 Because of California's large size and diverse geography, the state can be subdivided in other ways as well.For example, the Central Valley is a region that is distinct both culturally and topographically from coastal California, though in northern versus southern California divisions, the Sacramento Valley and most of the San Joaquin Valley are usually placed in northern California.The state is often considered as having an additional division north of the urban areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento metropolitan areas.