- 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.