- **Date of Independence:** Brief Bear Flag Republic (June 14 - July 9, 1846, 25 days) - **Date of Annexation to [[United States of America (USA)]]:** September 9, 1850 (statehood; acquired via Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848) - **Population (2025):** 39.5 million - **GDP (2025):** $4.1 trillion - **Largest City:** Los Angeles (4.0 million) - **State Capital:** Sacramento (527,000) - **Historical Note:** Gained from [[Mexico]] after Mexican-American War; 1849 Gold Rush triggered massive population boom leading to rapid statehood. Now the world's 4th largest economy (ahead of [[Japan]]), center of technology innovation in Silicon Valley, and America's agricultural powerhouse. Most populous U.S. state.