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Long Beach

The fifth largest city in California, Long Beach is located on San Pedro Bay in Los Angeles county. One of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, with significantly large populations of Cambodians, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and people from other areas of Asia.

The Port of Long Beach is the second most busy ports in the United States, and the tenth busiest in the world. The port serves shipping between the United States and the Pacific Rim, which encompasses Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Singapore to name but a few.

The population of Long Beach comes to just under 500,000 inhabitants. The city can proudly boast the birth of quite a few famous names, including Nicolas Cage, Bo Derek, Spike Jones, Billie Jean King, Tiger Woods and Jeff Burroughs.

The city, founded in 1881 under the name Willmore City, by the Englishman W. E. Willmore, later, in 1888 became “Long Beach”. The name came from the company who bought out the land owned by Willmore, the “Long Beach Land and Water Company”.  At the beginning of the 20th century, oil was discovered at Long Beach, thereby increasing the wealth of the community.

The climate in Long Beach is one of the drawing factors for it’s many tourists. One can expect an average January high of 66 degrees Fahrenheit ( 19 degrees Celsius ), and an average July high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius).

In Long Beach, there is an endless list of activities to enjoy, to list but a few; a Catalina Island Day cruise, Japanese Gardens, Aquarium of the Pacific, or a tour on the retired passenger liner, the “Queen Mary”. The island of Catalina, which falls under the jurisdiction of L.A. county, and takes approximately on hours travel by ferry from Long Beach. In fact, one can also avail of a helicopter service for the journey across.

The second largest event to which Long Beach plays host is the Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival, which takes place annually, in either May or June, over  period of two days. Though this is not the only parade to speak of. Also taking place annually are; the Brazilian Street Carnival, in September, the Martin Luther King parade, in January, the Cambodian New Years parade, in March or April, and  the Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane & Parade, which is in December.

More information:

• http://www.justcalifornia.org/california/longbeach/longbeach-city.asp
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Beach,_California

Resources:

• City official website
• Long Beach tourist guide
• Port of Long Beach
• Gazette Newspapers
• Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
• Long Beach Aquarium
• Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade