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Los Angeles is a city in California, a state in the United States of America. Almost 4 million people live in Los Angeles, and in the area around Los Angeles almost 18 million. In the U.S., only New York City is bigger. In Los Angeles there are a lot of airports and a port. 

Los Angeles is located in the west of the USA, at the Pacific Ocean. The climate in the city is hot in the summer and mild in the winter. Almost all of the precipitation falls in the winter, which is a lot of rain and some snow. In the summer it is almost always dry. The streets in the city run parallel to each other and cross at right angles, like in a lot of other American cities. Seen from above it looks a bit like a chessboard. In some parts of the city you can find huge skyscrapers. All over the city there are houses that are one or two stories high. 

Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Spaniards. The name in Spanish is “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula”. That is Spanish for “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels at the River of Porciúncula”. That lady is the Virgin Mary. The city is still called the City of Angels. Los Angeles is often abbreviated as L.A.  

Until the year 1848 Los Angeles belonged to Mexico, after that it belonged to the USA. Today, many immigrants from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries live there. Other residents come from Asia or other parts of the world. 

==What is there to see in the city?==
In Los Angeles there are a lot of attractions. The first movie theater in the USA opened in 1902 in Los Angeles. A famous thing in Los Angeles is Hollywood, where movies are made. You can visit some movie studios, like Universal Studios. A lot of stars live in Hollywood. 

You can relax at famous Venice Beach. A lot of musicians, artists, and painters meet along the beach. The theme park Disneyland opened in 1955. Disneyland has a lot of attractions for kids and adults.

In 1932 and 1984 the summer Olympics took place in Los Angeles. Ever since 1984, the Los Angeles Marathon takes place there as well. It is one of the biggest marathons in the world. Many participants and spectators travel from all over the world for it. 

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