About California
California takes its name from a fictional paradise described in a 1510 Spanish novel called "Las Sergas de Esplandian" by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo. In the novel, California is an island near the Indies ruled by a Black queen named Calafia, rich in gold and precious stones. When Spanish conquistadors under Hernan Cortes explored the Baja California peninsula in the 1530s, they believed they had found the island from the story and named the land California. The name stuck and eventually spread northward to the present-day state. The fictional gold-rich island proved prophetic: the California Gold Rush of 1848 would draw hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.
California is a state of extraordinary contrasts , snow-capped mountains, scorching deserts, ancient redwood forests, and sunny beaches all within its borders.
It is the most populous state in the U.S. and, if it were a country, would rank as the 5th largest economy in the world. Innovation, entertainment, agriculture, and natural beauty define its identity.
Geography, Four Main Regions
California's geography is incredibly diverse, ranging from coastal redwoods to inland deserts.
Economy
California has the largest economy of any U.S. state and would rank as the 5th largest in the world if independent.
