California is a special place of natural beauty and geographic and ethnic diversity. The highest and lowest elevations in the continental US are both in California, Mount McKinley and Death Valley. The most populous state in the country, 12% of all Americans live here. 94% of the land is rural desert, mountainous or agricultural land, but 90% of the population lives on the other 6% in a densely populated corridor along the Pacific Coast. Few live further inland, but those that do tend to value wide open spaces, amazing recreational opportunities, and the lack of noise and traffic jams.