Los Angeles Travel Guide
Los Angeles—often simply called L.A.—is the largest city in the state of California and the second-largest in the United States. It is an alpha world city having a population of 3.8 million people and spanning 498 square miles. The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan area is home to 12.9 million people.
Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Spanish Captain Rivera y Moncada, yet it was not incorporated as a municipality until April 4, 1850—five months before California achieved statehood. It is the county seat of Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles area is one of the world's centers of culture, science, technology, international trade, and higher education, and is home to world-renowned institutions in a broad range of professional and cultural fields. The city and its immediate surrounding vicinity lead the world in producing popular entertainment—such as motion pictures, television, and recorded music—which forms the base of Los Angeles's international fame and global status.
