Sacramento is the sixth most populated city in California, but it is he who is the capital of the Golden State. The city is located in the central part of the state. It lies in the California Valley, where the American River flows into the Sacramento River. The river valley lies surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains.

This area is dangerous for floods, so urban development is carried out mainly to the east of the historic center of Sacramento – away from the danger zone. The Sacramento area has a very favorable climate, with warm and humid winters and moderate and dry summers.

Excursion into history

The territory of the present city has long been inhabited by the Indian tribes of Miwok and Neissenans. The first Europeans to explore this area were the Spanish expedition of Gabriel Moraga (1799). They say that it was he who gave the name to the area.

Fascinated by the natural riches of the region, he exclaimed: “These are like holy gifts!” Sacramento means “holy, mysterious”. When the “white” settlement appeared, it was simply called Sutter’s sawmill. It was founded in 1839 by the Swiss woodworker Sutter. Later the village was called New Helvetia.

The situation changed in 1848, when the Sacramento area became the center of the “gold rush”. The son of the founder of New Helvetia, next to his father’s settlement, founded a new settlement for prospectors, naming it after the river.

Already in 1849, city status was adopted, and the following year, Sacramento became the capital of California. However, it was not until 1864 that the state legislature met for the first time in Sacramento. And only since 1879 it began to do it on an ongoing basis.

As with other US state capitals, a significant portion of Sacramento’s population is employed in the public sector. However, the city is home to the headquarters and production facilities of many large companies. In the city, a quarter of the population is Hispanic. The crime rate is twice as high as the US average.

Sacramento boasts the world’s largest railroad museum and the California Capitol. Also in the city there are about eight dozen parks, led by the William Land Park park complex, where there is a zoo and golf courses.

Sacramento is rich in history. In 1839, the American pioneer John Sutter came to this land. Here Sutter established a fort and a trading colony. When the “gold rush” began in the country, the first gold mine was found 80 km from Sacramento. A large number of prospectors poured into the city.

The influx of gold miners contributed to the rapid growth of the population. In 1850, Sacramento was named a city for the first time. To turn Sacramento into the capital of California, the authorities paid a tribute of $1 million. Gold mines still operate in the Sacramento foothills.

In 1863, the beginning of the first transcontinental railroad was laid in the city. Sacramento became the first point of departure for the Pony Express courier company. Today, the city houses the world’s largest railway museum.

An artificial shipping channel was built in Sacramento in 1963. It has a length of 43 miles and goes straight to the harbor of San Francisco. Access to the Gulf and the Pacific Ocean allows the transportation of agricultural and industrial goods. In addition, four major highways pass through Sacramento.

Sacramento has an international airport and a local airport.

There is virtually no racial discrimination in sunny Sacramento. Representatives of various ethnic groups and social strata coexist peacefully here. Most of the city is given over to park areas. There are 80 parks in Sacramento. In the largest of them, you can even play golf or visit the zoo, which contains the rarest breeds of animals.

Climate

Sacramento has a Mediterranean climate with short, sometimes rainy winters (from the second half of December to early February) and hot, dry and absolutely cloudless skies in summer. Fog is possible during winter and early spring, while the city is one of the sunniest in the US from June to September. Summer is hot and dry. During the day, the average air temperature is 35-40 degrees, at night the air temperature is 17-25 degrees.

Panoramic view of downtown Sacramento

In the California State Legislature, Sacramento is located in the 6th Senate Congressional District, represented by Democrat Darrell Steinberg, and in the 5th, 9th, and 10th Assembly Districts, represented by Republican Roger Niello, and Democrats Dave Jones. and Alison Huber, respectively.

Federally, most of Sacramento is located in California’s 5th congressional district and is represented by Democrat Doris Matsui. Part of Sacramento is located in California’s 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Dan Langren.

The basis of Sacramento’s economy is the public administration sector (for example, over 73 thousand people are employed in the city of California state authorities alone), healthcare, education, electronics and information technology.

The California State Railroad Museum

Sacramento is home to The California State Railroad Museum and the Crocker Art Museum. Sacramento has its own ballet company, symphony orchestra and several theaters.

There are 80 parks in the city. The largest of them, “William Land Park”, covers an area of 96 hectares and includes golf courses and a zoo, which contains 450 species of various animals and birds.

The city is home to the Sacramento Kings basketball team, which plays in the National Basketball Association.