Facts on California's Natural Resources for Kids

Gold Rush

• Gold was a significant factor contributing to the creation of California.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The Gold Rush that begun in 1848 is one of the most important events in Californian history, as it was the event that triggered an influx of migrants. The population growth, in turn, led to the creation of the state. The gold was used as a fuel of growth, and indeed provided motivation for hundreds of thousands of people to seek out the American dream. Today gold mining still takes place in California, and serves as a reminder of the state's origin.
  
  

Agriculture

• Agriculture has been, and still is, an essential part of California's natural resources.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Agriculture is an important feature of Californian geography. The rich soil of the Central Valley, despite accounting for but a percent of the total farmland in the nation, produces as much as 8 percent of the total agriculture output in the United States. Almost every nontropical crop is grown within the confines of the Central Valley. The soil and agriculture has also been important in the state's history, particularly during the 1930s, as thousands of "Okies" migrated to California for work.
  
  

Wildlife

• California is full of wildlife.Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  California is characterized by a rich wildlife, with a wide array of different animal species that roam the water, air and land. The wildlife ranges from mountain lions, to desert tortoises, to monarch butterflies and sea otters. This is because of the huge range of different habitats within the state, from arid to subarctic. A significant factors for the characteristics of a habitat is elevation, latitude and proximity to the coast.
  
  

Deserts

• Despite the lack of water, desert lands may still hold significant life.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The deserts of California can be divided up into three main sections: the Mojave Desert, with a generally high altitude from the ocean -- 11,000 feet at its highest point; the Colorado Desert, which has a very low altitude, going as far down as 230 feet below sea level; and the Great Basin Desert, which, like the Mojave, reaches as high as 11,000 feet above the ocean. Despite the low rainfall in these areas, plenty of life exists within them, such as creosote bush, blackbush, greasewood and saltbush.