Isolated at the edge of the continent by mountains and deserts, California is in many ways an island, a world unto itself. California has the lowest point in North America in Death Valley and the highest point in the contiguous United States atop Mt. Whitney. California has the greatest species richness, the greatest ecological diversity and the highest rate of endemism of any region in the continental United States. The natural resources of California lands are inextricably interwoven with the social, cultural and economic development.