California

In 1968 in the town of Huntington Beach, California, the Children of God was founded by David Berg. Berg let his hair and beard grow wild, and embraced California's hippie subculture. Within a few years, the Children of God would generate headlines around the world with its notorious blend of Christian evangelism, "revolutionary" spirit and sexual practices.

Berg's early flock left Huntington Beach in 1969, when he prophecied an enormous California earthquake. However, in the early '70s they were back in California and began to form colonies — the first of hundreds that would eventually spring up around the world.

The State of California is located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean.