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The San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley lies northwest of Hollywood across the Santa Monica Mountains. The Los Angeles section of the valley covers 234 square miles (606 square kilometers), which the city annexed in 1915. When Los Angeles annexed the section, it consisted of large open areas and several rural communities. Today, huge housing developments and shopping centers cover the San Fernando Valley. Over 1 million people, about a third of Los Angeles's residents, live in the valley. Most of them live in single-family houses with patios and barbecues in the backyard. Many homes include a backyard swimming pool. The area also has numerous small apartment buildings and high-rise buildings. The independent communities of Burbank and San Fernando also are in the valley. Another valley community, Northridge, was the center of a major earthquake in 1994.
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