Nevada
Nevada (/nɪˈvædə/ nih-VAD-ə; Spanish: [neˈβaða]) is a state in the Western region of the United States.[lower-alpha 3] It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, the 32nd-most populous, and the 9th-least densely populated of the U.S. states. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada's people live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area,[4] including three of the state's four largest incorporated cities.[5] Nevada's capital is Carson City. Las Vegas is the largest city in the state.
Nevada | |
|---|---|
| State of Nevada | |
| Nickname(s): The Silver State (official); The Sagebrush State; The Battle Born State | |
| Motto: All for Our Country | |
| Anthem: "Home Means Nevada" | |
 Map of the United States with Nevada highlighted | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Nevada Territory, Utah Territory, Arizona Territory |
| Admitted to the Union | October 31, 1864 (36th) |
| Capital | Carson City |
| Largest city | Las Vegas |
| Largest county or equivalent | Clark |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Las Vegas Valley |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Joe Lombardo (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Stavros Anthony (R) |
| Legislature | Nevada Legislature |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | Assembly |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of Nevada |
| U.S. senators | Catherine Cortez Masto (D) Jacky Rosen (D) |
| U.S. House delegation | 3 Democrats 1 Republican (list) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 110,577 sq mi (286,382 km2) |
| • Land | 109,781.18 sq mi (284,332 km2) |
| • Water | 791 sq mi (2,048 km2) 0.72% |
| • Rank | 7th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 492 mi (787 km) |
| • Width | 322 mi (519 km) |
| Elevation | 5,500 ft (1,680 m) |
| Highest elevation | 13,147 ft (4,007.1 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 481 ft (147 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,104,614 |
| • Rank | 32nd |
| • Density | 26.8/sq mi (10.3/km2) |
| • Rank | 42nd |
| • Median household income | $60,365[3] |
| • Income rank | 24th |
| Demonym | Nevadan |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English[citation needed] |
| Time zones | |
| most of state | UTC−08:00 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| West Wendover | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | NV |
| ISO 3166 code | US-NV |
| Traditional abbreviation | Nev. |
| Latitude | 35° N to 42° N |
| Longitude | 114° 2′ W to 120° W |
| Website | www |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
| Song | Home Means Nevada |
| Living insignia | |
| Bird | Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) |
| Fish | Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi) |
| Flower | Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) |
| Grass | Indian Rice Grass |
| Insect | Vivid Dancer Damselfly (Argia vivida) |
| Mammal | Desert bighorn sheep |
| Reptile | Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) |
| Tree | Bristlecone pine, Single-leaf Piñon (Pinus monophylla) |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Color(s) | Silver, Blue |
| Fossil | Ichthyosaur (Shonisaurus popularis) |
| Gemstone | Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal |
| Mineral | Silver |
| Rock | Sandstone |
| Soil | Orovada series |
| Other | Element: Neon |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| State quarter | |
 Released in 2006 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" because of 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 (the words "Battle Born" also appear on its state flag); due to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, the Union benefited immensely from the support of newly awarded statehood by the infusion of the monetary support of nearly $400 million in silver ore generated at the time by the Comstock Lode.[citation needed] It is also known as the "Sagebrush State", for the native plant of the same name; and as the "Sage-hen State".[6] The name means "snowy" in Spanish, referring to Nevada's small overlap with the Sierra Nevada mountain range; however, the rest of Nevada is largely desert and semi-arid, much of it within the Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada lie on the western edge. About 86% of the state's land is managed by various jurisdictions of the U.S. federal government, both civilian and military.[7]
American Indians of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes inhabit what is now Nevada. The first Europeans to explore the region were Spanish. They called the region Nevada (snowy) because of the snow which covered the mountains in winter, similar to the Sierra Nevada in Spain. The area formed part of Alta California's territory within the Viceroyalty of New Spain, which gained independence as Mexico in 1821. The United States annexed the area in 1848 after its victory in the Mexican–American War, and it was incorporated as part of Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom that became an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864, as the second of two states added to the Union during the Civil War (the first being West Virginia).[8]
Nevada is known for its libertarian laws. In 1940, with a population of just over 110,000 people, Nevada was by far the least-populated state, with less than half the population of the next least-populous state, Wyoming.[9] However, legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce laws transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination in the 20th century.[10][11] Nevada is the only U.S. state where prostitution is legal, though it is illegal in its most populated regions – Clark County (Las Vegas), Washoe County (Reno) and Carson City (which, as an independent city, is not within the boundaries of any county). The tourism industry remains Nevada's largest employer,[12] with mining continuing as a substantial sector of the economy: Nevada is the fourth-largest producer of gold in the world.[13] Nevada is the driest state, and over time, and influenced by climate change, droughts in Nevada have been increasing in frequency and severity,[14] putting a further strain on Nevada's water security.