Schwarzenegger was sworn in by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George
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Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been sworn in as the 38th governor of California.
The Austrian immigrant took the oath of office before an audience of 7,500 dignitaries and supporters on the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento.
"I am humbled, I am honoured and I am moved beyond words to be your governor," the former bodybuilder said.
Mr Schwarzenegger has said he will tackle California's massive budget deficit without raising taxes.
Car tax
Despite having no prior experience as an elected official, Republican candidate Mr Schwarzenegger, 56, was elected last month in a poll that unseated Democratic Governor Gray Davis.
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I enter this office beholden to no one except you, my
fellow citizens... I pledge my governorship to your
interests, not to special interests
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Mr Davis - a guest of honour at the inauguration - was heavily criticised for his handling of the
state's finances.
California, the richest and most populated state in the United States, has a budget deficit of up to $25bn.
In his speech, Mr Schwarzenegger said his first act would be to sign an executive order abolishing the unpopular car tax introduced by Governor Davis.
Critics say that such a step will only worsen the state's finances.
'Low-key'
The ceremony itself was billed as low-key, given California's
financial problems.
Despite this, it was transmitted live on American television, attended by Hollywood celebrities
and covered by hundreds of journalists.
Former Miss America Vanessa
Williams, who appeared with Mr Schwarzenegger in the 1995 film Eraser, sang the American national anthem.
Despite his convincing win, Mr Schwarzenegger's campaign was dogged by accusations that he had sexually harassed women.
In response, he apologised for "rowdy behaviour" on film sets and said there would be an independent investigation into the allegations.
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