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Ventura County is a county located on the U.S. state of California's Pacific coast, just northwest of Los Angeles. As of 2000 it had a population of 753,197. Its county seat is Ventura. This county is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The Conejo Valley is a small region in southeastern Ventura County.
For thousands of years, the area was home to the Chumash tribe of Native Americans.
In 1782, the Mission San Buenaventura was founded. Buenaventura is composed of two Spanish words, buena meaning "good" and ventura meaning "fortune." The town that grew up around the mission is named San Buenaventura, which came to be known as Ventura.
Ventura County was formed from the southern part of Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of Southern California, in the state of California, just west of Ventura County. There is a movement afoot to divide the northern part of the county from the south. As of 2000 the county had a in 1872Events January 2 Brigham Young, is arrested for bigamy (25 wives). February 20 In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens. March 1 Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park March 5 George Westinghouse patents t.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Ventura County surged to the forefront of the smart growthSmart growth development policies aim to prevent urban sprawl and pollution, and reduce the profligate use of non-renewable fuels, particularly an excessive dependency on private cars in industrialised countries. Such policies emphasize sustainability, de movement through a series of voter initiativeIn political science, the initiative (also known as popular or citizen's initiative provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charts that barred development on large swaths of open spaceIn urban planning, open space is publicly owned land that is preserved from urbanization (paving or building). Open space is usually accessible to the public, but may also be leased for agriculture. See also green belt. surrounding its cities. These measures have limited sprawlUrban sprawl (also called suburban sprawl describes the growth of a metropolitan area, particularly the suburbs, over a large area. In examples of this phenomena, such as Los Angeles, California and Houston, Texas, new development is often low- density, w, allowing the county to maintain its status as one of California's leading agricultural areas and limiting air pollutionNew Mexico releases sulfur dioxide and particulate matter into the air. Air pollution is a broad term applied to all chemical and biological agents that modify the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Some definitions also consider physical perturba in its narrow valleys. However, residents' unwillingness to embrace greater population densityIf you were linked from a country article: the density there is based on land area, see below Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. However it is most frequently applied to living organisms. Population density is usually ex has led to a severe housing shortage, to the extent that in 2004, the county's new housing bureau chief resigned due to his inability to purchase a home in the county on his $80,000 salary. As is the case in many areas of California, the struggle to meet the demand for housing while preserving its rural character dominates the county's politics.