Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a city located in Southern California and washed by the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest city in California and the second-largest city in the United States, following New York. It covers an area of about 1,210 square kilometers. Its population is about 4 million people.
The nicknames are LA, the City of Angels (Spanish for the Angels) and ‘La-La Land’. The city was founded in 1781 as a Spanish village, under Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California became part of the United States.
L.A. is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic and cultural diversity, Hollywood film industry and sprawling area. It is mostly sunny and warm with gentle ocean breezes in the summer.
The landmarks include Hollywood sign, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles Theatre and many other. The most important street in the city is Sunset Boulevard, which is about 40 km long.
San Francisco
San Francisco is a city in the state of California, its cultural, commercial and financial center. It is located on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Its population is over 800 thousand people. It covers an area of about 121 square kilometers. People unofficially call it ‘SF’, ‘San Fran’, ‘The City’ and ‘Frisco’.
San Francisco was founded in 1776, when colonists from Spain established the Presidio of San Francisco named after Francis of Assisi, an Italian monk. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth and made it the largest city on the West Coast at the time.
The symbols of San Francisco are cool summers, fog, steep rolling hills and eclectic mix of architecture. People enjoy the mild climate, which is neither too hot nor too cold. Because of the famous hills the most convenient way to travel around the city is by cable cars. Besides, the city is well-known for its liberal community and great ethnic and cultural diversity with newspapers in thirty different languages. All this makes it a popular tourist destination.
The landmarks include the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, the former military prison on Alcatraz Island and Pier 39. You may visit Palace of Fine Arts and have dinner in one of the amazing seafood restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf.
The city is definitely worth a visit, as it is a place of stunning natural beauty with the spectacular views from the hills.
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Guangzhou
Guangzhou is one of the oldest Chinese cities. It’s located in the south of China on the River Zhujiang. It’s a large city with a population of about 14 million people.
This city is known as on of the biggest centers of sciences, industry and trade. Tourists come to Guangzhou from all over the world to see ancient statues and modern architecture, cultural traditions and nature.
There are great shops, wonderful parks, a lot of cafes and restaurants where you can try the taste of local cuisine. Every year the city organizes International Cantonese Cuisine Festival.
By N. Chekrysheva