Passport/Visa Requirements: Beginning January 2007, all U.S. citizens must have a passport when traveling by air to or from Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America and Mexico. Citizens of Canada, Mexico and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda also must have a passport or other designated secure document to enter the U.S.

Beginning 1 June 2009, passports are required for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders with the U.S. and for cruise passengers returning to the U.S. from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda.

Reconfirm travel-document requirements with your carrier prior to departure.

Population: 36,132,147.

Languages: English.

Predominant Religions: Christian (Protestant and Roman Catholic), but most other religions are represented..

Time Zone: 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-8 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.

Voltage Requirements: 110 volts.

Additional Reading

Snow Mountain Passage: A Novel by James D. Houston. Alfred A. Knopf (2001).

Big Dreams: Into the heart of California by Bill Barich. Vintage (1995).

Daughter of Fortune, A Novel by Isabel Allende. HarperTorch (2001).

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin. Black Swan (2000).

Tourist Offices

California Division of Tourism, 1102 Q St., Suite 6000, Sacramento, CA 95812. Phone 916-322-2881. Toll-free 800-862-2543. Fax 916-322-3402. http://www.gocalif.ca.gov.