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Los Angeles, California - Overview

Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States of America. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles (120km) north of the Mexican border and 400 miles (600km) south of San Francisco. The original name of the city was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles" or "The Village of OLos Angeles is situated on an irregularly shaped coastal plain about 30 to 60 miles across. It is bounded on the west by nearly 60 miles of Pacific Coast beaches and ocean cliffs. The San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains form a 2500-meter high wall to the east. The Santa Monica Mountains define its northern limit and the Santa Anna Mountains define the southern.
Los Angeles natives inhabit the entire plain, from the local hills to connecting valleys to the slopes of the mountain ranges. The city now covers over 1000 square-miles composed of dozens of interconnected communities. High-rise buildings only exist in a few isolated clusters. From nearly every vantage point, you can gaze across miles of low rooftops with palm trees towering above.
ur Lady the Queen of Angels", but the name was shortened for obvious reasons.

Los Angeles is composed of many interconnected communities

In order to commute between these widely dispersed neighborhoods, Los Angeles has constructed a remarkably efficient road system of broad streets, avenues and 10-14 lane wide freeways. These roadways enable people to quickly navigate across the vast metropolitan complex at most times; however, avoiding the freeways between 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM, when millions of cars clog the roads during the rush hour commute, is recommended. Air pollution caused by all of these cars on the roadways combines with the moist air from the Pacific Ocean to form a dirty gray haze known as Los Angeles Smog.
Unlike most cities, Los Angeles does not have a distinct urban center. It is a collection of individual communities tied together by a complex network of roads and freeways. Each community offers a uniquely different character. Together, they make up this huge metropolitan complex called Los Angeles.