According to 800zipcodes, Los Angeles is the second city with the most residents in the United States, only surpassed by New York, as well as being the largest city in the state of California and on the North American west coast. L.A., as it is popularly known, is one of the main conglomerates of the Latino community on US soil and is the city with the largest number of Mexicans outside of Mexico ^[1] .

Los Angeles is one of the world’s cultural, economic, scientific and entertainment centers. The city is also one of the most cosmopolitan places in the world, as well as avant-garde in creativity, since it is home to people of almost all nationalities. People have been drawn to the city for its mild climate and vibrant lifestyle. The city hosted two Olympic Games (1932 and 1984) and is home to several cultural and scientific institutions. The population of Los Angeles reaches 3,849,378 and an area of ​​1,214.9 km².

History

The history of Los Àngeles dates back to 1781, when it was founded by the Spanish governor Felipe de Neve under the name El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles. After independence from Spain, the city came under the rule of Mexico until 1848, when it fell into the hands of the United States after the war between the two countries.

From that primordial stage the area known as El Pueblo is preserved, a place in the center of Los Angeles where there are monuments of interest such as the Old Church, Avila Adobe, a house whose interior and exterior has survived the passage of time, as well as charming streets like Olvera Street. Subsequently, the railroad, oil and hydraulic infrastructures made the city grow and prosper.

It was in the 20s of the last century when Los Angeles became the capital of the film industry, located in the Hollywood area, settling the first film studios, such as Universal Studios, which today also houses a museum and a theme park. Today, Los Angeles hosts many acts, events, and shows, work that began with the 1932 and 1984 Olympics that the city successfully hosted.

Geography

Los Angeles is located in the foothills of the southern California coast in the western United States. The region displays a wide variety of terrain with the Pacific Oceancoastline bordering the city for over 40 miles, the Santa Monica around the northern mountain range, and the San Gabriel Mountains marking the East. Marked by rugged hills and canyons, LA is also the only major US city to be divided in two by a mountain range. The region is in the AMPST time zone.

The very desirable Mediterranean climate is generally warm and sunny, averaging 329 days of sunshine per year. The average temperature is around 64F (17C), although smog-engulfed summer days can get over 90F (32C) and winter temperatures around 55F (12C) are not uncommon. Most of the 15 to 17 inches of rain a year occurs in the winter with the wettest month being February, but freezing conditions are exceptionally rare.

Various geographical factors and man are also present in LA’s air pollution from dependence on automobiles and it is called smog and it appears as a cloud of fog hovering over the city. It is common to find air quality classifications along with the day’s temperatures. Environmental regulations have helped clean up much of the pollution since the 1970s.

Earthquakes are also a concern, because the city is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horse-shaped shoe lining basin of the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes are frequent, but few are felt and even fewer cause much damage ^[2] .

Economic development

The city is one of the largest economic centers in the world with a significant banking sector and remains the largest retail market in the U.S. Services, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, government, financial services industries, transportation, services public, as well as a prominent construction industry. Los Angeles maintains strong ties with Asia and Mexico through trade through its huge port.

Although the main weight of the economy lies in the aerospace, entertainment and tourism industries, others such as computing and telecommunications have found a seat in the area ^[3] .