| Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the | | | | rooftops with palm trees towering above. |
| second largest city in the USA. It is located on the | | | | Along the Pacific shore, Malibu, Santa Monica, |
| southern coast of California about 75 miles north | | | | Marina Del Rey and Palos Verde are high class |
| of the Mexican border and 400 miles south of | | | | residential beach communities. |
| San Francisco. The original name of the city was | | | | Hollywood is the historic home of the old movie |
| The Village of Our Lady the Queen of Angels, but | | | | studios and Beverly Hills is still the home of the |
| the name was shortened for obvious reasons. | | | | movie stars. Here you can drive along the |
| Los Angeles is situated on an irregularly shaped | | | | western terminus of historic route 66 on Santa |
| coastal plain about 30 to 60 miles across. It is | | | | Monica Boulevard. You can stroll along famous |
| bounded on the west by nearly 60 miles of Pacific | | | | Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. In |
| Coast beaches and ocean cliffs. The San Gabriel | | | | nearby Burbank, you can visit many modern |
| and San Bernardino Mountains form a 2500 meter | | | | movie and television studios. In Anaheim, you can |
| high wall to the east. The Santa Monica Mountains | | | | see the original Disney Land and Knotts Berry |
| define its northern limit and the Santa Anna | | | | Farm. |
| Mountains define the southern. | | | | Downtown is certainly a commercial district, but it |
| Los Angeles has four major airports Los Angeles | | | | is no more the urban centre of the city than |
| International, Burbank Glendale Airport, John | | | | many other neighbourhoods. Near the downtown |
| Wayne Airport and Ontario International Airport. In | | | | area are ethnic neighbourhoods with large Asian |
| addition, the Orange County Airport is less than | | | | populations called, Korea Town, China Town and |
| one hour from the city and San Diego Airport is | | | | Japan Town. |
| within a two hour drive. | | | | Unlike most cities, Los Angeles does not have a |
| Los Angeles natives inhabit the entire plain and all | | | | distinct urban centre. It is a collection of individual |
| the local hills plus the sides of the mountain ranges | | | | communities tied together by a complex network |
| and into all of the connecting valleys. The city now | | | | of roads and freeways. Each community offers a |
| covers over 1000 square miles in dozens of | | | | uniquely different character. Together, they make |
| interconnected communities. High rise buildings only | | | | up this huge metropolitan complex called Los |
| exist in a few isolated clusters. From nearly every | | | | Angeles. |
| vantage point, you can gaze across miles of low | | | | |