Nevada 21216 226073654 2008-07-16T18:36:05Z AlexiusHoratius 2306142 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/201.247.108.131|201.247.108.131]] ([[User talk:201.247.108.131|talk]]) to last version by Rjwilmsi {{Refimprove|date=November 2006}} {{otheruses4|the U.S. State of Nevada}} {{redirect|Silver State}} {{US state |Name = Nevada |Fullname =State of Nevada |Flag = Flag of Nevada.svg |Flaglink = [[Flag of Nevada]] |Seal = Nevada state seal.png |Map = Map_of_USA_NV.svg |Nickname = Silver State (official), Sagebrush State,<br /> Battle Born State |Demonym = Nevadan |Motto = All For Our Country |Capital = [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]] |LargestCity = [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] |LargestCounty = [[Nye County, Nevada|Nye]] |LargestMetro = [[Las Vegas metropolitan area|Las Vegas Valley]] |Governor = [[Jim Gibbons (United States politician)|Jim Gibbons]] (R) |Lieutenant Governor = [[Brian Krolicki]] (R) |Senators = [[Harry Reid]] (D)<br />[[John Ensign]] (R) |PostalAbbreviation = NV |OfficialLang = none (''de facto'' [[English language|English]]) |AreaRank = 7th |TotalAreaUS = 110,567 |TotalArea = 286,367 |LandAreaUS = 109,806 |LandArea = 284,396 |Weather= Top 102 Low 54 LandRank = 7th |WaterAreaUS = 761 |WaterArea = 1,971 |PCWater = |PopRank = 36<sup>th</sup> |2000Pop = 2,495,529 |DensityRank = 43rd |2000DensityUS =18.21 |2000Density = 7.03 |MedianHouseholdIncome = $46,984 |IncomeRank = 16th |AdmittanceOrder = 36th |AdmittanceDate = [[October 31]], [[1864]] |TimeZone = [[Pacific Standard Time Zone|Pacific]]: [[UTC-8]]/[[UTC-7|-7]] ([[Daylight saving time|DST]]) |TZ1Where = most of state |TimeZone2 = [[Pacific Standard Time Zone|Mountain]]: [[UTC-7]]/[[UTC-6|-6]] ([[Daylight saving time|DST]]) |TZ2Where = [[West Wendover]] |Longitude = 114°&#8202;2′ W to 120° W |Latitude = 35° N to 42° N |WidthUS = 322 |Width = 519 |LengthUS = 490 |Length = 788 |HighestPoint = [[Boundary Peak (Nevada)|Boundary Peak]]<small><ref name=usgs>{{cite web| date =[[29 April]] [[2005]] | url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest| title =Elevations and Distances in the United States| publisher =U.S Geological Survey| accessmonthday = November 6 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref></small> |HighestElevUS = 13,140 |HighestElev = 4,005 |MeanElevUS = 5,499 |MeanElev = 1,676 |LowestPoint= [[Colorado River]]<small><ref name=usgs/></small> |LowestElevUS = 479 |LowestElev = 146 |ISOCode = US-NV |Website = www.nv.gov }} {{Audio|En-us-nevada-10KB.ogg|'''Nevada'''}} ({{IPAEng|nɨˈvæːdə}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Western United States|western region]] of the [[United States of America]]. The capital is [[Carson City]] and the largest city is [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]. The state's nickname is "The Silver State" due to the large number of [[silver]] deposits that were discovered and mined there. In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state to enter the union, and the phrase "Battle Born" on the state flag reflects the state's entry on the Union side during the [[American Civil War]]. Its first settlement was called Mormon Station. Nevada is the seventh-largest state in area, and geographically covers the [[Mojave Desert]] in the south to the [[Great Basin]] in the north. About 86% of the state's land is owned by the [[US government|US federal government]] under various jurisdictions both civilian and military.<ref>[http://dcnr.nv.gov/nrp01/land01.htm Nevada Natural Resources Status Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> As of 2006, there were about 2.6 million residents, with over 85% of the population residing in the metropolitan areas around Las Vegas and [[Reno]].<ref>[http://www.nsbdc.org/what/data_statistics/demographer/pubs/docs/NVPopul06.pdf Popul of Nevada's Counties and Incorp cities 2006 Time Series EMAIL 012207.xls<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The state is well known for its easy [[marriage]] and [[divorce]] proceedings, legalization of [[gambling]] and, in a few counties, legalized [[brothel]]s. Although the name is derived from the Spanish word ''Nevada'', which is the feminine form of "covered in snow", the local pronunciation of the state's name is not {{IPA2|nəˈvɑ.də}} (as in the "o" in "odd"), but {{IPA2|nəˈvæ.də}} (as in the "a" in "glad").<ref>Outsiders who criticize this practice may recall that many Spanish-derived place names in the United States are no longer pronounced by native English speakers in a manner which reflects the name's Spanish roots (the pronunciation of the name "Los Angeles," for instance, is commonly accepted as "Los An-JELL-es" not "Los An-HELL-es" by native English speakers. </ref> In 2005, the state issued a specialty license plate via the Nevada Commission on Tourism that lists the name of the state as '''Nevăda''' to help with the pronunciation problem. Local residents - particularly natives of the state - resent hearing Nevada's name mispronounced in the national media, a problem that has crystallized with increased coverage of the state following the 2008 Presidential Primary Elections.<ref>{{cite news | last = Griffith | first = Martin | title = It's Nuh-VAD-uh, not Nuh-VAH-duh | publisher = [http://www.lvrj.com Las Vegas Review-Journal] | date = 2008-01-18 | url = http://www.lvrj.com/news/13891262.html | accessdate = 2008-01-31 }}</ref> == Geography == [[Image:Great Basin National Park 102007 096.JPG|thumb|210px|left|Welcome to Nevada sign.]] [[Image:Digital-elevation-map-nevada.gif|thumb|165px|Digitally colored elevation map of Nevada]] {{further|[[List of Nevada counties]]}} Nevada is almost entirely within the [[Basin and Range Province]], and therefore is broken up by many north-south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have inland-draining (unconnected to the ocean by waterways) valleys between them, which belies the image portrayed by the term [[Great Basin]]. [[Image:Great Basin National Park 102007 015.JPG|left|thumb|210px|Pinion Juniper forests cover large areas of the north and central parts of the state.]] Much of the northern part of the state is within the [[Great Basin Desert]], a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and sub-freezing 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 {{convert|125|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} in Laughlin (elevation of {{convert|605|ft|m|0}}) on [[29 June]] [[1994]].<ref>National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C., and Storm Phillips, STORMFAX, INC.</ref> The [[Humboldt River]] crosses from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the [[Humboldt Sink]] near [[Lovelock, Nevada|Lovelock]]. Several rivers drain from the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] eastward, including the [[Walker River (Nevada)|Walker]], [[Truckee River|Truckee]] and [[Carson River|Carson]] rivers. [[Image:CCF12262007 00003.jpg|thumb|right|155px|Mountains west of Las Vegas in the [[Mojave Desert]]]] The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above {{convert|13000|ft|m|-2}}, harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating [[sky islands]] for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than {{convert|3000|ft|m|-2}}. The eastern parts of the state receive more summer moisture and have a slightly more verdant terrain. [[Sagebrush]] grows everywhere and some rivers and streams break the desert terrain. 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 {{convert|4000|ft|m|-2}}, creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights due to [[Inversion (meteorology)|inversion]]. Nevada and [[California]] have by far the longest [[diagonal]] [[Line (mathematics)|line]] (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state [[Border|boundary]] at just over {{convert|400|mi|km|-1}}. This line begins in [[Lake Tahoe]] nearly {{convert|4|mi|km|0}} offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the [[Colorado River]] where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} southwest of the [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]] [[Bridge]]. The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the [[Spring Mountains]], just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin. ===Climate=== Nevada is made up of mostly desert areas, where temperatures can reach up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit in short, hot summers and can reach as low as 20 degrees in long, cold winters. Nevada rarely has any precipitation during the year. Most rain falls on the lee side of the Sierra Nevada Range. === Bordering states === * [[Utah]]—East * [[Arizona]]—Southeast * [[California]]—West * [[Oregon]]—North * [[Idaho]]—North == History == <!-- This section is linked from [[List of capitals in the United States]] --> {{mainarticle|History of Nevada}} ===Before 1861=== [[Image:Early Locomotive.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Early [[locomotives]], such as this one in [[Ely, Nevada]] played an important role in the early Nevada [[mining]] industry.]] See [[History of Utah]] (beginning 12,000 BCE), [[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. ===Statehood=== {{see also|Nevada during the War of Secession}} On [[March 2]], [[1861]], the [[Nevada Territory]] separated from the [[Utah Territory]] and adopted its current name, shortened from ''Sierra Nevada'' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "snowy range"). Eight days prior to the [[U.S. presidential election, 1864|presidential election of 1864]], 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 [[8 November]] and post-Civil War [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] dominance in Congress.<ref> Rocha Guy, [http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/myth/myth12.htm ''Historical Myth a Month: Why Did Nevada Become A State?'']</ref> As Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]], it was viewed as more politically reliable than other Confederate-sympathizing states such as neighboring California. Nevada achieved its current boundaries on [[May 5]], [[1866]] when it absorbed the portion of [[Pah-Ute County, Arizona|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, Nevada|Clark County]]. ===Industry=== 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 lead 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, Nevada|Tonopah]] in 1900, followed by strikes in [[Goldfield]] and [[Rhyolite, Nevada|Rhyolite]], again put Nevada's population on an upward trend. ====Gaming and labor==== [[Image:LasVegasSign06212005.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Gambling erupted once more following a recession in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century, helping to build the city of Las Vegas.]] Unregulated [[gambling]] was common place in the early Nevada mining towns but outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gaming crusade. Due to subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the [[Great Depression]], Nevada re-legalized gambling on [[March 19]], [[1931]], with approval from the legislature. 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, and the industry has become Nevada's primary source of revenue today. The [[Hoover Dam]], located outside Las Vegas near [[Boulder City, Nevada|Boulder City]], was constructed between 1932–1935. Thousands of workers from across the country came to build the dam, and providing for their needs in turn required many more workers. The boom in population is likely to have fueled the relegalization of gambling, alike present-day industry. Both Hoover Dam and later war industries such as the Basic Magnesium Plant first started the growth of the southern area of the state near Las Vegas. Over the last 75 years, Clark County has grown in relation to the [[Reno]] area, and today encompasses most of the state's population. ====Nuclear Testing==== The [[Nevada Test Site]], {{convert|65|mi|km|0}} 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 {{convert|1350|sqmi|km2|-1}} of desert and mountainous terrain. [[Nuclear test]]ing at the Nevada Test Site began with a one-kiloton of TNT (4 [[joule|terajoule]]) bomb dropped on Frenchman Flats 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 the highest amount of concentrated nuclear detonated weapons in the U.S..It is also the home of Area 51 Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. The primary reason for this is that [[homestead principle|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 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. This debate continues to be argued among some state historians today. == Demographics == {{USCensusPop |1860 = 6857 |1870 = 42941 |1880 = 62266 |1890 = 47355 |1900 = 42335 |1910 = 81875 |1920 = 77407 |1930 = 91058 |1940 = 110247 |1950 = 160083 |1960 = 285278 |1970 = 488738 |1980 = 800493 |1990 = 1201833 |2000 = 1998257 |estyear = 2007 |estimate = 2565382 }} {{US Demographics}} [[Image:Nevadapopulationdensity.png|thumb|210px|right|Nevada Population Density Map]] 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 country's second-fastest growing state.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/22/real_estate/fastest_growing_states/index.htm CNN]</ref> The [[center of population]] of Nevada is located in southern [[Nye County]] [http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt]. This area the unincorporated town of [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]] located 60 miles 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 metropolitian area from 1960 to 2000, but has grown from a gulch of 100 people in the year 1900 to 10,000 by the year 1950 to 100,000 by the year 1970 to have 2.5 million in the metro area today. According to the census estimates the racial distributions were as follows: 65% [[White American]], 7.1% [[African-American]], 6% [[Asian-American]] (estimates placed them at 10%), 2% others ([[Native Americans of the United States|American Indians]] and [[Polynesian American|Pacific Islanders]]) and the remaining 20% were [[Hispanics]] or Latino's of any race. Nevada also has a sizable [[Basque American|Basque]] ancestry population. In Douglas 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 [[German Americans|Germans]]; and Washoe County has many of [[Irish American|Irish]] ancestry. Las Vegas is home to rapid-growing ethnic communities like [[Canadians]], [[Scandinavians]], [[Italian American|Italians]], [[Polish American|Poles]], [[American Jews]] and [[Armenian American|Armenians]] mainly are aging transplants from East Coast states has came to Las Vegas for retirement. Largely African-American sections of Las Vegas ("the Meadows") and Reno can be found, but many African-Americans in Nevada are newly transplanted residents from either [[California]] and the East Coast, but the US Armed forces, hotels and domestic services attracted black Americans since the 1950s. Since the California Gold Rush of the 1850s brought thousands of [[Chinese people|Chinese]] miners in Washoe county, Asian Americans lived in the state followed by few hundreds of [[Japanese American|Japanese]] farm workers in the late 1800s. In the late 20th century, many immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, Phillipines and recently from India and Vietnam came to the Las Vegas metropolitian area with one of America's most profilic Asian-American communities, with a mostly Chinese and [[Taiwanese American|Taiwanese]] area known as "Chinatown" west of I-15 on Spring street, and an "Asiatown" shopping mall for Asian customers on Charleston Avenue/Paradise Boulevard. According to the [[2000 U.S. Census]], 16.19% of the population aged 5 and over speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] at home, while 1.59% speak [[Filipino language|Filipino]] [http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=32&mode=state_tops] and 1% speak [[Chinese languages]], the majority of foreign languages are found in ethnic sections of Central Las Vegas. 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. As a result of its rapid population growth, Nevada has a higher percentage of residents born outside of the state than any other state. Las Vegas was a major destination for immigrants seeking employment by the gaming and hospitality industries from [[South Asia]] and [[Latin America]] during the 1990s and 2000s, but farming and construction is the biggest employer of immigrant labor. From about the 1940s to 2003, Nevada was the fastest growing state in the country percentage-wise. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased 66.3% (other estimates said it may doubled by seasonal residents during the winter months), while the USA's population increased 13.1%. Over two thirds of the population of the state live in the fast-growing [[Las Vegas metropolitan area]]. If Congress were reapportioned using 2005 data, Nevada would gain a representative seat, for a total of 4. That would be the case in the 2010 census and the 2010 congressional elections. ===Religion=== Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are:<ref>[http://religions.pewforum.org/maps Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> *[[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]] &ndash; 27% *[[Protestantism|Protestant]] **[[Mainline (Protestant)|Mainline]] &ndash; 11% **[[Evangelicalism#Evangelicalism_in_the_United_States|Evangelical]] &ndash; 13% **Other Protestant &ndash; 2% **[[Latter-day Saint]]/ Mormon &ndash; 11% *[[Muslim]] &ndash; 1% *[[Jewish]] &ndash; 1% *Other Religions &ndash; 1% *Unaffiliated &ndash; 20% == Economy == [[Image:Nevada quarter, reverse side, 2006.jpg|50px|left]] [[Image:Las Vegas strip.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nevada's booming economic center of Las Vegas]] [http://www.bea.gov/ The Bureau of Economic Analysis] estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2006 was $117 billion. Resort areas such as Las Vegas, Reno, [[Lake Tahoe]], attract visitors from around the world. Per capita personal income in 2005 was $46,108, 11<sup>th</sup> in the nation. 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. [[Prostitution in Nevada|Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada]], in the form of brothels, but only counties with populations under 400,000 residents can legalize it, and even those counties may choose to outlaw it if they wish. Prostitution is illegal and offenders are prosecuted in [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark County]] (which contains Las Vegas), [[Washoe County, Nevada|Washoe County]] (which contains Reno), and several other counties around the state. 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, 6.8 million ounces 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 10.3 million ounces worth $69 million mined in 2004 (see ''[[Silver mining in Nevada]]'').<ref>Nevada Mining Association, [http://www.nevadamining.org/economics/reports/2004/2004_economic_overview.pdf ''Economic Overview of the Nevada Mining Industry 2004'']</ref> Other minerals mined in Nevada include construction aggregates, copper, gypsum, diotomite 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.<ref>United States Department of Agriculture [http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ag_Overview/AgOverview_NV.pdf Nevada State Agriculture Overview - 2005] </ref> 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 {{convert|484000|acre|km2}} of cropland is used to grow [[hay]], mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed. {{further|[[Nevada locations by per capita income]]}} Nevada is also one of only a few states with [http://sos.state.nv.us/comm_rec/whyinc.htm no personal income tax] and no corporate income tax. The state [[sales tax]] in Nevada is 6.5%. Counties can assess [[option tax]]es as well, making the combined state/county sales taxes rate in some areas as high as 7.75%. Sales tax in Carson City is 7.125% in Clark County 7.75%, in Washoe County 7.375%, while sales tax in Douglas County is 6.75%. ==Transportation== [[Image:Nevada 375.svg|left|100px|State Route shield]] [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[California Zephyr]]'' train uses the Union Pacific's original transcontinental railroad line in a daily service from [[Chicago]] to [[Emeryville, California]] serving [[Elko, Nevada|Elko]], [[Winnemucca, Nevada|Winnemucca]], [[Sparks, Nevada|Sparks]], and [[Reno, Nevada|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]]. [[Union Pacific Railroad]] has some railroads in the north and in the south. [[Greyhound Lines]] provides some bus services. [[Image:Great Basin National Park 102007 006.JPG|200px|thumb|''The Lonliest Road in America'', U.S. Highway 50.]] [[Interstate 15 in Nevada|Interstate 15]] passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. [[Interstate 215 (Nevada)|I-215]] and spur route [[Interstate 515|I-515]] also serve the [[Las Vegas metropolitan area]]. [[Interstate 80 in Nevada|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, [[Interstate 580 (Nevada)|I-580]]. Nevada also is served by several federal highways: [[U.S. Route 6 in Nevada|US 6]], [[U.S. Route 50 in Nevada|US 50]], [[U.S. Route 93 in Nevada|US 93]], [[U.S. Route 95 in Nevada|US 95]] and [[U.S. Route 395 in Nevada|US 395]]. There are also 189 [[List of Nevada state highways|Nevada state highways]]. Nevada is one of a few states in the U.S. that does not have a continuous [[interstate highway]] linking its major population centers of Reno/Carson City and Las Vegas. Even the non-interstate federal highways aren't contiguous between its two largest metropolitan areas, though they are well marked by signs showing where to turn. The state is one of just a few in the country that allow [[semi-trailer truck]]s with three trailers&mdash;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. Citizens Area Transit (CAT) 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 frequent bus service, including the use of [[double-decker bus]]es on the [[Las Vegas Strip]]. [http://www.rtcwashoe.com/transportation/citifare/ RTC RIDE] operates a system of local transit bus service throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit systems in the state include [http://www.carson-city.nv.us/Index.aspx?page=918 Carson City's JAC]. Most other counties in the state do not have public transportation at all. Additionally, a [[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, with a possible future extension to McCarran Airport. [[McCarran International Airport]] in Las Vegas is one of the busiest airports in the nation. 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 [[Jim Gibbons (United States politician)|Jim Gibbons]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]]), the Governor of Nevada is limited to two (four year) terms in office, by election, or succession (lifetime limit) by the Nevada Constitution. Nevada's two [[United States Senate|U.S. senators]] are [[Harry Reid]] ([[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]]) and [[John Ensign]] ([[United States Republican Party|Republican]]). {{further|[[List of Nevada Governors]]}}; [[List of United States congressional districts#Nevada|''Map of Congressional Districts'']] ===Legislature=== [[Image:Rotary-clock.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A view of the Nevada State Legislative Building in Carson City]] The [[Nevada Legislature]] is a [[bicameral]] body divided into an [[upper house]] [[Nevada Senate|Senate]] and a [[lower house]] [[Nevada Assembly|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 has not been strictly enforced, as voters imposed term limits on the legislature back in mid to late 1990s, but rulings by the Nevada Attorney General's office have stated that term limits cannot go into effect prior to 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 Republican Party (11 to 10 majority) and the Assembly is controlled by the Democratic Party (27 to 15 majority). ====Judiciary==== Nevada is one of the few U.S. states without a system of intermediate appellate courts. It has a [[state supreme court]], the [[Supreme Court of Nevada]], which hears all appeals. The court lacks the power of discretionary review, so Nevada's judicial system is extremely congested. There have been several articles accusing judges in Nevada of making biased or favored decisions as the result of case outcomes and reporting done by the [[Los Angeles Times]] newspaper (in which it raised the issue of justice for sale). Original jurisdiction is divided between the District Courts (with general jurisdiction), and Justice Courts and Municipal Courts (both of limited jurisdiction). ==== Libertarian laws ==== [[Image:Supremecourtofnevada.jpg|thumb|left|The courthouse of the Supreme Court of Nevada]] 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, 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 [[casino]] [[gambling]]. Even [[Prostitution in Nevada|prostitution]] is legal in Nevada, in any county that decides to allow it. Quite a few of them do.<ref>Lawrence M. Friedman, ''American Law in the Twentieth Century'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), 596-597.</ref> 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 [[Arizona]], making these two states the fastest growing in the Union. ===== Divorce laws ===== Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that prior to the [[no-fault divorce]] revolution in the 1970s, [[divorce]]s were quite difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gambling 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'', {{ussc|317|287|1942}}, in which the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruled that [[North Carolina]] had to give "[[Full Faith and Credit Clause|full faith and credit]]" to a Nevada divorce. (This basically means all states have to honor a marriage or divorce performed in another state.) ===== 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]]. [http://www.sos.state.nv.us/comm_rec/whyinc.htm]. ===== 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]]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]]. ===== Financial institutions ===== 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. Nevada (amongst others) has relatively lax interest laws, in effect allowing banks to charge as much as they want, hence the preponderance of [[credit card]] companies in the state.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} ===== Drug laws ===== This is 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 [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] possession. However, it is now a misdemeanor for possession of less than one ounce. In 2006, voters in Nevada defeated attempts to allow possession of 1 ounce of marijuana (for personal use) without being criminally prosecuted, but this failed by a vote of (55% against legalization, 45% in favor of legalization). Also, Nevada is one of the states that allows for use of marijuana for medical reasons (though this remains illegal under federal law, and US Supreme Court rulings). Nevada has very liberal [[alcohol]] laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24 hours, with no "[[Last call (bar term)|last call]]". [[Liquor store]]s, [[convenience store]]s and [[supermarket]]s 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 hotel rooms, tobacco shops, and [[brothel]]s.<ref>[http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071006/NEWS/110060112 State smoking ban sparks zone-change request for Gardnerville parcel Nevada Appeal | Serving Carson City, Nevada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it.<ref>[http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6466938 Have Nevada bars given up the smoking habit?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Yet, in one case they did prosecute an establishment called "Bilbo's" but trial is pending until 2008.<ref>[http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7293936 Las Vegas Now - Breaking News, Local News, Weather, Traffic, Streaming Video, Classifieds, Blogs - UPDATED: Bilbo's Smoking Lawsuit Case<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Politics== {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 79%;" |+ '''Presidential elections results''' |- bgcolor=lightgrey ! Year ! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] ! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |- |bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]] |bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''50.47%''' ''418,690'' |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"| 47.88% ''397,190'' |- |bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]] |bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''49.49%''' ''301,575'' |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"| 45.94% ''279,978'' |- |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]] |bgcolor="#fff3f3"| 44.55% ''198,775'' |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''45.60%''' ''203,388'' |- |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]] |bgcolor="#fff3f3"| 34.71% ''175,828'' |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''37.41%''' ''189,148'' |- |bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]] |bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''58.90%''' ''206,040'' |bgcolor="#f0f0ff"| 37.91% ''132,738'' |} Due to the tremendous growth of Las Vegas in recent years, there is a noticeable divide between politics of northern and southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in the state government even while the population of the Las Vegas area is larger than the rest of the state. 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]]. 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. Most people outside the state are not familiar with this rivalry. The state is not dominated by either major political party and remains a [[swing state]] in both state and federal politics. Republicans won Nevada three times in the 1980s. Democrat [[Bill Clinton]] won the state in the [[United States presidential election, 1992|1992]] and [[1996 presidential election|1996]] presidential elections and Republican [[George W. Bush]] won in [[2000 US Presidential Election|2000]] and [[2004 US Presidential Election|2004]]. The state's U. S. Senators are long time Senate Majority Leader [[Harry Reid]] (D), a native of [[Searchlight, Nevada|Searchlight]], and Senator [[John Ensign]] (R). The Governorship is held by [[Jim Gibbons (United States politician)|Jim Gibbons]], a moderate republican. Recently, however, the state is trending to become more divergent, According to official statistics, party registration numbers show that 38.1% of voters are registered Republicans, 41.7% are Democrats and the remaining 20.1% are considered Independents. === State departments and agencies === <div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;"> * Department of Administration * Department of Agriculture * [[Nevada Attorney General|Attorney General]] * Department of Business & Industry * [[Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources|Department of Conservation & Natural Resources]] * Consumer Health Assistance * Controller's Office * [[Nevada Department of Corrections|Department of Correction]] * Department of Cultural Affairs * Nevada Commission on Economic Development * [[Nevada Department of Education|Department of Education]] * Nevada Secretary of State, Election Division * Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation * [[Nevada Gaming Control Board|Gaming Control Board]] * Governor's Office * Department of Health and Human Services * Department of Information Technology * Department of Justice * [[Nevada Lieutenant Governor|Lieutenant Governor]] * Nevada Military Department * Division of Minerals, Commission on Mineral Resources * [[Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles|Department of Motor Vehicles]] * [[Nevada National Guard]] * Department of Personnel * Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys * Public Employees Benefit Program * Public Employees Retirement System * [[Nevada Department of Public Safety|Department of Public Safety]] * Public Utilities Commission * Department of Secretary of State * Department of Taxation * Commission on Tourism * [[Nevada Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]] * [[Nevada State Treasurer]] * Universities and Community Colleges of Nevada * Nevada Office of Veterans' Services * Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education * [[Nevada Department of Wildlife]] </div> ====Local government==== [[Incorporated towns]] in Nevada, known as cities, are vested with [[home rule]] powers, meaning that they are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. [[Unincorporated area|Unincorporated towns]] are settlements [[wiktionary:eminently|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. ==Important Cities and Towns== [[Image:Las Vegas Strip.png|thumb|[[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]]] [[Image:Reno2002.jpg|thumb|[[Reno, Nevada|Reno]]]] [[Image:Elko, NV-750px.JPG|thumb|[[Elko, Nevada|Elko]]]] [[Image:Lexaltbuilding.jpg|thumb|[[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]]]] [[Image:HotelNevada.jpg|thumb|[[Ely, Nevada|Ely]]]] {| |- |valign=top| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-left:60px" |- ! Rank !! align=center |City !! Population<br /><small> within<br />city limits</small> !! Land Area<br /><small> sq. miles</small> !! Population<br />Density<br /><small> per sq mi</small> !! County |- |1 ||align=left | [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] || '''591,536''' || 131.3 || 4,217.8 || [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] |- |2 ||align=left | [[Henderson, Nevada|Henderson]] || '''265,790''' || 79.7 || 2,200.8 || [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] |- |3 ||align=left | [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]] || '''206,629''' || 69.1 || 2,611.4 || [[Washoe County, Nevada|Washoe]] |- |4 ||align=left | [[North Las Vegas, Nevada|North Las Vegas]] || '''197,567''' || 78.5 || 1,471.0 || [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] |- |5 ||align=left | [[Sunrise Manor, Nevada|Sunrise Manor]] || '''195,727''' || 38.2 || 4,081.8 || [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] |- |6 ||align=left | [[Paradise, Nevada|Paradise]] || '''189,958''' ||47.1 || 3,947.3 || [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] |- |7 ||align=left | [[Spring Valley, Nevada|Spring Valley]] || '''175,581''' || 33.4 || 3,519.4 || [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] |- |8 ||align=left | [[Sparks, Nevada|Sparks]] || '''88,518''' || 23.9 || 2,773.6 || [[Washoe County|Washoe]] |- |9 ||align=left | [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]] || '''58,350''' || 143.4 || 366 || [[Carson City]] |- |10 ||align=left | [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]] || '''44,614''' ||297.9|| 82.7 || [[Nye County|Nye]] |} |} Paradise, Sunrise Manor, and Spring Valley are unincorporated towns in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-left:60px" |- ! Rank !! align=center |County !! Population<br /><small> within<br />county limits</small> !! Land Area<br /><small> sq. miles</small> !! Population<br />Density<br /><small> per sq mi</small> !! Largest city |- |1 ||align=left | [[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]] || '''1,715,337''' || 7,910 || 174 || [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] |- |2 ||align=left | [[Washoe County|Washoe]] || '''383,453''' || 6,342 || 54 || [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]] |- |3 ||align=left | [[Carson City]] || '''56,146''' || 155.7 || 366 || [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]] |- |4 ||align=left | [[Douglas County, Nevada|Douglas]] || '''47,803''' || 710 || 58 || [[Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada|Gardnerville Ranchos]] |- |5 ||align=left | [[Elko County, Nevada|Elko]] || '''46,499''' || 17,179 || 3 || [[Elko, Nevada|Elko]] |- |6 ||align=left | [[Lyon County, Nevada|Lyon]] || '''44,646''' || 1,994 || 17 || [[Fernley, Nevada|Fernley]] |- |7 ||align=left | [[Nye County|Nye]] || '''38,181''' || 18,147 || 2 || [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]] |- |8 ||align=left | [[Churchill County|Churchill]] || '''26,106''' || 4,929 || 5 || [[Fallon, Nevada|Fallon]] |- |9 ||align=left | [[Humboldt County, Nevada|Humboldt]] || '''17,129''' || 9,648 || 2 || [[Winnemucca, Nevada|Winnemucca]] |- |10 ||align=left | [[White Pine County|White Pine]] || '''8,966''' || 8,876 || 1 || [[Ely, Nevada|Ely]] |} <small>'''Note: table was compiled using Nevada State estimates from [http://www.nsbdc.org/demographer/pubs/pop_increase.html 2004] for population and [[United States Census, 2000|Census 2000]] for area and density''' </small> {{seealso|List of cities in Nevada}} ===10 richest places in Nevada=== Ranked by [[per capita income]] #[[Incline Village-Crystal Bay, Nevada|Incline Village-Crystal Bay]] $52,521 #[[Kingsbury, Nevada|Kingsbury]] $41,421 #[[Mount Charleston, Nevada|Mount Charleston]] $38,821 #[[Verdi-Mogul, Nevada|Verdi-Mogul]] $38,233 #[[Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village, Nevada|Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village]] $37,218 #[[Summerlin South, Nevada|Summerlin South]] $33,017 #[[Blue Diamond, Nevada|Blue Diamond]] $30,479 #[[Minden, Nevada|Minden]] $30,405 #[[Boulder City, Nevada|Boulder City]] $29,770 #[[Spanish Springs, Nevada|Spanish Springs]] $26,908 {{further|[[Nevada locations by per capita income]]}} == Education == === Colleges and universities === *[[Morrison University]] *[[Nevada System of Higher Education]] **[[University of Nevada]] (UNR) **[[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]] (UNLV) **[[Nevada State College at Henderson]] **[[Truckee Meadows Community College]] (TMCC) **[[Great Basin College]] **[[College of Southern Nevada]] (CSN) **[[Western Nevada Community College]] *[[Sierra Nevada College]] *[[Touro University Nevada]] *[[University of Southern Nevada]] === Research Institutes === *[[Desert Research Institute]] == Parks and Recreation == [[Image:Cathedral Gorge.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cathedral Gorge State Park]].]] [[Image:Charleston peak.JPG|right|thumb|Mount Charleston]] [[Image:Great Basin National Park 102007 025.JPG|right|thumb|[[Great Basin National Park]]]] [[Image:05-26-2008 0130 edited-1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Valley of Fire State Park]]]] === Recreation areas maintained by the National Park Service=== *[[California National Historic Trail]] *[[Death Valley National Park]] *[[Great Basin National Park]] near [[Baker, Nevada|Baker]] *[[Lake Mead National Recreation Area]] *[[Old Spanish National Historic Trail]] *[[Pony Express National Historic Trail]] === Southern Nevada === * [[Mount Charleston]] and the [[Mount Charleston Wilderness Area]] * [[Spring Mountains]] and the [[Spring Mountains National Recreation Area]] * [[Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest]] * [[Bootleg Canyon]] Mountain Bike Park * [[Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve]] === Wilderness === {{further|[[List of wilderness areas in Nevada]]}} There are 68 designated [[wilderness areas]] in Nevada, protecting some {{convert|6579014|acre|km2}} under the jurisdiction of the [[National Park Service]], [[U.S. Forest Service]], and [[Bureau of Land Management]].<ref>[http://www.wilderness.net Wilderness.net]</ref> ===State Parks=== See: ''[[List of Nevada state parks]]''. == Sports == *[[Las Vegas 51s]], [[minor league baseball]] *[[Las Vegas Wranglers]], [[East Coast Hockey League]] *[[Battle Born Derby Deamons]], [[Roller Derby]] *[[Reno Silver Sox]], [[Golden Baseball League]] *[[Reno Raiders]], [[ECHL]] *[[Las Vegas Posse]], [[Canadian Football League]] (defunct) *[[Las Vegas Outlaws]], [[XFL]] (defunct) * [[UNLV Rebels]] * [[University of Nevada, Reno|University of Nevada]] Wolf Pack * [[Las Vegas Motor Speedway]] ==Miscellaneous topics== {{Trivia|date=January 2008}} Nevada's nicknames are "Sagebrush State, "Battle Born State", and "Silver State", and the state's motto is "All for Our Country". "[[Home Means Nevada]]" by [[Bertha Raffetto]] is the state song. 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|USS ''Nevada'']] in honor of the state. The one that preceded the ship that was at [[Pearl Harbor]] was eventually renamed [[USS Tonopah]], for the Nevada city Nevada is home to [[Nellis Air Force Base]], a major testing and training base of the [[United States Air Force]]. Nellis is reputedly the home of [[Area 51]], a top-secret installation of which the U.S. federal government has always denied existence. Area 51 is supposedly located in Groom Lake. Some time ago, the United States Air Force confirmed that there is an operating facility at Groom Lake, but the nature of the activities being conducted at Groom Lake are classified and cannot be disclosed. The paranormal radio talk show host [[Art Bell]] lives in [[Pahrump, Nevada]]. In [[Finnish language]] there is a very well known concept "huitsin Nevada", which refers to some far away place in spoken language (in a same way as a saying "from here to Timbuktu"). The origin and history of the saying is unknown. "Nevada" refers to the name of this US state and "huitsin" is a slang word meaning "very" or "utter". ===Songs about Nevada=== *'''Sands of Nevada''' from [[Mark Knopfler]]'s 2000 release [[Sailing to Philadelphia]] *'''Darcy Farrow''' ===Future Issues=== Nevada enjoys many economic advantages as a whole, and the southern portion of the state enjoys mild winter weather, but rapid growth has led to issues of overcrowded schools. Nevada is already home to the nation's 5th largest school district in the Clark County School District (projected fall 2007 enrollment is 314,000 students grades K-12), the state has seen rising crime levels, and problems with transportation (according to state figures, there is a 1 billion dollar shortfall in funds for road construction projects in Nevada). Most recently, there has been news of water shortfalls in Southern Nevada in the years to come, due to the population increase, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority estimates that there will be water shortages by the year 2010, despite plans to import water from rural and northern Nevada. Despite this, the state remains one of the fast growing in the country. The residents of the communities in the Las Vegas Valley pay some of the highest car insurance rates in the nation. Some have suggested that Nevada [[annex]] the town of [[Wendover, Utah]], which would be merged with [[West Wendover, Nevada]]. This deal will require the permission of the Nevada and [[Utah]] legislatures, as well as the U.S. Congress. Portions of Nevada, particularly in the greater [[Las Vegas metropolitan area|Las Vegas]] area, are dealing with the problems brought about by large cities such as traffic and a rise in pollution. Despite these challenges, the Las Vegas metropolitan area still remains one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, helping to make Nevada one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. ===State symbols=== [[Image:Nevada playa USGS.png|thumb|upright||[[Playa]] areas of Nevada]] *[[State animal]]: [[Desert Bighorn Sheep]] *State artifact: Tule Duck [[Decoy]] *[[List of U.S. state birds|State bird]]: [[Mountain Bluebird]] *State colors: [[Silver]] and [[Blue]] *[[State fish]]: [[Lahontan cutthroat trout]] *[[State flower]]: [[Sagebrush]] (''[[Artemisia tridentata]]'') *[[State fossil]]: [[Ichthyosaur]] *[[State grass]]: [[Indian ricegrass]] *State march: "Silver State Fanfare" by Gerald Willis *State metal: [[Silver]] (Ag) *[[List of U.S. state mottos|State motto]]: "All for our country" *[[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 (soil)]] series *State tartan: A particular [[tartan]] designed for Nevada by Richard Zygmunt Pawlowski *[[State tree]]s: [[Single-leaf Pinyon]] pine and [[Bristlecone pine]] (''Pinus longaeva'') A fictional history (with a great deal of fact) titled ''[[Nevada (novel)|Nevada]]'' was written by [[Clint McCullough]]. ==See also== *[[List of Nevada-related topics]] <!-- {{portal|Nevada|Flag of Nevada.svg|left=yes}} --> {{clear}} <!-- Please place links to all topics directly related to the State of Nevada in the [[List of Nevada-related topics]] --> ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== {{wikisource|Constitution of Nevada}} {{sisterlinks}} *[http://www.nv.gov/ Official state website] *[http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Nevada 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. *[http://travelnevada.com/ State Tourism website] *[http://firstlady.state.nv.us/NevadaSymbols.htm Nevada state symbols] *[http://sos.state.nv.us Secretary of State of Nevada] *[http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/ Nevada State Library and Archives] *[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NV Energy Profile for Nevada] *[http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NV USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nevada] *[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32000.html US Census Bureau] *[http://www.countymapsofnevada.com/ County Maps of Nevada] Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats *[http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/NV.htm Nevada State Facts] *[http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Nevada Pronunciation Guide: Nevada] *[http://www.forgottennevada.org Forgotten Nevada - Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nevada] {{-}} {{Nevada|expand}} {{United States}} {{coor title d|39|N|117|W|region:US-NV_type:state}} [[Category:Nevada| ]] [[Category:States of the United States]] [[Category:Former Spanish colonies]] [[Category:Western United States]] [[Category:1864 establishments]] {{Link FA|es}} [[af:Nevada]] [[ang:Nevada]] [[ar:نيفادا]] [[frp:Nevada]] [[ast:Nevada]] [[az:Nevada]] [[bn:নেভাডা]] [[zh-min-nan:Nevada]] [[be:Штат Невада]] [[be-x-old:Нэвада]] [[bs:Nevada]] [[br:Nevada]] [[bg:Невада]] [[ca:Nevada]] [[cv:Невада]] [[cs:Nevada]] [[co:Nevada]] [[cy:Nevada]] [[da:Nevada]] [[de:Nevada]] [[et:Nevada]] [[el:Νεβάδα]] [[es:Nevada]] [[eo:Nevado]] [[eu:Nevada]] [[fa:نوادا]] [[fo:Nevada]] [[fr:Nevada]] [[fy:Nevada]] [[ga:Nevada]] [[gv:Nevada]] [[gd:Nevada]] [[gl:Nevada]] [[ko:네바다 주]] [[haw:Newaka]] [[hy:Նևադա]] [[hi:नेवाडा]] [[hr:Nevada]] [[io:Nevada]] [[bpy:নেভাডা]] [[id:Nevada]] [[ik:Nevada]] [[os:Невадæ]] [[is:Nevada]] [[it:Nevada]] [[he:נבדה]] [[pam:Nevada]] [[ka:ნევადა]] [[kw:Nevada]] [[ht:Nevada]] [[ku:Nevada]] [[lad:Nevada]] [[la:Nivata]] [[lv:Nevada]] [[lt:Nevada]] [[lij:Nevadd-a]] [[hu:Nevada]] [[mi:Nevada]] [[mr:नेव्हाडा]] [[ms:Nevada]] [[nah:Nevada]] [[nl:Nevada]] [[ja:ネバダ州]] [[no:Nevada]] [[nn:Nevada]] [[oc:Nevada]] [[uz:Nevada]] [[pms:Nevada]] [[nds:Nevada]] [[pl:Nevada]] [[pt:Nevada]] [[ro:Nevada (stat SUA)]] [[ru:Невада]] [[sq:Nevada]] [[simple:Nevada]] [[sk:Nevada (štát USA)]] [[sl:Nevada]] [[sr:Невада]] [[fi:Nevada]] [[sv:Nevada]] [[tl:Nevada]] [[ta:நெவாடா]] [[th:มลรัฐเนวาดา]] [[vi:Nevada]] [[tr:Nevada]] [[uk:Невада]] [[ur:نیواڈا]] [[vo:Nevada]] [[yi:נעוואדא]] [[diq:Nevada]] [[bat-smg:Nevada]] [[zh:内华达州]]