Nevada
Overview
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, mountain west
Mountain States
thumb|300px|Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are always included, while the striped states are usually considered part of the same region called the Mountain States....
, and southwestern
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
regions of the United States. With an area of 110561 square miles (286,351.7 km²) and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its three largest incorporated cities. Nevada's capital is Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
.
Nevada is largely desert and semiarid, with much of it located within the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
.
Unanswered Questions
Discussions
Timeline
1848 Mexican-American War: Mexico ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for $15 million USD.
1864 Nevada is admitted as the 36th U.S. state.
1924 Capital punishment: The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada.
1931 Gambling is legalized in Nevada.
1935 The Hoover Dam, astride the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada, is dedicated.
1947 In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam a second time.
1951 Operation Buster-Jangle: 6,500 American soldiers are exposed to 'Desert Rock' atomic explosions for training purposes in Nevada. Participation is not voluntary.
1983 Richard Noble sets a new land speed record of 633.468 mph (1,019 km/h), driving Thrust 2 at the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
1998 Two white separatists are arrested in Nevada and accused of plotting a biological attack on New York City subways.
Encyclopedia
Nevada is a state in the western
, mountain west
, and southwestern
regions of the United States. With an area of 110561 square miles (286,351.7 km²) and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its three largest incorporated cities. Nevada's capital is Carson City
.
Nevada is largely desert and semiarid, with much of it located within the Great Basin
. Areas south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert
, while Lake Tahoe
and the Sierra Nevada mountains lie on the western edge. Approximately 86% of the state's land is owned by the US government under various jurisdictions, both civilian and military.
The name Nevada is derived from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, which means "snow-capped mountain range" in Spanish. The land comprising the modern state was inhabited by Native Americans of the Paiute
, Shoshone
, and Washoe
tribes prior to European contact. It was subsequently claimed by Spain
as a part of Alta California
until the Mexican War of Independence
brought it under Mexican control. The United States gained the territory in 1848 following its victory in the Mexican-American War and the area was eventually incorporated as part of Utah Territory
in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode
in 1859 led to a population boom that was an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory
out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864.
The establishment of legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce proceedings in the 20th century transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination.
The tourism industry remains Nevada's largest employer, with mining continuing to be a substantial sector of the economy as Nevada is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world.
Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" due to the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the "Battle Born State" because it achieved statehood during the Civil War
and the "Sagebrush State" for the native eponymous plant
.
Nevada is the largest landlocked U.S. state that does not border Canada or Mexico
.
Nevadans normally pronounce the second syllable of their state name using the /æ/ vowel of "bad". Many from outside the Western United States pronounce it with the /ɑː/ vowel of "father" n. Although the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation, it is not the pronunciation preferred by locals. Notably, George W. Bush
made this faux pas during his campaign for the 2004 US Presidential Election. Vindication later came when President Bush campaigned at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on June 18, 2004. The president opened his talk by proclaiming that "It's great to be here in n," emphasizing the correct 'a' – the crowd roared its approval when he light-heartedly noted, "You didn't think I'd get it right, did ya?" Bush subsequently carried the state in the election.
Assemblyman Harry Mortenson has proposed a bill to recognize the alternate (quasi-Spanish) pronunciation of Nevada.
Nevada is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province, and is broken up by many north-south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them, which belies the image portrayed by the term Great Basin
.
Much of the northern part of the state is within the Great Basin
, a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the Arizona Monsoon will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was 125 °F (52 °C) in Laughlin
(elevation of 605 feet (184.4 m)) on June 29, 1994. The coldest recorded temperature was -52 °F set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.
The Humboldt River
crosses from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the Humboldt Sink
near Lovelock
. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the Walker
, Truckee
and Carson
rivers.
The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above 13000 feet (3,962.4 m), harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating sky islands
for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than 3000 feet (914.4 m).
The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the Mojave Desert
. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below 4000 feet (1,219.2 m), creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights (due to temperature inversion
).
Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal line
(in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state boundary
at just over 400 miles (643.7 km). This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River
where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 12 miles (19.3 km) southwest of the Laughlin
Bridge.
The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the Spring Mountain Range
, just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.
Nevada has 172 mountain summits with 2000 feet (609.6 m) of prominence. Nevada ranks second in the US, behind Alaska, and ahead of California, Montana, and Washington. This makes Nevada the "Most Mountainous" state in the country, at least by this measure.
on June 29, 1994 and the lowest recorded temperature is -50 F at San Jacinto
on January 8, 1937. Nevada's 125 °F (51.7 °C) reading is the third highest temperature recorded in the U.S. just behind Arizona's 128 °F (53.3 °C) reading and California's 134 °F (56.7 °C) reading.
", "pinion-juniper
", "sagebrush
" and "creosotebush".
. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality; however, for many purposes under state law it is considered to be a county. As of 1919 there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from 146 to 18159 sq mi (378.1 to 47,031.6 ). In 1969 Ormsby County was dissolved and the consolidated municipality of Carson City was created by the Legislature in its place co-terminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.
See History of Utah
, History of Las Vegas
, and the discovery of the first major U.S. deposit of silver ore in Comstock Lode
under Virginia City, Nevada
in 1859.
separated from the Utah Territory
and adopted its current name, shortened from Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range").
The 1861 southern boundary is commemorated by Nevada Historical Markers
57 and 58 in Lincoln and Nye counties.
, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed to the date of October 31 to help ensure Abraham Lincoln
's reelection on November 8 and post-Civil War Republican dominance in Congress, as Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union
.
Nevada is notable for being one of only two states to significantly expand its borders after admission to the Union. Nevada achieved its current southern boundaries on May 5, 1866, when it absorbed the portion of Pah-Ute County
in the Arizona Territory
west of the Colorado River, essentially all of present day Nevada south of the 37th parallel
. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought by officials that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark County
. In 1868 another part of the western Utah Territory, whose population was seeking to avoid Mormon dominance, was added to Nevada in the eastern part of the state, setting the current eastern boundary.
Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years (see Silver mining in Nevada
). When Mark Twain
lived in Nevada during the period described in Roughing It
, mining had led to an industry of speculation and immense wealth. However, both mining and population declined in the late 19th century. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah
in 1900, followed by strikes in Goldfield
and Rhyolite
, again put Nevada's population on an upward trend.
, Nevada again legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. Gov. Fred Balzar's signature enacted the most liberal divorce laws in the country and open gambling. The reforms came just eight days after the federal government awarded the $49 million construction contract for Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam).
, 65 miles (104.6 km) northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site is composed of approximately 1350 square miles (3,496.5 km²) of desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a 1 ktTNT bomb dropped on Frenchman Flat
on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962, and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for having the highest concentration of nuclear-detonated weapons in the U.S.
Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. The primary reason for this is that homesteads
were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of ranching still prevails).
The center of population
of Nevada is located in southern Nye County
. In this county, the unincorporated town of Pahrump
, located 60 miles (96.6 km) west of Las Vegas on the California state line, has grown 26 times in size from 1980 to 2000. In the year 2006, the town may have over 50,000 permanent residents. Las Vegas was America's fastest-growing city and metropolitan area from 1960 to 2000, but has grown from a gulch of 100 people in 1900 to 10,000 by 1950 to 100,000 by 1970 to have 2.5 million in the metropolitan area in 2010.
From about the 1940s until 2003, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the US percentage-wise. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased 66.3%, while the USA's population increased 13.1%. Over two thirds of the population of the state live in the Clark County
Las Vegas metropolitan area
.
Henderson
and North Las Vegas
are among the USA's top 20 fastest-growing cities of over 100,000.
The rural community of Mesquite
located 65 miles (104.6 km) northeast of Las Vegas was an example of micropolitan growth in the 1990s and 2000s. Other desert towns like Mercury
and Searchlight
on the outskirts of Las Vegas has grown tremendously as well.
Large numbers of new residents in the state originate from California, which led some locals to feel that their state is being "Californicated".
, 7.1% African American, 6% Asian American (estimates placed them at 10%), 2% others (American Indians and Pacific Islanders
) and the remaining 20% were Hispanics or Latinos
of any race.
In terms of diversity, Nevada is home to many cultures and nationalities. Las Vegas and Reno
or Washoe County
have evolved to become minority majority cities and counties. Nevada also has a sizable Basque ancestry population. In Douglas
, Mineral
and Pershing
counties, a plurality of residents are of Mexican ancestry, with Clark County (Las Vegas) being home to over 200,000 Mexican American
s alone; Nye County
and Humboldt County
have a plurality of Germans; and Washoe County has many Irish Americans. Americans of English
descent form pluralities in Lincoln County
, Churchill County
, Lyon County
, White Pine County
and Eureka County
. Las Vegas is home to rapid-growing ethnic communities like Scandinavians
, Italians
, Poles
, Greeks, Spaniards and Armenians.
Largely African American sections of Las Vegas ("the Meadows") and Reno can be found. Many current African-American Nevadans are newly transplanted residents from California, the Midwest
, or the East Coast
.
Since the California Gold Rush of the 1850s brought thousands of Chinese miners to Washoe county, Asian Americans lived in the state. They were followed by a few hundred of Japanese
farm workers in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, many immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and recently from India and Vietnam came to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city now has one of America's most prolific Asian American communities, with a mostly Chinese and Taiwanese area known as "Chinatown" west of I-15 on Spring Mountain Boulevard, and an "Asiatown" shopping mall for Asian customers located at Charleston Avenue and Paradise Boulevard. Filipino American
s form the largest Asian American group in the state, with a population of more than 113,000. They comprise 56.5% of the Asian American population in Nevada and constitute about 4.3% of the entire state's population.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 16.19% of Nevada's population aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home, while 1.59% speak Filipino
and 1% speak Chinese languages.
6.8% of the state's population were reported as under 5, 26.3% were under 18, and 13.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.7% of the population. Las Vegas was a major destination for immigrants from South Asia and Latin America seeking employment in the gaming and hospitality industries during the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, but farming and construction are the biggest employers of immigrant labor.
Senior citizens (over age 65) and young children or teenagers (under age 18) form large sections of the Nevada population. The religious makeup of Nevadans includes large communities of Mormons
, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals; each is known for higher birth rates and a younger than national average age. American Jews
represent a large proportion of the active adult retirement community.
In 2010, illegal immigrants
constituted an estimated 8.8% of the population. This was the highest percentage of any state in the country.
The principal ancestries of Nevada's residents in 2009 have been surveyed to be the following:
The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 331,844; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 116,925; and the Southern Baptist Convention
with 40,233. 77,100 Nevadans belong to Jewish congregations
.
The economy of Nevada has long been tied to vice
industries. "[Nevada was] founded on mining and refounded on sin—-beginning with prizefighting and easy divorce a century ago and later extending to gaming and prostitution", said the August 21, 2010 issue of The Economist.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2010 was $126 billion. Resort areas such as Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe
, and Laughlin
attract visitors from around the nation and world. In FY08 the total of 266 casinos with gaming revenue over $1m for the year, brought in revenue of $12 billion in gaming revenue, and $13 billion in non-gaming revenue. A review of gaming statistics can be found at Nevada gaming area
.
The state's Per capita personal income in 2009 was $38,578, ranking nineteenth in the nation.
As of August 2011, the state's unemployment rate is the worst in the nation at 13.4%.
Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, alfalfa, dairy products, onions, and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment.
In portions of the state outside of the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas, mining and cattle ranching are the major economic activities. By value, gold is by far the most important mineral mined. In 2004, 6800000 ounces (192,776,756.4 g) of gold worth $2.84 billion were mined in Nevada, and the state accounted for 8.7% of world gold production (see Gold mining in Nevada
). Silver is a distant second, with 10300000 ounces (292,000,086.9 g) worth $69 million mined in 2004 (see Silver mining in Nevada
). Other minerals mined in Nevada include construction aggregates, copper, gypsum, diatomite and lithium. Despite its rich deposits, the cost of mining in Nevada is generally high, and output is very sensitive to world commodity prices.
As of January 1, 2006, there were an estimated 500,000 head of cattle and 70,000 head of sheep in Nevada. Most of these animals forage on rangeland
in the summer, with supplemental feed in the winter. Calves are generally shipped to out-of-state feedlot
s in the fall to be fattened for market. Over 90% of Nevada's 484000 acres (195,868 ha) of cropland is used to grow hay
, mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed.
The state sales tax
in Nevada is variable depending upon the county. The minimum statewide tax rate is 6.85%, with five counties (Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, and Mineral) charging this minimum amount. All other counties assess various option taxes, making the combined state/county sales taxes rate in one county as high as 8.1%, which is the amount charged in Clark County. Sales tax in the other major counties: Carson at 7.475%, Washoe at 7.725%. The minimum Nevada sales tax rate changed on July 1, 2009.
Nevada has by far the most hotel rooms per capita in the United States. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, there were 187,301 rooms in 584 hotels (of 15 or more rooms). The state is ranked just below California, Texas, Florida, and New York in total number of rooms, but those states have much larger populations. Nevada has one hotel room for every 14 residents, far above the national average of one hotel room per 67 residents.
Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada
in licensed brothels, but only counties with populations under 400,000 residents have the option to legalize it. Although prostitution employs roughly 300 women as independent contractors, and not a major part of the Nevada economy, it is a very visible endeavor. Of the 14 counties that are permitted to legalize prostitution under state law, about 8 have chosen to legalize brothels. State law prohibits prostitution in Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), and Washoe County
(which contains Reno). However, prostitution is legal in Storey County, which is part of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.
The 2011 American State Litter Scorecard ranked Nevada (tied with Mississippi
) as a bottom-three, "Worst" jurisdiction in the U.S., for overall effectiveness and quality of statewide public space cleanliness—from state and related litter/debris removal efforts.
Amtrak
's California Zephyr
train uses the Union Pacific's original transcontinental railroad
line in daily service from Chicago to Emeryville, California
, serving Elko
, Winnemucca
, Sparks
, and Reno. Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
es also provide connecting service from Las Vegas to trains at Needles, California
, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, California
; and from Stateline, Nevada
, to Sacramento, California
. Las Vegas has had no passenger train service since Amtrak's Desert Wind
was discontinued in 1997, although there have been a number of proposals to re-introduce service to either Los Angeles or Southern California.
The Union Pacific Railroad
has some railroads in the north and in the south. Greyhound Lines
provides some bus service.
Interstate 15
passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. I-215
and spur route I-515
also serve the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Interstate 80
crosses through the northern part of Nevada, roughly following the path of the Humboldt River from Utah in the east and passing westward through Reno and into California. It has a spur route, I-580
. Nevada also is served by several federal highways: US 6
, US 50
, US 93
, US 95
and US 395
. There are also 189 Nevada state highways. Nevada is one of a few states in the U.S. that does not have a continuous interstate highway linking its two major population centers. Even the non-interstate federal highways aren't contiguous between the Las Vegas and Reno areas.
The state is one of just a few in the country to allow semi-trailer truck
s with three trailers—what might be called a "road train
" in Australia. But American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.
RTC Transit is the public transit system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The agency is the largest transit agency in the state and operates a network of bus service across the Las Vegas Valley, including the use of The Deuce
, double-decker bus
es, on the Las Vegas Strip
and several outlying routes. RTC RIDE operates a system of local transit bus service throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit systems in the state include Carson City's JAC. Most other counties in the state do not have public transportation at all.
Additionally, a four mile (6 km) monorail
system provides public transportation in the Las Vegas area. The Las Vegas Monorail
line services several casino properties and the Las Vegas Convention Center
on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, running near Paradise Road, with a possible future extension to McCarran International Airport
. Several hotels also run their own monorail lines between each other, which are typically several blocks in length.
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is the busiest airport serving Nevada. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (formerly known as the Reno Cannon International Airport) is the other major airport in the state.
, a Republican; the governor of Nevada is limited by the Nevada Constitution to two four-year terms in office, by election or succession (lifetime limit). Nevada's two U.S. senators
are Harry Reid
(Democrat) and Dean Heller
(Republican), who, by the United States Constitution, have no term limits. Reid is also the current Majority Leader
in the US Senate. Nevada's U.S. Representatives are Republican Joe Heck
, Democrat Shelley Berkley
, and Republican Mark Amodei.
The Nevada Legislature
is a bicameral body divided into an upper house
Senate
and a lower house
Assembly
. Members of the Senate serve for four years, and members of the Assembly serve for two years. Both houses of the Nevada Legislature will be impacted by term limits starting in 2010, as Senators and Assemblymen/women will be limited to a maximum of 12 years service in each house (by appointment or election which is a lifetime limit) – this provision in the constitution was recently upheld for legislators by the Supreme Court of Nevada in a unanimous decision (7–0), so term limits will be in effect starting in 2010. Each session of the Legislature meets for a constitutionally mandated 120 days in every odd-numbered year, or longer if the Governor calls a special session. Currently, the Senate is controlled by the Democratic Party (12 to 9 majority) and the Assembly is controlled by the Democratic Party (28 to 14 majority).
The state supreme court
is the Supreme Court of Nevada
.
Original jurisdiction is divided between the District Courts
(with general jurisdiction), and Justice Courts and Municipal Courts (both of limited jurisdiction).
In 1900, Nevada's population was the smallest of all states and was shrinking, as the difficulties of living in a "barren desert" began to outweigh the lure of silver for many early settlers. Historian Lawrence Friedman has explained what happened next:
Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal (under the form of licensed brothels).
Prostitution is specifically illegal by state law in the state's larger jurisdictions, which include Clark County
(which contains Las Vegas), Washoe County
(which contains Reno), and the independent city of Carson City. Otherwise, it is legal in those counties which specifically vote to permit it.
Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that, prior to the no-fault divorce
revolution in the 1970s, divorces were quite difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gaming and prostitution, Nevada continued the trend of boosting its profile by adopting one of the most liberal divorce statutes in the nation. This resulted in Williams v. North Carolina, , in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina
had to give "full faith and credit
" to a Nevada divorce.
Nevada's divorce rate tops the national average.
Nevada's tax laws also draw new residents and businesses to the state. Nevada has no personal income tax or corporate income tax. Since Nevada does not collect income data it cannot share such information with the federal government, the IRS.
Nevada's state sales tax rate is 6.85 percent. Counties may impose additional rates via voter approval or through approval of the Legislature; therefore, the applicable sales tax will vary by county from 6.85 percent to 8.1 percent in Clark County.
Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, imposes four separate county option taxes in addition to the statewide rate – 0.25 percent for flood control, 0.50 percent for mass transit, 0.25 percent to fund the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and 0.25 percent for the addition of police officers in that county. In Washoe County (which includes Reno), the sales tax rate is 7.725 percent, due to county option rates for flood control, the ReTRAC train trench project, mass transit, and an additional county rate approved under the Local Government Tax Act of 1991.
The lodging tax rate in unincorporated Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip, is 12%. Within the boundaries of the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, the lodging tax rate is 13%.
Corporations such as Apple Inc. allegedly have set up investment companies and funds in Nevada to avoid paying taxes.
Nevada also provides friendly environment for the formation of corporations, and many (especially California) businesspeople have incorporated their businesses in Nevada to take advantage of the benefits of the Nevada statute. Nevada corporation
s offer great flexibility to the Board of Directors and simplify or avoid many of the rules that are cumbersome to business managers in some other states. In addition, Nevada has no franchise tax
.
Similarly, many U.S. states have usury
laws limiting the amount of interest
a lender can charge, but federal law allows corporations to 'import' these laws from their home state.
Non-alcohol drug laws are a notable exception to Nevada's otherwise libertarian principles. It is notable for having the harshest penalties for drug offenders in the country. Nevada remains the only state to still use mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for marijuana
possession. However, it is now a misdemeanor for possession of less than one ounce but only for persons age 21 and older. In 2006, voters in Nevada defeated attempts to allow possession of 1 ounce of marijuana (for personal use) without being criminally prosecuted, (55% against legalization, 45% in favor of legalization). However, Nevada is one of the states that allows for use of marijuana for medical reasons
(though this remains illegal under federal law).
Nevada has very liberal alcohol
laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24 hours, with no "last call
". Liquor store
s, convenience store
s and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24 hours per day, and may sell beer, wine and spirits.
Nevada voters enacted a smoking ban ("the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act") in November 2006 that became effective on December 8, 2006. It outlaws smoking in most workplaces and public places. Smoking is permitted in bars, but only if the bar serves no food, or the bar is inside a larger casino. Smoking is also permitted in casinos, hotel rooms, tobacco shops, and brothels. However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it. Yet, in one case, they did prosecute an establishment called "Bilbo's." As of 2008, the trial was still pending.
In 2006, the crime rate in Nevada was approximately 24% higher than the national average rate. Property crimes accounted for approximately 84.6% of the crime rate in Nevada which was 21% higher than the national rate. The remaining 20.3% were violent crime
s and were approximately 45% higher than other states. In 2008, Nevada had the third highest murder rate, and the highest rate of robbery and motor vehicle theft
. It should be noted that many of these statistics may not totally be attributed to the citizens of Nevada themselves, but partially to the high rate of visitors entering and leaving the state as well. In addition, the state's most populous county, Clark (accounting for 75% of the state's total population), skews the crime rate for the balance of the state.
. This has fostered some resentment, however, due to a term limit amendment passed by Nevada voters in 1994, and again in 1996, some of the north's hold over key positions will soon be forfeited to the south, leaving Northern Nevada with less power.
Clark and Washoe counties—home to Las Vegas and Reno, respectively—have long dominated the state's politics. Between them, they cast 87 percent of Nevada's vote, and elect a substantial majority of the state legislature. The great majority of the state's elected officials are either from Las Vegas or Reno.
over Jimmy Carter
. This gives the state status as a political bellwether
.
Nevada supported Democrat Bill Clinton
in the 1992
and 1996 presidential elections
, Republican George W. Bush
won in 2000 and 2004, and Democrat Barack Obama
won the state in 2008
.
The state's U.S. Senators are Democrat Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Republican Dean Heller
. The Governorship is held by Brian Sandoval
, a Republican from Reno.
s in Nevada, known as cities, are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. A recent movement has begun to permit home rule
in incorporated Nevada cities to give them more flexibility and fewer restrictions from the Legislature.
Unincorporated towns
are settlements eminently governed by the county in which they are located, but who, by local referendum
or by the act of the county commission, can form limited local governments in the form of a Town Advisory Board (TAB)/ Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), or a Town Board.
Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils are formed purely by act of the county commission. Consisting of three to five members, these elected boards form a purely advisory role, and in no way diminish the responsibilities of the county commission that creates them. Members of advisory councils and boards are elected to two year terms, and serve without compensation. The councils and boards, themselves, are provided no revenue, and oversee no budget.
Town Boards are limited local governments created by either the local county commission, or by referendum. The board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Half the board is required to be up for election in each election. The board elects from within its ranks a town chairperson and town clerk. While more powerful than Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils, they also serve a largely advisory role, with their funding provided by their local county commission. The local county commission has the power to put before residents of the town a vote on whether to keep or dissolve a town board at any general election. Town boards have the ability to appoint a town manager if they choose to do so.
Paradise, Sunrise Manor, and Spring Valley are unincorporated towns in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Note: table was compiled using Nevada State estimates from 2004 for population and Census 2000
for area and density
, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management
.
(representing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) of the Mountain West Conference
and the Nevada Wolfpack (representing the University of Nevada, Reno) of the Western Athletic Conference
. In 2012, Nevada will join its cross-state rival in the MWC.
UNLV is most remembered for its men's basketball program
, which experienced its height of supremacy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian
, the Runnin' Rebels became one of the most elite programs in the country. In 1990, UNLV
won the Men's Division I Championship by defeating Duke
103–73, which set tournament records for most points scored by a team and largest margin of victory in the national title game. In 1991
, UNLV finished the regular season undefeated. Forward Larry Johnson won several awards, including the Naismith Award
. UNLV reached the Final Four yet again, but lost their national semifinal against Duke 79–77, and is referred to as one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament. The Runnin' Rebels were the Associated Press
pre-season No. 1 back to back (1989–90, 1990–91). North Carolina
is the only other team to accomplish that (2007–08, 2008–09).
The state is also home to one of the most famous tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi
.
College
The state is also home to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
and NASCAR event and the National Rodeo.
ships have been named USS Nevada
in honor of the state. They include:
Area 51 is located near Groom Lake
, a dry salt lake bed. The much smaller Creech Air Force Base
is located in Indian Springs, Nevada
; Naval Air Station Fallon
in Fallon
; Hawthorne Army Depot
in Hawthorne
; and the Tonopah Test Range
near Tonopah
; there is also Nellis AFB just outside Las Vegas.
These bases host a number of activities including the Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence
, the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
, Nevada Test and Training Range
, Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
, the United States Air Force Warfare Center
, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School
.
In 2008, the "American State Litter Scorecard," presented at the American Society for Public Administration
national conference, positioned Nevada next to Mississippi and Louisiana as one of the worst states for removing litter from public roadways and properties.
In August 2008, it was announced that Boyd Gaming
would halt construction on a 4.2 billion dollar project called Echelon
, which was to replace the old Stardust Resort & Casino
. The reason cited for this is lack of funding/credit from banks.
Coyote Springs
is a proposed community for 240,000 inhabitants in Clark and Lincoln counties. It would be Nevada's largest planned city. The town is being developed by Harvey Whittemore
and has generated some controversy because of environmental concerns and allegations of political favoritism.
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, mountain west
Mountain States
thumb|300px|Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are always included, while the striped states are usually considered part of the same region called the Mountain States....
, and southwestern
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
regions of the United States. With an area of 110561 square miles (286,351.7 km²) and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its three largest incorporated cities. Nevada's capital is Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
.
Nevada is largely desert and semiarid, with much of it located within the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
. Areas south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, while Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
and the Sierra Nevada mountains lie on the western edge. Approximately 86% of the state's land is owned by the US government under various jurisdictions, both civilian and military.
The name Nevada is derived from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, which means "snow-capped mountain range" in Spanish. The land comprising the modern state was inhabited by Native Americans of the Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
, Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
, and Washoe
Washoe people
The Washoe are a Great Basin tribe of Native Americans, living in California and Nevada. The name "Washoe" is derived from the autonym waashiw meaning "people from here" in the Washo language .-Territory:Washoe people have lived in the Great Basin for at least the last 6000 years...
tribes prior to European contact. It was subsequently claimed by Spain
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
as a part of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
until the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
brought it under Mexican control. The United States gained the territory in 1848 following its victory in the Mexican-American War and the area was eventually incorporated as part of Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
in 1859 led to a population boom that was an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory
Nevada Territory
The Territory of Nevada was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada....
out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864.
The establishment of legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce proceedings in the 20th century transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination.
The tourism industry remains Nevada's largest employer, with mining continuing to be a substantial sector of the economy as Nevada is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world.
Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" due to the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the "Battle Born State" because it achieved statehood during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the "Sagebrush State" for the native eponymous plant
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
.
Nevada is the largest landlocked U.S. state that does not border Canada or Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Etymology and pronunciation
The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish Nevada neˈβaða, meaning "snow-covered", after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountains") mountain range.Nevadans normally pronounce the second syllable of their state name using the /æ/ vowel of "bad". Many from outside the Western United States pronounce it with the /ɑː/ vowel of "father" n. Although the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation, it is not the pronunciation preferred by locals. Notably, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
made this faux pas during his campaign for the 2004 US Presidential Election. Vindication later came when President Bush campaigned at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on June 18, 2004. The president opened his talk by proclaiming that "It's great to be here in n," emphasizing the correct 'a' – the crowd roared its approval when he light-heartedly noted, "You didn't think I'd get it right, did ya?" Bush subsequently carried the state in the election.
Assemblyman Harry Mortenson has proposed a bill to recognize the alternate (quasi-Spanish) pronunciation of Nevada.
Geography
Nevada is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province, and is broken up by many north-south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them, which belies the image portrayed by the term Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
.
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
, a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the Arizona Monsoon will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was 125 °F (52 °C) in Laughlin
Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
(elevation of 605 feet (184.4 m)) on June 29, 1994. The coldest recorded temperature was -52 °F set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.
The Humboldt River
Humboldt River
The Humboldt River runs through northern Nevada in the western United States. At approximately long it is the second longest river in the Great Basin, after the Bear River. It has no outlet to the ocean, but instead empties into the Humboldt Sink...
crosses from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the Humboldt Sink
Humboldt Sink
Humboldt Sink is an intermittent dry lake bed, approximately 11 mi long, and 4 mi across, in northwestern Nevada in the United States...
near Lovelock
Lovelock, Nevada
Lovelock is a city in western Nevada that is the county seat of Pershing County, the location of a prison, and the namesake of the area's Cold War gunnery range...
. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the Walker
Walker River (Nevada)
The Walker River is a river in west central Nevada in the United States, approximately long. It drains an arid portion of the Great Basin southeast of Reno, with a watershed that extends into the Sierra Nevada mountains. It flows within an enclosed basin, providing the principal inflow of Walker...
, Truckee
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...
and Carson
Carson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long....
rivers.
Sky Islands
Sky Islands is a 1993 Jazz album by Ramsey Lewis released on GRP Records.The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.-Track listing:-Personnel: *Tony Carpenter - Percussion, Background Vocals...
for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than 3000 feet (914.4 m).
The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below 4000 feet (1,219.2 m), creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights (due to temperature inversion
Inversion (meteorology)
In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e...
).
Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal line
Line (mathematics)
The notion of line or straight line was introduced by the ancient mathematicians to represent straight objects with negligible width and depth. Lines are an idealization of such objects...
(in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
at just over 400 miles (643.7 km). This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 12 miles (19.3 km) southwest of the Laughlin
Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
Bridge.
The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the Spring Mountain Range
Spring Mountains
The Spring Mountains are a mountain range of southern Nevada in the United States, running generally northwest-southeast along the west side of Las Vegas and down to the border with California...
, just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.
Nevada has 172 mountain summits with 2000 feet (609.6 m) of prominence. Nevada ranks second in the US, behind Alaska, and ahead of California, Montana, and Washington. This makes Nevada the "Most Mountainous" state in the country, at least by this measure.
Climate
Nevada is made up of mostly desert and semiarid climate regions, daytime summer temperatures sometimes may rise as high as 125 °F (51.7 °C) and nighttime winter temperatures may reach as low as -50 °F. While winters in northern Nevada are long and fairly cold, the winter season in the southern part of the state tends to be of short duration and mild. Most parts of Nevada receive scarce precipitation during the year. Most rain falls on the lee side (east and northeast slopes) of the Sierra Nevada. The average annual rainfall per year is about 7 inches (17.8 cm); the wettest parts get around 40 inches (101.6 cm). Nevada's highest recorded temperature is 125 °F (51.7 °C) at LaughlinLaughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
on June 29, 1994 and the lowest recorded temperature is -50 F at San Jacinto
San Jacinto, Nevada
San Jacinto is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. It is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area....
on January 8, 1937. Nevada's 125 °F (51.7 °C) reading is the third highest temperature recorded in the U.S. just behind Arizona's 128 °F (53.3 °C) reading and California's 134 °F (56.7 °C) reading.
Vegetation
Nevada contains six biotic zones: alpine, sub-alpine, "yellow pineYellow pine
Yellow pine may refer to the following:*Certain pines in the subgenus Pinus subgenus Pinus:**In American forestry, a term for several closely related species of pine with yellow tinted wood, including the Southern Yellow Pines , and the non-Southern yellow pines and several others...
", "pinion-juniper
Pinyon-juniper woodland
A Pinyon-juniper woodland is a forest type characteristic of many parts the Western United States, often in higher elevations of desert ecoregions.-Locations:...
", "sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
" and "creosotebush".
Counties
Nevada is divided into political jurisdictions designated as countiesCounty (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality; however, for many purposes under state law it is considered to be a county. As of 1919 there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from 146 to 18159 sq mi (378.1 to 47,031.6 ). In 1969 Ormsby County was dissolved and the consolidated municipality of Carson City was created by the Legislature in its place co-terminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.
| Nevada Counties | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County name | County seat | Year founded | 2000 population | Percent of total | Area (mi²) | Percent of total | Population density (/mi²) |
| Carson City Carson City, Nevada The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has... |
Carson City | 1861 | 52,457 | 2.63 % | 146 | 0.13 % | 359.29 |
| Churchill Churchill County, Nevada Churchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,... |
Fallon Fallon, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile... |
1861 | 23,982 | 1.20 % | 5,023 | 4.54 % | 4.77 |
| Clark Clark County, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race... |
Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
1908 | 1,375,765 | 68.85 % | 8,091 | 7.32 % | 170.04 |
| Douglas Douglas County, Nevada Douglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.- History :... |
Minden Minden, Nevada Minden is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the city of Gardnerville. It is named after the town of Minden, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It... |
1861 | 41,259 | 2.06 % | 738 | 0.67 % | 55.91 |
| Elko Elko County, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi... |
Elko Elko, Nevada Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River.... |
1869 | 45,291 | 2.27 % | 17,203 | 15.56 % | 2.63 |
| Esmeralda Esmeralda County, Nevada Esmeralda County is a county in the west of U.S. state of Nevada. Its county seat is Goldfield. Its 2000 census population was officially 971, making its population density 0.1045 inhabitants/km² , the second-lowest of any county-equivalent outside of Alaska. As of 2010, the population had... |
Goldfield Goldfield, Nevada Goldfield is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States, with a resident population of 440 at the 2000 census. It is located about southeast of Carson City, along U.S... |
1861 | 971 | 0.05 % | 3,589 | 3.25 % | 0.27 |
| Eureka Eureka County, Nevada Eureka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,651. Its county seat is Eureka.Eureka County is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
Eureka Eureka, Nevada Eureka is an unincorporated township in and the county seat of Eureka County, Nevada, United States. Eureka is by far the largest community in Eureka County... |
1869 | 1,651 | 0.08 % | 4,180 | 3.78 % | 0.39 |
| Humboldt Humboldt County, Nevada Humboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat is Winnemucca.The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hiibel v... |
Winnemucca Winnemucca, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile... |
1856/1861 | 16,106 | 0.81 % | 9,658 | 8.74 % | 1.67 |
| Lander Lander County, Nevada Lander County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,794. Its county seat is Battle Mountain.-History:... |
Battle Mountain Battle Mountain, Nevada Battle Mountain is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,871 at the 2000 census. Though it has no legal status as a municipality, it still functions as the county seat of Lander County... |
1861 | 5,794 | 0.29 % | 5,519 | 4.99 % | 1.05 |
| Lincoln Lincoln County, Nevada Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,165. Its county seat is Pioche.-History:... |
Pioche Pioche, Nevada -External links:*... |
1866 | 4,165 | 0.21 % | 10,637 | 9.62 % | 0.39 |
| Lyon Lyon County, Nevada Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:... |
Yerington Yerington, Nevada Yerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County.... |
1861 | 34,501 | 1.73 % | 2,016 | 1.82 % | 17.11 |
| Mineral Mineral County, Nevada Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,071. In 2009, it was estimated to have dropped to 4,662. Its county seat is Hawthorne.-History:... |
Hawthorne Hawthorne, Nevada Hawthorne is a census-designated place in Mineral County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,311 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mineral County... |
1911 | 5,071 | 0.25 % | 3,813 | 3.45 % | 1.33 |
| Nye Nye County, Nevada -National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:... |
Tonopah Tonopah, Nevada Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno.... |
1864 | 32,485 | 1.63 % | 18,159 | 16.43 % | 1.79 |
| Pershing Pershing County, Nevada Pershing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 6,693. Its county seat is Lovelock. The county was named after army general John J. Pershing . It was formed from Humboldt County in 1919, and the last county to be established in... |
Lovelock Lovelock, Nevada Lovelock is a city in western Nevada that is the county seat of Pershing County, the location of a prison, and the namesake of the area's Cold War gunnery range... |
1919 | 6,693 | 0.33 % | 6,068 | 5.49 % | 1.10 |
| Storey Storey County, Nevada Storey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,399, which was estimated to have risen to 4,110 in 2006... |
Virginia City Virginia City, Nevada Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :... |
1861 | 3,399 | 0.17 % | 264 | 0.24 % | 12.88 |
| Washoe Washoe County, Nevada Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:... |
Reno Reno, Nevada Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area... |
1861 | 339,486 | 16.99 % | 6,551 | 5.93 % | 51.82 |
| White Pine White Pine County, Nevada White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park... |
Ely Ely, Nevada Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906... |
1869 | 9,181 | 0.46 % | 8,897 | 8.05 % | 1.03 |
| Totals | Counties: 17 | 1,998,257 | 110,552 | 18.08 |
- Humboldt was designated as a County in 1856 by Utah Territorial Legislature and again in 1861 by the new Nevada Legislature.
Before 1861
History of Utah
The history of Utah is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Utah located in the western United States.- Early people :...
, History of Las Vegas
History of Las Vegas
This history of Las Vegas covers both the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Las Vegas Valley.Las Vegas was coined by Rafael Rivera, a scout for a Mexican trading party headed to Los Angeles, in 1829 who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from New...
, and the discovery of the first major U.S. deposit of silver ore in Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
under Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
in 1859.
Separation from Utah Territory
On March 2, 1861, the Nevada TerritoryNevada Territory
The Territory of Nevada was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada....
separated from the Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
and adopted its current name, shortened from Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range").
The 1861 southern boundary is commemorated by Nevada Historical Markers
Nevada Historical Markers
Nevada Historical Markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada's history. The Historic Marker Program was initiated by the Nevada State Legislature in 1967 to bring the state's heritage to the public's attention with on-site markers...
57 and 58 in Lincoln and Nye counties.
Statehood
Eight days prior to the presidential election of 1864United States presidential election, 1864
In the United States Presidential election of 1864, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as president. The election was held during the Civil War. Lincoln ran under the National Union ticket against Democratic candidate George B. McClellan, his former top general. McClellan ran as the "peace candidate",...
, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed to the date of October 31 to help ensure Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's reelection on November 8 and post-Civil War Republican dominance in Congress, as Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
.
Nevada is notable for being one of only two states to significantly expand its borders after admission to the Union. Nevada achieved its current southern boundaries on May 5, 1866, when it absorbed the portion of Pah-Ute County
Pah-Ute County, Arizona
Pah-Ute County is a former county in the northwest corner of Arizona Territory that existed from 1865 until 1871. The majority of the county's territory is now in Clark County, Nevada, including the city of Las Vegas. Due to the transfer of most of the county's land to Nevada, Pah-Ute is known as...
in the Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
west of the Colorado River, essentially all of present day Nevada south of the 37th parallel
37th parallel north
The 37th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 37 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought by officials that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
. In 1868 another part of the western Utah Territory, whose population was seeking to avoid Mormon dominance, was added to Nevada in the eastern part of the state, setting the current eastern boundary.
Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years (see Silver mining in Nevada
Silver mining in Nevada
Silver mining in Nevada, a state of the United States, began in 1858 with the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the first major silver-mining district in the United States. Nevada calls itself the "Silver State." In 2006, Nevada was the nation's second-largest producer of silver, after...
). When Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
lived in Nevada during the period described in Roughing It
Roughing It
Roughing It is a book of semi-autobiographical travel literature written by American humorist Mark Twain. It was written during 1870–71 and published in 1872 as a prequel to his first book Innocents Abroad...
, mining had led to an industry of speculation and immense wealth. However, both mining and population declined in the late 19th century. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
in 1900, followed by strikes in Goldfield
Goldfield, Nevada
Goldfield is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States, with a resident population of 440 at the 2000 census. It is located about southeast of Carson City, along U.S...
and Rhyolite
Rhyolite, Nevada
Rhyolite is a ghost town in Nye County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is located in the Bullfrog Hills, about northwest of Las Vegas, near the eastern edge of Death Valley. The town began in early 1905 as one of several mining camps that sprang up after a prospecting discovery in the surrounding...
, again put Nevada's population on an upward trend.
Gambling and labor
Unregulated gambling was commonplace in the early Nevada mining towns but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gambling crusade. Because of subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Nevada again legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. Gov. Fred Balzar's signature enacted the most liberal divorce laws in the country and open gambling. The reforms came just eight days after the federal government awarded the $49 million construction contract for Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam).
Nuclear testing
The Nevada Test SiteNevada Test Site
The Nevada National Security Site , previously the Nevada Test Site , is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about northwest of the city of Las Vegas...
, 65 miles (104.6 km) northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site is composed of approximately 1350 square miles (3,496.5 km²) of desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a 1 ktTNT bomb dropped on Frenchman Flat
Frenchman Flat
Frenchman Flat is a Tonopah Basin landform used as a nuclear weapons detonation site at the Nevada Test Site , some from Las Vegas, in the United States. Frenchman Flat is a dry lake, an alkaline desert depression which spans Area 5 and Area 11 within NTS...
on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962, and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for having the highest concentration of nuclear-detonated weapons in the U.S.
Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. The primary reason for this is that homesteads
Homestead principle
The homestead principle in law is the concept that one can gain ownership of a natural thing that currently has no owner by using it or building something out of it...
were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of ranching still prevails).
Demographics
Growth
According to the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, Nevada has an estimated population of 2,565,382 which is an increase of 92,909, or 3.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 516,550, or 20.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 81,661 people (that is 170,451 births minus 88,790 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 337,043 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 66,098 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 270,945 people. According to the 2006 census estimate, Nevada is the eighth fastest growing state in the nation.The center of population
Center of population
In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...
of Nevada is located in southern Nye County
Nye County, Nevada
-National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:...
. In this county, the unincorporated town of Pahrump
Pahrump, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,631 people, 10,153 households, and 7,127 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 82.7 people per square mile . There were 11,651 housing units at an average density of 39.1 per square mile...
, located 60 miles (96.6 km) west of Las Vegas on the California state line, has grown 26 times in size from 1980 to 2000. In the year 2006, the town may have over 50,000 permanent residents. Las Vegas was America's fastest-growing city and metropolitan area from 1960 to 2000, but has grown from a gulch of 100 people in 1900 to 10,000 by 1950 to 100,000 by 1970 to have 2.5 million in the metropolitan area in 2010.
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
Las Vegas metropolitan area
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
.
Henderson
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
and North Las Vegas
North Las Vegas, Nevada
North Las Vegas is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, located in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city was incorporated on May 16, 1946.-Geography:...
are among the USA's top 20 fastest-growing cities of over 100,000.
The rural community of Mesquite
Mesquite, Nevada
Mesquite is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the Arizona state line and northeast of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,277. The city is located in the Virgin River Valley...
located 65 miles (104.6 km) northeast of Las Vegas was an example of micropolitan growth in the 1990s and 2000s. Other desert towns like Mercury
Indian Springs, Nevada
Indian Springs is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,302 at the 2000 census.-History:Indian Springs is named for the artesian spring that provides the area with water...
and Searchlight
Searchlight, Nevada
Searchlight is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, at the topographic saddle between two mountain ranges.-History:According to Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who has written extensively about his hometown, the most likely story as to how the town received its name was when George Frederick...
on the outskirts of Las Vegas has grown tremendously as well.
Large numbers of new residents in the state originate from California, which led some locals to feel that their state is being "Californicated".
Human diversity
According to the 2008 census estimates, racial distribution was as follows: 65% White AmericanWhite American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 7.1% African American, 6% Asian American (estimates placed them at 10%), 2% others (American Indians and Pacific Islanders
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
) and the remaining 20% were Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race.
In terms of diversity, Nevada is home to many cultures and nationalities. Las Vegas and Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
or Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
have evolved to become minority majority cities and counties. Nevada also has a sizable Basque ancestry population. In Douglas
Douglas County, Nevada
Douglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.- History :...
, Mineral
Mineral County, Nevada
Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,071. In 2009, it was estimated to have dropped to 4,662. Its county seat is Hawthorne.-History:...
and Pershing
Pershing County, Nevada
Pershing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 6,693. Its county seat is Lovelock. The county was named after army general John J. Pershing . It was formed from Humboldt County in 1919, and the last county to be established in...
counties, a plurality of residents are of Mexican ancestry, with Clark County (Las Vegas) being home to over 200,000 Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
s alone; Nye County
Nye County, Nevada
-National protected areas:* Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Death Valley National Park * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area -Demographics:...
and Humboldt County
Humboldt County, Nevada
Humboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat is Winnemucca.The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hiibel v...
have a plurality of Germans; and Washoe County has many Irish Americans. Americans of English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
descent form pluralities in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Nevada
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,165. Its county seat is Pioche.-History:...
, Churchill County
Churchill County, Nevada
Churchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,...
, Lyon County
Lyon County, Nevada
Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
, White Pine County
White Pine County, Nevada
White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park...
and Eureka County
Eureka County, Nevada
Eureka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,651. Its county seat is Eureka.Eureka County is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. Las Vegas is home to rapid-growing ethnic communities like Scandinavians
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
, Italians
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
, Poles
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
, Greeks, Spaniards and Armenians.
Largely African American sections of Las Vegas ("the Meadows") and Reno can be found. Many current African-American Nevadans are newly transplanted residents from California, the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, or the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
.
Since the California Gold Rush of the 1850s brought thousands of Chinese miners to Washoe county, Asian Americans lived in the state. They were followed by a few hundred of Japanese
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
farm workers in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, many immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and recently from India and Vietnam came to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city now has one of America's most prolific Asian American communities, with a mostly Chinese and Taiwanese area known as "Chinatown" west of I-15 on Spring Mountain Boulevard, and an "Asiatown" shopping mall for Asian customers located at Charleston Avenue and Paradise Boulevard. Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
s form the largest Asian American group in the state, with a population of more than 113,000. They comprise 56.5% of the Asian American population in Nevada and constitute about 4.3% of the entire state's population.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 16.19% of Nevada's population aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home, while 1.59% speak Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
and 1% speak Chinese languages.
6.8% of the state's population were reported as under 5, 26.3% were under 18, and 13.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.7% of the population. Las Vegas was a major destination for immigrants from South Asia and Latin America seeking employment in the gaming and hospitality industries during the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, but farming and construction are the biggest employers of immigrant labor.
Senior citizens (over age 65) and young children or teenagers (under age 18) form large sections of the Nevada population. The religious makeup of Nevadans includes large communities of Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals; each is known for higher birth rates and a younger than national average age. American Jews
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
represent a large proportion of the active adult retirement community.
In 2010, illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
constituted an estimated 8.8% of the population. This was the highest percentage of any state in the country.
The principal ancestries of Nevada's residents in 2009 have been surveyed to be the following:
- 20.8% MexicanMexican AmericanMexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
- 13.3% GermanGerman AmericanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
- 10.0% IrishIrish AmericanIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
- 9.2% EnglishEnglish AmericanEnglish Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
- 6.3% ItalianItalian AmericanAn Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
- 3.8% American
- 3.6% Scandinavian (1.4% NorwegianNorwegian AmericanNorwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
, 1.4% SwedishSwedish AmericanSwedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
, and 0.8% Danish).
Religion
Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are:- Roman Catholic – 27%
- ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
- Mainline – 11%
- Evangelical – 13%
- Other Protestant – 2%
- Latter-day Saint/ Mormon – 11%
- Muslim – 2%
- Jewish – 1%
- Other Religions – 3%
- Unaffiliated – 20%
The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 331,844; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 116,925; and the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
with 40,233. 77,100 Nevadans belong to Jewish congregations
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
Economy
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
industries. "[Nevada was] founded on mining and refounded on sin—-beginning with prizefighting and easy divorce a century ago and later extending to gaming and prostitution", said the August 21, 2010 issue of The Economist.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2010 was $126 billion. Resort areas such as Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
, and Laughlin
Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
attract visitors from around the nation and world. In FY08 the total of 266 casinos with gaming revenue over $1m for the year, brought in revenue of $12 billion in gaming revenue, and $13 billion in non-gaming revenue. A review of gaming statistics can be found at Nevada gaming area
Nevada gaming area
Since 1971, the Nevada Gaming Control Board publishes an annual Abstract summarizing gaming and non-gaming revenue for the entire state. The document is roughly 250 pages long. Detailed data is provided for different groups of casinos, organized by geography, size , and public corporations vs....
.
The state's Per capita personal income in 2009 was $38,578, ranking nineteenth in the nation.
As of August 2011, the state's unemployment rate is the worst in the nation at 13.4%.
Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, alfalfa, dairy products, onions, and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment.
In portions of the state outside of the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas, mining and cattle ranching are the major economic activities. By value, gold is by far the most important mineral mined. In 2004, 6800000 ounces (192,776,756.4 g) of gold worth $2.84 billion were mined in Nevada, and the state accounted for 8.7% of world gold production (see Gold mining in Nevada
Gold mining in Nevada
Gold mining in Nevada, a state of the United States, is a major industry, and one of the largest sources of gold in the world. Nevada currently mines 79% of all the gold in the United States, which is equivalent to in 2009. Total gold production from Nevada recorded from 1835 to 2008 totals ,...
). Silver is a distant second, with 10300000 ounces (292,000,086.9 g) worth $69 million mined in 2004 (see Silver mining in Nevada
Silver mining in Nevada
Silver mining in Nevada, a state of the United States, began in 1858 with the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the first major silver-mining district in the United States. Nevada calls itself the "Silver State." In 2006, Nevada was the nation's second-largest producer of silver, after...
). Other minerals mined in Nevada include construction aggregates, copper, gypsum, diatomite and lithium. Despite its rich deposits, the cost of mining in Nevada is generally high, and output is very sensitive to world commodity prices.
As of January 1, 2006, there were an estimated 500,000 head of cattle and 70,000 head of sheep in Nevada. Most of these animals forage on rangeland
Rangeland
Rangelands are vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savannas, chaparrals, steppes, and tundras...
in the summer, with supplemental feed in the winter. Calves are generally shipped to out-of-state feedlot
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
s in the fall to be fattened for market. Over 90% of Nevada's 484000 acres (195,868 ha) of cropland is used to grow hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
, mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed.
The state sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
in Nevada is variable depending upon the county. The minimum statewide tax rate is 6.85%, with five counties (Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, and Mineral) charging this minimum amount. All other counties assess various option taxes, making the combined state/county sales taxes rate in one county as high as 8.1%, which is the amount charged in Clark County. Sales tax in the other major counties: Carson at 7.475%, Washoe at 7.725%. The minimum Nevada sales tax rate changed on July 1, 2009.
Nevada has by far the most hotel rooms per capita in the United States. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, there were 187,301 rooms in 584 hotels (of 15 or more rooms). The state is ranked just below California, Texas, Florida, and New York in total number of rooms, but those states have much larger populations. Nevada has one hotel room for every 14 residents, far above the national average of one hotel room per 67 residents.
Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada
Prostitution in Nevada
Nevada is the only U.S. state to allow some legal prostitution, in the form of regulated brothels. Prostitution outside these licensed brothels is illegal....
in licensed brothels, but only counties with populations under 400,000 residents have the option to legalize it. Although prostitution employs roughly 300 women as independent contractors, and not a major part of the Nevada economy, it is a very visible endeavor. Of the 14 counties that are permitted to legalize prostitution under state law, about 8 have chosen to legalize brothels. State law prohibits prostitution in Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), and Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
(which contains Reno). However, prostitution is legal in Storey County, which is part of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.
Largest employers
The largest employers in the state, as of the first fiscal quarter of 2011, are the following, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation:| Rank | Employer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clark County School District Clark County School District The Clark County School District, , is the 5th largest school district in the United States. It serves all of Clark County, Nevada, including the cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Mesquite; plus the census-designated places of Laughlin, Blue Diamond, Logandale,... |
| 2 | Washoe County School District Washoe County School District The Washoe County School District is a public school district providing public education to students in Washoe County, Nevada, including the cities of Reno, Sparks, Verdi, Incline Village, and Gerlach. As of September 2006, the school district had 63,098 students enrolled. It is the second... |
| 3 | Clark County Clark County, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race... |
| 4 | Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas is a resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The US $2.7 billion resort is named after casino developer Steve Wynn and is the flagship property of Wynn Resorts Limited. The resort covers . It is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and Sands Avenue Wynn Las... |
| 5 | Bellagio LLC |
| 6 | MGM Grand Hotel/Casino MGM Grand Las Vegas The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in... |
| 7 | Aria Resort & Casino LLC |
| 8 | Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a 44-story luxury hotel casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by MGM Resorts International. Five floors of the main hotel building are occupied by the five-star and AAA Five-Diamond Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas... |
| 9 | Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is a joint city-county police force for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is run by the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The current Sheriff of Clark County is Douglas C... |
| 10 | Caesars Palace Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp.... |
| 11 | University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of... |
| 12 | The Venetian Casino Resort |
| 13 | The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas |
| 14 | The Mirage Casino-Hotel |
| 15 | University of Nevada, Reno University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA... |
| 16 | University Medical Center of Southern Nevada |
| 17 | The Palazzo Casino Resort |
| 18 | Flamingo Las Vegas Operating Company LLC |
| 19 | Encore Las Vegas |
| 20 | Luxor Las Vegas |
Transportation
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
) as a bottom-three, "Worst" jurisdiction in the U.S., for overall effectiveness and quality of statewide public space cleanliness—from state and related litter/debris removal efforts.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
train uses the Union Pacific's original transcontinental railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
line in daily service from Chicago to Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
, serving Elko
Elko, Nevada
Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River....
, Winnemucca
Winnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
, Sparks
Sparks, Nevada
Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...
, and Reno. Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through-ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads...
es also provide connecting service from Las Vegas to trains at Needles, California
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
; and from Stateline, Nevada
Stateline, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 510 households, and 245 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,803.3 people per square mile . There were 562 housing units at an average density of 834.1 per square mile...
, to Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. Las Vegas has had no passenger train service since Amtrak's Desert Wind
Desert Wind
Desert Wind was a passenger train route operated by Amtrak from 1979 to 1997. When it first entered service, it ran from Los Angeles, California to Ogden, Utah passing through Salt Lake City and Las Vegas...
was discontinued in 1997, although there have been a number of proposals to re-introduce service to either Los Angeles or Southern California.
The Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
has some railroads in the north and in the south. Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
provides some bus service.
Interstate 15 in Nevada
In the U.S. State of Nevada, Interstate 15 begins in Primm, continues through Las Vegas and it crosses the border with Arizona in Mesquite. The freeway runs entirely in Clark County. Many motorists use Interstate 15 to visit Las Vegas, as it is the only primary Interstate Highway in the city. The...
passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. I-215
Interstate 215 (Nevada)
The Las Vegas Beltway is the name of the beltway route circling three-quarters of the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. The Las Vegas Beltway carries two numerical designations. Approximately of the beltway, from its southern terminus at Interstate 515/U.S. Route 93/U.S...
and spur route I-515
Interstate 515
Interstate 515 is a spur of Interstate 15 that runs from the junction of I-15, US 93 and US 95 near Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada approximately southeast to Railroad Pass near the borders of Henderson and Boulder City....
also serve the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, Interstate 80 traverses the northern portion of the state. The freeway serves the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area, and also goes through the towns of Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Elko, Wells and West Wendover on its way through the state.I-80 follows...
crosses through the northern part of Nevada, roughly following the path of the Humboldt River from Utah in the east and passing westward through Reno and into California. It has a spur route, I-580
Interstate 580 (Nevada)
Interstate 580 in Nevada is an unsigned Interstate Highway in northwestern Nevada. It runs concurrently with U.S. Route 395 in Reno, for approximately five miles between Interstate 80 and Neil Road. Two separate highway construction projects are currently underway along the US 395 corridor that...
. Nevada also is served by several federal highways: US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 6 cuts across the middle portion of the state, serving the cities of Tonopah and Ely, en route to Utah and points further east....
, US 50
U.S. Route 50 in Nevada
U.S. Route 50 is a transcontinental highway in the United States, stretching from Sacramento, California in the west to Ocean City, Maryland on the east coast. The Nevada portion crosses the center of state and was named The Loneliest Road in America by Life magazine in July 1986...
, US 93
U.S. Route 93 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 93 is a major U.S. highway traversing the eastern edge of the state. The highway connects the Las Vegas area to the Great Basin National Park, and provides further connections to Ely and Wells...
, US 95
U.S. Route 95 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 95 is a major U.S. highway traversing the state from north to south directly through Las Vegas and providing connections to both Carson City and Reno...
and US 395
U.S. Route 395 in Nevada
In the U.S. state of Nevada, U.S. Route 395 clips a corner of Nevada near Lake Tahoe and serves the cities of Gardnerville, Minden, Carson City and Reno. Most of US 395 north of Carson City is a freeway and is built up to Interstate standards. Part of the freeway section is also currently...
. There are also 189 Nevada state highways. Nevada is one of a few states in the U.S. that does not have a continuous interstate highway linking its two major population centers. Even the non-interstate federal highways aren't contiguous between the Las Vegas and Reno areas.
The state is one of just a few in the country to allow semi-trailer truck
Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
s with three trailers—what might be called a "road train
Road train
A road train or roadtrain is a trucking concept used in remote areas of Argentina, Australia, Mexico, the United States and Canada to move freight efficiently. The term "road train" is most often used in Australia. In the U.S. and Canada the terms "triples," "turnpike doubles" and "Rocky Mountain...
" in Australia. But American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.
RTC Transit is the public transit system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The agency is the largest transit agency in the state and operates a network of bus service across the Las Vegas Valley, including the use of The Deuce
The Deuce
The Deuce is the name of the double-decker bus line serving Las Vegas operated by RTC Transit. These buses went into service on October 27, 2005...
, double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
es, on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and several outlying routes. RTC RIDE operates a system of local transit bus service throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit systems in the state include Carson City's JAC. Most other counties in the state do not have public transportation at all.
Additionally, a four mile (6 km) monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
system provides public transportation in the Las Vegas area. The Las Vegas Monorail
Las Vegas Monorail
The Las Vegas Monorail is a monorail mass transit system located on the Las Vegas Strip, in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It connects the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester, and does not actually enter the City of Las Vegas. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas...
line services several casino properties and the Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas Convention Center
The Las Vegas Convention Center is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in Las Vegas, Nevada....
on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, running near Paradise Road, with a possible future extension to McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
. Several hotels also run their own monorail lines between each other, which are typically several blocks in length.
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is the busiest airport serving Nevada. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (formerly known as the Reno Cannon International Airport) is the other major airport in the state.
Law and government
The current Governor of Nevada is Brian SandovalBrian Sandoval
Brian Edward Sandoval is an American politician. He is the 29th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada since January 3, 2011. Sandoval is a former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada...
, a Republican; the governor of Nevada is limited by the Nevada Constitution to two four-year terms in office, by election or succession (lifetime limit). Nevada's two U.S. senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
are Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
(Democrat) and Dean Heller
Dean Heller
Dean A. Heller is the junior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Republican Party. Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives,...
(Republican), who, by the United States Constitution, have no term limits. Reid is also the current Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
in the US Senate. Nevada's U.S. Representatives are Republican Joe Heck
Joe Heck
Joseph John “Joe” Heck is the U.S. Representative for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district and is a member of the Republican Party...
, Democrat Shelley Berkley
Shelley Berkley
Rochelle "Shelley" Berkley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999, and a candidate for U.S. Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education, and legal career:...
, and Republican Mark Amodei.
Legislature
Nevada Legislature
The Nevada Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house Nevada Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house Nevada Senate, with 21 members. All 63 members of the Legislature are elected from an equal amount of...
is a bicameral body divided into an upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
Senate
Nevada Senate
The Nevada Senate is the upper house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of U.S. state of Nevada. The Senate consists of 21 members from 19 districts, two of which are multimember. Each senator represented approximately 94,700 people as of the 2000 census, although 2006 Census Bureau...
and a lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
Assembly
Nevada Assembly
The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The body consists of 42 members, elected to two-year terms from single-member districts. Each Assembly district contained approximately 47,400 people as of the 2000 census, although...
. Members of the Senate serve for four years, and members of the Assembly serve for two years. Both houses of the Nevada Legislature will be impacted by term limits starting in 2010, as Senators and Assemblymen/women will be limited to a maximum of 12 years service in each house (by appointment or election which is a lifetime limit) – this provision in the constitution was recently upheld for legislators by the Supreme Court of Nevada in a unanimous decision (7–0), so term limits will be in effect starting in 2010. Each session of the Legislature meets for a constitutionally mandated 120 days in every odd-numbered year, or longer if the Governor calls a special session. Currently, the Senate is controlled by the Democratic Party (12 to 9 majority) and the Assembly is controlled by the Democratic Party (28 to 14 majority).
Judiciary
Nevada is one of the few U.S. states without a system of intermediate appellate courts.The state supreme court
State supreme court
In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the state court system ....
is the Supreme Court of Nevada
Supreme Court of Nevada
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the state supreme court of Nevada. It is the highest judicial body of the Nevada state government.There are seven Justices of the court, who are elected to six-year terms in officially nonpartisan elections. The Governor appoints Justices in the case of a vacancy...
.
Original jurisdiction is divided between the District Courts
Nevada District Courts
The Nevada District Courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the Nevada state court system.In the District Courts "criminal, civil, family, and juvenile matters are generally resolved through arbitration, mediation, and bench or jury trials."...
(with general jurisdiction), and Justice Courts and Municipal Courts (both of limited jurisdiction).
Libertarian laws
- "Nevada, in a burst of ingenuity, built an economy by exploiting its sovereignty. Its strategy was to legalize all sorts of things that were illegal in California ... after easy divorce came easy marriage and casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
gaming. Even prostitution is legal in Nevada, in any county that decides to allow it. Quite a few of them do." With the advent of air conditioning for summertime use and Southern Nevada's mild winters, the fortunes of the state began to turn around, as it did for ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, making these two states the fastest growing in the Union.
Prostitution laws
Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal (under the form of licensed brothels).
Prostitution is specifically illegal by state law in the state's larger jurisdictions, which include Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
(which contains Las Vegas), Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
(which contains Reno), and the independent city of Carson City. Otherwise, it is legal in those counties which specifically vote to permit it.
Divorce laws
Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that, prior to the no-fault divorce
No-fault divorce
No-fault divorce is a divorce in which the dissolution of a marriage requires neither a showing of wrong-doing of either party nor any evidentiary proceedings at all...
revolution in the 1970s, divorces were quite difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gaming and prostitution, Nevada continued the trend of boosting its profile by adopting one of the most liberal divorce statutes in the nation. This resulted in Williams v. North Carolina, , in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
had to give "full faith and credit
Full Faith and Credit Clause
The Full Faith and Credit Clause is the familiar name used to refer to Article IV, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, which addresses the duties that states within the United States have to respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state." According to...
" to a Nevada divorce.
Nevada's divorce rate tops the national average.
Tax laws
Nevada's tax laws also draw new residents and businesses to the state. Nevada has no personal income tax or corporate income tax. Since Nevada does not collect income data it cannot share such information with the federal government, the IRS.
Nevada's state sales tax rate is 6.85 percent. Counties may impose additional rates via voter approval or through approval of the Legislature; therefore, the applicable sales tax will vary by county from 6.85 percent to 8.1 percent in Clark County.
Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, imposes four separate county option taxes in addition to the statewide rate – 0.25 percent for flood control, 0.50 percent for mass transit, 0.25 percent to fund the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and 0.25 percent for the addition of police officers in that county. In Washoe County (which includes Reno), the sales tax rate is 7.725 percent, due to county option rates for flood control, the ReTRAC train trench project, mass transit, and an additional county rate approved under the Local Government Tax Act of 1991.
The lodging tax rate in unincorporated Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip, is 12%. Within the boundaries of the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, the lodging tax rate is 13%.
Corporations such as Apple Inc. allegedly have set up investment companies and funds in Nevada to avoid paying taxes.
Incorporation laws
Nevada also provides friendly environment for the formation of corporations, and many (especially California) businesspeople have incorporated their businesses in Nevada to take advantage of the benefits of the Nevada statute. Nevada corporation
Nevada Corporation
A Nevada corporation is a corporation incorporated under Chapter 78 of Nevada Revised Statutes of the U.S. state of Nevada.Nevada, like the state of Delaware , is well known as a corporate haven...
s offer great flexibility to the Board of Directors and simplify or avoid many of the rules that are cumbersome to business managers in some other states. In addition, Nevada has no franchise tax
Franchise tax
Franchise tax is a tax charged by some US states to corporations with a nexus with those states. The common feature of a state's franchise tax is that it is not based on income...
.
Financial institutions
Similarly, many U.S. states have usury
Usury
Usury Originally, when the charging of interest was still banned by Christian churches, usury simply meant the charging of interest at any rate . In countries where the charging of interest became acceptable, the term came to be used for interest above the rate allowed by law...
laws limiting the amount of interest
Interest
Interest is a fee paid by a borrower of assets to the owner as a form of compensation for the use of the assets. It is most commonly the price paid for the use of borrowed money, or money earned by deposited funds....
a lender can charge, but federal law allows corporations to 'import' these laws from their home state.
Drug and alcohol laws
Non-alcohol drug laws are a notable exception to Nevada's otherwise libertarian principles. It is notable for having the harshest penalties for drug offenders in the country. Nevada remains the only state to still use mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
possession. However, it is now a misdemeanor for possession of less than one ounce but only for persons age 21 and older. In 2006, voters in Nevada defeated attempts to allow possession of 1 ounce of marijuana (for personal use) without being criminally prosecuted, (55% against legalization, 45% in favor of legalization). However, Nevada is one of the states that allows for use of marijuana for medical reasons
Medical cannabis
Medical cannabis refers to the use of parts of the herb cannabis as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine...
(though this remains illegal under federal law).
Nevada has very liberal alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24 hours, with no "last call
Last call (bar term)
In a bar, a last call is an announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to make this signal, like ringing a bell, flashing the lights, or announcing orally.Last call times are often...
". Liquor store
Liquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
s, convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24 hours per day, and may sell beer, wine and spirits.
Smoking
Nevada voters enacted a smoking ban ("the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act") in November 2006 that became effective on December 8, 2006. It outlaws smoking in most workplaces and public places. Smoking is permitted in bars, but only if the bar serves no food, or the bar is inside a larger casino. Smoking is also permitted in casinos, hotel rooms, tobacco shops, and brothels. However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it. Yet, in one case, they did prosecute an establishment called "Bilbo's." As of 2008, the trial was still pending.
Crime
Nevada has been ranked as the most dangerous state in the U.S. for five years in a row, just ahead of LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
In 2006, the crime rate in Nevada was approximately 24% higher than the national average rate. Property crimes accounted for approximately 84.6% of the crime rate in Nevada which was 21% higher than the national rate. The remaining 20.3% were violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
s and were approximately 45% higher than other states. In 2008, Nevada had the third highest murder rate, and the highest rate of robbery and motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
. It should be noted that many of these statistics may not totally be attributed to the citizens of Nevada themselves, but partially to the high rate of visitors entering and leaving the state as well. In addition, the state's most populous county, Clark (accounting for 75% of the state's total population), skews the crime rate for the balance of the state.
Politics
| Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 42.65% 412,827 | 55.15% 533,736 |
| 2004 | 50.47% 418,690 | 47.88% 397,190 |
| 2000 | 49.49% 301,575 | 45.94% 279,978 |
| 1996 | 44.55% 198,775 | 45.60% 203,388 |
| 1992 | 34.71% 175,828 | 37.41% 189,148 |
| 1988 | 58.90% 206,040 | 37.91% 132,738 |
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
456,672 | 126,158 | 580,393 | 43.10% |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
398,898 | 79,414 | 475,764 | 35.33% |
Unaffiliated | 163,816 | 49,731 | 213,329 | 15.84% |
Minor Parties | 57,984 | 19,352 | 77,079 | 5.72% | |
| Total | 1,077,370 | 274,655 | 1,346,565 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
State politics
Due to heavy growth in the southern portion of the state, there is a noticeable divide between politics of northern and southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in state government, even while the population of southern Nevada is larger than the rest of the state combined. The north sees the high population south becoming more influential and perhaps commanding majority rule. The south sees the north as the "old guard" trying to rule as an oligarchyOligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
. This has fostered some resentment, however, due to a term limit amendment passed by Nevada voters in 1994, and again in 1996, some of the north's hold over key positions will soon be forfeited to the south, leaving Northern Nevada with less power.
Clark and Washoe counties—home to Las Vegas and Reno, respectively—have long dominated the state's politics. Between them, they cast 87 percent of Nevada's vote, and elect a substantial majority of the state legislature. The great majority of the state's elected officials are either from Las Vegas or Reno.
National politics
Nevada has voted for the winner in every presidential election since 1912, except in 1976 when it voted for Gerald FordGerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
over Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. This gives the state status as a political bellwether
Bellwether
A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings.The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram leading his flock of sheep.The movements of...
.
Nevada supported Democrat Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in the 1992
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
and 1996 presidential elections
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won in 2000 and 2004, and Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
won the state in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
The state's U.S. Senators are Democrat Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Republican Dean Heller
Dean Heller
Dean A. Heller is the junior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Republican Party. Heller was appointed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to a vacant seat created by the resignation of John Ensign. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives,...
. The Governorship is held by Brian Sandoval
Brian Sandoval
Brian Edward Sandoval is an American politician. He is the 29th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada since January 3, 2011. Sandoval is a former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada...
, a Republican from Reno.
Local government
Incorporated townIncorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
s in Nevada, known as cities, are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. A recent movement has begun to permit home rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
in incorporated Nevada cities to give them more flexibility and fewer restrictions from the Legislature.
Unincorporated towns
Unincorporated towns in Nevada
Nevada state law allows for governance of unincorporated towns under two different systems. The Unincorporated Town Government Law, adopted in 1975, applies to counties of 100,000 people or more, and any other county that opts in...
are settlements eminently governed by the county in which they are located, but who, by local referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
or by the act of the county commission, can form limited local governments in the form of a Town Advisory Board (TAB)/ Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), or a Town Board.
Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils are formed purely by act of the county commission. Consisting of three to five members, these elected boards form a purely advisory role, and in no way diminish the responsibilities of the county commission that creates them. Members of advisory councils and boards are elected to two year terms, and serve without compensation. The councils and boards, themselves, are provided no revenue, and oversee no budget.
Town Boards are limited local governments created by either the local county commission, or by referendum. The board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Half the board is required to be up for election in each election. The board elects from within its ranks a town chairperson and town clerk. While more powerful than Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils, they also serve a largely advisory role, with their funding provided by their local county commission. The local county commission has the power to put before residents of the town a vote on whether to keep or dissolve a town board at any general election. Town boards have the ability to appoint a town manager if they choose to do so.
Significant cities and towns
EWLINE
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Paradise, Sunrise Manor, and Spring Valley are unincorporated towns in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
| Rank | Clark Clark County, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race... | 1,715,337 | 7,910 | 174 | Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Washoe Washoe County, Nevada Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:... |
383,453 | 6,342 | 54 | Reno Reno, Nevada Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area... |
| 3 | Carson City | 56,146 | 155.7 | 366 | Carson City Carson City, Nevada The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has... |
| 4 | Douglas Douglas County, Nevada Douglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.- History :... |
47,803 | 710 | 58 | Gardnerville Ranchos Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada Gardnerville Ranchos is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 11,054... |
| 5 | Elko Elko County, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi... |
46,499 | 17,179 | 3 | Elko Elko, Nevada Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River.... |
| 6 | Lyon Lyon County, Nevada Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:... |
44,646 | 1,994 | 17 | Fernley Fernley, Nevada Fernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, within Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan. The city incorporated in 2001, including land in Washoe County; prior to that it was a census-designated place . The population of the CDP was 8,543 at the 2000 census; the city itself had an... |
| 7 | Nye | 38,181 | 18,147 | 2 | Pahrump Pahrump, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,631 people, 10,153 households, and 7,127 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 82.7 people per square mile . There were 11,651 housing units at an average density of 39.1 per square mile... |
| 8 | Churchill Churchill County, Nevada Churchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,... |
26,106 | 4,929 | 5 | Fallon Fallon, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile... |
| 9 | Humboldt Humboldt County, Nevada Humboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat is Winnemucca.The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hiibel v... |
17,129 | 9,648 | 2 | Winnemucca Winnemucca, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile... |
| 10 | White Pine White Pine County, Nevada White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park... |
8,966 | 8,876 | 1 | Ely Ely, Nevada Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906... |
Note: table was compiled using Nevada State estimates from 2004 for population and Census 2000
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
for area and density
10 richest places in Nevada
Ranked by per capita income| Rank | Incline Village-Crystal Bay Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nevada -Education:Incline Village is served by three main school systems, Sierra Nevada College , Incline Elementary, Middle, and High School , and The . Incline High School "We The People" team was recently awarded the "Western Region Award" at the annual 'We the People: The Citizen and the... | $52,521 | Washoe Washoe County, Nevada Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kingsbury Kingsbury, Nevada Kingsbury is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,624 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kingsbury is located at .... |
$41,421 | Douglas Douglas County, Nevada Douglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.- History :... |
| 3 | Mount Charleston Mount Charleston, Nevada Mount Charleston is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 285 at the 2000 census.Named for Mount Charleston, the highest point in the area, the town is in a valley of the Spring Mountains to the northwest of Las Vegas, noted for its hiking trails, and for... |
$38,821 | Clark Clark County, Nevada -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race... |
| 4 | Verdi-Mogul Verdi-Mogul, Nevada Verdi-Mogul is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It lies on the western side of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area, just off Interstate 80. The population was 2,949 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
$38,233 | Washoe |
| 5 | Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village, Nevada Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,649 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village is located at .... |
$37,218 | Douglas |
| 6 | Summerlin South Summerlin South, Nevada Summerlin South, also seen on maps as South Summerlin, is an affluent census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, on the western edge of Las Vegas and adjacent to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It is so named because it is a southward extension of the... |
$33,017 | Clark |
| 7 | Blue Diamond Blue Diamond, Nevada Blue Diamond is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 282 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blue Diamond is located at .-Demographics:... |
$30,479 | Clark |
| 8 | Minden Minden, Nevada Minden is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the city of Gardnerville. It is named after the town of Minden, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It... |
$30,405 | Douglas |
| 9 | Boulder City Boulder City, Nevada Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling.... |
$29,770 | Clark |
| 10 | Spanish Springs Spanish Springs, Nevada Spanish Springs is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It is located in the northeastern part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,064 at the 2010 Census.-History:... |
$26,908 | Washoe |
Colleges and universities
- Nevada System of Higher EducationNevada System of Higher EducationThe Nevada System of Higher Education was formed in 1968 to oversee all state-supported higher education in the U.S. state of Nevada. The name was changed in 2004. Two doctoral-granting research universities, one state college, four community colleges and one research institute comprise the...
- University of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
(UNLV) - University of Nevada, RenoUniversity of Nevada, RenoThe University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
(UNR) - Nevada State CollegeNevada State CollegeNevada State College is a four-year public college located in Henderson, Nevada, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education...
- Truckee Meadows Community CollegeTruckee Meadows Community CollegeTruckee Meadows Community College is a community college located in the U.S. state of Nevada primarily in the city of Reno. From 1971 to 1979 the college was a branch of Western Nevada Community College. Its current name is based on its primary service area, Truckee Meadows in Washoe County,...
(TMCC) - Great Basin College
- College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
- Western Nevada CollegeWestern Nevada CollegeWestern Nevada College is a public college serving northwest Nevada. It is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and of Colleges and Universities. The main branch of the college is located in Carson City, Nevada with other campuses in the cities of Fallon and Minden...
(WNC)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Sierra Nevada CollegeSierra Nevada CollegeSierra Nevada College was founded in 1969 as a private, liberal arts university. It is located in Incline Village, Nevada, and is known for its programs in Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Entertainment Technology, English, Ski Business & Resort Management, and Teacher...
- Touro University NevadaTouro University NevadaTouro University Nevada, , is a private non-profit institution of higher and professional education. Its campus is located in Henderson, Nevada. A sister campus, Touro University - California, is located in Mare Island, California. These two institutions make up the Touro Western Division,...
- University of Southern Nevada
Parks and recreation areas
Northern Nevada
- California National Historic Trail
- Death Valley National ParkDeath Valley National ParkDeath Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
- Great Basin National ParkGreat Basin National ParkGreat Basin National Park is a United States National Park established in 1986, located in east-central Nevada near the Utah border. The park derives its name from the Great Basin, the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains. Topographically, this area is...
near BakerBaker, NevadaBaker, Nevada is a small community and census-designated place in White Pine County, Nevada. It is located from Great Basin National Park on State Route 487. The town is named after an early settler, George W. Baker... - Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Pony Express National Historic Trail
Southern Nevada
- Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve
- Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park
- Humboldt-Toiyabe National ForestHumboldt-Toiyabe National ForestThe Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the principal U.S. National Forest located in the U.S. state of Nevada. With an area of , it is the largest National Forest of the United States outside of Alaska...
- Mount CharlestonMount CharlestonMount Charleston, officially named Charleston Peak, at , is the highest of the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada and the state's eighth highest mountain peak. It is about northwest of Las Vegas and is within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Mount Charleston Wilderness and the Spring...
and the Mount Charleston Wilderness - Spring MountainsSpring MountainsThe Spring Mountains are a mountain range of southern Nevada in the United States, running generally northwest-southeast along the west side of Las Vegas and down to the border with California...
and the Spring Mountains National Recreation AreaSpring Mountains National Recreation AreaThe Spring Mountains National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the U.S. Forest Service, and lies west of Las Vegas, Nevada. It covers over 316,000 acres of land. The area runs from low meadows at around 3,000 feet of elevation to Mount Charleston at 11,918... - Lake Mead National Recreation AreaLake Mead National Recreation AreaLake Mead National Recreation Area is located in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The centerpieces of the National Recreation Area are its two large reservoirs: Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. These lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while the surrounding desert rewards...
Wilderness
There are 68 designated wilderness areas in Nevada, protecting some 6579014 acres (2,662,434.9 ha) under the jurisdiction of the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
.
Sports
Nevada is not well known for its professional sports, but the state takes pride in college sports, most notably the UNLV RebelsUNLV Rebels
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' sports teams are called the Rebels. The Rebels participate in NCAA Division I and in the Mountain West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The school's colors are Scarlet and Grey. The Rebels' main rival is the Wolf Pack of the University...
(representing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) of the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
and the Nevada Wolfpack (representing the University of Nevada, Reno) of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. In 2012, Nevada will join its cross-state rival in the MWC.
UNLV is most remembered for its men's basketball program
UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in...
, which experienced its height of supremacy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian , also known as "Tark the Shark", is a retired college basketball coach known as one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history...
, the Runnin' Rebels became one of the most elite programs in the country. In 1990, UNLV
1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team
The 1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1989–90 season, and won the NCAA title under head coach Jerry Tarkanian...
won the Men's Division I Championship by defeating Duke
1989–90 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 1989–90 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University. The Head Coach was Mike Krzyzewski. The team played its home games in the Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, and was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
103–73, which set tournament records for most points scored by a team and largest margin of victory in the national title game. In 1991
1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team
The 1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1990–91 season...
, UNLV finished the regular season undefeated. Forward Larry Johnson won several awards, including the Naismith Award
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
. UNLV reached the Final Four yet again, but lost their national semifinal against Duke 79–77, and is referred to as one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament. The Runnin' Rebels were the Associated Press
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
pre-season No. 1 back to back (1989–90, 1990–91). North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
is the only other team to accomplish that (2007–08, 2008–09).
The state is also home to one of the most famous tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
.
Nevada sports teams
Professional- Las Vegas LocomotivesLas Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
, United Football League - Las Vegas 51sLas Vegas 51sThe Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
, Minor League BaseballMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
(AAA) - Las Vegas WranglersLas Vegas WranglersThe Las Vegas Wranglers are a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wranglers are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL...
, ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... - Reno AcesReno AcesThe Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, Minor League BaseballMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
(AAA) - Reno Bighorns, NBA D-League
- Nevada Pumas, QuickHit Football League
College
- Nevada Wolf PackNevada Wolf PackThe Nevada Wolf Pack are the collegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nevada, Reno, consisting of 16 varsity teams. Though often known as UNR within the state, the university is simply called Nevada for athletics purposes; its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack...
, UNR - UNLV RebelsUNLV RebelsThe University of Nevada, Las Vegas' sports teams are called the Rebels. The Rebels participate in NCAA Division I and in the Mountain West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The school's colors are Scarlet and Grey. The Rebels' main rival is the Wolf Pack of the University...
The state is also home to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
and NASCAR event and the National Rodeo.
Military
Several United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ships have been named USS Nevada
USS Nevada
USS Nevada may refer to: was renamed Nevada in August 1869, was a monitor commissioned in 1902, renamed to Tonopah in 1909, and sold in 1922...
in honor of the state. They include:
- USS NevadaUSS Neshaminy (1865)USS Neshaminy was a large and powerful 3,850-ton screw frigate with a length of 335 feet that was under construction at the Philadelphia Navy Yard when she was surveyed by Navy officials who found her construction work to be poor...
- USS Nevada (BM-8)USS Nevada (BM-8)The first USS Nevada, a monitor, was laid down as Connecticut, 17 April 1899, by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; launched 24 November 1900; sponsored by Miss Grace Boutelle; renamed Nevada, January 1901; and commissioned on 5 March 1903, Commander Thomas Benton Howard in command.On 2 March 1909,...
- USS Nevada (BB-36)USS Nevada (BB-36)USS Nevada , the second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was...
- USS Nevada (SSBN-733)USS Nevada (SSBN-733)USS Nevada is a United States Navy ballistic missile submarine that has been in commission since 1986. She is the fourth ship of the U.S...
Area 51 is located near Groom Lake
Groom Lake
Groom Lake is a salt flat in Nevada used for runways of the Nellis Bombing Range Test Site airport on the north of the Area 51 USAF military installation. The lake at elevation is ~ from north to south and from east to west at its widest point...
, a dry salt lake bed. The much smaller Creech Air Force Base
Creech Air Force Base
Creech Air Force Base , formerly known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, is a United States Air Force base located one mile north of the central business district of Indian Springs, in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is about northwest of Las Vegas and northwest of Nellis Air...
is located in Indian Springs, Nevada
Indian Springs, Nevada
Indian Springs is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,302 at the 2000 census.-History:Indian Springs is named for the artesian spring that provides the area with water...
; Naval Air Station Fallon
Naval Air Station Fallon
Naval Air Station Fallon or NAS Fallon is the United States Navy's premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. It is located southeast of the city of Fallon in western Nevada in the United States. Since 1996, it has been home to the Naval Fighter Weapons School , and the surrounding...
in Fallon
Fallon, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
; Hawthorne Army Depot
Hawthorne Army Depot
Hawthorne Army Depot is a U.S. Army ammunition storage site located near the town of Hawthorne in western Nevada in the United States. It is directly south of Walker Lake. The depot covers and has storage space in 2,427 bunkers...
in Hawthorne
Hawthorne, Nevada
Hawthorne is a census-designated place in Mineral County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,311 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mineral County...
; and the Tonopah Test Range
Tonopah Test Range
Tonopah Test Range , also known as Area 52, is a restricted military installation located about southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. It is part of the northern fringe of the Nellis Range, measuring . Tonopah Test Range is located about northwest of Groom Dry Lake, home of the Area 51 facility...
near Tonopah
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
; there is also Nellis AFB just outside Las Vegas.
These bases host a number of activities including the Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence
Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence
The Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence is a multi service unit based at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada....
, the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station Fallon located in the city of Fallon in western Nevada is the center of excellence for naval aviation training and tactics development...
, Nevada Test and Training Range
Nevada Test and Training Range
The Nevada Test and Training Range is a training facility of the United States Air Force located in the desert of southern Nevada in the United States. It is the largest of its kind in the US, and is operated by the USAF Warfare Center's 98th Range Wing...
, Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force , based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked USAF jet aircraft...
, the United States Air Force Warfare Center
United States Air Force Warfare Center
The United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, reports directly to Air Combat Command. The Center was founded 1 September 1966, as the U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center. It was renamed the U.S...
, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School
United States Navy Fighter Weapons School
The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program , more popularly known as TOPGUN, is the modern-day evolution of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School which was originally established on March 3, 1969 at the former Naval Air Station Miramar in California...
.
Songs about Nevada
- "Silver State Fanfare" – the Official State March by Gerald G. Willis. Codified by the Nevada Legislature in 2001 at NRS 235.035
- "Sands of Nevada" from Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
's 2000 release Sailing to PhiladelphiaSailing to PhiladelphiaSailing to Philadelphia is the second solo album by Mark Knopfler, released on 26 September 2000. The title track is drawn from Thomas Pynchon's novel about Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, the two English surveyors who established the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Delaware and... - "Sin City" from LimbeckLimbeckLimbeck was an alternative country band, with pop-punk roots, hailing from Orange County, California.-Background:Originating in Laguna Niguel, California, Limbeck featured Robb MacLean on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Carrie guitar and backing vocals, Justin Entsminger on bass, and Jon Phillip,...
's 2005 release Let Me Come HomeLet Me Come Home-Track listing:# "People Don't Change" – 3:18# "Long Way to Go" – 2:52# "Everyone's in the Parking Lot" – 3:18# "Making the Rounds" – 2:43# "Sin City" – 4:10# "Usually Deluded" – 3:36# "Names for Dogs" – 2:05# "Watchin' the Moon Rise Over Town" – 2:19... - "Home Means NevadaHome Means Nevada"Home Means Nevada" is the official state song of the state of Nevada. It was written by Bertha Rafetto in 1932 and officially adopted by the Nevada Legislature in 1933. Listen to .Way out in the land of the setting sun,...
", the state song of Nevada, by Bertha Rafetto - "Nevada" by Riders in the Sky from the album Best of the West
- "Night Time In Nevada" by Dulmage/Clint/Pascoe, 1931
- "Nevada's Grace" by AtreyuAtreyu (band)Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, twelfth track off 2004's The Curse
Future issues
Nevada enjoys many economic advantages, and the southern portion of the state enjoys mild winter weather, but rapid growth has led to some overcrowded roads and schools. Nevada has the nation's 5th largest school district in the Clark County School District (projected fall 2007 enrollment is 314,000 students grades K-12). While the state was recently one of the fastest growing in the country, population growth slowed down to a halt in 2008.In 2008, the "American State Litter Scorecard," presented at the American Society for Public Administration
American Society for Public Administration
The American Society for Public Administration is a membership association in the United States sponsoring conferences and providing professional services primarily to those who study the implementation of government policy, public administration, and, to a lesser degree, programs of civil society...
national conference, positioned Nevada next to Mississippi and Louisiana as one of the worst states for removing litter from public roadways and properties.
In August 2008, it was announced that Boyd Gaming
Boyd Gaming
Boyd Gaming Corporation is a Paradise, Nevada based business engaged in the development, ownership and operation of hotels and casinos throughout the United States...
would halt construction on a 4.2 billion dollar project called Echelon
Echelon Place
Echelon Place is a partially built hotel, casino, shopping, and convention complex on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation. Construction of the project has been suspended since August 1, 2008....
, which was to replace the old Stardust Resort & Casino
Stardust Resort & Casino
The Stardust Resort & Casino was a casino resort located on along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada.The Stardust opened in 1958, although most of the modern casino complex was built in 1991. At its March 13, 2007 demolition it was the youngest undamaged high-rise building to ever be...
. The reason cited for this is lack of funding/credit from banks.
Coyote Springs
Coyote Springs, Nevada
Coyote Springs, Nevada, is a master-planned community being developed in Lincoln County and Clark County, Nevada, by developer and attorney-lobbyist Harvey Whittemore and Pardee Homes.-Current development:...
is a proposed community for 240,000 inhabitants in Clark and Lincoln counties. It would be Nevada's largest planned city. The town is being developed by Harvey Whittemore
Harvey Whittemore
Harvey Whittemore is an American lawyer and businessman in the Reno, Nevada area. As an influential lobbyist for the gambling, alcohol and tobacco industries, and for his own ventures, Whittemore has been called "one of Nevada's most powerful men"...
and has generated some controversy because of environmental concerns and allegations of political favoritism.
State symbols
- State animal: Desert Bighorn SheepDesert Bighorn SheepThe Desert Bighorn Sheep is a subspecies of Bighorn Sheep that occurs in the desert Southwest regions of the United States and in the northern regions of Mexico. The trinomial of this species commemorates the American naturalist Edward William Nelson...
- State artifact: Tule Duck DecoyDecoyA decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
- State bird: Mountain BluebirdMountain BluebirdThe Mountain Bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm . They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast,...
- State colors: silver and blue
- State fish: Lahontan cutthroat troutLahontan cutthroat troutLahontan cutthroat trout is the largest subspecies of cutthroat trout, and the state fish of Nevada.-Natural history:...
- State flower: SagebrushSagebrushSagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
(Artemisia tridentataArtemisia tridentataArtemisia tridentata is a shrub or small tree from the family Asteraceae. Some botanists treat it in the segregate genus Seriphidium, as S. tridentatum W. A. Weber, but this is not widely followed...
) - State fossilState fossilMost American states have made a state fossil designation, in many cases during the 1980s. It is common to designate one species in which fossilization has occurred, rather than a single specimen, or a category of fossils not limited to a single species....
: IchthyosaurIchthyosaurIchthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that resembled fish and dolphins... - State grass: Indian ricegrassIndian ricegrassOryzopsis hymenoides is a perennial cool-season bunchgrass. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas...
- State march: "Silver State Fanfare" by Gerald Willis
- State metal: Silver (Ag)
- State mottos: "Battle Born" and "All For Our Country"
- State precious gemstone: Virgin Valley black fire opalOpalOpal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most...
- State semiprecious gemstone: Nevada turquoiseTurquoiseTurquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
- State slogan: "The Battle Born State"
- State song: "Home Means NevadaHome Means Nevada"Home Means Nevada" is the official state song of the state of Nevada. It was written by Bertha Rafetto in 1932 and officially adopted by the Nevada Legislature in 1933. Listen to .Way out in the land of the setting sun,...
" by Bertha Raffetto - State reptile: Desert TortoiseDesert TortoiseThe desert tortoise is a species of tortoise native to the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. They can be located in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. The species name agassizii is in honor of...
- State rock: SandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
- State soil: Orovada (soil) series
- State tartan: A particular tartanTartanTartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
designed for Nevada by Richard Zygmunt Pawlowski - State trees: Single-leaf PinyonSingle-leaf PinyonThe Single-leaf Pinyon, ', is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to the United States and northwest Mexico. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and southern California and northern Baja California.It occurs at moderate altitudes from...
pine and Bristlecone pineBristlecone pineThe bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years....
(Pinus longaeva)
See also
- Great BasinGreat BasinThe Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
- List of National Register of Historic Places in Nevada
- List of people from Nevada
- US StateU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
External links
- Official state website
- Nevada State Databases – Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nevada state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
- State Tourism website
- Nevada state symbols
- Secretary of State of Nevada
- Nevada Classifieds
- Nevada State Library and Archives
- Energy Profile for Nevada
- USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nevada
- US Census Bureau
- County Maps of Nevada Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats
- Nevada State Facts
- Pronunciation Guide: Nevada
- Forgotten Nevada – Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nevada
- Nevada's Historical Markers