<P> Los Angeles ( / lɒs ˈændʒələs / ( listen ) ; Spanish for `` The Angels '' ; Spanish : ( los ˈaŋxeles ) ; officially : the City of Los Angeles ; colloquial : by its initials L.A. ) is the cultural , financial , and commercial center of Southern California . With a U.S. Census - estimated 2016 population of 3,976,322 , 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 km ) . The city is also the seat of Los Angeles County , the most populated county in the country . Los Angeles is the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area , with 13,131,431 residents , and is part of the larger designated Los Angeles - Long Beach combined statistical area ( CSA ) , the second most populous in the nation with a 2015 estimated population of 18.7 million . </P>
<P> Los Angeles ( / lɒs ˈændʒələs / ( listen ) ; Spanish for `` The Angels '' ; Spanish : ( los ˈaŋxeles ) ; officially : the City of Los Angeles ; colloquial : by its initials L.A. ) is the cultural , financial , and commercial center of Southern California . With a U.S. Census - estimated 2016 population of 3,976,322 , 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 km ) . The city is also the seat of Los Angeles County , the most populated county in the country . Los Angeles is the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area , with 13,131,431 residents , and is part of the larger designated Los Angeles - Long Beach combined statistical area ( CSA ) , the second most populous in the nation with a 2015 estimated population of 18.7 million . </P>
what 's the real name of los angeles
what 's the real name of los angeles
) ; officially : the City
) ; officially : the City