PHYSICAL AND CLIMATIC SETTING 3 



42 north latitude, thus occupying nine and one- 

 half degrees of latitude. The most westerly point in 

 California is Cape Mendocino with 124 26' of west 

 longitude: the most easterly point is in San Ber- 

 nardino County, in an eastward bend of the Colorado 

 Biver, with 114 9' of west longitude. Therefore, if 

 extremes of latitude and longitude were alone con- 

 sidered, California might claim to be 9.5 x 10.15 de- 

 grees dimensions, but the east and west boundaries 

 of the State do not run north and south, as such 

 calculation would require. California is cut ap- 

 proximately on the bias, or obliquely, between these 

 extremes. The northeast portion of such a square as 

 parallel boundaries would inclose comprises the state 

 of Nevada, while the southwest portion is occupied 

 by the Pacific Ocean. The greatest width of Cali- 

 fornia is a line drawn from Point Conception in 

 Santa Barbara County eastward to the point of least 

 longitude in San Bernardino County (noted above) 

 and the distance is 235 miles. The least width of the 

 State is a line drawn eastward from the Golden 

 Gate to the south end of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra 

 Nevada (which is bisected by the State boundary 

 line), the distance being 148 miles. The average 

 width of the State is, therefore, 191 miles. Its 

 length calculated on its stretch of latitude is 660J 

 statute miles, but owing to its oblique extension be- 

 tween its parallels of latitude, its actual length, in an 

 air line drawn from its northwest to southeast cor- 

 ners, is 775 miles, and its coast line, following inden- 

 tations therein, is 1200 miles. The coast line of Cali- 



