Physical map of California

California is located in the southwestern part of the United States, on the Pacific coast. California is bordered by Mexico on the south, the other states of Nevada and Arizona on the east, and Oregon to the north. In the middle of the state lies the Central Valley, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade Range in the north. Mount Whitney of the Sierra Nevada is the highest peak in California, and also in the 48 contiguous states of the US.
The capital of California is Sacramento, the largest city is Los Angeles. Other important cities are San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Fresno and Eureka. In the south is a large inland salt lake, the Salton Sea, north of which lies the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert. To the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in North America.