With a population of nearly one-half million, Long Beach is California's fifth largest city, ideally located in the heart of the Tech Coast. It is an international city whose climate is tempered by ocean breezes even as its economy is fanned by the furnaces of high technology and worldwide trade. It is the nation's premier gateway to the Pacific Rim, a cornerstone of America's aerospace industry, a popular convention and tourist destination, and a rapidly emerging center for technology innovation.