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The oil industry and agriculture are the main economic concerns of Bakersfield, California. There are high yielding oil fields in the area and oil refining is important for the city. It’s also known for it’s carrot crop and other crops that include cotton, almonds, grapes and garlic. The city is the county seat for Kern County and is quickly growing in population, with the 2006 census showing a figure of almost 312,000. Settlers were attracted to the area when gold was discovered in 1851 and oil in 1865. In the 1930s, a lot of people came from other states to escape the effects of the Dust Bowl.
Many migrant farm workers come to the area from Mexico, South America and Central America. There is also a large, permanent Basque community, reflected in the number of old Basque restaurants. The Chinese also have a community in the city. Bakersfield leans to the politically right and does have some social problems. The level of teenage pregnancy and below average statistics for literacy are causes for concern.
The city is known as the country music center for California and is second in important to Nashville itself. The country music star Merle Haggard was born in Bakersfield and the late singer, Buck Owens based himself there. They both helped to establish the ‘Bakersfield Sound’ in the 1950s. Rock bands have started out here too, including Heavy Metal band, Korn.
The Kern County Museum traces the history of oil production in the area and there is also a children’s discovery museum and an exhibit on the local country music scene. The city is the site for the California State University and the local airport is the Meadows Field Airport. Many cultural events take place in the 3,000 seater Rabobank Convention Center, which is the base for the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. The city has close connections to four twin cities in Japan, Belarus, Mexico and China.
The residents are very proud of their sporting traditions and have teams for football, ice hockey, basketball and baseball. In golf, Bakersfield is home to PGA qualifying tournaments. There is also an annual Scottish Games and Clan Gathering event. The city and the surrounding district is an important one for the US. As it continues to grow, the social needs of the poorer citizens and migrants will need to be addressed. Bakersfield is fortunate in having established oil fields and good, arable land.
Tags: California, Entertainment, Nature
