الیس ساخت سال ۱۸۹۶ در تگزاس، یک نمونه از معماری بومی
موسیقی جاز نوین هویت خود را مدیون هنرمندانی همچون لویی آرمسترانگ است.
مایکل جکسون، پرفروش‌ترین هنرمند سرگرمی‌ساز تمام دوران‌ها است که هواداران بیشماری در سراسر جهان دارد.
صنایع دستی سرخپوستان آمریکایی طرفداران زیادی دارد. این نمونه در موزه ایالتی آریزونا نگهداری می‌شود.
تندیس وودی آلن در اسپانیا، هالیوود یکی از صادرات اصلی آمریکا به جهانیان بوده‌است.
غذا و آشپزی
آشپزی آمریکایی همچون سرزمین آمریکا دارای تنوع و گوناگونی فراوانیست و از آشپزی آمریکایی چینی تا آشپزی مستعمرات سیزده‌گانه، غذای آمریکاییان دارای طعم و خواص منحصربه‌فردیست که برخی از این غذاها همانند استیک و باربیکیو و چیزبرگر در دنیا محبوبیت عام دارند و برخی دیگر همانند خوراک مار زنگی، پاستای گولاش آمریکایی، پیتزای نیویورکی و گامبو کمتر در خارج از مرزهای آمریکا شهرت یافته‌اند.ورزشنوشتار اصلی: ورزش در آمریکا
از قرن نوزدهم بیسبال به عنوان ورزش ملی آمریکا شناخته شد. در وهله بعد فوتبال آمریکایی، بسکتبال و هاکی روی یخ ورزش‌های ملی آمریکا قرار گرفتند. شاید امروزه فوتبال آمریکایی پرطرفدارترین ورزش در آمریکا باشد. اما بسته به موقعیت جغرافیایی ترتیب اهمیت این ورزشها تفاوت خواهد داشت.
این ورزشها در سطوح مختلف نیز برگزار می‌شوند. بطور نمونه فوتبال کالجی و بسکتبال کالجی در سطوح ملی و سراسری بسیار پرطرفدارند.[۹۱] بوکس و اسب‌دوانی نیز بسیار پرطرفدارند، اما این ورزشها زیر سایه دو ورزش گلف و اتومبیل‌رانی (به خصوص مسابقات نسکار) هستند.
ایالات متحده آمریکا در بازیهای المپیک سابقه درخشانی دارد. این کشور تا کنون هشت مرتبه بترتیب در بازیهای سالهای ۱۹۰۴، ۱۹۳۲ (زمستانی)، ۱۹۳۲ (تابستانی)، ۱۹۶۰، ۱۹۸۰، ۱۹۸۴، ۱۹۹۶، و ۲۰۰۲ میزبان بازیهای المپیک بوده است. آمریکا با داشتن ۲٬۱۰۳ مدال در المپیک تابستانی موفق‌ترین کشور دنیا در المپیک محسوب می‌شود،[۹۲][۹۳] و با داشتن ۲۱۶ مدال در بازیهای المپیک زمستانی در رده دوم جای می‌گیرد.[۹۴] رتبه در جهان تعداد طلاتعداد نقرهتعداد برنزدر مجموع۱سابقه آمریکا در مجموع دوره‌های بازیهای المپیک تابستانی۹۷۶۷۵۸۶۶۶۲۴۰۰۲سابقه آمریکا در مجموع دوره‌های بازیهای المپیک زمستانی۹۶۱۰۲۸۳۲۸۱
مخترع ورزش والیبال ویلیام مورگان
فوتبال در میان زنان آمریکا بسیار ورزش محبوبیست. تیم ملی فوتبال زنان آمریکا در جام جهانی فوتبال زنان تا کنون دو مرتبه قهرمان شده است.
مایکل فلپس شناگر امریکایی صاحب ۱۶ مدال المپیک و ۷ رکورد جهانی در این ورزش
در حال حاضر فوتبال آمریکایی پرطرفدارترین ورزش ایالات متحده است.
مایکل جردن و دیگر ستارگان لیگ بسکتبال حرفه‌ای آمریکا طرفداران بیشماری دارندنیروهای مسلح ناو هواپیمابر آبراهام لینکلن.آمریکا با دارا بودن دوازده ناو هواپیمابر بزرگترین نیروی دریایی دنیا را داراست.نوشتار اصلی: نیروهای مسلح ایالات متحده آمریکا
نیروهای نظامی آمریکا به پنج دسته اصلی تقسیم می‌شوند:[۹۵]نیروی زمینی ایالات متحده آمریکانیروی هوایی ایالات متحده آمریکانیروی دریایی ایالات متحده آمریکانیروهای تفنگدار دریایی ایالات متحده آمریکاگارد ساحلی ایالات متحده آمریکا
وزیر دفاع (در حال حاضر چاک هیگل) زیر نظر رییس جمهور (در حال حاضر باراک اوباما) که مقام فرمانده کل قوا را بر عهده دارد فعالیت میکند.
در سال ۲۰۰۴ ایالات متحده آمریکا با بودجه نظامی ۵۲۲ میلیارد دلار، ۳٫۷٪ تولید ناخالص داخلی را صرف هزینه‌های نظامی کرد، که این هزینه‌های نظامی به تنهایی تقریباً معادل نصف هزینه‌های نظامی جهانی بودند.[۹۶]
رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده آمریکا برای اقدام نظامی از مشورت‌های مشاور امنیت ملی ایالات متحده آمریکا برخوردار است. در رده پایین‌تر، وزیر دفاع قرار دارد؛ رییس ستاد مشترک ارتش ایالات متحده آمریکا هم به فرمانده کل قوا و هم به وزیر دفاع مشورت می‌دهد.امنیت و قوای نظمیه
نظم و امنیت در سطح شهر و ایالت را کلانتر و پلیس‌های محلی و ایالتی بر عهده دارند. در برخی موارد و در مواقع مشخص و معینی، ارگانهای فدرال همانند اف بی آی و مارشال‌ها وارد عمل می‌شوند. سیستم قضایی نیز به همین گونه (و از سطوح محلی به سمت سطوح فدرال) بنا نهاده شده است. آمریکا در میان کشورهای پیشرفته دارای آمار جرم و جنایت بالاتری بوده است، بخصوص در موارد مربوط به سلاح‌های گرم.[۹۷] در سال ۲۰۰۹ به ازای هر یکصدهزار نفر تعداد ۵ قتل در آمریکا رخ داد.[۹۸] نقش متمم دوم قانون اساسی ایالات متحده آمریکا (در اعطای آزادی حمل سلاح گرم به شهروندان) همواره مورد توجه بحث‌های فراوانی بوده است. آمریکا همچنین دارای تعداد نسبی بیشتری جمعیت زندانی می‌باشد.[۹۹] و این کشور از معدود کشورهای پیشرفته است که هنوز مجرمین را (در ۳۴ ایالت و برخی موارد فدرال) اعدام میکند. از سال ۱۹۷۶ تا کنون، تعداد یکهزار اعدام صورت گرفته.[۱۰۰] در سال ۲۰۱۰ پس از کشورهای چین، ایران، کره شمالی، و یمن، آمریکا از این لحاظ در جهان در رتبه پنجم بود.[۱۰۱] با اینحال این قانون از ایالت به ایالت فرق میکند. بطور مثال حکم اعدام در ایالات نیوجرسی، نیومکزیکو و ایلینوی ممنوع است.[۱۰۲]رسانه‌ها دفتر مرکزی روزنامه یو اس ای تودی در ویرجینیا قرار دارد که در صدر پرتیراژترین روزنامه‌های آمریکا می‌باشد.نوشتار اصلی: فهرست روزنامه‌های آمریکا
به غیر از ارگان‌هایی همانند گروه فرارسی شماره‌ای، صدای آمریکا، و یا هیئت کارفرمایان پخش که توسط ارگانهای دولتی برای مخاطبین خارج از آمریکا تنظیم می‌شوند، اکثر رسانه‌های درون آمریکا یا همانند شبکه‌هایی نظیر فاکس، اچ بی او، ام‌تی‌وی، و سی ان ان بطور کاملاً خصوصی و با درآمد حاصل از تبلیغات و آگهی‌های تجارتی اداره می‌گردند، و یا همانند رادیوی عمومی ملی و پی‌بی‌اس توسط موسسات و بنیادهای خیریه تامین مالی می‌گردند.
از ۱۲۰۰ شبکهٔ تلویریونی آمریکا، از بزرگترین و نامدارترین آنان در تاریخ رسانه‌های آمریکا می‌توان به ۳ شبکهٔ ای‌بی‌سی، ان‌بی‌سی، و سی‌بی‌اس اشاره نمود.[۱۰۳]
قدیمیترین روزنامه آمریکا با تیراژ ثابت و برنامه چاپ روزانه در ۳۰ می سال ۱۷۸۳ شروع به کار کرد، و فیلادلفیا ایونینگ پست نام داشت. در سال ۲۰۰۸، ۶۲۵۳ هفته نامه و ۱۴۲۲ روزنامه در آمریکا در حال فعالیت بود.[۱۰۴
+ نوشته شده در پنجشنبه ۴ دی ۱۳۹۳ ساعت 10:36 AM توسط محمدرضا يارمحمدي
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معرفی کابینه دولت روحانی
معاون اول رییس جمهور
دکتر اسحاق جهانگیری
معاون اجرایی رییس‌جمهور
محمد شریعتمداری
معاون برنامه‌ریزی و نظارت راهبردی و سرپرست معاونت توسعه مدیریت و سرمایه انسانی رییس‌جمهور
دکتر محمدباقر نوبخت
معاون حقوقی رییس‌جمهور
دکتر الهام امین‌زاده
معاون رییس جمهور در امور مجلس
حجت‌الاسلام والمسلمین مجید انصاری
معاون علمی و فناوری رییس جمهور
دکتر سورنا ستاری
معاون رییس‌جمهور در امور زنان و خانواده
شهیندخت مولاوردی
معاون رییس جمهور و رییس سازمان میراث فرهنگی، صنایع دستی و گردشگری
مسعود سلطانی فر
معاون رییس‌جمهور و رییس سازمان انرژی اتمی
دکتر علی‌اکبر صالحی
معاون رییس‌جمهور و رییس بنیاد شهید و امور ایثارگران
حجت‌الاسلام والمسلمین سیدمحمدعلی شهیدی
معاون رییس‌جمهور و رییس سازمان حفاظت محیط زیست
دکتر معصومه ابتکار
وزیر آموزش و پرورش
دکتر علی اصغر فانی
وزیر ارتباطات و فناوری اطلاعات
دكتر محمود واعظی
وزیر اطلاعات
حجت الاسلام والمسلمین دکتر سید محمود علوی
وزیر امور اقتصادی و دارایی
دكتر علی طیب نیا
وزیر امور خارجه
دكتر محمد جواد ظریف
وزیر بهداشت، درمان و آموزش پزشکی
دكتر سید حسن قاضی زاده هاشمی
وزیر تعاون، كار و رفاه اجتماعی
دكتر علی ربیعی
وزیر جهاد کشاورزی
مهندس محمود حجتی
وزیر دادگستری
حجت الاسلام والمسلمین مصطفی پور محمدی
وزیر دفاع و پشتیبانی نیروهای مسلح
سردار دكتر حسین دهقان
وزیر راه و شهرسازی
دكتر عباس آخوندی
وزیر صنعت، معدن و تجارت
مهندس محمدرضا نعمت زاده
وزیر فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی
علی جنتی
وزیر کشور
دكتر عبدالرضا رحمانی فضلی
وزیر علوم، تحقیقات و فناوری
دکتر محمد فرهادی
وزیر نفت
مهندس بیژن نامدار زنگنه
وزیر نیرو
مهندس حمید چیت چیان
+ نوشته شده در پنجشنبه ۴ دی ۱۳۹۳ ساعت 10:29 AM توسط محمدرضا يارمحمدي
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گروه آوای ارغنون محلات
سلام همیشه برداشتن یک گام به عقب بد نیست ، مخصوصا اگر منجر به دورخیز برای پرواز به سمت اوج باشد. حالا اگر قرار شده است جلسات انجمن ادبی اوای ارغنون به جای هرچهارشنبه عصر ، به عصر سه شنبه منتقل شود ، لطفابه همان جریان دورخیز و اوج گرفتن فکر کنید. از امروز تا اطلاع ثانوی : سه شنبه ها ، ساعت 16.30 اداره فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی شهرستان محلات چشم انتظار قدمهای گرمتان می مانیم. + نوشته شده در جمعه چهاردهم آذر 1393ساعت 9:30 توسط انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون | نظر بدهید پنجمین سلام سلام شاعری که فصل و ماه و روز تولدش با "احمد شاملو " یکی باشد ، به احتمال زیاد با "شعر سپید " قرابت بیشتری خواهد داشت تا شاعری که مثلا با "حسین منزوی" هم زادروز باشد. و ایضا شاعری که طراحی بداند و نقاشی بکشد ، احتمالا تصویرگری های شعرش به مراتب بیشتر از شاعری خواهد بود که صرفا صنایع خوانده باشد. و اگر کسی ، شواهد عینی برای تائید فرضیات فوق را طلب کند ، کافیست با شعرهای سپید خانم " سحر اسماعیلی " ، آشنا شود. پاهاشان بیرون زده است از خاطراتم گنجشک هایی که کنار پنجره تمام عشق بازی شان را دیده بودم و خدا می داند.... برایشان آرزوی خوشبختی کردم کنار همان پنجره ای که موهایم را بوسیدی و کنار گذاشتی حالا تمام چشمهابت راه گرفته است تا انتهای همان جاده ای که اولین بار قدم گذاشتیم حالا هیچ کدام درخت ها سر جایشان نایستاده اند وتمام این عادت ها بوی شعرهایم را گرفته اند وتمام این آتش ها بوی شعرهایم را گرفته اند حالا....... وجب وجب آغوش هایت ازدهنم راه گرفته است از ته انگشت هایت صدای درد می آید درد درد درد و کسی در باد فریاد می زند... افسوس + نوشته شده در دوشنبه ششم مرداد 1393ساعت 13:46 توسط انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون | یک نظر سوگواره واژه های داغدار ، فرود تیغ بر فرق عدالت را به سوگ می نشینند. انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون ، برگزار می کند : در سوگ اسوه عدالت زمان : چهارشنبه ، ۲۴/۴/۹۳ ، ساعت ۱۷.۳۰ مکان : اداره ارشاد شهرستان محلات + نوشته شده در سه شنبه بیست و چهارم تیر 1393ساعت 11:3 توسط انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون | یک نظر سلام چهارم سلام اساسا مهندس معدنی که کارشناس اداره آب باشد و راه و بیراه به رگه های مکشوف و نامکشوف احساسش ، آب نبندد و تازه بعد از این همه فعالیت متوجه شود که چقدر علم روانشناسی ، بدون او ، چیزی کم دارد ، قطعا علی رحیمی محلاتی می باشد. شاعر گزیده گو و دردآشنا که شعر را بهانه ای برای باهم بودن می داند. در حنجره ام غزل جنون است هنوز آمیزه ای از سکون و خون است هنوز از آینه بندان نگاهت پیداست یک پنج شکسته واژگون است هنوز چه فرق می کند فضای پنجره را میله های فولادی از گستره کوچه جدا کنند یا صمیمیت حضور نسیم وقتی پاهایمان در زنجیر است و چه تفاوت دارد روبان دسته گلی که برایم آورده ای قرمز باشد یا سیاه وقتی چشم هایم نمی بینند بیا از این مدرسه برویم باز هم دیکته ام را بیست نشدم اینجا کسی آدم را درست هجی نمی کند. + قصه یک عکس سلام عکس ،خیلی خوبی ها دارد : به درد خاطره بازی می خورد . به کار رفیق بازی و رفیق نوازی می آید. مقیاس خوبی برای فهم گذشت زمان است. کارکردهای تاریخی و اجتماعی دارد . و ... . اما با همه این خوبی ها ، یک بدی خیلی بزرگ دارد. عکس نمی تواند همه انرژی موجود در صحنه را بازتاب دهد. مثل همین عکس پایین. در این عکس ، حتی یک هزارم صمیمیت ، محبت ، سادگی و لطف خانواده دکتر رضایی بزرگوار که ما در تمام مدت حضورمان احساس می کردیم هم به تصویر کشیده نشده است. به تصویر کشیدن فضای روحانی افطار دهم ماه مبارک سال ۹۳ که بماند. جای بقیه دوستان خالی و سفره کریمانه میزبان آکنده از برکت و دلشان همیشه سرشار از شادی و مهربانی. توسط انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون شاعر ناگزیر سلام شعر که در خون آدم باشد و با جماعت شاعر نفس بکشی و بزرگ شوی ، دیر و زود دارد ولی سوخت و سوز ندارد. بالاخره یک روز شاعر می شوی. حتی اگر تا آن روز ، ۱۶ بهار را رد کرده باشی و عاشق هم نشده باشی. و این اتفاق ناگزیر برای متولد اول مهر ۱۳۷۲ محلات هم روی داد. سامان سلیمی اول شاعر شد ، بعد معماری خواند و شاعر هم ماند و بعدتر برای شاعرانه تر کردن فضای سینما ،شروع کرد به خواندن ادبیات سینمایی. احتمالا از اثرات شور جوانی باشد که در دوره های زمانی کوتاه ، در قالب های شعری متفاوت ، طبع آزمایی می کند اما هنوز که هنوز است و بعد از این همه تلاش ، غزل هایش بیشتر به دل می نشیند ولی بی انصافیست اگر نگوییم که بقیه شعرهایش هم خوبند. و حالا هم علاوه بر شاعر بودن ، مسئولیت ریاست انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون را عهده دار شده است که امیدواریم جانشین شایسته ای برای روسای گرانقدر پیشین باشد. و غزلی از سامان سلیمی : با اشک هاش دفتر خود را نمور کرد چیزی شبیه شعر به مغزش خطور کرد شاعر نبود حرف دلش را غزل کند از جان گذشت قافیه را جفت و جور کرد میخواست تا به شعر بگوید که عاشق است داوود شد تمام تنت را زبور کرد و بعد مست شد و فریاد چون کشید تا که تمام غصه اش از خانه دور کرد آرام شد خمار لب پنجره نشست با خود تمام خاطره ها را مرور کرد آنقدر شعر گفت و آنقدر گریه کرد تا که به شعر زنده خودش را به گور کرد و سلامی دیگر سلام برای شکل گیری دور تازه ای از اطلاع رسانی فعالیت ها و برنامه های یک انجمن ادبی ، شاید بهانه ای بهتر از ایام زادروز یکی از بزرگان انجمن فراهم نمی شد. انجمن ادبی آوای ارغنون محلات ، صرفا یک انجمن ادبی با صورت وظایف کلیشه ای تعریف شده نیست . بلکه جمعی دوستانه از شعرا ، ادبا و دوستداران ادبیات است که بدون ادعا ،بخشی از سلامت و تعالی روح را از مسیر ادبیات ، می جویند . در این پست ، با کارهای یکی از ارکان شکل گیری و ثبات و ماندگاری انجمن ادبی ، بیشتر آشنا می شویم : دکتر حسین رضایی پزشک ، جامعه شناس ، شاعر و خیلی القاب خوب دیگر متولد دهم تیرماه سال ۱۳۵۰ و چند کار از دکتر رضایی : ای کاش روی سینه از اول نوشته بود دقت کنید، حامل ِ ظرفی شکستنیست بیا امشب کمی هم با پیامک، شوخ طبعی کن بگو با اولین لبــخند فــردا بــاز می گــــــــردی چشم هایت شراب شیرین است قرص ماهت دوای تسکین است خواب آرام می شود وقتی دست هایت کنار بالین است صورتت را بر نگردان من نگاهم سرد نیست هرکه بهتش می زند از دیدنت نامرد نیست دیگر امشب حکم اعدامم روا شد باز گرد من خودم را کشته ام باید قصاصی خاص کرد من وکیلی هم نمی خواهم دفاعم ساده است متهم شاکیست شاکی متهم،من هر دو مرد هیأتی ژولیده دارم، هیأت ژوری کجاست؟ خون من را روی دستانم نمی بینند سرد؟ هی تو قاضی نامه ام را باز کن آن را بخوان چند خطی را کشیدم روی آن با خط زرد گفته ام آنجا که در من این خودم با من چه کرد در نبــردی نابرابر، در جدالــی بین فرد گاه گاه البته "او" می آمد و تعطیل بود جنگ بی پایانِ بی حاصل و خونریزی و درد او که نامش... غیرتم اینجا دهانم را گرفت او که جانم را طلب می کرد در بین نبرد آخرین حرفی که این محکوم می گوید به اوست آه امشب حکم اعدامم روا شد باز گرد با آرزوی سلامت پایدار و موفقیت دنباله دار برای جناب آقای دکتر رضایی
+ نوشته شده در پنجشنبه ۴ دی ۱۳۹۳ ساعت 10:8 AM توسط محمدرضا يارمحمدي
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Los Angeles, California
This article is about the U.S. city. For the county, see Los Angeles County, California. For the metropolitan area, see Los Angeles metropolitan area. For other uses, see Los Angeles (disambiguation)."L.A.", "LA", and "City of Los Angeles" redirect here. For other uses of "L.A." and "LA", see L.A. (disambiguation). For other uses of "City of Los Angeles", see City of Los Angeles (disambiguation).Los Angeles, CaliforniaCityCity of Los AngelesClockwise from top: Downtown Los Angeles skyline, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, Venice Beach, Vincent Thomas Bridge, Los Angeles City Hall, Hollywood SignFlagSealNickname(s): "L.A.", "City of Angels",[1] "Angeltown",[2] "The Big Orange"[3][4] "Lalaland", "Tinseltown"[5] "City of Flowers and Sunshine"[6]Location in Los Angeles County in the state of California Los Angeles, CaliforniaLocation in the United StatesCoordinates: 34°03′N 118°15′WCoordinates: 34°03′N 118°15′WCountry United States of AmericaState CaliforniaCounty Los AngelesFoundedSeptember 4, 1781[7]IncorporatedApril 4, 1850[8]Government • TypeMayor-Council • BodyLos Angeles City Council • MayorEric Garcetti[9] • City AttorneyMike Feuer[9] • City ControllerRon Galperin[9]Area[10] • City503 sq mi (1,302 km2) • Land469 sq mi (1,214 km2) • Water34 sq mi (88 km2) 6.7%Elevation[13]305 ft (93 m)Population (2014)[15] • City3,884,307 • Rank2nd U.S., 48th world[citation needed] • Density8,282/sq mi (3,198/km2) • Urban12,150,996[12] • Metro13,131,431[11] • CSA18,351,929[14]DemonymAngelenoTime zonePST (UTC-8) • Summer (DST)PDT (UTC−7)ZIP codes90001–90068, 90070–90084, 90086–90089, 90091, 90093–90097, 90099, 90101–90103, 90174, 90185, 90189, 90291–90293, 91040–91043, 91303–91308, 91342–91349, 91352–91353, 91356–91357, 91364–91367, 91401–91499, 91601–91609Area codes213, 310/424, 323, 661, 747/818FIPS code06-44000GNIS feature IDs1662328, 2410877Websitewww.lacity.org
Los Angeles (i/lɔːs ˈændʒələs/, /lɔːs ˈæŋɡələs/ or i/lɒs ˈændʒəliːz/, Spanish: Los Ángeles [los ˈaŋxeles] meaning The Angels), officially the City of Los Angeles, often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California and the second-most populous in the United States, after New York City, with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621.[16] It has a land area of 469 square miles (1,215 km2), and is located in Southern California.
The city is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metropolitan statistical area and Greater Los Angeles Area region, which contain 13 million[17] and over 18 million people in Combined statistical area respectively as of 2010, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world[18] and the second-largest in the United States.[19] Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most ethnically diverse counties[20] in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area itself has been recognized as the most diverse of the nation's largest cities.[21] The city's inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos.[22]
Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve.[7] It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence.[23] 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.[24] Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.[25]
Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a global city, with strengths in business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research and has been ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index and 9th Global Economic Power Index. The city 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. The Los Angeles combined statistical area (CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas.[26] Los Angeles includes Hollywood and leads the world in the creation of television productions, video games, and recorded music; it is also one of the leaders in motion picture production.[27] Additionally, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984.
Contents1 History2 Geography 2.1 Cityscape 2.1.1 Landmarks2.2 Topography2.3 Geology2.4 Climate2.5 Environmental issues3 Demographics 3.1 Race and ethnicity3.2 Religion4 Economy5 Culture 5.1 High percentage of creatives5.2 Movies and the performing arts5.3 Museums and galleries5.4 Cults6 Sports7 Government 7.1 Federal and state representation7.2 Crime8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities8.2 Schools and libraries9 Media10 Transportation 10.1 Freeways10.2 Transit systems10.3 Airports10.4 Seaports11 Notable people12 Twin towns – Sister cities13 See also14 References15 Further reading16 External links
HistoryHistorical affiliations
Spanish Empire 1781–1821 First Mexican Empire 1821–1823 United Mexican States 1823–1848 California Republic 1846 United States 1848–presentMain article: History of Los AngelesSee also: Timeline of Los Angeles and Los Angeles in the 1920s Pueblo de Los Ángeles Plaza in 1869. The Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad was the first railroad into Los Angeles in 1869.Los Angeles City Hall, shown here in 1931, was built in 1928 and was the tallest structure in the city until 1964, when height restrictions were removedHollywood film studios, 1922The Los Angeles Coliseum hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984
The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva (or Gabrieleños) and Chumash Native American tribes thousands of years ago. A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), meaning "poison oak place".[28][29]
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese-born explorer, claimed the area of southern California for the Spanish Empire in 1542.[30] Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769.[31]
In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area.[32] On September 4, 1781, a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores" founded the pueblo called "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula"; in English it is "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River". The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary.[33] Two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry.[34] The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820, the population had increased to about 650 residents.[35] Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street, the oldest part of Los Angeles.[36]
New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta California's regional capital. Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847.[37]
Railroads arrived with the completion of the Southern Pacific line to Los Angeles in 1876.[38] Oil was discovered in 1892, and by 1923, the discoveries had helped California become the country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output.[39]
By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000,[40] putting pressure on the city's water supply.[41] The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city.[42]
In 1910, not only had the city of Los Angeles annexed Hollywood, but there were already at least 10 movie companies operating in the city. By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was concentrated in L.A.[43] The money generated by the industry kept the city insulated from much of the economic pain suffered by the rest of the country during the Great Depression.[44] By 1930, the population surpassed one million.[45] In 1932, the city hosted the Summer Olympics.
During World War II, Los Angeles was a major center of wartime manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and aircraft. Calship built hundreds of Liberty Ships and Victory Ships on Terminal Island, and the Los Angeles area was the headquarters of six of the country's major aircraft manufacturers (Douglas Aircraft Company, Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed, North American Aviation, Northrop Corporation, and Vultee. During the war, more aircraft were produced in one year than in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers invented the airplane in 1903, combined. Manufacturing in Los Angeles skyrocketed, and as William S. Knudsen, of the National Defense Advisory Commission put it, "We won because we smothered the enemy in an avalanche of production, the like of which he had never seen, nor dreamed possible.[46] B-25 Mitchell bombers being built in the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles in World War II[47]
Following the end of World War II, Los Angeles grew more rapidly than ever, sprawling into the San Fernando Valley.[48] The expansion of the Interstate Highway System during the 1950s and 1960s helped propel suburban growth and signaled the demise of the city's electrified rail system, once the world's largest.
The 1960s saw race relations boil-over into the Watts Riots of 1965 which resulted in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. It was the most severe riot in the city's history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992. In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park.[49]
In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time. Despite being boycotted by 14 Communist countries, the 1984 Olympics became more financially successful than any previous,[50] and the second Olympics to turn a profit until then – the other, according to an analysis of contemporary newspaper reports, being the 1932 Summer Olympics, also held in Los Angeles.[51]
Racial tensions erupted on April 29, 1992, with the acquittal by a Simi Valley jury of the police officers captured on videotape beating Rodney King, culminating in large-scale riots.[52] In 1994, the 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook the city, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.[53] The century ended with the Rampart scandal, one of the most extensive documented cases of police misconduct in American history.[54]
In 2002, voters defeated efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city.[55]GeographySee also: Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley, Greater Los Angeles Area and Los Angeles County, CaliforniaCityscapeMain article: List of districts and neighborhoods of Los AngelesPanorama of Los Angeles as viewed from Mulholland Drive. Left to right: Santa Ana Mountains, downtown, Hollywood (foreground), Wilshire Boulevard, Port of Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Santa Catalina Island, and Los Angeles International Airport. Hollywood, a well-known district of Los Angeles, is often mistaken for an independent city (as West Hollywood is).
The city is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods,[56] many of which were incorporated places or communities that were annexed by the city.[57] Greater Los Angeles includes a number of enclaves and nearby communities. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbor Area, Greater Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside, and the San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys.
Some well-known communities within Los Angeles include West Adams, Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice, the Downtown Financial District, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Westwood and the more affluent areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades, Century City, and Brentwood.LandmarksSee also: Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles, California, List of sites of interest in the Los Angeles area and National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles, California
Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Angels Flight, the Kodak Theatre, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, the Bradbury Building, Hollywood Boulevard, the Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles City Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Theme Building, Battleship USS Iowa, the Watts Towers, the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Sunset Bridge.
L.A. Live
TCL Chinese Theatre
Griffith Observatory
Capitol Records Building
Angels FlightTopography The Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 km2), comprising 468.7 square miles (1,214 km2) of land and 34.0 square miles (88 km2) of water.[10] The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) longitudinally and for 29 miles (47 km) latitudinally. The perimeter of the city is 342 miles (550 km).
Los Angeles is both flat and hilly. The highest point in the city is 5,074 ft (1,547 m) Mount Lukens,[58][59] located at the northeastern end of the San Fernando Valley. The eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean and separates the Los Angeles Basin from the San Fernando Valley. Other hilly parts of Los Angeles include the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights, the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro district.
The Los Angeles River, which is largely seasonal, is the primary drainage channel. It was straightened and lined in 51 miles of concrete by the Army Corps of Engineers to act as a flood control channel.[60] The river begins in the Canoga Park district of the city, flows east from the San Fernando Valley along the north edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, and turns south through the city center, flowing to its mouth in the Port of Long Beach at the Pacific Ocean. The smaller Ballona Creek flows into the Santa Monica Bay at Playa del Rey.
The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub,[61] which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, Coast Live Oak, and Giant Wildrye. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though it is not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)[62] and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae).[63] Mexican Fan Palms, Canary Island Palms, and California Fan Palms are common in the Los Angeles area, although only the last is native.Geology
Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The geologic instability has produced numerous faults, which cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes annually in Southern California, though most of them are too small to be felt.[64] One of the major faults is the San Andreas Fault. Located at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, it is predicted to be the source of Southern California's next big earthquake.[65] Major earthquakes to have hit the Los Angeles area include the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Sylmar, and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Nevertheless, all but a few quakes are of low intensity and are not felt.[64] The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes.[66] Parts of the city are also vulnerable to tsunamis; harbor areas were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake in 1960.[67]ClimateMain article: Climate of the Los Angeles Basin MacArthur Park
Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoid either Köppen's BSh or BSk (semi-arid climate) classification. Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.[68]
The average annual temperature in downtown is 66 °F (19 °C): 75 °F (24 °C) during the day and 57 °F (14 °C) at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from 59 to 73 °F (15 to 23 °C) during the day and 45 to 55 °F (7 to 13 °C) at night. In the warmest month – August – the temperature typically ranges from 79 to 90 °F (26 to 32 °C) during the day and around 64 °F (18 °C) at night.
Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September.[68] Temperatures are subject to substantial daily swings; in inland areas the difference between the average daily low and the average daily high is over 30 Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) degrees.[69] The average annual temperature of the sea is 63 °F (17 °C), from 58 °F (14 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) in August.[70] Hours of sunshine total more than 3,000 per year, from an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12 in July.[71]
The Los Angeles area is also subject to phenomena typical of a microclimate, causing extreme variations in temperature in close physical proximity to each other. For instance, the average July maximum temperature at the Santa Monica Pier is 75 °F (24 °C) whereas it is 95 °F (35 °C) in Canoga Park.[72] The city, like much of the southern California coast, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called "June Gloom." This involves overcast or foggy skies in the morning which yield to sun by early afternoon.[73]
Downtown Los Angeles averages 15.14 inches (384.6 mm) of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April), generally in the form of moderate rain showers, but often as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms during winter storms. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while the mountains get slightly more. However the San Fernando Valley Region of Los Angeles can get between 16 and 20 inches (410 and 510 mm) of rain per year. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern is bimodal, with a short string of dry years (perhaps 7–8 inches or 180–200 millimetres) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. Snowfall is extremely rare in the city basin, but the mountains within city limits typically receive snowfall every winter. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was 2 inches (5 cm) in 1932.[74] The highest recorded temperature in downtown Los Angeles is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010[75] and the lowest recorded temperature is 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 22, 1944.
[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (USC, Downtown), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1877–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (LAX), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1944–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (Canoga Park, in the San Fernando Valley)Environmental issues A view of Los Angeles covered in smog
A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), which has been translated as "poison oak place".[28][29] Yang-na has also been translated as "the valley of smoke."[81][82] Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources.[83]
The smog season lasts from May to October.[84] Unlike other large cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only 15 inches (380 mm) of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low-emission vehicles. Smog is expected to continue to drop in the coming years due to aggressive steps to reduce it, which include electric and hybrid cars, improvements in mass transit, and other measures.
The number of Stage 1 smog alerts in Los Angeles has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[85] In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution.[86] The city met its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources in 2010.[87]
The American Lung Association's 2013 survey ranks the metro area as having the nation's worst smog, and fourth in both short term and year round pollution amounts.[88]DemographicsMain article: Demographics of Los Angeles Map of Los Angeles County showing percentage of population self-identified as Mexican in ancestry or national origin by census tracts. Heaviest concentrations are in East L.A, Echo Lake/Silver Lake, South Central, San Fernando and San Pedro/Wilmington.Historical populationCensusPop.%±18501,610—18604,385172.4%18705,72830.6%188011,18395.2%189050,395350.6%1900102,479103.4%1910319,198211.5%1920576,67380.7%19301,238,048114.7%19401,504,27721.5%19501,970,35831.0%19602,479,01525.8%19702,816,06113.6%19802,966,8505.4%19903,485,39817.5%20003,694,8206.0%20103,792,6212.6%Est. 20143,884,3072.4%source:[15]
The 2010 United States Census[89] reported that Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621.[90] The population density was 7,544.6 people per square mile (2,913.0/km²). The Census reported that 3,708,020 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 58,186 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 26,415 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
The age distribution was 874,525 people (23.1%) under 18, 434,478 people (11.5%) from 18 to 24, 1,209,367 people (31.9%) from 25 to 44, 877,555 people (23.1%) from 45 to 64, and 396,696 people (10.5%) who were 65 or older.[90] The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.[90]
There were 1,413,995 housing units—up from 1,298,350 during 2005–2009[90]—at an average density of 2,812.8 households per square mile (1,086.0/km²), of which 503,863 (38.2%) were owner-occupied, and 814,305 (61.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 1,535,444 people (40.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,172,576 people (57.3%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Los Angeles had a median household income of $49,745, with 21.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[90]Race and ethnicity[hide]Racial composition2010[90]1990[91]1970[91]1940[91]White49.8%52.8%77.2%93.5% —Non-Hispanic28.7%37.3%61.1%[92]86.3%Black or African American9.6%14.0%17.9%4.2%Hispanic or Latino (of any race)48.5%39.9%17.1%[92]7.1%[93]Asian11.3%9.8%3.6%2.2%
Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages.[94] Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.
According to the 2010 Census, the racial makeup of Los Angeles included: 1,888,158 Whites (49.8%), 365,118 African Americans (9.6%), 28,215 Native Americans (0.7%), 426,959 Asians (11.3%), 5,577 Pacific Islanders (0.1%), 902,959 from other races (23.8%), and 175,635 (4.6%) from two or more races.[90] Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1,838,822 persons (48.5%).
Non-Hispanic whites were 28.7% of the population in 2010,[90] compared to 86.3% in 1940.[91] Mexicans make up the largest ethnic group of Latinos at 31.9% of Los Angeles' population, followed by Salvadorans (6.0%) and Guatemalans (3.6%). The Latino population is spread throughout the city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area but it is most heavily concentrated in the East Los Angeles region, which has a long established Mexican American and Central American community.
The largest Asian ethnic groups are Filipinos (3.2%) and Koreans (2.9%), which have their own established ethnic enclaves−Koreatown in the Wilshire Center and Historic Filipinotown. Chinese people, which make up 1.8% of Los Angeles' population, reside mostly outside of Los Angeles city limits and rather in the San Gabriel Valley of eastern Los Angeles County, but make a sizable presence in the city, notably in Chinatown. Chinatown and Thaitown are also home to many Thais and Cambodians, which make up 0.3% and 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, respectively. Japanese comprise 0.9% of L.A.'s population, and have an established Little Tokyo in the city's downtown, and another significant community of Japanese Americans is located in the Sawtelle district of West Los Angeles. Vietnamese make up 0.5% of Los Angeles' population. Indians make up 0.9% of the city's population.
The city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area are home to a large Middle Eastern population, including Armenians and Iranians, partially residing in enclaves like Little Armenia and Tehrangeles.
African Americans have the largest establishment in South Los Angeles, including the industrial neighborhoods of Crenshaw and Watts.[95] In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 17.9% black, 61.1% non-Hispanic white and 17.1% Hispanic.[91] However, since the 1980s, there has been a large influx of immigration from Mexico and Central America which have outnumbered the blacks in South Los Angeles. South Los Angeles, as well as neighboring communities such as the city of Compton that were home to predominant African American populations are now transforming into Hispanic communities.[96]
Pacific Islanders make up 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, and are concentrated in southwestern Los Angeles County, namely in Long Beach and Carson, which are home to thousands of Samoan Americans.[97]Religion Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is the mother cathedral for the Los Angeles archdiocese
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles leads the largest archdiocese in the country.[98] Cardinal Roger Mahony oversaw construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which opened in September 2002 in downtown Los Angeles.[99] Construction of the cathedral marked a coming of age of the city's Catholic, heavily Latino community. There are numerous Catholic churches and parishes throughout Los Angeles.
In 2011 the once common but ultimately lapsed custom of conducting a procession and Mass in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in commemoration of the founding of the City of Los Angeles in 1781 was revived by the Queen of Angels Foundation and its founder Mark Albert, with the support and approbation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as well as several civic leaders.[100] The recently revived custom is a continuation of the original processions and Masses which commenced on the first anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles in 1782 and continued for nearly a century thereafter.
With 621,000 Jews in the metropolitan area (490,000 in city proper), the region has the second largest population of Jews in the United States.[101] Many of Los Angeles' Jews now live on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, though Boyle Heights and Northwest Los Angeles once had large Jewish populations. Many varieties of Judaism are represented in the area, including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. The Breed Street Shul in East Los Angeles, built in 1923, was the largest synagogue west of Chicago in its early decades.[102] (It is no longer a sacred space and is being converted to a museum and community center.)[103] The Kabbalah Centre also has a presence in the city.[104] Built in 1956, the Los Angeles California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second largest Mormon temple in the world
The Los Angeles California Temple, the second largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles. Dedicated in 1956, it was the first Mormon temple built in California and it was the largest in the world when completed.[105]
The Hollywood region of Los Angeles also has several significant headquarters, churches, and the Celebrity Center of Scientology.
Because of Los Angeles' large multi-ethnic population, a wide variety of faiths are practiced, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, various Eastern Orthodox Churches, Sufism and others. Immigrants from Asia for example, have formed a number of significant Buddhist congregations making the city home to the greatest variety of Buddhists in the world.EconomyFurther information: Los Angeles County EconomySee also: Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Companies such as US Bancorp, Ernst & Young, Aon, Manulife Financial, City National Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Deloitte, KPMG and the Union Bank of California have offices in the Downtown Financial District.
The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, video games, recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, apparel, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the western United States.[106] The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together comprise the fifth-busiest port in the world and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere and is vital to trade within the Pacific Rim.[106] Other significant industries include media production, finance, telecommunications, law, healthcare, and transportation.
The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $735.7 billion (as of 2010),[107] making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo Area and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA.[26] If counted as a country, the surrounding CSA has the 15th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.[108] Los Angeles has been classified an "Alpha world city" according to a 2012 study by a research group at Loughborough University in England.[109]
The city is home to six Fortune 500 companies. They are energy company Occidental Petroleum, healthcare provider Health Net, metals distributor Reliance Steel & Aluminum, engineering firm AECOM, real estate group CBRE Group and builder Tutor Perini.
Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include 20th Century Fox, American Apparel, California Pizza Kitchen, The Capital Group, Capstone Turbine, The Cheesecake Factory, Cathay Bank, City National Bank, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, DeviantArt, Far East National Bank, Farmers Insurance Group, Fox Entertainment Group, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Guess?, Hanmi Bank, Herbalife, J2 Global Communications, The Jim Henson Company, KB Home, Korn/Ferry, Latham & Watkins, Mercury Insurance Group, Oaktree Capital Management, O’Melveny & Myers, Pabst Brewing Company, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Premier America, Premiere Radio Networks, Rentech, Sunkist, The TCW Group, Tokyopop, Triton Media Group, United Online, VCA Antech, and Viking Cruises.
The University of Southern California (USC) is the city's largest private sector employer and contributes $4 billion annually to the local economy.[110]
According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the city as of 2009 were, in descending order, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Fox Entertainment Group, Farmers Insurance Group, TeamOne, and Northrop Grumman.[111]Culture The Dolby Theatre; venue for the Academy Awards Walt Disney Concert HallMain article: Arts and culture of Los AngelesHigh percentage of creatives
Los Angeles is often billed as the "Creative Capital of the World," due to the fact that one in every six of its residents works in a creative industry.[112] According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians living and working in Los Angeles than any other city at any time in the history of civilization."[113]Movies and the performing arts
Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, globally recognized as the epicenter of the motion picture industry. A testament to its preeminence in film, the city plays host to the annual Academy Awards, the oldest and one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. Finally, Los Angeles is home to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest film school in the United States.[114]
The performing arts play a major role in Los Angeles' cultural identity. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more than 1,100 annual theatrical productions and 21 openings every week."[113] The Los Angeles Music Center is "one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation," with more than 1.3 million visitors per year.[115] The Walt Disney Concert Hall, centerpiece of the Music Center, is home to the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic. Notable organizations such as Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Los Angeles Opera are also resident companies of the Music Center. Talent is locally cultivated at premier institutions such as the Colburn School and the USC Thornton School of Music.Museums and galleriesSee also: Los Angeles City Museums
There are 841 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County.[116] In fact, Los Angeles has more museums per capita than any other city in the world.[116] Some of the notable museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (the largest art museum in the Western United States[117]), the Getty Center (part of the larger J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution[118]), the Battleship Iowa, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A significant number of art galleries are located on Gallery Row, and tens of thousands attend the monthly Downtown Art Walk there.[119] The Fox Plaza in Century City, headquarters for 20th Century FoxCults
L.A. has a long history of attracting cult leaders and cults.[120] Film actress and Georgetown graduate Brit Marling, in July 2014, said, "There are so many cultish circles, so many ideas for a quick fix on how your life is going to be as blissful as the weather out there."[121]Sports Dodger Stadium is the home of the Los Angeles DodgersSee also: Sports in Los Angeles and History of the National Football League in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles is the home of several major league professional sports teams. These Los Angeles teams include the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The Los Angeles metro area include additional major league teams. The Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer is based in Carson. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League are in the Los Angeles media market and are based in Anaheim in Orange County. The Angels began as an expansion franchise team in Los Angeles in 1961 before moving to Anaheim in 1966.[122] The Ducks, who have played in Anaheim since their inception as an expansion team in 1993, were originally owned by Disney. The team adopted its current name in 2006, a year after Disney sold the franchise.[123]
Other notable sports teams include the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. Los Angeles is also home to the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA, both of which are Division I teams in the Pacific-12 Conference.
Los Angeles is the second-largest television market in the United States but has no NFL team. At one time Los Angeles area had two NFL teams, the Rams and the Raiders. Both left the city in 1995, with the Rams moving to St. Louis, and the Raiders heading back to their original home of Oakland. Prior to 1995, the Rams called Memorial Coliseum home (1946–1979) and the Raiders played their home games at Memorial Coliseum from 1982 to 1994. Staples Center is a sports arena home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Kings
Since the franchises' departures, the NFL and individual NFL owners have attempted to relocate a team to the city. Following the 1995 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks planned to play in the Rose Bowl under a new team name and logo for the 1996 season, but the State of Washington filed a lawsuit to prevent the move.[124] Despite the failure to build a new stadium for an NFL team, Los Angeles is still expected to return to the league through expansion or relocation.[125] On August 9, 2011, the LA City Council approved plans to build Farmers Field, which may become home to an NFL team in the future.[126]
Los Angeles has twice played host to the Summer Olympic Games, in 1932 and in 1984. When the tenth Olympic Games were hosted in 1932, the former 10th Street was renamed Olympic Blvd. Super Bowls I and VII were also held in the city as well as multiple FIFA World Cup games in 1994 including the final. Los Angeles will host the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2015.[127]
Los Angeles boasts a number of sports venues, including Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Coliseum, The Forum, the StubHub Center, and the Staples Center. Staples Center also serves as the home arena for the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. It was also home to the Los Angeles Avengers of the original AFL, a team that did not participate in that league's ongoing revival.GovernmentMain article: Government of Los AngelesSee also: Government of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles is a charter city as opposed to a general law city. The elected government consists of the Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor of Los Angeles which operate under a mayor-council government, as well as the city attorney (not to be confused with the district attorney, a county office) and controller. The current mayor is Eric Garcetti. There are 15 city council districts.
The city has many departments and appointed officers, including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL).
The Charter of the City of Los Angeles ratified by voters in 1999 created a system of advisory neighborhood councils that would represent the diversity of stakeholders, defined as those who live, work or own property in the neighborhood. The neighborhood councils are relatively autonomous and spontaneous in that they identify their own boundaries, establish their own bylaws, and elect their own officers. There are currently about 90 neighborhood councils.
Residents of Los Angeles elect supervisors for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th supervisorial districts.Federal and state representation
In the California State Assembly, Los Angeles is split between fourteen districts:[128] the 38th, 39th, 43rd, 45th, 46th, 50th, 51st, 53rd, 54th, 59th, 62nd, 64th, 66th, and 70th districts.
In the California State Senate, Los Angeles is split between eight districts:[129] the 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 30th, 33rd, and 35th districts.
In the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles is split between ten congressional districts:[130]California's 25th congressional district, represented by Republican Buck McKeon,[131]California's 28th congressional district, represented by Democrat Adam Schiff,[132]California's 29th congressional district, represented by Democrat Tony Cardenas,[133]California's 30th congressional district, represented by Democrat Brad Sherman,[134]California's 33rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Henry Waxman,[135]California's 34th congressional district, represented by Democrat Xavier Becerra,[136]California's 37th congressional district, represented by Democrat Karen Bass,[137]California's 40th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard,[138]California's 43rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Maxine Waters,[139] andCalifornia's 44th congressional district, represented by Democrat Janice Hahn.[140]CrimeSee also: Crime in Los Angeles and List of criminal gangs in Los Angeles The LAPD on May Day 2006 in front of the new Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Like most American cities, Los Angeles has been experiencing significant decline in crime since the mid-1990s, and reached a 50-year low in 2009 with 314 homicides.[141][142] This is a rate of 7.85 per 100,000 population—a major decrease from 1993, when the all-time high homicide rate of over 21.1 per 100,000 was reported for the year.[143] This included 15 officer-involved shootings. One shooting led to the death of a SWAT team member, Randal Simmons, the first in LAPD's history.[144] Los Angeles in the year of 2013 totaled 251 murders, a decrease of 16 percent from the previous year. Police speculate that the drop resulted from a number of factors, including young people spending more time online.[145]
The Dragna crime family and the Cohen crime family dominated organized crime in the city during the Prohibition era[146] and reached its peak during the 1940s and 1950s as part of the American Mafia but has gradually declined since then with the rise of various black and Hispanic gangs.[147]
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the city is home to 45,000 gang members, organized into 450 gangs.[148] Among them are the Crips and Bloods, which are both African American street gangs that originated in South Los Angeles. Latino street gangs such as the Sureños, a Mexican American street gang, and Mara Salvatrucha, which has mainly members of Salvadoran descent, all originated in Los Angeles. The 18th Street has a predominately Latino membership but is multiethnic. This has led to the city being referred to as the "Gang Capital of America".[149]EducationColleges and universities Second branch of the California State Normal School in downtown Los Angeles opened its doors in 1882.
There are three public universities located within the city limits: California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Private colleges in the city include the American Film Institute Conservatory, Alliant International University, Syracuse University (Los Angeles Campus), American Jewish University, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy – Los Angeles campus, Antioch University's Los Angeles campus, Biola University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Emperor's College, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's Los Angeles campus (FIDM), Los Angeles Film School, Loyola Marymount University (LMU is also the parent university of Loyola Law School located in Los Angeles), Marymount College, Mount St. Mary's College, National University of California, Occidental College ("Oxy"), Otis College of Art and Design (Otis), Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Southwestern Law School, and University of Southern California (USC).
The community college system consists of nine campuses governed by the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District: East Los Angeles College (ELAC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College.
There are numerous additional colleges and universities in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Claremont Colleges consortium, which includes some of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the United States, is located 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.Schools and libraries The Los Angeles Central Library located in downtown Los Angeles.See also: Los Angeles County, California § Colleges and universities and List of high schools in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles Unified School District serves almost all of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population around 800,000.[150] After Proposition 13 was approved in 1978, urban school districts had considerable trouble with funding. LAUSD has become known for its underfunded, overcrowded and poorly maintained campuses, although its 162 Magnet schools help compete with local private schools. Several small sections of Los Angeles are in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. The Los Angeles County Office of Education operates the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The Los Angeles Public Library system operates 72 public libraries in the city.[151] Enclaves of unincorporated areas are served by branches of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, many of which are within walking distance to residents.MediaMain article: Media in Los AngelesSee also: List of television shows set in Los Angeles and List of films set in Los Angeles
The major daily English-language newspaper in the area is the Los Angeles Times. La Opinión is the city's major daily Spanish-language paper, The Korea Times is the city's major daily Korean language paper, and The Los Angeles Sentinel is the city's major African-American weekly paper, boasting the largest Black readership in the Western United States. Investor's Business Daily is distributed from its L.A. corporate offices, which are headquartered in Playa Del Rey. Los Angeles Times Headquarters
There are also a number of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including the Los Angeles Register, Daily News (which focuses coverage on the San Fernando Valley), LA Weekly, L.A. Record (which focuses coverage on the music scene in the Greater Los Angeles Area), Los Angeles magazine, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Daily Journal (legal industry paper), The Hollywood Reporter and Variety (entertainment industry papers), and Los Angeles Downtown News. In addition to the major papers, numerous local periodicals serve immigrant communities in their native languages, including Armenian, English, Korean, Persian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, and Arabic. Many cities adjacent to Los Angeles also have their own daily newspapers whose coverage and availability overlaps into certain Los Angeles neighborhoods. Examples include The Daily Breeze (serving the South Bay), and The Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Los Angeles and New York City are the only two media markets to have seven VHF allocations assigned to them.[152]
The city has major broadcast channels as well as three PBS stations. World TV operates on two channels and the area has several Spanish-language television networks. KTBN 40 is the flagship station of the religious Trinity Broadcasting Network, based out of Santa Ana. A variety of independent television stations also operate in the area.TransportationMain article: Transportation in Los AngelesFreewaysMain article: Southern California freeways
The city and the rest of the Los Angeles metropolitan area are served by an extensive network of freeways and highways. The Texas Transportation Institute, which publishes an annual Urban Mobility Report, ranked Los Angeles road traffic as the most congested in the United States in 2005 as measured by annual delay per traveler.[153] The average traveler in Los Angeles experienced 72 hours of traffic delay per year according to the study. Los Angeles was followed by San Francisco/Oakland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, (each with 60 hours of delay).[154] Despite the congestion in the city, the mean travel time for commuters in Los Angeles is shorter than other major cities, including New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Los Angeles' mean travel time for work commutes in 2006 was 29.2 minutes, similar to those of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.[155]
Among the major highways that connect LA to the rest of the nation include Interstate 5, which runs south through San Diego to Tijuana in Mexico and north through Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle to the Canadian border; Interstate 10, the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway in the United States, going to Jacksonville, Florida; and U.S. Route 101, which heads to the California Central Coast, San Francisco, the Redwood Empire, and the Oregon and Washington coasts.Transit systemsMain article: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Current Los Angeles Metro Rail and Metro Transitway map showing existing lines.
The LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other agencies operate an extensive system of bus lines, as well as subway and light rail lines across Los Angeles County, with a combined monthly ridership (measured in individual boardings) of 38.8 million as of September 2011. The majority of this (30.5 million) is taken up by the city's bus system,[156] the second busiest in the country. The subway and light rail combined average the remaining roughly 8.2 million boardings per month.[156] In 2005, 10.2% of Los Angeles commuters rode some form of public transportation.[157]
The city's subway system is the ninth busiest in the United States and its light rail system is the country's second busiest.[158] The rail system includes the Red and Purple subway lines, as well as the Gold, Blue, Expo, and Green light rail lines. The Metro Orange and Silver lines are bus rapid transit lines with stops and frequency similar to those of light rail. The city is also central to the commuter rail system Metrolink, which links Los Angeles to all neighboring counties as well as many suburbs.
Besides the rail service provided by Metrolink and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles is served by inter-city passenger trains from Amtrak. The main rail station in the city is Union Station just north of Downtown.Airports The Theme Building at LAX
The main international and domestic airport serving Los Angeles is Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX), commonly referred to by its airport code, LAX. The sixth busiest commercial airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States, LAX handled over 66 million passengers and close to 2 million tons of cargo in 2013.
Other major nearby commercial airports include:(IATA: ONT, ICAO: KONT) LA/Ontario International Airport, owned by the city of Los Angeles; serves the Inland Empire.(IATA: BUR, ICAO: KBUR) Bob Hope Airport, formerly known as Burbank Airport; serves the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys(IATA: LGB, ICAO: KLGB) Long Beach Airport, serves the Long Beach/Harbor area(IATA: SNA, ICAO: KSNA) John Wayne Airport of Orange County
One of the world's busiest general-aviation airports is also located in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY).[159]Seaports A view of the Vincent Thomas Bridge reaching Terminal Island
The Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Downtown. Also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT LA, the port complex occupies 7,500 acres (30 km2) of land and water along 43 miles (69 km) of waterfront. It adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach.
The sea ports of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together make up the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor.[160][161][162] Together, both ports are the fifth busiest container port in the world, with a trade volume of over 14.2 million TEU's in 2008.[163] Singly, the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States and the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast of the United States – The Port of Los Angeles' World Cruise Center served about 800,000 passengers in 2009.[164]
There are also smaller, non-industrial harbors along Los Angeles' coastline. The port includes four bridges: the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Henry Ford Bridge, Gerald Desmond Bridge, and Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge. Passenger ferry service from San Pedro to the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island is provided by Catalina Express.
Los Angeles (i/lɔːs ˈændʒələs/, /lɔːs ˈæŋɡələs/ or i/lɒs ˈændʒəliːz/, Spanish: Los Ángeles [los ˈaŋxeles] meaning The Angels), officially the City of Los Angeles, often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California and the second-most populous in the United States, after New York City, with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621.[16] It has a land area of 469 square miles (1,215 km2), and is located in Southern California.
The city is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metropolitan statistical area and Greater Los Angeles Area region, which contain 13 million[17] and over 18 million people in Combined statistical area respectively as of 2010, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world[18] and the second-largest in the United States.[19] Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most ethnically diverse counties[20] in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area itself has been recognized as the most diverse of the nation's largest cities.[21] The city's inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos.[22]
Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve.[7] It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence.[23] 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.[24] Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.[25]
Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a global city, with strengths in business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research and has been ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index and 9th Global Economic Power Index. The city 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. The Los Angeles combined statistical area (CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas.[26] Los Angeles includes Hollywood and leads the world in the creation of television productions, video games, and recorded music; it is also one of the leaders in motion picture production.[27] Additionally, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984.
Contents1 History2 Geography 2.1 Cityscape 2.1.1 Landmarks2.2 Topography2.3 Geology2.4 Climate2.5 Environmental issues3 Demographics 3.1 Race and ethnicity3.2 Religion4 Economy5 Culture 5.1 High percentage of creatives5.2 Movies and the performing arts5.3 Museums and galleries5.4 Cults6 Sports7 Government 7.1 Federal and state representation7.2 Crime8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities8.2 Schools and libraries9 Media10 Transportation 10.1 Freeways10.2 Transit systems10.3 Airports10.4 Seaports11 Notable people12 Twin towns – Sister cities13 See also14 References15 Further reading16 External links
HistoryHistorical affiliations
Spanish Empire 1781–1821 First Mexican Empire 1821–1823 United Mexican States 1823–1848 California Republic 1846 United States 1848–presentMain article: History of Los AngelesSee also: Timeline of Los Angeles and Los Angeles in the 1920s Pueblo de Los Ángeles Plaza in 1869. The Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad was the first railroad into Los Angeles in 1869.Los Angeles City Hall, shown here in 1931, was built in 1928 and was the tallest structure in the city until 1964, when height restrictions were removedHollywood film studios, 1922The Los Angeles Coliseum hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984
The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva (or Gabrieleños) and Chumash Native American tribes thousands of years ago. A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), meaning "poison oak place".[28][29]
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese-born explorer, claimed the area of southern California for the Spanish Empire in 1542.[30] Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769.[31]
In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area.[32] On September 4, 1781, a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores" founded the pueblo called "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula"; in English it is "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River". The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary.[33] Two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry.[34] The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820, the population had increased to about 650 residents.[35] Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street, the oldest part of Los Angeles.[36]
New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta California's regional capital. Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847.[37]
Railroads arrived with the completion of the Southern Pacific line to Los Angeles in 1876.[38] Oil was discovered in 1892, and by 1923, the discoveries had helped California become the country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output.[39]
By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000,[40] putting pressure on the city's water supply.[41] The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city.[42]
In 1910, not only had the city of Los Angeles annexed Hollywood, but there were already at least 10 movie companies operating in the city. By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was concentrated in L.A.[43] The money generated by the industry kept the city insulated from much of the economic pain suffered by the rest of the country during the Great Depression.[44] By 1930, the population surpassed one million.[45] In 1932, the city hosted the Summer Olympics.
During World War II, Los Angeles was a major center of wartime manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and aircraft. Calship built hundreds of Liberty Ships and Victory Ships on Terminal Island, and the Los Angeles area was the headquarters of six of the country's major aircraft manufacturers (Douglas Aircraft Company, Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed, North American Aviation, Northrop Corporation, and Vultee. During the war, more aircraft were produced in one year than in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers invented the airplane in 1903, combined. Manufacturing in Los Angeles skyrocketed, and as William S. Knudsen, of the National Defense Advisory Commission put it, "We won because we smothered the enemy in an avalanche of production, the like of which he had never seen, nor dreamed possible.[46] B-25 Mitchell bombers being built in the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles in World War II[47]
Following the end of World War II, Los Angeles grew more rapidly than ever, sprawling into the San Fernando Valley.[48] The expansion of the Interstate Highway System during the 1950s and 1960s helped propel suburban growth and signaled the demise of the city's electrified rail system, once the world's largest.
The 1960s saw race relations boil-over into the Watts Riots of 1965 which resulted in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. It was the most severe riot in the city's history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992. In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park.[49]
In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time. Despite being boycotted by 14 Communist countries, the 1984 Olympics became more financially successful than any previous,[50] and the second Olympics to turn a profit until then – the other, according to an analysis of contemporary newspaper reports, being the 1932 Summer Olympics, also held in Los Angeles.[51]
Racial tensions erupted on April 29, 1992, with the acquittal by a Simi Valley jury of the police officers captured on videotape beating Rodney King, culminating in large-scale riots.[52] In 1994, the 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook the city, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.[53] The century ended with the Rampart scandal, one of the most extensive documented cases of police misconduct in American history.[54]
In 2002, voters defeated efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city.[55]GeographySee also: Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley, Greater Los Angeles Area and Los Angeles County, CaliforniaCityscapeMain article: List of districts and neighborhoods of Los AngelesPanorama of Los Angeles as viewed from Mulholland Drive. Left to right: Santa Ana Mountains, downtown, Hollywood (foreground), Wilshire Boulevard, Port of Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Santa Catalina Island, and Los Angeles International Airport. Hollywood, a well-known district of Los Angeles, is often mistaken for an independent city (as West Hollywood is).
The city is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods,[56] many of which were incorporated places or communities that were annexed by the city.[57] Greater Los Angeles includes a number of enclaves and nearby communities. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbor Area, Greater Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside, and the San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys.
Some well-known communities within Los Angeles include West Adams, Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice, the Downtown Financial District, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Westwood and the more affluent areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades, Century City, and Brentwood.LandmarksSee also: Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles, California, List of sites of interest in the Los Angeles area and National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles, California
Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Angels Flight, the Kodak Theatre, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, the Bradbury Building, Hollywood Boulevard, the Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles City Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Theme Building, Battleship USS Iowa, the Watts Towers, the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Sunset Bridge.
L.A. Live
TCL Chinese Theatre
Griffith Observatory
Capitol Records Building
Angels FlightTopography The Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 km2), comprising 468.7 square miles (1,214 km2) of land and 34.0 square miles (88 km2) of water.[10] The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) longitudinally and for 29 miles (47 km) latitudinally. The perimeter of the city is 342 miles (550 km).
Los Angeles is both flat and hilly. The highest point in the city is 5,074 ft (1,547 m) Mount Lukens,[58][59] located at the northeastern end of the San Fernando Valley. The eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean and separates the Los Angeles Basin from the San Fernando Valley. Other hilly parts of Los Angeles include the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights, the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro district.
The Los Angeles River, which is largely seasonal, is the primary drainage channel. It was straightened and lined in 51 miles of concrete by the Army Corps of Engineers to act as a flood control channel.[60] The river begins in the Canoga Park district of the city, flows east from the San Fernando Valley along the north edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, and turns south through the city center, flowing to its mouth in the Port of Long Beach at the Pacific Ocean. The smaller Ballona Creek flows into the Santa Monica Bay at Playa del Rey.
The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub,[61] which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, Coast Live Oak, and Giant Wildrye. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though it is not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)[62] and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae).[63] Mexican Fan Palms, Canary Island Palms, and California Fan Palms are common in the Los Angeles area, although only the last is native.Geology
Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The geologic instability has produced numerous faults, which cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes annually in Southern California, though most of them are too small to be felt.[64] One of the major faults is the San Andreas Fault. Located at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, it is predicted to be the source of Southern California's next big earthquake.[65] Major earthquakes to have hit the Los Angeles area include the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Sylmar, and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Nevertheless, all but a few quakes are of low intensity and are not felt.[64] The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes.[66] Parts of the city are also vulnerable to tsunamis; harbor areas were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake in 1960.[67]ClimateMain article: Climate of the Los Angeles Basin MacArthur Park
Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoid either Köppen's BSh or BSk (semi-arid climate) classification. Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.[68]
The average annual temperature in downtown is 66 °F (19 °C): 75 °F (24 °C) during the day and 57 °F (14 °C) at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from 59 to 73 °F (15 to 23 °C) during the day and 45 to 55 °F (7 to 13 °C) at night. In the warmest month – August – the temperature typically ranges from 79 to 90 °F (26 to 32 °C) during the day and around 64 °F (18 °C) at night.
Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September.[68] Temperatures are subject to substantial daily swings; in inland areas the difference between the average daily low and the average daily high is over 30 Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) degrees.[69] The average annual temperature of the sea is 63 °F (17 °C), from 58 °F (14 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) in August.[70] Hours of sunshine total more than 3,000 per year, from an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12 in July.[71]
The Los Angeles area is also subject to phenomena typical of a microclimate, causing extreme variations in temperature in close physical proximity to each other. For instance, the average July maximum temperature at the Santa Monica Pier is 75 °F (24 °C) whereas it is 95 °F (35 °C) in Canoga Park.[72] The city, like much of the southern California coast, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called "June Gloom." This involves overcast or foggy skies in the morning which yield to sun by early afternoon.[73]
Downtown Los Angeles averages 15.14 inches (384.6 mm) of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April), generally in the form of moderate rain showers, but often as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms during winter storms. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while the mountains get slightly more. However the San Fernando Valley Region of Los Angeles can get between 16 and 20 inches (410 and 510 mm) of rain per year. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern is bimodal, with a short string of dry years (perhaps 7–8 inches or 180–200 millimetres) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. Snowfall is extremely rare in the city basin, but the mountains within city limits typically receive snowfall every winter. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was 2 inches (5 cm) in 1932.[74] The highest recorded temperature in downtown Los Angeles is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010[75] and the lowest recorded temperature is 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 22, 1944.
[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (USC, Downtown), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1877–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (LAX), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1944–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (Canoga Park, in the San Fernando Valley)Environmental issues A view of Los Angeles covered in smog
A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), which has been translated as "poison oak place".[28][29] Yang-na has also been translated as "the valley of smoke."[81][82] Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources.[83]
The smog season lasts from May to October.[84] Unlike other large cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only 15 inches (380 mm) of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low-emission vehicles. Smog is expected to continue to drop in the coming years due to aggressive steps to reduce it, which include electric and hybrid cars, improvements in mass transit, and other measures.
The number of Stage 1 smog alerts in Los Angeles has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[85] In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution.[86] The city met its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources in 2010.[87]
The American Lung Association's 2013 survey ranks the metro area as having the nation's worst smog, and fourth in both short term and year round pollution amounts.[88]DemographicsMain article: Demographics of Los Angeles Map of Los Angeles County showing percentage of population self-identified as Mexican in ancestry or national origin by census tracts. Heaviest concentrations are in East L.A, Echo Lake/Silver Lake, South Central, San Fernando and San Pedro/Wilmington.Historical populationCensusPop.%±18501,610—18604,385172.4%18705,72830.6%188011,18395.2%189050,395350.6%1900102,479103.4%1910319,198211.5%1920576,67380.7%19301,238,048114.7%19401,504,27721.5%19501,970,35831.0%19602,479,01525.8%19702,816,06113.6%19802,966,8505.4%19903,485,39817.5%20003,694,8206.0%20103,792,6212.6%Est. 20143,884,3072.4%source:[15]
The 2010 United States Census[89] reported that Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621.[90] The population density was 7,544.6 people per square mile (2,913.0/km²). The Census reported that 3,708,020 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 58,186 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 26,415 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
The age distribution was 874,525 people (23.1%) under 18, 434,478 people (11.5%) from 18 to 24, 1,209,367 people (31.9%) from 25 to 44, 877,555 people (23.1%) from 45 to 64, and 396,696 people (10.5%) who were 65 or older.[90] The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.[90]
There were 1,413,995 housing units—up from 1,298,350 during 2005–2009[90]—at an average density of 2,812.8 households per square mile (1,086.0/km²), of which 503,863 (38.2%) were owner-occupied, and 814,305 (61.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 1,535,444 people (40.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,172,576 people (57.3%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Los Angeles had a median household income of $49,745, with 21.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[90]Race and ethnicity[hide]Racial composition2010[90]1990[91]1970[91]1940[91]White49.8%52.8%77.2%93.5% —Non-Hispanic28.7%37.3%61.1%[92]86.3%Black or African American9.6%14.0%17.9%4.2%Hispanic or Latino (of any race)48.5%39.9%17.1%[92]7.1%[93]Asian11.3%9.8%3.6%2.2%
Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages.[94] Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.
According to the 2010 Census, the racial makeup of Los Angeles included: 1,888,158 Whites (49.8%), 365,118 African Americans (9.6%), 28,215 Native Americans (0.7%), 426,959 Asians (11.3%), 5,577 Pacific Islanders (0.1%), 902,959 from other races (23.8%), and 175,635 (4.6%) from two or more races.[90] Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1,838,822 persons (48.5%).
Non-Hispanic whites were 28.7% of the population in 2010,[90] compared to 86.3% in 1940.[91] Mexicans make up the largest ethnic group of Latinos at 31.9% of Los Angeles' population, followed by Salvadorans (6.0%) and Guatemalans (3.6%). The Latino population is spread throughout the city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area but it is most heavily concentrated in the East Los Angeles region, which has a long established Mexican American and Central American community.
The largest Asian ethnic groups are Filipinos (3.2%) and Koreans (2.9%), which have their own established ethnic enclaves−Koreatown in the Wilshire Center and Historic Filipinotown. Chinese people, which make up 1.8% of Los Angeles' population, reside mostly outside of Los Angeles city limits and rather in the San Gabriel Valley of eastern Los Angeles County, but make a sizable presence in the city, notably in Chinatown. Chinatown and Thaitown are also home to many Thais and Cambodians, which make up 0.3% and 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, respectively. Japanese comprise 0.9% of L.A.'s population, and have an established Little Tokyo in the city's downtown, and another significant community of Japanese Americans is located in the Sawtelle district of West Los Angeles. Vietnamese make up 0.5% of Los Angeles' population. Indians make up 0.9% of the city's population.
The city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area are home to a large Middle Eastern population, including Armenians and Iranians, partially residing in enclaves like Little Armenia and Tehrangeles.
African Americans have the largest establishment in South Los Angeles, including the industrial neighborhoods of Crenshaw and Watts.[95] In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 17.9% black, 61.1% non-Hispanic white and 17.1% Hispanic.[91] However, since the 1980s, there has been a large influx of immigration from Mexico and Central America which have outnumbered the blacks in South Los Angeles. South Los Angeles, as well as neighboring communities such as the city of Compton that were home to predominant African American populations are now transforming into Hispanic communities.[96]
Pacific Islanders make up 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, and are concentrated in southwestern Los Angeles County, namely in Long Beach and Carson, which are home to thousands of Samoan Americans.[97]Religion Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is the mother cathedral for the Los Angeles archdiocese
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles leads the largest archdiocese in the country.[98] Cardinal Roger Mahony oversaw construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which opened in September 2002 in downtown Los Angeles.[99] Construction of the cathedral marked a coming of age of the city's Catholic, heavily Latino community. There are numerous Catholic churches and parishes throughout Los Angeles.
In 2011 the once common but ultimately lapsed custom of conducting a procession and Mass in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in commemoration of the founding of the City of Los Angeles in 1781 was revived by the Queen of Angels Foundation and its founder Mark Albert, with the support and approbation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as well as several civic leaders.[100] The recently revived custom is a continuation of the original processions and Masses which commenced on the first anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles in 1782 and continued for nearly a century thereafter.
With 621,000 Jews in the metropolitan area (490,000 in city proper), the region has the second largest population of Jews in the United States.[101] Many of Los Angeles' Jews now live on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, though Boyle Heights and Northwest Los Angeles once had large Jewish populations. Many varieties of Judaism are represented in the area, including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. The Breed Street Shul in East Los Angeles, built in 1923, was the largest synagogue west of Chicago in its early decades.[102] (It is no longer a sacred space and is being converted to a museum and community center.)[103] The Kabbalah Centre also has a presence in the city.[104] Built in 1956, the Los Angeles California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second largest Mormon temple in the world
The Los Angeles California Temple, the second largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles. Dedicated in 1956, it was the first Mormon temple built in California and it was the largest in the world when completed.[105]
The Hollywood region of Los Angeles also has several significant headquarters, churches, and the Celebrity Center of Scientology.
Because of Los Angeles' large multi-ethnic population, a wide variety of faiths are practiced, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, various Eastern Orthodox Churches, Sufism and others. Immigrants from Asia for example, have formed a number of significant Buddhist congregations making the city home to the greatest variety of Buddhists in the world.EconomyFurther information: Los Angeles County EconomySee also: Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Companies such as US Bancorp, Ernst & Young, Aon, Manulife Financial, City National Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Deloitte, KPMG and the Union Bank of California have offices in the Downtown Financial District.
The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, video games, recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, apparel, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the western United States.[106] The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together comprise the fifth-busiest port in the world and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere and is vital to trade within the Pacific Rim.[106] Other significant industries include media production, finance, telecommunications, law, healthcare, and transportation.
The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $735.7 billion (as of 2010),[107] making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo Area and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA.[26] If counted as a country, the surrounding CSA has the 15th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.[108] Los Angeles has been classified an "Alpha world city" according to a 2012 study by a research group at Loughborough University in England.[109]
The city is home to six Fortune 500 companies. They are energy company Occidental Petroleum, healthcare provider Health Net, metals distributor Reliance Steel & Aluminum, engineering firm AECOM, real estate group CBRE Group and builder Tutor Perini.
Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include 20th Century Fox, American Apparel, California Pizza Kitchen, The Capital Group, Capstone Turbine, The Cheesecake Factory, Cathay Bank, City National Bank, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, DeviantArt, Far East National Bank, Farmers Insurance Group, Fox Entertainment Group, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Guess?, Hanmi Bank, Herbalife, J2 Global Communications, The Jim Henson Company, KB Home, Korn/Ferry, Latham & Watkins, Mercury Insurance Group, Oaktree Capital Management, O’Melveny & Myers, Pabst Brewing Company, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Premier America, Premiere Radio Networks, Rentech, Sunkist, The TCW Group, Tokyopop, Triton Media Group, United Online, VCA Antech, and Viking Cruises.
The University of Southern California (USC) is the city's largest private sector employer and contributes $4 billion annually to the local economy.[110]
According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the city as of 2009 were, in descending order, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Fox Entertainment Group, Farmers Insurance Group, TeamOne, and Northrop Grumman.[111]Culture The Dolby Theatre; venue for the Academy Awards Walt Disney Concert HallMain article: Arts and culture of Los AngelesHigh percentage of creatives
Los Angeles is often billed as the "Creative Capital of the World," due to the fact that one in every six of its residents works in a creative industry.[112] According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians living and working in Los Angeles than any other city at any time in the history of civilization."[113]Movies and the performing arts
Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, globally recognized as the epicenter of the motion picture industry. A testament to its preeminence in film, the city plays host to the annual Academy Awards, the oldest and one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. Finally, Los Angeles is home to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest film school in the United States.[114]
The performing arts play a major role in Los Angeles' cultural identity. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more than 1,100 annual theatrical productions and 21 openings every week."[113] The Los Angeles Music Center is "one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation," with more than 1.3 million visitors per year.[115] The Walt Disney Concert Hall, centerpiece of the Music Center, is home to the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic. Notable organizations such as Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Los Angeles Opera are also resident companies of the Music Center. Talent is locally cultivated at premier institutions such as the Colburn School and the USC Thornton School of Music.Museums and galleriesSee also: Los Angeles City Museums
There are 841 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County.[116] In fact, Los Angeles has more museums per capita than any other city in the world.[116] Some of the notable museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (the largest art museum in the Western United States[117]), the Getty Center (part of the larger J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution[118]), the Battleship Iowa, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A significant number of art galleries are located on Gallery Row, and tens of thousands attend the monthly Downtown Art Walk there.[119] The Fox Plaza in Century City, headquarters for 20th Century FoxCults
L.A. has a long history of attracting cult leaders and cults.[120] Film actress and Georgetown graduate Brit Marling, in July 2014, said, "There are so many cultish circles, so many ideas for a quick fix on how your life is going to be as blissful as the weather out there."[121]Sports Dodger Stadium is the home of the Los Angeles DodgersSee also: Sports in Los Angeles and History of the National Football League in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles is the home of several major league professional sports teams. These Los Angeles teams include the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The Los Angeles metro area include additional major league teams. The Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer is based in Carson. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League are in the Los Angeles media market and are based in Anaheim in Orange County. The Angels began as an expansion franchise team in Los Angeles in 1961 before moving to Anaheim in 1966.[122] The Ducks, who have played in Anaheim since their inception as an expansion team in 1993, were originally owned by Disney. The team adopted its current name in 2006, a year after Disney sold the franchise.[123]
Other notable sports teams include the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. Los Angeles is also home to the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA, both of which are Division I teams in the Pacific-12 Conference.
Los Angeles is the second-largest television market in the United States but has no NFL team. At one time Los Angeles area had two NFL teams, the Rams and the Raiders. Both left the city in 1995, with the Rams moving to St. Louis, and the Raiders heading back to their original home of Oakland. Prior to 1995, the Rams called Memorial Coliseum home (1946–1979) and the Raiders played their home games at Memorial Coliseum from 1982 to 1994. Staples Center is a sports arena home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Kings
Since the franchises' departures, the NFL and individual NFL owners have attempted to relocate a team to the city. Following the 1995 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks planned to play in the Rose Bowl under a new team name and logo for the 1996 season, but the State of Washington filed a lawsuit to prevent the move.[124] Despite the failure to build a new stadium for an NFL team, Los Angeles is still expected to return to the league through expansion or relocation.[125] On August 9, 2011, the LA City Council approved plans to build Farmers Field, which may become home to an NFL team in the future.[126]
Los Angeles has twice played host to the Summer Olympic Games, in 1932 and in 1984. When the tenth Olympic Games were hosted in 1932, the former 10th Street was renamed Olympic Blvd. Super Bowls I and VII were also held in the city as well as multiple FIFA World Cup games in 1994 including the final. Los Angeles will host the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2015.[127]
Los Angeles boasts a number of sports venues, including Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Coliseum, The Forum, the StubHub Center, and the Staples Center. Staples Center also serves as the home arena for the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. It was also home to the Los Angeles Avengers of the original AFL, a team that did not participate in that league's ongoing revival.GovernmentMain article: Government of Los AngelesSee also: Government of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles is a charter city as opposed to a general law city. The elected government consists of the Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor of Los Angeles which operate under a mayor-council government, as well as the city attorney (not to be confused with the district attorney, a county office) and controller. The current mayor is Eric Garcetti. There are 15 city council districts.
The city has many departments and appointed officers, including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL).
The Charter of the City of Los Angeles ratified by voters in 1999 created a system of advisory neighborhood councils that would represent the diversity of stakeholders, defined as those who live, work or own property in the neighborhood. The neighborhood councils are relatively autonomous and spontaneous in that they identify their own boundaries, establish their own bylaws, and elect their own officers. There are currently about 90 neighborhood councils.
Residents of Los Angeles elect supervisors for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th supervisorial districts.Federal and state representation
In the California State Assembly, Los Angeles is split between fourteen districts:[128] the 38th, 39th, 43rd, 45th, 46th, 50th, 51st, 53rd, 54th, 59th, 62nd, 64th, 66th, and 70th districts.
In the California State Senate, Los Angeles is split between eight districts:[129] the 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 30th, 33rd, and 35th districts.
In the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles is split between ten congressional districts:[130]California's 25th congressional district, represented by Republican Buck McKeon,[131]California's 28th congressional district, represented by Democrat Adam Schiff,[132]California's 29th congressional district, represented by Democrat Tony Cardenas,[133]California's 30th congressional district, represented by Democrat Brad Sherman,[134]California's 33rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Henry Waxman,[135]California's 34th congressional district, represented by Democrat Xavier Becerra,[136]California's 37th congressional district, represented by Democrat Karen Bass,[137]California's 40th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard,[138]California's 43rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Maxine Waters,[139] andCalifornia's 44th congressional district, represented by Democrat Janice Hahn.[140]CrimeSee also: Crime in Los Angeles and List of criminal gangs in Los Angeles The LAPD on May Day 2006 in front of the new Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Like most American cities, Los Angeles has been experiencing significant decline in crime since the mid-1990s, and reached a 50-year low in 2009 with 314 homicides.[141][142] This is a rate of 7.85 per 100,000 population—a major decrease from 1993, when the all-time high homicide rate of over 21.1 per 100,000 was reported for the year.[143] This included 15 officer-involved shootings. One shooting led to the death of a SWAT team member, Randal Simmons, the first in LAPD's history.[144] Los Angeles in the year of 2013 totaled 251 murders, a decrease of 16 percent from the previous year. Police speculate that the drop resulted from a number of factors, including young people spending more time online.[145]
The Dragna crime family and the Cohen crime family dominated organized crime in the city during the Prohibition era[146] and reached its peak during the 1940s and 1950s as part of the American Mafia but has gradually declined since then with the rise of various black and Hispanic gangs.[147]
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the city is home to 45,000 gang members, organized into 450 gangs.[148] Among them are the Crips and Bloods, which are both African American street gangs that originated in South Los Angeles. Latino street gangs such as the Sureños, a Mexican American street gang, and Mara Salvatrucha, which has mainly members of Salvadoran descent, all originated in Los Angeles. The 18th Street has a predominately Latino membership but is multiethnic. This has led to the city being referred to as the "Gang Capital of America".[149]EducationColleges and universities Second branch of the California State Normal School in downtown Los Angeles opened its doors in 1882.
There are three public universities located within the city limits: California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Private colleges in the city include the American Film Institute Conservatory, Alliant International University, Syracuse University (Los Angeles Campus), American Jewish University, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy – Los Angeles campus, Antioch University's Los Angeles campus, Biola University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Emperor's College, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's Los Angeles campus (FIDM), Los Angeles Film School, Loyola Marymount University (LMU is also the parent university of Loyola Law School located in Los Angeles), Marymount College, Mount St. Mary's College, National University of California, Occidental College ("Oxy"), Otis College of Art and Design (Otis), Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Southwestern Law School, and University of Southern California (USC).
The community college system consists of nine campuses governed by the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District: East Los Angeles College (ELAC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College.
There are numerous additional colleges and universities in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Claremont Colleges consortium, which includes some of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the United States, is located 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.Schools and libraries The Los Angeles Central Library located in downtown Los Angeles.See also: Los Angeles County, California § Colleges and universities and List of high schools in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles Unified School District serves almost all of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population around 800,000.[150] After Proposition 13 was approved in 1978, urban school districts had considerable trouble with funding. LAUSD has become known for its underfunded, overcrowded and poorly maintained campuses, although its 162 Magnet schools help compete with local private schools. Several small sections of Los Angeles are in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. The Los Angeles County Office of Education operates the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The Los Angeles Public Library system operates 72 public libraries in the city.[151] Enclaves of unincorporated areas are served by branches of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, many of which are within walking distance to residents.MediaMain article: Media in Los AngelesSee also: List of television shows set in Los Angeles and List of films set in Los Angeles
The major daily English-language newspaper in the area is the Los Angeles Times. La Opinión is the city's major daily Spanish-language paper, The Korea Times is the city's major daily Korean language paper, and The Los Angeles Sentinel is the city's major African-American weekly paper, boasting the largest Black readership in the Western United States. Investor's Business Daily is distributed from its L.A. corporate offices, which are headquartered in Playa Del Rey. Los Angeles Times Headquarters
There are also a number of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including the Los Angeles Register, Daily News (which focuses coverage on the San Fernando Valley), LA Weekly, L.A. Record (which focuses coverage on the music scene in the Greater Los Angeles Area), Los Angeles magazine, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Daily Journal (legal industry paper), The Hollywood Reporter and Variety (entertainment industry papers), and Los Angeles Downtown News. In addition to the major papers, numerous local periodicals serve immigrant communities in their native languages, including Armenian, English, Korean, Persian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, and Arabic. Many cities adjacent to Los Angeles also have their own daily newspapers whose coverage and availability overlaps into certain Los Angeles neighborhoods. Examples include The Daily Breeze (serving the South Bay), and The Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Los Angeles and New York City are the only two media markets to have seven VHF allocations assigned to them.[152]
The city has major broadcast channels as well as three PBS stations. World TV operates on two channels and the area has several Spanish-language television networks. KTBN 40 is the flagship station of the religious Trinity Broadcasting Network, based out of Santa Ana. A variety of independent television stations also operate in the area.TransportationMain article: Transportation in Los AngelesFreewaysMain article: Southern California freeways
The city and the rest of the Los Angeles metropolitan area are served by an extensive network of freeways and highways. The Texas Transportation Institute, which publishes an annual Urban Mobility Report, ranked Los Angeles road traffic as the most congested in the United States in 2005 as measured by annual delay per traveler.[153] The average traveler in Los Angeles experienced 72 hours of traffic delay per year according to the study. Los Angeles was followed by San Francisco/Oakland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, (each with 60 hours of delay).[154] Despite the congestion in the city, the mean travel time for commuters in Los Angeles is shorter than other major cities, including New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Los Angeles' mean travel time for work commutes in 2006 was 29.2 minutes, similar to those of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.[155]
Among the major highways that connect LA to the rest of the nation include Interstate 5, which runs south through San Diego to Tijuana in Mexico and north through Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle to the Canadian border; Interstate 10, the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway in the United States, going to Jacksonville, Florida; and U.S. Route 101, which heads to the California Central Coast, San Francisco, the Redwood Empire, and the Oregon and Washington coasts.Transit systemsMain article: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Current Los Angeles Metro Rail and Metro Transitway map showing existing lines.
The LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other agencies operate an extensive system of bus lines, as well as subway and light rail lines across Los Angeles County, with a combined monthly ridership (measured in individual boardings) of 38.8 million as of September 2011. The majority of this (30.5 million) is taken up by the city's bus system,[156] the second busiest in the country. The subway and light rail combined average the remaining roughly 8.2 million boardings per month.[156] In 2005, 10.2% of Los Angeles commuters rode some form of public transportation.[157]
The city's subway system is the ninth busiest in the United States and its light rail system is the country's second busiest.[158] The rail system includes the Red and Purple subway lines, as well as the Gold, Blue, Expo, and Green light rail lines. The Metro Orange and Silver lines are bus rapid transit lines with stops and frequency similar to those of light rail. The city is also central to the commuter rail system Metrolink, which links Los Angeles to all neighboring counties as well as many suburbs.
Besides the rail service provided by Metrolink and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles is served by inter-city passenger trains from Amtrak. The main rail station in the city is Union Station just north of Downtown.Airports The Theme Building at LAX
The main international and domestic airport serving Los Angeles is Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX), commonly referred to by its airport code, LAX. The sixth busiest commercial airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States, LAX handled over 66 million passengers and close to 2 million tons of cargo in 2013.
Other major nearby commercial airports include:(IATA: ONT, ICAO: KONT) LA/Ontario International Airport, owned by the city of Los Angeles; serves the Inland Empire.(IATA: BUR, ICAO: KBUR) Bob Hope Airport, formerly known as Burbank Airport; serves the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys(IATA: LGB, ICAO: KLGB) Long Beach Airport, serves the Long Beach/Harbor area(IATA: SNA, ICAO: KSNA) John Wayne Airport of Orange County
One of the world's busiest general-aviation airports is also located in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY).[159]Seaports A view of the Vincent Thomas Bridge reaching Terminal Island
The Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Downtown. Also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT LA, the port complex occupies 7,500 acres (30 km2) of land and water along 43 miles (69 km) of waterfront. It adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach.
The sea ports of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together make up the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor.[160][161][162] Together, both ports are the fifth busiest container port in the world, with a trade volume of over 14.2 million TEU's in 2008.[163] Singly, the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States and the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast of the United States – The Port of Los Angeles' World Cruise Center served about 800,000 passengers in 2009.[164]
There are also smaller, non-industrial harbors along Los Angeles' coastline. The port includes four bridges: the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Henry Ford Bridge, Gerald Desmond Bridge, and Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge. Passenger ferry service from San Pedro to the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island is provided by Catalina Express.
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Los Angeles, California
This article is about the U.S. city. For the county, see Los Angeles County, California. For the metropolitan area, see Los Angeles metropolitan area. For other uses, see Los Angeles (disambiguation)."L.A.", "LA", and "City of Los Angeles" redirect here. For other uses of "L.A." and "LA", see L.A. (disambiguation). For other uses of "City of Los Angeles", see City of Los Angeles (disambiguation).Los Angeles, CaliforniaCityCity of Los AngelesClockwise from top: Downtown Los Angeles skyline, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, Venice Beach, Vincent Thomas Bridge, Los Angeles City Hall, Hollywood SignFlagSealNickname(s): "L.A.", "City of Angels",[1] "Angeltown",[2] "The Big Orange"[3][4] "Lalaland", "Tinseltown"[5] "City of Flowers and Sunshine"[6]Location in Los Angeles County in the state of California Los Angeles, CaliforniaLocation in the United StatesCoordinates: 34°03′N 118°15′WCoordinates: 34°03′N 118°15′WCountry United States of AmericaState CaliforniaCounty Los AngelesFoundedSeptember 4, 1781[7]IncorporatedApril 4, 1850[8]Government • TypeMayor-Council • BodyLos Angeles City Council • MayorEric Garcetti[9] • City AttorneyMike Feuer[9] • City ControllerRon Galperin[9]Area[10] • City503 sq mi (1,302 km2) • Land469 sq mi (1,214 km2) • Water34 sq mi (88 km2) 6.7%Elevation[13]305 ft (93 m)Population (2014)[15] • City3,884,307 • Rank2nd U.S., 48th world[citation needed] • Density8,282/sq mi (3,198/km2) • Urban12,150,996[12] • Metro13,131,431[11] • CSA18,351,929[14]DemonymAngelenoTime zonePST (UTC-8) • Summer (DST)PDT (UTC−7)ZIP codes90001–90068, 90070–90084, 90086–90089, 90091, 90093–90097, 90099, 90101–90103, 90174, 90185, 90189, 90291–90293, 91040–91043, 91303–91308, 91342–91349, 91352–91353, 91356–91357, 91364–91367, 91401–91499, 91601–91609Area codes213, 310/424, 323, 661, 747/818FIPS code06-44000GNIS feature IDs1662328, 2410877Websitewww.lacity.org
Los Angeles (i/lɔːs ˈændʒələs/, /lɔːs ˈæŋɡələs/ or i/lɒs ˈændʒəliːz/, Spanish: Los Ángeles [los ˈaŋxeles] meaning The Angels), officially the City of Los Angeles, often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California and the second-most populous in the United States, after New York City, with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621.[16] It has a land area of 469 square miles (1,215 km2), and is located in Southern California.
The city is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metropolitan statistical area and Greater Los Angeles Area region, which contain 13 million[17] and over 18 million people in Combined statistical area respectively as of 2010, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world[18] and the second-largest in the United States.[19] Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most ethnically diverse counties[20] in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area itself has been recognized as the most diverse of the nation's largest cities.[21] The city's inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos.[22]
Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve.[7] It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence.[23] 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.[24] Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.[25]
Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a global city, with strengths in business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research and has been ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index and 9th Global Economic Power Index. The city 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. The Los Angeles combined statistical area (CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas.[26] Los Angeles includes Hollywood and leads the world in the creation of television productions, video games, and recorded music; it is also one of the leaders in motion picture production.[27] Additionally, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984.
Contents1 History2 Geography 2.1 Cityscape 2.1.1 Landmarks2.2 Topography2.3 Geology2.4 Climate2.5 Environmental issues3 Demographics 3.1 Race and ethnicity3.2 Religion4 Economy5 Culture 5.1 High percentage of creatives5.2 Movies and the performing arts5.3 Museums and galleries5.4 Cults6 Sports7 Government 7.1 Federal and state representation7.2 Crime8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities8.2 Schools and libraries9 Media10 Transportation 10.1 Freeways10.2 Transit systems10.3 Airports10.4 Seaports11 Notable people12 Twin towns – Sister cities13 See also14 References15 Further reading16 External links
HistoryHistorical affiliations
Spanish Empire 1781–1821 First Mexican Empire 1821–1823 United Mexican States 1823–1848 California Republic 1846 United States 1848–presentMain article: History of Los AngelesSee also: Timeline of Los Angeles and Los Angeles in the 1920s Pueblo de Los Ángeles Plaza in 1869. The Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad was the first railroad into Los Angeles in 1869.Los Angeles City Hall, shown here in 1931, was built in 1928 and was the tallest structure in the city until 1964, when height restrictions were removedHollywood film studios, 1922The Los Angeles Coliseum hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984
The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva (or Gabrieleños) and Chumash Native American tribes thousands of years ago. A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), meaning "poison oak place".[28][29]
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese-born explorer, claimed the area of southern California for the Spanish Empire in 1542.[30] Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769.[31]
In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area.[32] On September 4, 1781, a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores" founded the pueblo called "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula"; in English it is "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River". The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary.[33] Two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry.[34] The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820, the population had increased to about 650 residents.[35] Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street, the oldest part of Los Angeles.[36]
New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta California's regional capital. Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847.[37]
Railroads arrived with the completion of the Southern Pacific line to Los Angeles in 1876.[38] Oil was discovered in 1892, and by 1923, the discoveries had helped California become the country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output.[39]
By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000,[40] putting pressure on the city's water supply.[41] The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city.[42]
In 1910, not only had the city of Los Angeles annexed Hollywood, but there were already at least 10 movie companies operating in the city. By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was concentrated in L.A.[43] The money generated by the industry kept the city insulated from much of the economic pain suffered by the rest of the country during the Great Depression.[44] By 1930, the population surpassed one million.[45] In 1932, the city hosted the Summer Olympics.
During World War II, Los Angeles was a major center of wartime manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and aircraft. Calship built hundreds of Liberty Ships and Victory Ships on Terminal Island, and the Los Angeles area was the headquarters of six of the country's major aircraft manufacturers (Douglas Aircraft Company, Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed, North American Aviation, Northrop Corporation, and Vultee. During the war, more aircraft were produced in one year than in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers invented the airplane in 1903, combined. Manufacturing in Los Angeles skyrocketed, and as William S. Knudsen, of the National Defense Advisory Commission put it, "We won because we smothered the enemy in an avalanche of production, the like of which he had never seen, nor dreamed possible.[46] B-25 Mitchell bombers being built in the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles in World War II[47]
Following the end of World War II, Los Angeles grew more rapidly than ever, sprawling into the San Fernando Valley.[48] The expansion of the Interstate Highway System during the 1950s and 1960s helped propel suburban growth and signaled the demise of the city's electrified rail system, once the world's largest.
The 1960s saw race relations boil-over into the Watts Riots of 1965 which resulted in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. It was the most severe riot in the city's history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992. In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park.[49]
In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time. Despite being boycotted by 14 Communist countries, the 1984 Olympics became more financially successful than any previous,[50] and the second Olympics to turn a profit until then – the other, according to an analysis of contemporary newspaper reports, being the 1932 Summer Olympics, also held in Los Angeles.[51]
Racial tensions erupted on April 29, 1992, with the acquittal by a Simi Valley jury of the police officers captured on videotape beating Rodney King, culminating in large-scale riots.[52] In 1994, the 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook the city, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.[53] The century ended with the Rampart scandal, one of the most extensive documented cases of police misconduct in American history.[54]
In 2002, voters defeated efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city.[55]GeographySee also: Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley, Greater Los Angeles Area and Los Angeles County, CaliforniaCityscapeMain article: List of districts and neighborhoods of Los AngelesPanorama of Los Angeles as viewed from Mulholland Drive. Left to right: Santa Ana Mountains, downtown, Hollywood (foreground), Wilshire Boulevard, Port of Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Santa Catalina Island, and Los Angeles International Airport. Hollywood, a well-known district of Los Angeles, is often mistaken for an independent city (as West Hollywood is).
The city is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods,[56] many of which were incorporated places or communities that were annexed by the city.[57] Greater Los Angeles includes a number of enclaves and nearby communities. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbor Area, Greater Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside, and the San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys.
Some well-known communities within Los Angeles include West Adams, Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice, the Downtown Financial District, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Westwood and the more affluent areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades, Century City, and Brentwood.LandmarksSee also: Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles, California, List of sites of interest in the Los Angeles area and National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles, California
Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Angels Flight, the Kodak Theatre, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, the Bradbury Building, Hollywood Boulevard, the Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles City Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Theme Building, Battleship USS Iowa, the Watts Towers, the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Sunset Bridge.
L.A. Live
TCL Chinese Theatre
Griffith Observatory
Capitol Records Building
Angels FlightTopography The Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 km2), comprising 468.7 square miles (1,214 km2) of land and 34.0 square miles (88 km2) of water.[10] The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) longitudinally and for 29 miles (47 km) latitudinally. The perimeter of the city is 342 miles (550 km).
Los Angeles is both flat and hilly. The highest point in the city is 5,074 ft (1,547 m) Mount Lukens,[58][59] located at the northeastern end of the San Fernando Valley. The eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean and separates the Los Angeles Basin from the San Fernando Valley. Other hilly parts of Los Angeles include the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights, the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro district.
The Los Angeles River, which is largely seasonal, is the primary drainage channel. It was straightened and lined in 51 miles of concrete by the Army Corps of Engineers to act as a flood control channel.[60] The river begins in the Canoga Park district of the city, flows east from the San Fernando Valley along the north edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, and turns south through the city center, flowing to its mouth in the Port of Long Beach at the Pacific Ocean. The smaller Ballona Creek flows into the Santa Monica Bay at Playa del Rey.
The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub,[61] which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, Coast Live Oak, and Giant Wildrye. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though it is not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)[62] and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae).[63] Mexican Fan Palms, Canary Island Palms, and California Fan Palms are common in the Los Angeles area, although only the last is native.Geology
Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The geologic instability has produced numerous faults, which cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes annually in Southern California, though most of them are too small to be felt.[64] One of the major faults is the San Andreas Fault. Located at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, it is predicted to be the source of Southern California's next big earthquake.[65] Major earthquakes to have hit the Los Angeles area include the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Sylmar, and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Nevertheless, all but a few quakes are of low intensity and are not felt.[64] The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes.[66] Parts of the city are also vulnerable to tsunamis; harbor areas were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake in 1960.[67]ClimateMain article: Climate of the Los Angeles Basin MacArthur Park
Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoid either Köppen's BSh or BSk (semi-arid climate) classification. Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.[68]
The average annual temperature in downtown is 66 °F (19 °C): 75 °F (24 °C) during the day and 57 °F (14 °C) at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from 59 to 73 °F (15 to 23 °C) during the day and 45 to 55 °F (7 to 13 °C) at night. In the warmest month – August – the temperature typically ranges from 79 to 90 °F (26 to 32 °C) during the day and around 64 °F (18 °C) at night.
Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September.[68] Temperatures are subject to substantial daily swings; in inland areas the difference between the average daily low and the average daily high is over 30 Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) degrees.[69] The average annual temperature of the sea is 63 °F (17 °C), from 58 °F (14 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) in August.[70] Hours of sunshine total more than 3,000 per year, from an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12 in July.[71]
The Los Angeles area is also subject to phenomena typical of a microclimate, causing extreme variations in temperature in close physical proximity to each other. For instance, the average July maximum temperature at the Santa Monica Pier is 75 °F (24 °C) whereas it is 95 °F (35 °C) in Canoga Park.[72] The city, like much of the southern California coast, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called "June Gloom." This involves overcast or foggy skies in the morning which yield to sun by early afternoon.[73]
Downtown Los Angeles averages 15.14 inches (384.6 mm) of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April), generally in the form of moderate rain showers, but often as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms during winter storms. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while the mountains get slightly more. However the San Fernando Valley Region of Los Angeles can get between 16 and 20 inches (410 and 510 mm) of rain per year. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern is bimodal, with a short string of dry years (perhaps 7–8 inches or 180–200 millimetres) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. Snowfall is extremely rare in the city basin, but the mountains within city limits typically receive snowfall every winter. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was 2 inches (5 cm) in 1932.[74] The highest recorded temperature in downtown Los Angeles is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010[75] and the lowest recorded temperature is 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 22, 1944.
[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (USC, Downtown), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1877–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (LAX), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1944–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (Canoga Park, in the San Fernando Valley)Environmental issues A view of Los Angeles covered in smog
A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), which has been translated as "poison oak place".[28][29] Yang-na has also been translated as "the valley of smoke."[81][82] Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources.[83]
The smog season lasts from May to October.[84] Unlike other large cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only 15 inches (380 mm) of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low-emission vehicles. Smog is expected to continue to drop in the coming years due to aggressive steps to reduce it, which include electric and hybrid cars, improvements in mass transit, and other measures.
The number of Stage 1 smog alerts in Los Angeles has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[85] In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution.[86] The city met its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources in 2010.[87]
The American Lung Association's 2013 survey ranks the metro area as having the nation's worst smog, and fourth in both short term and year round pollution amounts.[88]DemographicsMain article: Demographics of Los Angeles Map of Los Angeles County showing percentage of population self-identified as Mexican in ancestry or national origin by census tracts. Heaviest concentrations are in East L.A, Echo Lake/Silver Lake, South Central, San Fernando and San Pedro/Wilmington.Historical populationCensusPop.%±18501,610—18604,385172.4%18705,72830.6%188011,18395.2%189050,395350.6%1900102,479103.4%1910319,198211.5%1920576,67380.7%19301,238,048114.7%19401,504,27721.5%19501,970,35831.0%19602,479,01525.8%19702,816,06113.6%19802,966,8505.4%19903,485,39817.5%20003,694,8206.0%20103,792,6212.6%Est. 20143,884,3072.4%source:[15]
The 2010 United States Census[89] reported that Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621.[90] The population density was 7,544.6 people per square mile (2,913.0/km²). The Census reported that 3,708,020 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 58,186 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 26,415 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
The age distribution was 874,525 people (23.1%) under 18, 434,478 people (11.5%) from 18 to 24, 1,209,367 people (31.9%) from 25 to 44, 877,555 people (23.1%) from 45 to 64, and 396,696 people (10.5%) who were 65 or older.[90] The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.[90]
There were 1,413,995 housing units—up from 1,298,350 during 2005–2009[90]—at an average density of 2,812.8 households per square mile (1,086.0/km²), of which 503,863 (38.2%) were owner-occupied, and 814,305 (61.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 1,535,444 people (40.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,172,576 people (57.3%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Los Angeles had a median household income of $49,745, with 21.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[90]Race and ethnicity[hide]Racial composition2010[90]1990[91]1970[91]1940[91]White49.8%52.8%77.2%93.5% —Non-Hispanic28.7%37.3%61.1%[92]86.3%Black or African American9.6%14.0%17.9%4.2%Hispanic or Latino (of any race)48.5%39.9%17.1%[92]7.1%[93]Asian11.3%9.8%3.6%2.2%
Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages.[94] Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.
According to the 2010 Census, the racial makeup of Los Angeles included: 1,888,158 Whites (49.8%), 365,118 African Americans (9.6%), 28,215 Native Americans (0.7%), 426,959 Asians (11.3%), 5,577 Pacific Islanders (0.1%), 902,959 from other races (23.8%), and 175,635 (4.6%) from two or more races.[90] Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1,838,822 persons (48.5%).
Non-Hispanic whites were 28.7% of the population in 2010,[90] compared to 86.3% in 1940.[91] Mexicans make up the largest ethnic group of Latinos at 31.9% of Los Angeles' population, followed by Salvadorans (6.0%) and Guatemalans (3.6%). The Latino population is spread throughout the city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area but it is most heavily concentrated in the East Los Angeles region, which has a long established Mexican American and Central American community.
The largest Asian ethnic groups are Filipinos (3.2%) and Koreans (2.9%), which have their own established ethnic enclaves−Koreatown in the Wilshire Center and Historic Filipinotown. Chinese people, which make up 1.8% of Los Angeles' population, reside mostly outside of Los Angeles city limits and rather in the San Gabriel Valley of eastern Los Angeles County, but make a sizable presence in the city, notably in Chinatown. Chinatown and Thaitown are also home to many Thais and Cambodians, which make up 0.3% and 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, respectively. Japanese comprise 0.9% of L.A.'s population, and have an established Little Tokyo in the city's downtown, and another significant community of Japanese Americans is located in the Sawtelle district of West Los Angeles. Vietnamese make up 0.5% of Los Angeles' population. Indians make up 0.9% of the city's population.
The city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area are home to a large Middle Eastern population, including Armenians and Iranians, partially residing in enclaves like Little Armenia and Tehrangeles.
African Americans have the largest establishment in South Los Angeles, including the industrial neighborhoods of Crenshaw and Watts.[95] In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 17.9% black, 61.1% non-Hispanic white and 17.1% Hispanic.[91] However, since the 1980s, there has been a large influx of immigration from Mexico and Central America which have outnumbered the blacks in South Los Angeles. South Los Angeles, as well as neighboring communities such as the city of Compton that were home to predominant African American populations are now transforming into Hispanic communities.[96]
Pacific Islanders make up 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, and are concentrated in southwestern Los Angeles County, namely in Long Beach and Carson, which are home to thousands of Samoan Americans.[97]Religion Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is the mother cathedral for the Los Angeles archdiocese
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles leads the largest archdiocese in the country.[98] Cardinal Roger Mahony oversaw construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which opened in September 2002 in downtown Los Angeles.[99] Construction of the cathedral marked a coming of age of the city's Catholic, heavily Latino community. There are numerous Catholic churches and parishes throughout Los Angeles.
In 2011 the once common but ultimately lapsed custom of conducting a procession and Mass in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in commemoration of the founding of the City of Los Angeles in 1781 was revived by the Queen of Angels Foundation and its founder Mark Albert, with the support and approbation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as well as several civic leaders.[100] The recently revived custom is a continuation of the original processions and Masses which commenced on the first anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles in 1782 and continued for nearly a century thereafter.
With 621,000 Jews in the metropolitan area (490,000 in city proper), the region has the second largest population of Jews in the United States.[101] Many of Los Angeles' Jews now live on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, though Boyle Heights and Northwest Los Angeles once had large Jewish populations. Many varieties of Judaism are represented in the area, including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. The Breed Street Shul in East Los Angeles, built in 1923, was the largest synagogue west of Chicago in its early decades.[102] (It is no longer a sacred space and is being converted to a museum and community center.)[103] The Kabbalah Centre also has a presence in the city.[104] Built in 1956, the Los Angeles California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second largest Mormon temple in the world
The Los Angeles California Temple, the second largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles. Dedicated in 1956, it was the first Mormon temple built in California and it was the largest in the world when completed.[105]
The Hollywood region of Los Angeles also has several significant headquarters, churches, and the Celebrity Center of Scientology.
Because of Los Angeles' large multi-ethnic population, a wide variety of faiths are practiced, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, various Eastern Orthodox Churches, Sufism and others. Immigrants from Asia for example, have formed a number of significant Buddhist congregations making the city home to the greatest variety of Buddhists in the world.EconomyFurther information: Los Angeles County EconomySee also: Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Companies such as US Bancorp, Ernst & Young, Aon, Manulife Financial, City National Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Deloitte, KPMG and the Union Bank of California have offices in the Downtown Financial District.
The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, video games, recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, apparel, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the western United States.[106] The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together comprise the fifth-busiest port in the world and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere and is vital to trade within the Pacific Rim.[106] Other significant industries include media production, finance, telecommunications, law, healthcare, and transportation.
The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $735.7 billion (as of 2010),[107] making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo Area and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA.[26] If counted as a country, the surrounding CSA has the 15th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.[108] Los Angeles has been classified an "Alpha world city" according to a 2012 study by a research group at Loughborough University in England.[109]
The city is home to six Fortune 500 companies. They are energy company Occidental Petroleum, healthcare provider Health Net, metals distributor Reliance Steel & Aluminum, engineering firm AECOM, real estate group CBRE Group and builder Tutor Perini.
Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include 20th Century Fox, American Apparel, California Pizza Kitchen, The Capital Group, Capstone Turbine, The Cheesecake Factory, Cathay Bank, City National Bank, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, DeviantArt, Far East National Bank, Farmers Insurance Group, Fox Entertainment Group, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Guess?, Hanmi Bank, Herbalife, J2 Global Communications, The Jim Henson Company, KB Home, Korn/Ferry, Latham & Watkins, Mercury Insurance Group, Oaktree Capital Management, O’Melveny & Myers, Pabst Brewing Company, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Premier America, Premiere Radio Networks, Rentech, Sunkist, The TCW Group, Tokyopop, Triton Media Group, United Online, VCA Antech, and Viking Cruises.
The University of Southern California (USC) is the city's largest private sector employer and contributes $4 billion annually to the local economy.[110]
According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the city as of 2009 were, in descending order, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Fox Entertainment Group, Farmers Insurance Group, TeamOne, and Northrop Grumman.[111]Culture The Dolby Theatre; venue for the Academy Awards Walt Disney Concert HallMain article: Arts and culture of Los AngelesHigh percentage of creatives
Los Angeles is often billed as the "Creative Capital of the World," due to the fact that one in every six of its residents works in a creative industry.[112] According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians living and working in Los Angeles than any other city at any time in the history of civilization."[113]Movies and the performing arts
Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, globally recognized as the epicenter of the motion picture industry. A testament to its preeminence in film, the city plays host to the annual Academy Awards, the oldest and one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. Finally, Los Angeles is home to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest film school in the United States.[114]
The performing arts play a major role in Los Angeles' cultural identity. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more than 1,100 annual theatrical productions and 21 openings every week."[113] The Los Angeles Music Center is "one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation," with more than 1.3 million visitors per year.[115] The Walt Disney Concert Hall, centerpiece of the Music Center, is home to the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic. Notable organizations such as Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Los Angeles Opera are also resident companies of the Music Center. Talent is locally cultivated at premier institutions such as the Colburn School and the USC Thornton School of Music.Museums and galleriesSee also: Los Angeles City Museums
There are 841 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County.[116] In fact, Los Angeles has more museums per capita than any other city in the world.[116] Some of the notable museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (the largest art museum in the Western United States[117]), the Getty Center (part of the larger J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution[118]), the Battleship Iowa, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A significant number of art galleries are located on Gallery Row, and tens of thousands attend the monthly Downtown Art Walk there.[119] The Fox Plaza in Century City, headquarters for 20th Century FoxCults
L.A. has a long history of attracting cult leaders and cults.[120] Film actress and Georgetown graduate Brit Marling, in July 2014, said, "There are so many cultish circles, so many ideas for a quick fix on how your life is going to be as blissful as the weather out there."[121]Sports Dodger Stadium is the home of the Los Angeles DodgersSee also: Sports in Los Angeles and History of the National Football League in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles is the home of several major league professional sports teams. These Los Angeles teams include the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The Los Angeles metro area include additional major league teams. The Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer is based in Carson. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League are in the Los Angeles media market and are based in Anaheim in Orange County. The Angels began as an expansion franchise team in Los Angeles in 1961 before moving to Anaheim in 1966.[122] The Ducks, who have played in Anaheim since their inception as an expansion team in 1993, were originally owned by Disney. The team adopted its current name in 2006, a year after Disney sold the franchise.[123]
Other notable sports teams include the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. Los Angeles is also home to the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA, both of which are Division I teams in the Pacific-12 Conference.
Los Angeles is the second-largest television market in the United States but has no NFL team. At one time Los Angeles area had two NFL teams, the Rams and the Raiders. Both left the city in 1995, with the Rams moving to St. Louis, and the Raiders heading back to their original home of Oakland. Prior to 1995, the Rams called Memorial Coliseum home (1946–1979) and the Raiders played their home games at Memorial Coliseum from 1982 to 1994. Staples Center is a sports arena home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Kings
Since the franchises' departures, the NFL and individual NFL owners have attempted to relocate a team to the city. Following the 1995 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks planned to play in the Rose Bowl under a new team name and logo for the 1996 season, but the State of Washington filed a lawsuit to prevent the move.[124] Despite the failure to build a new stadium for an NFL team, Los Angeles is still expected to return to the league through expansion or relocation.[125] On August 9, 2011, the LA City Council approved plans to build Farmers Field, which may become home to an NFL team in the future.[126]
Los Angeles has twice played host to the Summer Olympic Games, in 1932 and in 1984. When the tenth Olympic Games were hosted in 1932, the former 10th Street was renamed Olympic Blvd. Super Bowls I and VII were also held in the city as well as multiple FIFA World Cup games in 1994 including the final. Los Angeles will host the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2015.[127]
Los Angeles boasts a number of sports venues, including Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Coliseum, The Forum, the StubHub Center, and the Staples Center. Staples Center also serves as the home arena for the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. It was also home to the Los Angeles Avengers of the original AFL, a team that did not participate in that league's ongoing revival.GovernmentMain article: Government of Los AngelesSee also: Government of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles is a charter city as opposed to a general law city. The elected government consists of the Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor of Los Angeles which operate under a mayor-council government, as well as the city attorney (not to be confused with the district attorney, a county office) and controller. The current mayor is Eric Garcetti. There are 15 city council districts.
The city has many departments and appointed officers, including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL).
The Charter of the City of Los Angeles ratified by voters in 1999 created a system of advisory neighborhood councils that would represent the diversity of stakeholders, defined as those who live, work or own property in the neighborhood. The neighborhood councils are relatively autonomous and spontaneous in that they identify their own boundaries, establish their own bylaws, and elect their own officers. There are currently about 90 neighborhood councils.
Residents of Los Angeles elect supervisors for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th supervisorial districts.Federal and state representation
In the California State Assembly, Los Angeles is split between fourteen districts:[128] the 38th, 39th, 43rd, 45th, 46th, 50th, 51st, 53rd, 54th, 59th, 62nd, 64th, 66th, and 70th districts.
In the California State Senate, Los Angeles is split between eight districts:[129] the 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 30th, 33rd, and 35th districts.
In the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles is split between ten congressional districts:[130]California's 25th congressional district, represented by Republican Buck McKeon,[131]California's 28th congressional district, represented by Democrat Adam Schiff,[132]California's 29th congressional district, represented by Democrat Tony Cardenas,[133]California's 30th congressional district, represented by Democrat Brad Sherman,[134]California's 33rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Henry Waxman,[135]California's 34th congressional district, represented by Democrat Xavier Becerra,[136]California's 37th congressional district, represented by Democrat Karen Bass,[137]California's 40th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard,[138]California's 43rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Maxine Waters,[139] andCalifornia's 44th congressional district, represented by Democrat Janice Hahn.[140]CrimeSee also: Crime in Los Angeles and List of criminal gangs in Los Angeles The LAPD on May Day 2006 in front of the new Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Like most American cities, Los Angeles has been experiencing significant decline in crime since the mid-1990s, and reached a 50-year low in 2009 with 314 homicides.[141][142] This is a rate of 7.85 per 100,000 population—a major decrease from 1993, when the all-time high homicide rate of over 21.1 per 100,000 was reported for the year.[143] This included 15 officer-involved shootings. One shooting led to the death of a SWAT team member, Randal Simmons, the first in LAPD's history.[144] Los Angeles in the year of 2013 totaled 251 murders, a decrease of 16 percent from the previous year. Police speculate that the drop resulted from a number of factors, including young people spending more time online.[145]
The Dragna crime family and the Cohen crime family dominated organized crime in the city during the Prohibition era[146] and reached its peak during the 1940s and 1950s as part of the American Mafia but has gradually declined since then with the rise of various black and Hispanic gangs.[147]
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the city is home to 45,000 gang members, organized into 450 gangs.[148] Among them are the Crips and Bloods, which are both African American street gangs that originated in South Los Angeles. Latino street gangs such as the Sureños, a Mexican American street gang, and Mara Salvatrucha, which has mainly members of Salvadoran descent, all originated in Los Angeles. The 18th Street has a predominately Latino membership but is multiethnic. This has led to the city being referred to as the "Gang Capital of America".[149]EducationColleges and universities Second branch of the California State Normal School in downtown Los Angeles opened its doors in 1882.
There are three public universities located within the city limits: California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Private colleges in the city include the American Film Institute Conservatory, Alliant International University, Syracuse University (Los Angeles Campus), American Jewish University, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy – Los Angeles campus, Antioch University's Los Angeles campus, Biola University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Emperor's College, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's Los Angeles campus (FIDM), Los Angeles Film School, Loyola Marymount University (LMU is also the parent university of Loyola Law School located in Los Angeles), Marymount College, Mount St. Mary's College, National University of California, Occidental College ("Oxy"), Otis College of Art and Design (Otis), Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Southwestern Law School, and University of Southern California (USC).
The community college system consists of nine campuses governed by the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District: East Los Angeles College (ELAC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College.
There are numerous additional colleges and universities in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Claremont Colleges consortium, which includes some of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the United States, is located 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.Schools and libraries The Los Angeles Central Library located in downtown Los Angeles.See also: Los Angeles County, California § Colleges and universities and List of high schools in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles Unified School District serves almost all of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population around 800,000.[150] After Proposition 13 was approved in 1978, urban school districts had considerable trouble with funding. LAUSD has become known for its underfunded, overcrowded and poorly maintained campuses, although its 162 Magnet schools help compete with local private schools. Several small sections of Los Angeles are in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. The Los Angeles County Office of Education operates the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The Los Angeles Public Library system operates 72 public libraries in the city.[151] Enclaves of unincorporated areas are served by branches of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, many of which are within walking distance to residents.MediaMain article: Media in Los AngelesSee also: List of television shows set in Los Angeles and List of films set in Los Angeles
The major daily English-language newspaper in the area is the Los Angeles Times. La Opinión is the city's major daily Spanish-language paper, The Korea Times is the city's major daily Korean language paper, and The Los Angeles Sentinel is the city's major African-American weekly paper, boasting the largest Black readership in the Western United States. Investor's Business Daily is distributed from its L.A. corporate offices, which are headquartered in Playa Del Rey. Los Angeles Times Headquarters
There are also a number of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including the Los Angeles Register, Daily News (which focuses coverage on the San Fernando Valley), LA Weekly, L.A. Record (which focuses coverage on the music scene in the Greater Los Angeles Area), Los Angeles magazine, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Daily Journal (legal industry paper), The Hollywood Reporter and Variety (entertainment industry papers), and Los Angeles Downtown News. In addition to the major papers, numerous local periodicals serve immigrant communities in their native languages, including Armenian, English, Korean, Persian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, and Arabic. Many cities adjacent to Los Angeles also have their own daily newspapers whose coverage and availability overlaps into certain Los Angeles neighborhoods. Examples include The Daily Breeze (serving the South Bay), and The Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Los Angeles and New York City are the only two media markets to have seven VHF allocations assigned to them.[152]
The city has major broadcast channels as well as three PBS stations. World TV operates on two channels and the area has several Spanish-language television networks. KTBN 40 is the flagship station of the religious Trinity Broadcasting Network, based out of Santa Ana. A variety of independent television stations also operate in the area.TransportationMain article: Transportation in Los AngelesFreewaysMain article: Southern California freeways
The city and the rest of the Los Angeles metropolitan area are served by an extensive network of freeways and highways. The Texas Transportation Institute, which publishes an annual Urban Mobility Report, ranked Los Angeles road traffic as the most congested in the United States in 2005 as measured by annual delay per traveler.[153] The average traveler in Los Angeles experienced 72 hours of traffic delay per year according to the study. Los Angeles was followed by San Francisco/Oakland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, (each with 60 hours of delay).[154] Despite the congestion in the city, the mean travel time for commuters in Los Angeles is shorter than other major cities, including New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Los Angeles' mean travel time for work commutes in 2006 was 29.2 minutes, similar to those of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.[155]
Among the major highways that connect LA to the rest of the nation include Interstate 5, which runs south through San Diego to Tijuana in Mexico and north through Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle to the Canadian border; Interstate 10, the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway in the United States, going to Jacksonville, Florida; and U.S. Route 101, which heads to the California Central Coast, San Francisco, the Redwood Empire, and the Oregon and Washington coasts.Transit systemsMain article: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Current Los Angeles Metro Rail and Metro Transitway map showing existing lines.
The LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other agencies operate an extensive system of bus lines, as well as subway and light rail lines across Los Angeles County, with a combined monthly ridership (measured in individual boardings) of 38.8 million as of September 2011. The majority of this (30.5 million) is taken up by the city's bus system,[156] the second busiest in the country. The subway and light rail combined average the remaining roughly 8.2 million boardings per month.[156] In 2005, 10.2% of Los Angeles commuters rode some form of public transportation.[157]
The city's subway system is the ninth busiest in the United States and its light rail system is the country's second busiest.[158] The rail system includes the Red and Purple subway lines, as well as the Gold, Blue, Expo, and Green light rail lines. The Metro Orange and Silver lines are bus rapid transit lines with stops and frequency similar to those of light rail. The city is also central to the commuter rail system Metrolink, which links Los Angeles to all neighboring counties as well as many suburbs.
Besides the rail service provided by Metrolink and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles is served by inter-city passenger trains from Amtrak. The main rail station in the city is Union Station just north of Downtown.Airports The Theme Building at LAX
The main international and domestic airport serving Los Angeles is Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX), commonly referred to by its airport code, LAX. The sixth busiest commercial airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States, LAX handled over 66 million passengers and close to 2 million tons of cargo in 2013.
Other major nearby commercial airports include:(IATA: ONT, ICAO: KONT) LA/Ontario International Airport, owned by the city of Los Angeles; serves the Inland Empire.(IATA: BUR, ICAO: KBUR) Bob Hope Airport, formerly known as Burbank Airport; serves the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys(IATA: LGB, ICAO: KLGB) Long Beach Airport, serves the Long Beach/Harbor area(IATA: SNA, ICAO: KSNA) John Wayne Airport of Orange County
One of the world's busiest general-aviation airports is also located in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY).[159]Seaports A view of the Vincent Thomas Bridge reaching Terminal Island
The Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Downtown. Also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT LA, the port complex occupies 7,500 acres (30 km2) of land and water along 43 miles (69 km) of waterfront. It adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach.
The sea ports of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together make up the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor.[160][161][162] Together, both ports are the fifth busiest container port in the world, with a trade volume of over 14.2 million TEU's in 2008.[163] Singly, the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States and the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast of the United States – The Port of Los Angeles' World Cruise Center served about 800,000 passengers in 2009.[164]
There are also smaller, non-industrial harbors along Los Angeles' coastline. The port includes four bridges: the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Henry Ford Bridge, Gerald Desmond Bridge, and Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge. Passenger ferry service from San Pedro to the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island is provided by Catalina Express.
Los Angeles (i/lɔːs ˈændʒələs/, /lɔːs ˈæŋɡələs/ or i/lɒs ˈændʒəliːz/, Spanish: Los Ángeles [los ˈaŋxeles] meaning The Angels), officially the City of Los Angeles, often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California and the second-most populous in the United States, after New York City, with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621.[16] It has a land area of 469 square miles (1,215 km2), and is located in Southern California.
The city is the focal point of the larger Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metropolitan statistical area and Greater Los Angeles Area region, which contain 13 million[17] and over 18 million people in Combined statistical area respectively as of 2010, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world[18] and the second-largest in the United States.[19] Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most ethnically diverse counties[20] in the United States, while the entire Los Angeles area itself has been recognized as the most diverse of the nation's largest cities.[21] The city's inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos.[22]
Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve.[7] It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence.[23] 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.[24] Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.[25]
Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a global city, with strengths in business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research and has been ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index and 9th Global Economic Power Index. The city 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. The Los Angeles combined statistical area (CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas.[26] Los Angeles includes Hollywood and leads the world in the creation of television productions, video games, and recorded music; it is also one of the leaders in motion picture production.[27] Additionally, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984.
Contents1 History2 Geography 2.1 Cityscape 2.1.1 Landmarks2.2 Topography2.3 Geology2.4 Climate2.5 Environmental issues3 Demographics 3.1 Race and ethnicity3.2 Religion4 Economy5 Culture 5.1 High percentage of creatives5.2 Movies and the performing arts5.3 Museums and galleries5.4 Cults6 Sports7 Government 7.1 Federal and state representation7.2 Crime8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities8.2 Schools and libraries9 Media10 Transportation 10.1 Freeways10.2 Transit systems10.3 Airports10.4 Seaports11 Notable people12 Twin towns – Sister cities13 See also14 References15 Further reading16 External links
HistoryHistorical affiliations
Spanish Empire 1781–1821 First Mexican Empire 1821–1823 United Mexican States 1823–1848 California Republic 1846 United States 1848–presentMain article: History of Los AngelesSee also: Timeline of Los Angeles and Los Angeles in the 1920s Pueblo de Los Ángeles Plaza in 1869. The Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad was the first railroad into Los Angeles in 1869.Los Angeles City Hall, shown here in 1931, was built in 1928 and was the tallest structure in the city until 1964, when height restrictions were removedHollywood film studios, 1922The Los Angeles Coliseum hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984
The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva (or Gabrieleños) and Chumash Native American tribes thousands of years ago. A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), meaning "poison oak place".[28][29]
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese-born explorer, claimed the area of southern California for the Spanish Empire in 1542.[30] Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769.[31]
In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area.[32] On September 4, 1781, a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores" founded the pueblo called "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula"; in English it is "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River". The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary.[33] Two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry.[34] The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820, the population had increased to about 650 residents.[35] Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street, the oldest part of Los Angeles.[36]
New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta California's regional capital. Mexican rule ended during the Mexican–American War: Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847.[37]
Railroads arrived with the completion of the Southern Pacific line to Los Angeles in 1876.[38] Oil was discovered in 1892, and by 1923, the discoveries had helped California become the country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output.[39]
By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000,[40] putting pressure on the city's water supply.[41] The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, under the supervision of William Mulholland, assured the continued growth of the city.[42]
In 1910, not only had the city of Los Angeles annexed Hollywood, but there were already at least 10 movie companies operating in the city. By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was concentrated in L.A.[43] The money generated by the industry kept the city insulated from much of the economic pain suffered by the rest of the country during the Great Depression.[44] By 1930, the population surpassed one million.[45] In 1932, the city hosted the Summer Olympics.
During World War II, Los Angeles was a major center of wartime manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and aircraft. Calship built hundreds of Liberty Ships and Victory Ships on Terminal Island, and the Los Angeles area was the headquarters of six of the country's major aircraft manufacturers (Douglas Aircraft Company, Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed, North American Aviation, Northrop Corporation, and Vultee. During the war, more aircraft were produced in one year than in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers invented the airplane in 1903, combined. Manufacturing in Los Angeles skyrocketed, and as William S. Knudsen, of the National Defense Advisory Commission put it, "We won because we smothered the enemy in an avalanche of production, the like of which he had never seen, nor dreamed possible.[46] B-25 Mitchell bombers being built in the North American Aviation plant in Los Angeles in World War II[47]
Following the end of World War II, Los Angeles grew more rapidly than ever, sprawling into the San Fernando Valley.[48] The expansion of the Interstate Highway System during the 1950s and 1960s helped propel suburban growth and signaled the demise of the city's electrified rail system, once the world's largest.
The 1960s saw race relations boil-over into the Watts Riots of 1965 which resulted in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. It was the most severe riot in the city's history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992. In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park.[49]
In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time. Despite being boycotted by 14 Communist countries, the 1984 Olympics became more financially successful than any previous,[50] and the second Olympics to turn a profit until then – the other, according to an analysis of contemporary newspaper reports, being the 1932 Summer Olympics, also held in Los Angeles.[51]
Racial tensions erupted on April 29, 1992, with the acquittal by a Simi Valley jury of the police officers captured on videotape beating Rodney King, culminating in large-scale riots.[52] In 1994, the 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook the city, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths.[53] The century ended with the Rampart scandal, one of the most extensive documented cases of police misconduct in American history.[54]
In 2002, voters defeated efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city.[55]GeographySee also: Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley, Greater Los Angeles Area and Los Angeles County, CaliforniaCityscapeMain article: List of districts and neighborhoods of Los AngelesPanorama of Los Angeles as viewed from Mulholland Drive. Left to right: Santa Ana Mountains, downtown, Hollywood (foreground), Wilshire Boulevard, Port of Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Santa Catalina Island, and Los Angeles International Airport. Hollywood, a well-known district of Los Angeles, is often mistaken for an independent city (as West Hollywood is).
The city is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods,[56] many of which were incorporated places or communities that were annexed by the city.[57] Greater Los Angeles includes a number of enclaves and nearby communities. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbor Area, Greater Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside, and the San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys.
Some well-known communities within Los Angeles include West Adams, Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice, the Downtown Financial District, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Koreatown, Westwood and the more affluent areas of Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades, Century City, and Brentwood.LandmarksSee also: Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles, California, List of sites of interest in the Los Angeles area and National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles, California
Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Angels Flight, the Kodak Theatre, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, the Bradbury Building, Hollywood Boulevard, the Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles City Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Theme Building, Battleship USS Iowa, the Watts Towers, the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, La Placita Olvera/Olvera Street and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Sunset Bridge.
L.A. Live
TCL Chinese Theatre
Griffith Observatory
Capitol Records Building
Angels FlightTopography The Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 km2), comprising 468.7 square miles (1,214 km2) of land and 34.0 square miles (88 km2) of water.[10] The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) longitudinally and for 29 miles (47 km) latitudinally. The perimeter of the city is 342 miles (550 km).
Los Angeles is both flat and hilly. The highest point in the city is 5,074 ft (1,547 m) Mount Lukens,[58][59] located at the northeastern end of the San Fernando Valley. The eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean and separates the Los Angeles Basin from the San Fernando Valley. Other hilly parts of Los Angeles include the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights, the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills, and the San Pedro district.
The Los Angeles River, which is largely seasonal, is the primary drainage channel. It was straightened and lined in 51 miles of concrete by the Army Corps of Engineers to act as a flood control channel.[60] The river begins in the Canoga Park district of the city, flows east from the San Fernando Valley along the north edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, and turns south through the city center, flowing to its mouth in the Port of Long Beach at the Pacific Ocean. The smaller Ballona Creek flows into the Santa Monica Bay at Playa del Rey.
The Los Angeles area is rich in native plant species due in part to a diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands, and mountains. The most prevalent botanical environment is coastal sage scrub,[61] which covers the hillsides in combustible chaparral. Native plants include: California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, Coast Live Oak, and Giant Wildrye. Many of these native species, such as the Los Angeles sunflower, have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Though it is not native to the area, the official tree of Los Angeles is the Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)[62] and the official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae).[63] Mexican Fan Palms, Canary Island Palms, and California Fan Palms are common in the Los Angeles area, although only the last is native.Geology
Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The geologic instability has produced numerous faults, which cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes annually in Southern California, though most of them are too small to be felt.[64] One of the major faults is the San Andreas Fault. Located at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, it is predicted to be the source of Southern California's next big earthquake.[65] Major earthquakes to have hit the Los Angeles area include the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, the 1971 San Fernando earthquake near Sylmar, and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Nevertheless, all but a few quakes are of low intensity and are not felt.[64] The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes.[66] Parts of the city are also vulnerable to tsunamis; harbor areas were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake in 1960.[67]ClimateMain article: Climate of the Los Angeles Basin MacArthur Park
Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland), and receives just enough annual precipitation to avoid either Köppen's BSh or BSk (semi-arid climate) classification. Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.[68]
The average annual temperature in downtown is 66 °F (19 °C): 75 °F (24 °C) during the day and 57 °F (14 °C) at night. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from 59 to 73 °F (15 to 23 °C) during the day and 45 to 55 °F (7 to 13 °C) at night. In the warmest month – August – the temperature typically ranges from 79 to 90 °F (26 to 32 °C) during the day and around 64 °F (18 °C) at night.
Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September.[68] Temperatures are subject to substantial daily swings; in inland areas the difference between the average daily low and the average daily high is over 30 Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) degrees.[69] The average annual temperature of the sea is 63 °F (17 °C), from 58 °F (14 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) in August.[70] Hours of sunshine total more than 3,000 per year, from an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12 in July.[71]
The Los Angeles area is also subject to phenomena typical of a microclimate, causing extreme variations in temperature in close physical proximity to each other. For instance, the average July maximum temperature at the Santa Monica Pier is 75 °F (24 °C) whereas it is 95 °F (35 °C) in Canoga Park.[72] The city, like much of the southern California coast, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called "June Gloom." This involves overcast or foggy skies in the morning which yield to sun by early afternoon.[73]
Downtown Los Angeles averages 15.14 inches (384.6 mm) of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April), generally in the form of moderate rain showers, but often as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms during winter storms. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while the mountains get slightly more. However the San Fernando Valley Region of Los Angeles can get between 16 and 20 inches (410 and 510 mm) of rain per year. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern is bimodal, with a short string of dry years (perhaps 7–8 inches or 180–200 millimetres) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. Snowfall is extremely rare in the city basin, but the mountains within city limits typically receive snowfall every winter. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles was 2 inches (5 cm) in 1932.[74] The highest recorded temperature in downtown Los Angeles is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010[75] and the lowest recorded temperature is 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 22, 1944.
[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (USC, Downtown), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1877–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (LAX), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1944–present[show]Climate data for Los Angeles (Canoga Park, in the San Fernando Valley)Environmental issues A view of Los Angeles covered in smog
A Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ (written Yang-na by the Spanish), which has been translated as "poison oak place".[28][29] Yang-na has also been translated as "the valley of smoke."[81][82] Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources.[83]
The smog season lasts from May to October.[84] Unlike other large cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only 15 inches (380 mm) of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low-emission vehicles. Smog is expected to continue to drop in the coming years due to aggressive steps to reduce it, which include electric and hybrid cars, improvements in mass transit, and other measures.
The number of Stage 1 smog alerts in Los Angeles has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[85] In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution.[86] The city met its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources in 2010.[87]
The American Lung Association's 2013 survey ranks the metro area as having the nation's worst smog, and fourth in both short term and year round pollution amounts.[88]DemographicsMain article: Demographics of Los Angeles Map of Los Angeles County showing percentage of population self-identified as Mexican in ancestry or national origin by census tracts. Heaviest concentrations are in East L.A, Echo Lake/Silver Lake, South Central, San Fernando and San Pedro/Wilmington.Historical populationCensusPop.%±18501,610—18604,385172.4%18705,72830.6%188011,18395.2%189050,395350.6%1900102,479103.4%1910319,198211.5%1920576,67380.7%19301,238,048114.7%19401,504,27721.5%19501,970,35831.0%19602,479,01525.8%19702,816,06113.6%19802,966,8505.4%19903,485,39817.5%20003,694,8206.0%20103,792,6212.6%Est. 20143,884,3072.4%source:[15]
The 2010 United States Census[89] reported that Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621.[90] The population density was 7,544.6 people per square mile (2,913.0/km²). The Census reported that 3,708,020 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 58,186 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 26,415 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
The age distribution was 874,525 people (23.1%) under 18, 434,478 people (11.5%) from 18 to 24, 1,209,367 people (31.9%) from 25 to 44, 877,555 people (23.1%) from 45 to 64, and 396,696 people (10.5%) who were 65 or older.[90] The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.[90]
There were 1,413,995 housing units—up from 1,298,350 during 2005–2009[90]—at an average density of 2,812.8 households per square mile (1,086.0/km²), of which 503,863 (38.2%) were owner-occupied, and 814,305 (61.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 1,535,444 people (40.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,172,576 people (57.3%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Los Angeles had a median household income of $49,745, with 21.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[90]Race and ethnicity[hide]Racial composition2010[90]1990[91]1970[91]1940[91]White49.8%52.8%77.2%93.5% —Non-Hispanic28.7%37.3%61.1%[92]86.3%Black or African American9.6%14.0%17.9%4.2%Hispanic or Latino (of any race)48.5%39.9%17.1%[92]7.1%[93]Asian11.3%9.8%3.6%2.2%
Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages.[94] Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Tehrangeles, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town provide examples of the polyglot character of Los Angeles.
According to the 2010 Census, the racial makeup of Los Angeles included: 1,888,158 Whites (49.8%), 365,118 African Americans (9.6%), 28,215 Native Americans (0.7%), 426,959 Asians (11.3%), 5,577 Pacific Islanders (0.1%), 902,959 from other races (23.8%), and 175,635 (4.6%) from two or more races.[90] Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1,838,822 persons (48.5%).
Non-Hispanic whites were 28.7% of the population in 2010,[90] compared to 86.3% in 1940.[91] Mexicans make up the largest ethnic group of Latinos at 31.9% of Los Angeles' population, followed by Salvadorans (6.0%) and Guatemalans (3.6%). The Latino population is spread throughout the city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area but it is most heavily concentrated in the East Los Angeles region, which has a long established Mexican American and Central American community.
The largest Asian ethnic groups are Filipinos (3.2%) and Koreans (2.9%), which have their own established ethnic enclaves−Koreatown in the Wilshire Center and Historic Filipinotown. Chinese people, which make up 1.8% of Los Angeles' population, reside mostly outside of Los Angeles city limits and rather in the San Gabriel Valley of eastern Los Angeles County, but make a sizable presence in the city, notably in Chinatown. Chinatown and Thaitown are also home to many Thais and Cambodians, which make up 0.3% and 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, respectively. Japanese comprise 0.9% of L.A.'s population, and have an established Little Tokyo in the city's downtown, and another significant community of Japanese Americans is located in the Sawtelle district of West Los Angeles. Vietnamese make up 0.5% of Los Angeles' population. Indians make up 0.9% of the city's population.
The city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area are home to a large Middle Eastern population, including Armenians and Iranians, partially residing in enclaves like Little Armenia and Tehrangeles.
African Americans have the largest establishment in South Los Angeles, including the industrial neighborhoods of Crenshaw and Watts.[95] In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 17.9% black, 61.1% non-Hispanic white and 17.1% Hispanic.[91] However, since the 1980s, there has been a large influx of immigration from Mexico and Central America which have outnumbered the blacks in South Los Angeles. South Los Angeles, as well as neighboring communities such as the city of Compton that were home to predominant African American populations are now transforming into Hispanic communities.[96]
Pacific Islanders make up 0.1% of Los Angeles' population, and are concentrated in southwestern Los Angeles County, namely in Long Beach and Carson, which are home to thousands of Samoan Americans.[97]Religion Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is the mother cathedral for the Los Angeles archdiocese
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles leads the largest archdiocese in the country.[98] Cardinal Roger Mahony oversaw construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which opened in September 2002 in downtown Los Angeles.[99] Construction of the cathedral marked a coming of age of the city's Catholic, heavily Latino community. There are numerous Catholic churches and parishes throughout Los Angeles.
In 2011 the once common but ultimately lapsed custom of conducting a procession and Mass in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in commemoration of the founding of the City of Los Angeles in 1781 was revived by the Queen of Angels Foundation and its founder Mark Albert, with the support and approbation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as well as several civic leaders.[100] The recently revived custom is a continuation of the original processions and Masses which commenced on the first anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles in 1782 and continued for nearly a century thereafter.
With 621,000 Jews in the metropolitan area (490,000 in city proper), the region has the second largest population of Jews in the United States.[101] Many of Los Angeles' Jews now live on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, though Boyle Heights and Northwest Los Angeles once had large Jewish populations. Many varieties of Judaism are represented in the area, including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. The Breed Street Shul in East Los Angeles, built in 1923, was the largest synagogue west of Chicago in its early decades.[102] (It is no longer a sacred space and is being converted to a museum and community center.)[103] The Kabbalah Centre also has a presence in the city.[104] Built in 1956, the Los Angeles California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second largest Mormon temple in the world
The Los Angeles California Temple, the second largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles. Dedicated in 1956, it was the first Mormon temple built in California and it was the largest in the world when completed.[105]
The Hollywood region of Los Angeles also has several significant headquarters, churches, and the Celebrity Center of Scientology.
Because of Los Angeles' large multi-ethnic population, a wide variety of faiths are practiced, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Bahá'í, various Eastern Orthodox Churches, Sufism and others. Immigrants from Asia for example, have formed a number of significant Buddhist congregations making the city home to the greatest variety of Buddhists in the world.EconomyFurther information: Los Angeles County EconomySee also: Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Companies such as US Bancorp, Ernst & Young, Aon, Manulife Financial, City National Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Deloitte, KPMG and the Union Bank of California have offices in the Downtown Financial District.
The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, video games, recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, apparel, and tourism. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the western United States.[106] The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together comprise the fifth-busiest port in the world and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere and is vital to trade within the Pacific Rim.[106] Other significant industries include media production, finance, telecommunications, law, healthcare, and transportation.
The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $735.7 billion (as of 2010),[107] making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo Area and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA.[26] If counted as a country, the surrounding CSA has the 15th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.[108] Los Angeles has been classified an "Alpha world city" according to a 2012 study by a research group at Loughborough University in England.[109]
The city is home to six Fortune 500 companies. They are energy company Occidental Petroleum, healthcare provider Health Net, metals distributor Reliance Steel & Aluminum, engineering firm AECOM, real estate group CBRE Group and builder Tutor Perini.
Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include 20th Century Fox, American Apparel, California Pizza Kitchen, The Capital Group, Capstone Turbine, The Cheesecake Factory, Cathay Bank, City National Bank, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, DeviantArt, Far East National Bank, Farmers Insurance Group, Fox Entertainment Group, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Guess?, Hanmi Bank, Herbalife, J2 Global Communications, The Jim Henson Company, KB Home, Korn/Ferry, Latham & Watkins, Mercury Insurance Group, Oaktree Capital Management, O’Melveny & Myers, Pabst Brewing Company, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, Premier America, Premiere Radio Networks, Rentech, Sunkist, The TCW Group, Tokyopop, Triton Media Group, United Online, VCA Antech, and Viking Cruises.
The University of Southern California (USC) is the city's largest private sector employer and contributes $4 billion annually to the local economy.[110]
According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten employers in the city as of 2009 were, in descending order, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Fox Entertainment Group, Farmers Insurance Group, TeamOne, and Northrop Grumman.[111]Culture The Dolby Theatre; venue for the Academy Awards Walt Disney Concert HallMain article: Arts and culture of Los AngelesHigh percentage of creatives
Los Angeles is often billed as the "Creative Capital of the World," due to the fact that one in every six of its residents works in a creative industry.[112] According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, dancers and musicians living and working in Los Angeles than any other city at any time in the history of civilization."[113]Movies and the performing arts
Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, globally recognized as the epicenter of the motion picture industry. A testament to its preeminence in film, the city plays host to the annual Academy Awards, the oldest and one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world. Finally, Los Angeles is home to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest film school in the United States.[114]
The performing arts play a major role in Los Angeles' cultural identity. According to the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, "there are more than 1,100 annual theatrical productions and 21 openings every week."[113] The Los Angeles Music Center is "one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation," with more than 1.3 million visitors per year.[115] The Walt Disney Concert Hall, centerpiece of the Music Center, is home to the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic. Notable organizations such as Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Los Angeles Opera are also resident companies of the Music Center. Talent is locally cultivated at premier institutions such as the Colburn School and the USC Thornton School of Music.Museums and galleriesSee also: Los Angeles City Museums
There are 841 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County.[116] In fact, Los Angeles has more museums per capita than any other city in the world.[116] Some of the notable museums are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (the largest art museum in the Western United States[117]), the Getty Center (part of the larger J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution[118]), the Battleship Iowa, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A significant number of art galleries are located on Gallery Row, and tens of thousands attend the monthly Downtown Art Walk there.[119] The Fox Plaza in Century City, headquarters for 20th Century FoxCults
L.A. has a long history of attracting cult leaders and cults.[120] Film actress and Georgetown graduate Brit Marling, in July 2014, said, "There are so many cultish circles, so many ideas for a quick fix on how your life is going to be as blissful as the weather out there."[121]Sports Dodger Stadium is the home of the Los Angeles DodgersSee also: Sports in Los Angeles and History of the National Football League in Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles is the home of several major league professional sports teams. These Los Angeles teams include the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
The Los Angeles metro area include additional major league teams. The Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer is based in Carson. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League are in the Los Angeles media market and are based in Anaheim in Orange County. The Angels began as an expansion franchise team in Los Angeles in 1961 before moving to Anaheim in 1966.[122] The Ducks, who have played in Anaheim since their inception as an expansion team in 1993, were originally owned by Disney. The team adopted its current name in 2006, a year after Disney sold the franchise.[123]
Other notable sports teams include the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association. Los Angeles is also home to the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA, both of which are Division I teams in the Pacific-12 Conference.
Los Angeles is the second-largest television market in the United States but has no NFL team. At one time Los Angeles area had two NFL teams, the Rams and the Raiders. Both left the city in 1995, with the Rams moving to St. Louis, and the Raiders heading back to their original home of Oakland. Prior to 1995, the Rams called Memorial Coliseum home (1946–1979) and the Raiders played their home games at Memorial Coliseum from 1982 to 1994. Staples Center is a sports arena home to the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Kings
Since the franchises' departures, the NFL and individual NFL owners have attempted to relocate a team to the city. Following the 1995 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks planned to play in the Rose Bowl under a new team name and logo for the 1996 season, but the State of Washington filed a lawsuit to prevent the move.[124] Despite the failure to build a new stadium for an NFL team, Los Angeles is still expected to return to the league through expansion or relocation.[125] On August 9, 2011, the LA City Council approved plans to build Farmers Field, which may become home to an NFL team in the future.[126]
Los Angeles has twice played host to the Summer Olympic Games, in 1932 and in 1984. When the tenth Olympic Games were hosted in 1932, the former 10th Street was renamed Olympic Blvd. Super Bowls I and VII were also held in the city as well as multiple FIFA World Cup games in 1994 including the final. Los Angeles will host the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2015.[127]
Los Angeles boasts a number of sports venues, including Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Coliseum, The Forum, the StubHub Center, and the Staples Center. Staples Center also serves as the home arena for the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. It was also home to the Los Angeles Avengers of the original AFL, a team that did not participate in that league's ongoing revival.GovernmentMain article: Government of Los AngelesSee also: Government of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles is a charter city as opposed to a general law city. The elected government consists of the Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor of Los Angeles which operate under a mayor-council government, as well as the city attorney (not to be confused with the district attorney, a county office) and controller. The current mayor is Eric Garcetti. There are 15 city council districts.
The city has many departments and appointed officers, including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL).
The Charter of the City of Los Angeles ratified by voters in 1999 created a system of advisory neighborhood councils that would represent the diversity of stakeholders, defined as those who live, work or own property in the neighborhood. The neighborhood councils are relatively autonomous and spontaneous in that they identify their own boundaries, establish their own bylaws, and elect their own officers. There are currently about 90 neighborhood councils.
Residents of Los Angeles elect supervisors for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th supervisorial districts.Federal and state representation
In the California State Assembly, Los Angeles is split between fourteen districts:[128] the 38th, 39th, 43rd, 45th, 46th, 50th, 51st, 53rd, 54th, 59th, 62nd, 64th, 66th, and 70th districts.
In the California State Senate, Los Angeles is split between eight districts:[129] the 18th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 30th, 33rd, and 35th districts.
In the United States House of Representatives, Los Angeles is split between ten congressional districts:[130]California's 25th congressional district, represented by Republican Buck McKeon,[131]California's 28th congressional district, represented by Democrat Adam Schiff,[132]California's 29th congressional district, represented by Democrat Tony Cardenas,[133]California's 30th congressional district, represented by Democrat Brad Sherman,[134]California's 33rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Henry Waxman,[135]California's 34th congressional district, represented by Democrat Xavier Becerra,[136]California's 37th congressional district, represented by Democrat Karen Bass,[137]California's 40th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard,[138]California's 43rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Maxine Waters,[139] andCalifornia's 44th congressional district, represented by Democrat Janice Hahn.[140]CrimeSee also: Crime in Los Angeles and List of criminal gangs in Los Angeles The LAPD on May Day 2006 in front of the new Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
Like most American cities, Los Angeles has been experiencing significant decline in crime since the mid-1990s, and reached a 50-year low in 2009 with 314 homicides.[141][142] This is a rate of 7.85 per 100,000 population—a major decrease from 1993, when the all-time high homicide rate of over 21.1 per 100,000 was reported for the year.[143] This included 15 officer-involved shootings. One shooting led to the death of a SWAT team member, Randal Simmons, the first in LAPD's history.[144] Los Angeles in the year of 2013 totaled 251 murders, a decrease of 16 percent from the previous year. Police speculate that the drop resulted from a number of factors, including young people spending more time online.[145]
The Dragna crime family and the Cohen crime family dominated organized crime in the city during the Prohibition era[146] and reached its peak during the 1940s and 1950s as part of the American Mafia but has gradually declined since then with the rise of various black and Hispanic gangs.[147]
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the city is home to 45,000 gang members, organized into 450 gangs.[148] Among them are the Crips and Bloods, which are both African American street gangs that originated in South Los Angeles. Latino street gangs such as the Sureños, a Mexican American street gang, and Mara Salvatrucha, which has mainly members of Salvadoran descent, all originated in Los Angeles. The 18th Street has a predominately Latino membership but is multiethnic. This has led to the city being referred to as the "Gang Capital of America".[149]EducationColleges and universities Second branch of the California State Normal School in downtown Los Angeles opened its doors in 1882.
There are three public universities located within the city limits: California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Private colleges in the city include the American Film Institute Conservatory, Alliant International University, Syracuse University (Los Angeles Campus), American Jewish University, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy – Los Angeles campus, Antioch University's Los Angeles campus, Biola University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Emperor's College, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's Los Angeles campus (FIDM), Los Angeles Film School, Loyola Marymount University (LMU is also the parent university of Loyola Law School located in Los Angeles), Marymount College, Mount St. Mary's College, National University of California, Occidental College ("Oxy"), Otis College of Art and Design (Otis), Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Southwestern Law School, and University of Southern California (USC).
The community college system consists of nine campuses governed by the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District: East Los Angeles College (ELAC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College, Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College.
There are numerous additional colleges and universities in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Claremont Colleges consortium, which includes some of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the United States, is located 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.Schools and libraries The Los Angeles Central Library located in downtown Los Angeles.See also: Los Angeles County, California § Colleges and universities and List of high schools in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles Unified School District serves almost all of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population around 800,000.[150] After Proposition 13 was approved in 1978, urban school districts had considerable trouble with funding. LAUSD has become known for its underfunded, overcrowded and poorly maintained campuses, although its 162 Magnet schools help compete with local private schools. Several small sections of Los Angeles are in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. The Los Angeles County Office of Education operates the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. The Los Angeles Public Library system operates 72 public libraries in the city.[151] Enclaves of unincorporated areas are served by branches of the County of Los Angeles Public Library, many of which are within walking distance to residents.MediaMain article: Media in Los AngelesSee also: List of television shows set in Los Angeles and List of films set in Los Angeles
The major daily English-language newspaper in the area is the Los Angeles Times. La Opinión is the city's major daily Spanish-language paper, The Korea Times is the city's major daily Korean language paper, and The Los Angeles Sentinel is the city's major African-American weekly paper, boasting the largest Black readership in the Western United States. Investor's Business Daily is distributed from its L.A. corporate offices, which are headquartered in Playa Del Rey. Los Angeles Times Headquarters
There are also a number of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies and magazines, including the Los Angeles Register, Daily News (which focuses coverage on the San Fernando Valley), LA Weekly, L.A. Record (which focuses coverage on the music scene in the Greater Los Angeles Area), Los Angeles magazine, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Daily Journal (legal industry paper), The Hollywood Reporter and Variety (entertainment industry papers), and Los Angeles Downtown News. In addition to the major papers, numerous local periodicals serve immigrant communities in their native languages, including Armenian, English, Korean, Persian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, and Arabic. Many cities adjacent to Los Angeles also have their own daily newspapers whose coverage and availability overlaps into certain Los Angeles neighborhoods. Examples include The Daily Breeze (serving the South Bay), and The Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Los Angeles and New York City are the only two media markets to have seven VHF allocations assigned to them.[152]
The city has major broadcast channels as well as three PBS stations. World TV operates on two channels and the area has several Spanish-language television networks. KTBN 40 is the flagship station of the religious Trinity Broadcasting Network, based out of Santa Ana. A variety of independent television stations also operate in the area.TransportationMain article: Transportation in Los AngelesFreewaysMain article: Southern California freeways
The city and the rest of the Los Angeles metropolitan area are served by an extensive network of freeways and highways. The Texas Transportation Institute, which publishes an annual Urban Mobility Report, ranked Los Angeles road traffic as the most congested in the United States in 2005 as measured by annual delay per traveler.[153] The average traveler in Los Angeles experienced 72 hours of traffic delay per year according to the study. Los Angeles was followed by San Francisco/Oakland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, (each with 60 hours of delay).[154] Despite the congestion in the city, the mean travel time for commuters in Los Angeles is shorter than other major cities, including New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Los Angeles' mean travel time for work commutes in 2006 was 29.2 minutes, similar to those of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.[155]
Among the major highways that connect LA to the rest of the nation include Interstate 5, which runs south through San Diego to Tijuana in Mexico and north through Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle to the Canadian border; Interstate 10, the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway in the United States, going to Jacksonville, Florida; and U.S. Route 101, which heads to the California Central Coast, San Francisco, the Redwood Empire, and the Oregon and Washington coasts.Transit systemsMain article: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Current Los Angeles Metro Rail and Metro Transitway map showing existing lines.
The LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and other agencies operate an extensive system of bus lines, as well as subway and light rail lines across Los Angeles County, with a combined monthly ridership (measured in individual boardings) of 38.8 million as of September 2011. The majority of this (30.5 million) is taken up by the city's bus system,[156] the second busiest in the country. The subway and light rail combined average the remaining roughly 8.2 million boardings per month.[156] In 2005, 10.2% of Los Angeles commuters rode some form of public transportation.[157]
The city's subway system is the ninth busiest in the United States and its light rail system is the country's second busiest.[158] The rail system includes the Red and Purple subway lines, as well as the Gold, Blue, Expo, and Green light rail lines. The Metro Orange and Silver lines are bus rapid transit lines with stops and frequency similar to those of light rail. The city is also central to the commuter rail system Metrolink, which links Los Angeles to all neighboring counties as well as many suburbs.
Besides the rail service provided by Metrolink and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles is served by inter-city passenger trains from Amtrak. The main rail station in the city is Union Station just north of Downtown.Airports The Theme Building at LAX
The main international and domestic airport serving Los Angeles is Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX), commonly referred to by its airport code, LAX. The sixth busiest commercial airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States, LAX handled over 66 million passengers and close to 2 million tons of cargo in 2013.
Other major nearby commercial airports include:(IATA: ONT, ICAO: KONT) LA/Ontario International Airport, owned by the city of Los Angeles; serves the Inland Empire.(IATA: BUR, ICAO: KBUR) Bob Hope Airport, formerly known as Burbank Airport; serves the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys(IATA: LGB, ICAO: KLGB) Long Beach Airport, serves the Long Beach/Harbor area(IATA: SNA, ICAO: KSNA) John Wayne Airport of Orange County
One of the world's busiest general-aviation airports is also located in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY).[159]Seaports A view of the Vincent Thomas Bridge reaching Terminal Island
The Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Downtown. Also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT LA, the port complex occupies 7,500 acres (30 km2) of land and water along 43 miles (69 km) of waterfront. It adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach.
The sea ports of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together make up the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor.[160][161][162] Together, both ports are the fifth busiest container port in the world, with a trade volume of over 14.2 million TEU's in 2008.[163] Singly, the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States and the largest cruise ship center on the West Coast of the United States – The Port of Los Angeles' World Cruise Center served about 800,000 passengers in 2009.[164]
There are also smaller, non-industrial harbors along Los Angeles' coastline. The port includes four bridges: the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Henry Ford Bridge, Gerald Desmond Bridge, and Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge. Passenger ferry service from San Pedro to the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island is provided by Catalina Express.
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بعد از یکسال رو سیاهی باز آمدم
باز امشب حق صدایم کرده است
وارد مهمان سرایم کرده است با همه نقصی که در من بوده است
باز هم او دعوتم بنموده است
مهمانی شد شروع ای عاشقان
نور حق کرده طلوع ای عارفان
باز مولا سفره داری میکند
دعوت از عبد فراری می کند
مهندس محمدرضا یارمحمدی
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دانلود آلبوم جدید و فوق العاده زیبای کامران مولایی به نام پنج
دانلود آلبوم جدید و فوق العاده زیبای کامران مولایی به نام پنج
ترانه : مصطفی سامعی ، مصطفی اصانلو ، تنظیم : علیرضا ظریف ، کمانچه : مجید مظاهری
دانلود آلبوم بصورت یکجا
دانلود آلبوم بصورت تکی
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای کامران مولایی به نام یلدای تنهایی
دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای کامران مولایی به نام یلدای تنهایی
ترانه : مصطفی اصانلو ، تنظیم : علیرضا ظریف
دانلود آهنگ – ۳۲۰
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دانلود آهنگ جدید ، فوق العاده زیبا و شنیدنی کامران و هومن به نام از تو انتظار نداشتم
دانلود آهنگ جدید ، فوق العاده زیبا و شنیدنی کامران و هومن به نام از تو انتظار نداشتم
دانلود آهنگ – ۳۲۰
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای کامیار به نام نمیدونم
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای کاوه دانش به نام تردید
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای پالت به نام ک مثل کپل
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای یاسر محمودی و سیاوش یوسفی به نام چی عوض شده
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای علیرضا روزگار به نام شطرنج
آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای علیرضا روزگار به نام شطرنج
ترانه سرا : علی ضیاء ، آهنگ و تنظیم : مصطفی روزگار
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای و شنیدنی اشکان کشاورز به نام دل من
آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای و شنیدنی اشکان کشاورز به نام دل من
تنظیم : حسام الدین موسوی – شعر و ملودی : اشکان کشاورز
عکاس و مدیر اجرایی : حامد فلاحی
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای جلیل امینی با نام صبوری
آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای جلیل امینی با نام صبوری
شعر:جلیل امینی – آهنگ و تنظیم : بردیا اصفهانی
ارکستر زهی : پیام طونی – گیتار : فیروز ویسانلو
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای اشکنام وفایی با نام سوال
آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای اشکنام وفایی با نام سوال
ترانه و آهنگ : پیمان زارعی . تنظیم : احسان احمدی
نوازنده ویولن : علیرضا زنگی
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای بنیامین ولی نژاد به نام تصویر
آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای بنیامین ولی نژاد به نام تصویر
ترانه سرا : پرستو جلیلی – گیتار : امید عسکری – ملودی و تنظیم : بنیامین ولی نژاد
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای مهدی مقدم به نام ازم دوری
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دانلود دو آهنگ جدید و بی کلام محمد لانتان با نام های شیرین و فرهاد و زیر نور ماه
دو آهنگ جدید و بی کلام محمد لانتان با نام های شیرین و فرهاد و زیر نور ماه
برچسب‌ها: دانلود آهنگ از محمد لانتان
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و بسیار زیبای سعید فلاح بنام کجای آسمونی
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای کاوه دانش به نام تردید
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دانلود ریمکس جدید و فوق العاده زیبای آهنگ شادمهر عقیلی به نام آغوش
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای علی لهراسبی به نام حواسم بهت هست
آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای علی لهراسبی به نام حواسم بهت هست
ترانه : حدیث دهقان و مهرزاد امیرخانی ، آهنگ : حسین قربان پور
تنظیم : فربد یزدانفر ، میکس و مسترینگ : سعید شایان
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دانلود آهنگ جدید فوق العاده زیبای علیرضا روزگار به نام کوه درد
آهنگ جدید فوق العاده زیبای علیرضا روزگار به نام کوه درد
ترانه سرا و آهنگ : علیرضا روزگار – تنظیم و میکس مسترینگ : محمد کلهر – گیتار : مجتبی تقی پور
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای علی تكتا (زیبایی) به نام دنیا تنگه دلم
آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبای علی تكتا (زیبایی) به نام دنیا تنگه دلم
ترانه : عَلیاز عینی ، آهنگ : علی زیبایی ، تنظیم : علی ضیاء ، گیتار : مهران عیسی نژاد
گیتار الكتریك : میلاد مجذوب
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دانلود آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبا و شنیدنی مجید خراطها با نام 24
آهنگ جدید و فوق العاده زیبا و شنیدنی مجید خراطها با نام 24
ماه ترانه و آهنگ و تنظیم : مجید خراطها ، باغلاما الکتریک و ستار و گیتار : سعید فرازمند
ویولن و ارکستر زهی : پیمان رشیدی ، کلارینت : هومن رها ، پیانو و ویولن آلتو : مجید خراطها
ضبط و میکس و مسترینگ : ایمان حجت و استودیو راگا
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