The City of Angels, as Los Angeles is known, is the second largest city in the United States of America. The Greater Los Angeles Area sprawls along California's southern coastline. This metropolitan area covers five counties and dozens of cities, including Hollywood, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Pasadena and Santa Monica.
The city of LA serves as a powerhouse for international business, trade, culture, science, technology, tourism and education, and is home to seven Fortune 500 companies. The third largest economic center in the world, LA is also known as the Entertainment Capital of the World. Los Angeles has led the world in the creation of motion pictures, television productions, video games and recorded music since the early 20th century. Because of its close association with the film and music industries, many celebrities call LA and its surrounding cities home.
Creative industries boom in this culturally diverse city. With one out of six Angelenos employed in these types of industries, Los Angeles' cultural identity closely ties with the creative and performing arts. Over 1,000 musical, theater, dance and other performing groups operate in LA, and the metropolitan area houses more museums per capita than any other city across the globe.
Those interested in the creative and entertainment industries can find some of the best colleges and universities specializing in these fields in Los Angeles. LA and Los Angeles County are home to dozens of private universities and colleges as well as three major public universities and an enormous community college district.
