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Los Angeles is a huge city in southern California. It ranks as the second largest city in the United States, after New York City. Few U.S. cities have grown as rapidly as Los Angeles. In 1850, when Los Angeles became a city, it had only 1,610 people. In 1940, with a population of about 1 1/2 million, it ranked as the nation's fifth largest city. In 2000, it had more than 3 2/3 million people.
Los Angeles is the seat of Los Angeles County, which is the nation's largest county in population. The county had about 9.5 million people in 2000, and it includes dozens of communities in addition to Los Angeles. Los Angeles County makes up the city's metropolitan area. Los Angeles and other communities in the area run together and look much alike, making it hard to tell where one ends and another begins. For this reason, the area has been described as "a hundred suburbs in search of a city."
Each year, millions of tourists visit the Los Angeles area. They come to enjoy the area's beaches, ski resorts, and other recreational facilities, as well as its many cultural and entertainment attractions.
Los Angeles is the industrial, financial, and trade center of the western United States. It is also the largest manufacturing center in the country. It is among the nation's leaders in the production of aircraft and equipment for space exploration. The city's film and television industry is world famous. Banks and other financial institutions in Los Angeles rank among the largest in the country and have helped finance the area's rapid growth. The Port of Los Angeles is one of the busiest on the West Coast. Each year, thousands of cargo ships, fishing boats, and pleasure craft dock at this port.
But for all its glories, Los Angeles has serious problems. Earthquakes have caused severe damage. Riots, triggered by racial conflict, have sometimes broken out. Many other problems have resulted from the rapid increase in population. The city has little open land left, and housing-especially low-cost housing-is in short supply. The people depend mainly on automobiles for transportation, and they own more than 5 million cars. The freeways are often jammed, and exhaust fumes and smoke from factories have created serious air pollution. In 1989, California adopted a long-term plan to combat air pollution in the city and surrounding area. To help reduce pollution and traffic jams, Los Angeles has improved its public transportation system.
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