Los Angeles, often known by its initials L.A., is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. It is the second most populous city in the United States (after New York City) and the most populous city in the state of California.

​

Located in a large coastal basin surrounded on three sides by mountains reaching up to and over 10,000 feet (3,000 m), Los Angeles covers an area of about 469 square miles (1,210 km2)