|
John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
Image: The sun on the horizon.
Text: "California - The Golden State".
The above image is computer generated and therefore only an approximation of the real sign. On the real sign the word "CALIFORNIA" appears in an arc above the road number.
The California state highway marker shield is in the shape of a rounded green triangle with a white border. This is a stylised representation of a miner's shovel (from the California Gold Rush of 1849).
However, in Mar-03 "Gabbydoda" sent me this interesting email with an alternative idea:
I have heard through the years that the name of California came from the two Spanish words that mean hot furnace: Caliente Fornace. Is this true?In Jun-03 Richard Gajewski commented:
I too, have heard that the name California was derived from Caliente and Fornace. About 25 years ago, an historian told me that it was a reference to the Amazon women who inhabited the island. He told me that the name was originally derived from the natives of the West Indies who used two words that sounded like Caleef and vornya which meant to give of oneself before reaping from the land. The myth was that those who try reaping from the land before showing their talents will be scorched to death by the sun. It is interesting not only how the Spanish words for hot furnace figure into this but that many who came looking for gold died in the hot sun as they were trying to leave. Furthermore, California and Florida have the highest percentage of skin cancer in the world that’s attributed directly to the sun.If anyone wishes to comment further on the Caliente Fornace theory please email me using the link at the bottom of this page.
Fresno: January high 55F, July high 98F.
Los Angeles: January high 67F, July high 83F.
Needles: January high 63F, July high 108F.
San Francisco: January high 56F, July high 64F.
Yosemite: January high 45F, July high 90F.
California is a large state and its different regions have widely varying climates. Except for the southernmost section, the coast is normally cool and often wet. The central valley (the San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento Valley) tends to be very hot in summer. Temperatures in the mountains naturally decrease with increasing altitude. The desert areas have very low rainfall year-round, very high temperatures in summer, but very low temperatures in winter.
Departments of Transportation etc for each US state and Canadian province
Home | States/Provinces | Subjects
Most recently modified 29-Dec-05