Nevada

State of Nevada
State flag of Nevada State seal of Nevada
(Flag of Nevada) (Seal of Nevada)
State nickname: Silver State, Battle Born State (official)
Missing image
Map_of_USA_highlighting_Nevada.png
Map of the U.S. with Nevada highlighted

Other U.S. States
Capital Carson City
Largest city Las Vegas
Governor Kenny Guinn
Official languages None
Area 286,367 km² (7th)
 - Land 284,396 km²
 - Water 1,971 km² (0.7%)
Population (2000)
 - Population 1,998,257 (35th)
 - Density 7.03 /km² (43rd)
Admission into Union
 - Date October 31, 1864
 - Order 36th
Time zonePacific: UTC-8/-7
Mountain: UTC-7/-6
All but 5 locations (Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Jackpot, Mountain City, Owyhee, and West Wendover) are in Pacific
Latitude35?N to 42?N
Longitude114?W to 120?W
Width 519 km
Length 788 km
Elevation
 - Highest 4,005 m
 - Mean 1,676 m
 - Lowest 146 m
Abbreviations
 - USPS NV
 - ISO 3166-2 US-NV
Web site www.nevada.gov

Nevada is a state located in the western United States. The population as of July 2004 was estimated to be 2,334,771, up nearly 17% from the 2000 census figure of 1,998,257. Nevada is the fastest growing state in the country. Between 2000 and 2003, Nevada's population increased 12.2%, while the USA's population increased 3.3%. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased 66.3%, while the USA's population increased 13.1%.

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.

Despite the name's derivation from the Spanish word nevada meaning "snowy", the local pronunciation of the state's name is not "Ne-vah-da"; the middle syllable has a short a sound as in cat or hat. (Residents often regard the pronunciation as a test of whether visitors such as presidential candidates, have informed themselves about the state.)

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

Contents

History

In 1850, the US 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, 1864, 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).

Nevada achieved its current boundaries on May 5, 1866 when it absorbed the portion of Pah-Ute County in the Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark County, Nevada.

Negotiations are currently underway for Nevada to annex Wendover, Utah, which would be merged with West Wendover, Nevada. This deal will require the permission of both the Nevada and Utah legislatures and the U.S. Congress.

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.

Gambling was common in the early Nevada mining towns, but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gaming crusade. Due to a sharp decline in mining output in the 1920s and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great Depression, Nevada re-legalized gambling in 1931. At the time, the leading proponents of gambling expected that it would be a short term fix until the state's economic base widened to include less cyclical industries, however re-outlawing gambling has never been seriously considered since.

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

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 people outside the state are not familiar with this rivalry.

Nevada is currently the only state that has different ages of consent for homosexuals and heterosexuals. Heterosexuals only have to be 14 while homosexuals must be at least 21.

See: Age Of Consent

Geography

Missing image
Nevada_map_showing_counties.png


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.

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (http://www.bea.gov/) estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2003 was $88 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $31,910, 19th 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.


See: Richest places in Nevada

Demographics

According to the Census Bureau, as of 2003, the population of Nevada was 2,241,154.

The racial makeup of the state is:

The 5 largest ancestry groups in Nevada are: German (14.1%), Irish (11%), English (10.1%), Italian (6.6%), American (4.8%).

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.

Religion

The religious affiliations of the citizens of Nevada are:

  • Protestant ? 45%
  • Roman Catholic ? 24%
  • Other Christian ? 10% (mostly Mormon)
  • Other Religions ? 2%
  • Non-Religious ? 15%

The three largest Protestant denominations in Nevada are: Baptist (8% of the total state population), Methodist (6%), Lutheran (6%).

Important cities and towns

Template:Ussm The largest city is Las Vegas.

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 also: List of cities in Nevada

25 richest places in Nevada

Ranked by per capita income

  1. Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nevada $52,521
  2. Kingsbury, Nevada $41,451
  3. Mount Charleston, Nevada $38,821
  4. Verdi-Mogul, Nevada $38,233
  5. Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village, Nevada $37,218
  6. Summerlin South, Nevada $33,017
  7. Blue Diamond, Nevada $30,479
  8. Minden, Nevada $30,405
  9. Boulder City, Nevada $29,770
  10. Spanish Springs, Nevada $26,908
  11. Henderson, Nevada $26,815
  12. Spring Valley, Nevada $26,321
  13. Enterprise, Nevada $25,063
  14. Johnson Lane, Nevada $24,247
  15. Virginia City, Nevada $23,765
  16. Indian Hills, Nevada $23,027
  17. Reno, Nevada $22,520
  18. Goodsprings, Nevada $22,282
  19. Las Vegas, Nevada $22,060
  20. Smith Valley, Nevada $21,940
  21. Lemmon Valley-Golden Valley, Nevada $21,820
  22. Winnemucca, Nevada $21,441
  23. Paradise, Nevada $21,258
  24. Sparks, Nevada $21,122
  25. Laughlin, Nevada $21,097
See complete list of Richest Places in Nevada

State symbols

Digitally colored elevation map of Nevada
Enlarge
Digitally colored elevation map of Nevada

Education

Colleges and universities

Professional sports teams

Famous Nevadans

Transportation

Missing image
Nvuds.jpg
A sample version of the current Nevada license plate.

Interstate 15 passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. It has spur routes I-215 and I-515. Interstate 80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, reaching 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.

The state is one of just a few in the country that allow semi-trailer combinations with three trailers—what might be called a "road train" in Australia. However, American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.

Union Pacific Railroad has some railroads in the north and in the south (map (http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/usguide/usa-nv-m.shtml)). Amtrak's California Zephyr uses one of the northern branches in a daily service from Chicago to Emeryville, CA serving Elko, Winnemucca, Sparks, and Reno. [1] (http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct04/P05.pdf) Burlington Northern Santa Fe has trackage rights to the Union Pacific lines in the north.

Amtrak provides bus services from Las Vegas to Needles, California and Los Angeles ([2] (http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct04/P03.pdf)). Greyhound Lines also provides some bus services.

Las Vegas has a bus network, and a monorail system that is being extended. McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is one of the busiest airports in the United States.

There are also bus services in Reno/Sparks, and from there to Carson City. Some counties do not have public transport at all, for example Eureka County.

See also

Clip Art and Pictures

State Maps

State Flags

  • US State Flags (http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Clipart/State_Flags)

Lesson Plans, Resources and Activites


External links



Nevada Flag of Nevada
Regions: Great Basin | Mojave Desert | Lake Tahoe | Las Vegas Valley
Largest cities: Carson City | Henderson | Las Vegas | North Las Vegas | Reno | Sparks
Counties: Churchill | Clark | Douglas | Elko | Esmeralda | Eureka | Humboldt | Lander | Lincoln | Lyon | Mineral | Nye | Pershing | Storey | Washoe | White Pine



Political divisions of the United States Flag of the United States
States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Federal district District of Columbia
Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island
Navigation

  • Art and Cultures
    • Art (https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Art)
    • Architecture (https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Architecture)
    • Cultures (https://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Cultures)
    • Music (https://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Music)
    • Musical Instruments (http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/List_of_musical_instruments)
  • Biographies (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Biographies)
  • Clipart (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Clipart)
  • Geography (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Geography)
    • Countries of the World (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Countries)
    • Maps (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Maps)
    • Flags (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Flags)
    • Continents (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Continents)
  • History (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/History)
    • Ancient Civilizations (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Ancient_Civilizations)
    • Industrial Revolution (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Industrial_Revolution)
    • Middle Ages (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Middle_Ages)
    • Prehistory (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Prehistory)
    • Renaissance (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Renaissance)
    • Timelines (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Timelines)
    • United States (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/United_States)
    • Wars (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Wars)
    • World History (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/History_of_the_world)
  • Human Body (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Human_Body)
  • Mathematics (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Mathematics)
  • Reference (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Reference)
  • Science (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Science)
    • Animals (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Animals)
    • Aviation (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Aviation)
    • Dinosaurs (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Dinosaurs)
    • Earth (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Earth)
    • Inventions (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Inventions)
    • Physical Science (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Physical_Science)
    • Plants (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Plants)
    • Scientists (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Scientists)
  • Social Studies (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Social_Studies)
    • Anthropology (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Anthropology)
    • Economics (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Economics)
    • Government (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Government)
    • Religion (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Religion)
    • Holidays (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Holidays)
  • Space and Astronomy
    • Solar System (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Solar_System)
    • Planets (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Planets)
  • Sports (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Sports)
  • Timelines (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Timelines)
  • Weather (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Weather)
  • US States (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/US_States)

Information

  • Home Page (http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php)
  • Contact Us (http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Contactus)

  • Clip Art (http://classroomclipart.com)
Toolbox
Personal tools