Why is calfornia called California?

California got its name from a 16th century Spanish novel "Las Sergas de Esplandián", written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. In the book, the author described an island named California that was ruled by Queen Calafia. The island was said to be inhabited by Amazons and was located near the earthly paradise of the Garden of Eden.

When Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés arrived in Baja California in 1533, he mistakenly believed that the peninsula was the island described in Montalvo's book. He named the region California in honor of the mythical Amazon queen. The name California was later extended to include Alta California, which is present-day California.