Ten Facts about Los Angeles
Everyone knows that L.A. is the entertainment capital of the world. But there’s much more to Los Angeles than the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills, and the Oscars.
- Los Angeles is often referred to as the “Creative Capital of the World,” because one in six L.A. residents works in a creative industry.
- Los Angeles is the third-largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas.
- People from more than 140 countries, speaking more than 220 different languages, make Los Angeles their home.
- Although the saying goes that “It never rains in Southern California,” that’s not completely true. It does rain – but only about 35 days a year, mainly during the winter and spring.
- The city is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods. Some of the most well known are Watts, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Venice, Bel Air, Hollywood, Pacific Palisades and Century City.
- There are more than 800 museums and art galleries in Los Angeles County; the city has more museums per capita than any other city in the world.
- The Los Angeles economy is driven by international trade, entertainment, aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion and apparel, and tourism. The city is the largest manufacturing center in the western United States.
- The city is home to seven Fortune 500 companies, including aerospace contractor Northrop Grumman, energy company Occidental Petroleum and healthcare provider HealthNet.
- The contiguous ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach comprise the fifth-busiest port in the world, and the most significant port in the Western Hemisphere.
- Three public universities are within the city limits: California State University, Los Angeles, California State University, Northridge, and University of California, Los Angeles. The city’s private colleges and universities include the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount. There are also nine community colleges in the city.
