36. Some history ...
In the sixteenth century, the California region (as well as many other territories) was known to the Spanish Crown as Las Californias. The name likely derived from the Latin words for hot and furnace, but there are many other theories about the origin of the name. The term California was first labeled on the maps of Spanish explorers, who were probably inspired by a romantic tale of a savage land called California that was ruled by Amazon women. Eventually, the name they wrote down became the official one.