DODGERS CITY

Los Angeles, known as the city of Los Angeles or in short, as it is widely known by its abbreviation L.A., is a large coastal metropolis in Southern California in the western United States. Los Angeles came to being in the 1700s. The Tongva, Chumash, and even older people for thousands of years had occupied the Los Angeles coastal area. The Spanish people first arrived in 1542 with the visit by Juan Cabrillo. In 1769 they returned to California to stay. In 1771, the San Gabriel mission was founded establishing a Spanish presence for the area. On September 4, 1781 settlers from the San Gabriel Mission founded the town and named it "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciuncula, "The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of the Small Portion". It remained a small mission and ranch town for decades. Mexican independence from Spain was achieved in the 1820's, but the greatest change took place in present day Montebello after the Battle of Rio San Gabriel in 1847 which decided the fate of Los Angeles. Yankees gained control, especially after the Gold Rush and the admission of California to the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a city in California on April 4, 1850 and as a city in 1851.The city is the county seat of Los Angeles County. L.A. is the largest city in California, and the second most populous city in the United States (after New York City), with a population of 3,694,820 as of the 2000 census. A July 1, 2004, Census estimate shows the city's population at 3,847,400. The Los Angeles economy is driven by agriculture, petroleum, motion pictures, aerospace, international trade, and tourism. L.A. is the hub of various attractions which include Beverly Hills, the home of the rich and famous, Disneyland which is known as the happiest place on earth, where kids go to enjoy themselves. The park is divided into four different lands: Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. High-sugar fun. Los Angeles is also home of Hollywood, it's stars and Universal Studios which is the world's largest movie studio. Its famous theme park, one of LA's top attractions, has gut-wrenching rides, mind-blowing special-effects shows and the Backlot Tour, a part-educational, part-thrill ride behind the scenes of moviemaking. Adjacent to the park, Universal City Walk is a fantasy promenade of shops, restaurants, movie theaters and nightclubs. It's best after dark when vibrant neon signs transform it into a miniature Las Vegas Strip. Los Angeles is the largest entry point for immigrants to the United States and is now the most ethnically diverse city in the world, with populations from every nation. It is considered a major world city, having hosted two Olympic Games, and home to renowned scientific and cultural institutions. It is a major center for producing entertainment, including motion picture, TV, and recorded music. Thus, due to the large population and economy of, Los Angeles is considered an Alpha World City. The City of Los Angeles is governed by a mayor and a 15-member council. The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District are among the largest such organizations in the country. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power provides services to city residents and businesses. The Los Angeles metropolitan area (frequently termed the "Southland") consists of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties, and is home to more than sixteen million people of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. The Greater Los Angeles area is often referred to as Southern California, but geographically that term more properly includes both the Los Angeles metroplex and Imperial, Kern, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Los Angeles is also home to some of the top Professional Sport teams in the United States. This teams include the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers men's basketball teams, the Los Angeles Sparks women's basketball team, the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team, and the Los Angeles Avengers arena football team.Los Angeles is also credited with being the birthplace of skateboarding and is well known for its surfing culture.