ELDORADO 231 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE STATE. 



From that period the history, growth and develop- 

 ment of Cahfornia does not properly belong to pion- 

 eer days. 



The comparative size of California, however, is not 

 generally understood or realized even by a very large 

 number of its own citizens. It has a coast line of 

 about one thousand miles, with an average width of 

 over two hundred miles, and contains an area of 188,- 

 921 square miles or 120,947,840 acres. The combined 

 area of the six New England states is but 68,348 

 square miles, showing that California has an area al- 

 most three times as great as this division of that re- 

 public. The area of the six middle states — New York, 

 New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and 

 West Virginia — is 137,464 square miles, showing that 

 "the area of California is 51,517 square miles larger 

 than all that section. 



The combined area of the twelve states forming the 

 New England and Middle States is 205,812 square 

 miles, showing that California contains an area almost 

 as great as these twelve states. It is 78,135 square 



