Long Beach, Calif. was originally named Willmore City but was later renamed Long Beach in 1884 because of its short distance from the beach. It is ranked as the second busiest city in the US and the tenth in the world. Climate in Long Beach, Calif. is moderate throughout the year.
It has preserved most of its native plants in the region such as California buckwheat, California sagebrush and California poppy.
The port of Long Beach is one of the largest shipping ports in the world. Economic growth in Long Beach, Calif. is attributed to international trade through its port, underground and offshore oil, manufacturing of aircraft, automobile parts and home furnishing, high technology and aerospace corporations such a Gulfstream, Epson America, Molina Healthcare, SCAN Health Plan and Raytheon giving employment to over 17,000 employees.
Tourism is also important in Long Beach, Calif. with major attractions such as RMS Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction, whale watching tours and water sports. It also has the Long Beach Dog Beach Zone which is the only legal off-leash area on the beach for dogs in all of Los Angeles County. This is located in Belmont Shore between Roycroft and Argonne avenues.
