History of Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city located in southern Los Angeles County, California, USA, on the Pacific coast. It borders Orange County on its southeast edge. It is about 20 miles (30 km) south of downtown Los Angeles.
As of 2006 its estimated population was 490,166. Based upon the USA Today's Diversity Index, Long Beach was the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States in 2000, and the area along Anaheim St. is sometimes called "Little Phnom Penh". There are also sizable populations of Samoan-Americans, Tongan-Americans, African Americans, Mexican-Americans, Salvadoran-Americans and other Central Americans, such as Belizean-Americans and Panamanian-Americans, as well as Puerto Ricans, Vietnamese Americans, Filipino Americans, and other Asians. There is also a diverse gay and lesbian population in the city.
Long Beach is the List of United States cities by population 34th-largest city in the nation, 5th in California and 2nd in Los Angeles County (after Los Angeles). Long Beach is the largest U.S. city that is not a county seat.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world's largest shipping ports. The city also has a large oil industry; oil (discovered in 1921) is found both underground and offshore. Manufactures include aircraft, automobile parts, electronic and audiovisual equipment, and home furnishings. It is also home to headquarters for corporations such as Epson America, Molina Healthcare, Scan Health Care, and Polar Air Cargo. Long Beach grew with the development of high-technology and aerospace industries in the area.
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