Nevada is a state located in the western United States. The population, as of 2000, is 1,998,257. Nevada is one of the fastest growing states in the country, with a growth rate of 3.48% (2002). The pronunciation of the state is not "Ne-vah-da", but should be said so that the middle syllable rhymes with "gamble".

Nevada's nickname is "The Silver State" and the state's motto is "All for Our Country". The state song is "Home Means Nevada" by Bertha Rafetto. The phrase "Battle Born" is on the state flag; "The Battle Born State" is the official state slogan, as Nevada was admitted into the union during the American Civil War.

Several United States Navy ships have been named USS Nevada in honor of the state.

Contents [showhide]
1 History

2 Law and Government

3 Geography

4 Economy

5 Demographics

6 Important cities and towns

7 State symbols

8 Education

8.1 Colleges and universities

9 Professional sports teams

10 Famous Nevadans

11 External links

[edit]
History
In 1850, the U.S. Congress established the Utah territory which included the present day states of Utah, Idaho and Nevada. 1859 saw the discovery of the Comstock Lode, a rich outcropping of gold and silver, and Virginia City sprang up. This discovery brought a flood of miners, prospectors, merchants and others hoping to strike it rich.

On March 2, 1861, Nevada separated from the Utah territory and adopted its current name, shortened from Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range"). On October 31, just eight days prior to the presidential election, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed through despite Nevada's tiny population to help ensure Abraham Lincoln's reelection and post-Civil War Republican dominance in congress. As Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union, it was viewed as politically reliable (as opposed to the more agrarian and Confederate-sympathizing California).

Despite Nevada being the third oldest western state, it is referred to as the "Permanent Colony" as over 87% of the land 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 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 deficiencies in the Homestead Act as applied to Nevada were probably due to a lack of understanding of the Nevada environment, although some firebrands (so-called "Sagebrush Rebels") maintain that it was due to pressure from mining interests to keep land out of the hands of common folk.

In response to the Great Depression, Nevada legalized gambling on March 17, 1931 in order to stimulate economic growth.

A fictional history (with a great deal of fact) titled Nevada was written by Clint McCullough.

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Law and Government
Nevada's capital is Carson City and its governor is Kenny Guinn (Republican). Nevada's two U.S. senators are Harry Reid (Democrat) and John Ensign (Republican). See List of Nevada Governors

Due to the tremendous growth of Las Vegas in recent years, there is a noticeable divide between politics of Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in the state government even while the Las Vegas area is many times larger than Washoe County. This has fostered resentment as the north sees the south as a potential bully of majority rule and the south sees the north as the "old guard" trying to rule as an oligarchy. Most outside the state are not familiar with this rivalry.

[edit]
Geography
See List of Nevada counties

Nevada has borders with Oregon and Idaho to the north, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast and Utah to the east. The border with Arizona includes the Colorado River and Hoover Dam.

It is in a mountain region that includes semiarid grasslands and sandy deserts, and is the most arid (dry) state in the nation. Nevada is a land of rugged, snow-capped mountains, grassy valleys and sandy deserts. The northern and central portions of Nevada are mostly within the Great Basin Desert, while portions of the southern tip are within the Mojave Desert. See also list of mountain ranges of Nevada.

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Economy
Nevada's total gross state product for 1999 was $69 billion placing it 32nd in the nation. Its 2000 Per Capita Personal Income was $30,529 or 14th in the nation. Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, dairy products, and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment. It is well-known for gambling and nightlife. Large, luxurious casinos in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno attract visitors from around the world.

Nevada is the only state with legalized prostitution: see prostitution in Nevada.

[edit]
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, the population of Nevada is 1,711,263. Its population grew 8.4% (132,846) from its 1990 levels. According to the 2000 census:

89.6% (1,533,261) identified themselves as White,
65.2% (1,303,001) identified themselves as non-Hispanic white,
19.7% (393,970) as Hispanic or Latino,
4% (68,541) as black,
1.3% (21,931) as Asian,
0.9% (14,896) as American Indian or Alaska Native,
0.05% (836) as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander,
2.8% (47,845) as other, and
1.4% (23,953) identified themselves as belonging to two or more races.
6.8% of its population were reported as under 5, 26.3% under 18, and 13.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.7% of the population.

[edit]
Important cities and towns
The largest city is Las Vegas.

Las Vegas
Reno
Henderson
North Las Vegas
Sparks
Carson City
Pahrump
Elko
Boulder City
Mesquite
Fernley
Fallon
Winnemucca
Gardnerville
Minden

Nevada is also the home of Area 51, the top-secret installation the Government has always denied existed. Area 51 is supposedly located in Groom Lake, near Nellis Air Force Base.

See List of cities in Nevada.

[edit]
State symbols
State Animal: Desert Bighorn Sheep
State Artifact: Tule Duck Decoy
State Bird: Mountain Bluebird
State Colors: Silver and Blue
State Fish: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
State Flower: Sagebrush
State Fossil: Ichthyosaur
State Grass: Indian Ricegrass
State March: "Silver State Fanfare" by Gerald Wills
State Metal: Silver (Ag)
State Precious Gemstone: Virgin Valley black fire opal
State Semiprecious Gemstone: Nevada turquoise
State Song: "Home Means Nevada" by Bertha Raffetto
State Reptile: Desert Tortoise
State Rock: Sandstone
State Soil: Orovada series
State Trees: Single-leaf Piñon and Bristlecone_pine
[edit]
Education
[edit]
Colleges and universities
Sierra Nevada College
University and Community College System of Nevada
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Reno
Nevada State College at Henderson
Community College of Southern Nevada
Great Basin College
Truckee Meadows Community College
Western Nevada Community College
[edit]
Professional sports teams
Las Vegas Gladiators, Arena Football League
Las Vegas 51s, minor league baseball
Las Vegas Wranglers, East Coast Hockey League
[edit]
Famous Nevadans
Andre Agassi tennis player
Jack Kramer tennis player
Paul Laxalt politician
Pat Nixon First Lady
Edna Purviance actress
[edit]
External links
Official web site of Nevada: http://www.state.nv.us
Nevada State Library and Archives - Why Did Nevada Become a State?: http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/myth/myth12.htm

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Nevada".

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