It was pointed out to me that I forgot the central bit of California, which is a key omission - this is, after all, the bit made famous by The Grapes Of Wrath. It bears pointing out that if it's on your plate and it's not made of meat or bread, it probably came from the Central Valley or the San Joaquin Valley or somewhere thereabouts. California produces more rice than Japan, seriously. This is also where all those fleeing Okies settles, and the cultural and political impact of that migration is still a major factor in state politics seventy-plus years on.
I would also be remiss if I didn't point out that the entire aerospace industry - not to mention the Reagan doctrine - are completely unimaginable without considering Orange County in the last sixty years. (This is not necessarily a plug for Before The Storm, the best book ever on Goldwater in '64, because I assume you've read it already, and if you haven't, you're just not paying attention, because it is really compelling stuff.)
For all the guff about Texas splitting into 5 states, let's be honest, you could split California into at LEAST 5, and all with a pivotal hand in the national economy - agricultural, technological, media, booze, you name it.
There are far worse places to call home. =)
