The remaining population is scattered over the island between the two population centers. Development also occurs at the smaller settlements of Rancho Escondido and Middle Ranch. The second center of population is the unincorporated village of Two Harbors at the island's isthmus. 90 percent of whom live in the island's only incorporated city, Avalon. In 2022 Santa Catalina Island's population was 4,201 people, with a 51.44 percent to 48.56 percent ratio of male to female residents. Since the 1970s, most of the island has been administered by the Catalina Island Conservancy. The island was also used for otter hunting, and gold-digging, before successfully being developed into a tourist destination in the 1920s. The island was sporadically used for smuggling operations involving the illicit transportation of alcohol. During this time, (1920-1922) it was the Prohibition era in the United States.

Over the years, territorial claims to the island transferred ownership to Mexico and then the United States of America. The first Europeans to arrive on Catalina claimed it for the Spanish Empire.

Most of the island's land is unincorporated and is thus governed by the county.Ĭatalina was originally inhabited and used by many different Southern California Tribes, including the Tongva, who called the island Pimuu'nga or Pimu and referred to themselves as Pimugnans or Pimuvit. Politically, Catalina Island is part of Los Angeles County in District 4. Geologically, Santa Catalina is part of the is the southernmost island of the Channel Islands of California. The island is situated in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 29 mi (47 km) south-southwest of Long Beach, California. The island is 22 mi (35 km) long and 8 mi (13 km) across at its largest width.

The island's highest peak is Mount Orizaba, rising to an elevation of 2,097 feet (639 meters). It features a diverse and rugged landscape, including rolling hills, canyons, coastal cliffs, and sandy beaches. The island covers an area of about 75 square miles (194 square kilometers). Santa Catalina Island ( Tongva: Pimuu'nga or Pimu Spanish: Isla Santa Catalina often shortened to Catalina Island or Catalina) is a rocky island off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina.

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