| The City of Los Angeles(from
Spanish Los Ángeles meaning the
angels),
also known as L.A., is the
second-largest city in the
United States in terms of population, as well as one of the world's
most important
economic,
cultural, and
entertainment centers. It was incorporated as a
city in
California on
April 4,
1850, when
the city's population was only 1,610, and is the
county seat of
Los Angeles County. As of the
2000
census, it has a population of 3,694,820, but a
May 1,
2005
California Department of Finance estimate shows the city's population at
3,957,875, with the metropolitan area at 17,545,623. The city is also
large by geographic standards since it sprawls over more than 465 square
miles (1200 square kilometers), making it physically larger than
New York City and
Chicago. In addition, Los Angeles can be considered to be an "Alpha"
world city since it has hosted two
Olympic Games (in
1932 and
1984) and
is home to world-renowned
scientific and cultural institutions. The city is one of the
largest entry points for
immigrants to the United States, and it contains
people from every nation, making it one of
world's most culturally rich places. People are attracted to the city
for its warm
weather,
its vibrant
lifestyle, its unique energy, and the opportunity to realize the "American
Dream."
The city is divided into many neighborhoods. Most of the neighborhood
names come from farm towns that were annexed by the growing city,
physical terrain features, major streets, or subdivision names coined by
enterprising developers. These divisions have no legal status but are of
significance to residents for cultural and financial reasons. Signs have
been placed on major thoroughfares designating some of the communities,
a practice going back decades. (The "neighborhood councils" of Los
Angeles began in 1999 and often follow different borders).
Los Angeles is widely known as the entertainment capital of the
world. Its largest entertainment industry is film production, but it is
an important center for music, art, and architecture as well. As a major
global metropolis, Los Angeles has evolved a unique culture and that is
well-portrayed in popular media and is sometimes idealized as highly
desirable. However, this culture has also inspired criticism that it is
not really a unique culture, although most believe the contrary. For
more criticism, see
Arts and culture of Los Angeles: Criticism
Source: Wikipedia
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