Nevada
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State flag
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NEVADA,
one of the Mountain states of the U.S., bounded on the N by
Oregon and Idaho, on the E by Utah and Arizona, and on the SW and
W by California.
Nevada entered the Union on Oct. 31, 1864, as the 36th
state. Nevada has been known for its mineral wealth and for its gambling
casinos and scenic landscapes that attract millions of tourists.
By the late 1900s, however, Nevada had developed a relatively diversified economy;
tourism, mining, and ranching remained important, but manufacturing and
construction were growing rapidly. The state’s name is
taken from the Sierra Nevada; nevada is Spanish
for “snow covered.” Nevada is called the Silver
State.
| NEVADA STATE FACTS |
| DATE OF STATEHOOD: |
October 31, 1864; 36th state |
| CAPITAL: |
Carson City |
| MOTTO: |
All for our country |
| NICKNAME: |
Silver State |
| STATE SONG: |
“Home Means Nevada” (words and music by Bertha Raffetto) |
| STATE TREES: |
Bristlecone pine; single-leaf piñon |
| STATE FLOWER: |
Sagebrush |
| STATE BIRD: |
Mountain bluebird |
| POPULATION (2000 census): |
1,998,257; 35th among the states |
| AREA: |
286,368 sq km (110,567 sq mi); 7th largest
state;
includes 1971 sq km (761 sq mi) of inland water |
| HIGHEST POINT: |
Boundary Peak, 4005 m (13,140 ft) |
| LOWEST POINT: |
146 m (479 ft), along the Colorado River in the southeast |
| ELECTORAL VOTES: |
5 |
| U.S. CONGRESS: |
2 senators; 3 representatives |
| GOVERNOR: |
Jim Gibbons (Rep.)
Took office January 2007 |
Nevada, with an area of 286,368 sq km (110,567 sq mi), is
the seventh largest state in the U.S.; 78.9% of the land
area is owned by the federal government. In shape the state resembles
a rectangle with the lower left part sheared off diagonally; its
extreme dimensions are about 780 km (about 485 mi) from N to S and
about 515 km (about 320 mi) from E to W. Elevations range from 146
m (479 ft) along the Colorado R. in the southernmost part of the
state to 4005 m (13,140 ft) atop Boundary Peak on the California
boundary. The approximate mean elevation is 1676 m (5500 ft).
Nearly all of Nevada lies within the Great Basin, or Basin and Range, region. The topography of this region is characterized
by numerous N-W trending mountain ranges, prominent among which
are the Humboldt, Shoshone, Monitor, and Schell Creek ranges. Between
the ranges are a series of elongated parallel valleys and occasional
mesas and buttes. The soils here are generally thin and frequently
alkaline. The rugged mountains of the Sierra Nevada occupy a W corner
of the state to the W of Carson City. The Columbia Plateau covers
a small NE portion of the state. Largely of volcanic origin, the soils
of the region are more fertile than those of most other parts of
the state.
Nearly all Nevada’s streams and rivers drain internally
into lakes or into dry lake beds (playas). The major exception is
the Colorado R., which forms a short section of the border in the
SE. The other principal rivers are the Humboldt, which rises in
the NE and flows W to disappear in Humboldt Sink, and the Walker,
Carson, and Truckee rivers, which rise in the Sierra Nevada and
flow E to Walker, Carson, and Pyramid lakes, respectively. Many
other streams flow only in spring, as winter snow melts, or after
summer rains. Natural lakes are relatively few; most are found in
the mountains. Scenic Lake Tahoe lies astride the Nevada-California
border in the Sierra Nevada. Lake Mead, one of the largest artificial lakes
in the world, is impounded behind Hoover Dam on the Colorado R.
With its varied topography, Nevada has wide variations in
weather: bright sunshine, little precipitation in the valleys and
deserts, heavy snowfall in the mountains, and wide daily ranges
of temperature. In the S, summers are long and hot, and winters
are short and mild; in the N, summers are short and hot, and winters
are long and cool or cold. The average annual temperature is 9.4° C
(49° F) at Reno and 18.9° C (66° F) at
Las Vegas. The recorded temperature in the state has ranged from –45.6° C
(–50° F) near the Idaho border in 1937 to 50° C
(122° F) at Overton in 1954. Nevada is the driest state
in the U.S.; average annual precipitation ranges from only 102 mm
(4 in) in the SE and Carson Sink to 610 mm (24 in) in parts of the
Sierra Nevada and the mountains of the NE. Winter snowfall is heaviest
in the Sierra Nevada.
| NEVADA AVERAGE CLIMATE |
| |
Las Vegas |
Elko |
| Average January temperature range |
0.6° to 13.3° C |
(33° to 56° F) |
–12.2° to 2.2° C |
(10° to 36° F) |
| Average July temperature range |
23.9° to 40° C |
(75° to 104° F) |
9.4° to 32.2° C |
(49° to 90° F) |
| Average annual temperature |
18.9° C |
(66° F) |
7.2° C |
(45° F) |
| Average annual precipitation |
102 mm |
(4 in) |
254 mm |
(10 in) |
| Average annual snowfall |
38 mm |
(1.5 in) |
991 mm |
(39 in) |
| Mean number of days per year with appreciable precipitation |
26 |
78 |
| Average daily relative humidity |
24% |
40% |
| Mean number of clear days per year |
216 |
132 |
Nevada has a diversity of plant life, primarily because of
its wide range of elevations and climates. At the lowest elevations
is a desert vegetation of creosote, mesquite, cactus, and yucca,
found primarily in the S. In the N, sagebrush predominates. On the
mountain slopes are found juniper and piñon pines. At higher
elevations are forests of various species of pine, spruce, and fir. Forests
cover more than 10% of the state’s land area.
Only a small portion of this is of commercial value.
Among the larger mammals found in Nevada are the mule
deer,
pronghorn antelope, bobcat, and bighorn sheep. Smaller mammals are
relatively abundant and include coyote, fox, badger, rabbit, porcupine,
muskrat, and marmot. Wild horses and donkeys compete for forage with
other
wildlife. In the desert are found various lizards, tortoises, and
snakes, including the sidewinder rattlesnake. Birdlife includes
the thrush, horned lark, Nevada creeper, pheasant, partridge, and
sage grouse. The streams and lakes of the state are populated by
a variety of fish, including carp, bass, crappie, and trout.
Nevada has a great diversity of mineral resources.
Among the major
mineral deposits are copper in the E and W; petroleum, found near
the center of the state; and lead, found in the SE. Gold and silver
are present in many parts of Nevada. Other minerals in the state
include zinc, manganese, mercury, magnesium, molybdenum, tungsten, and
barite. Significant amounts of gypsum and salt are also found
in Nevada.
According to the 2000 census, Nevada had 1,998,257 inhabitants that year, an increase of 66.3% over 1990. During the 1980s and the '90s it was the fastest growing state in the U.S. But as of 2000 it was still the only the 35th largest state in population, while ranking 7th in area; the population density was only 18.2 people per sq mi of land area, and the population was unevenly distributed. Nevada has one of the largest urban concentrations in the U.S.; in 2000 about 92% of the state’s residents lived in areas classified as urban under the current government definition, with the rest living in areas defined as rural. The two largest cities were Las Vegas and Reno; Las Vegas contained more than one-fourth and Reno contained about one-tenth of the state’s total population. The next largest cities were Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Sparks. Carson City is the state capital.
Whites made up 75.2% of the
population and blacks 6.8%. Additional population groups
included 26,420 American Indians, 90,266 Asians, and 8426 Native
Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders. (These figures do not include
the 3.8% of the population who reported more than one race.) A
total of 393,970 persons, or about 19.7% of the population,
were of Hispanic (primarily Mexican) background.
The population of Nevada was expected to continue its rapid growth, with total population by 2030 projected at more than 4 million.
According to a 2000 survey, Roman Catholics make up about 17% of the total population and nearly half of all the religious adherents in the state. Other principal religious groups included Mormons (5.9%), Jews (3.9%), and adherents of the Southern Baptist Convention (2%) and Assemblies of God (1.1%).
| POPULATION OF NEVADA SINCE 1860 |
| Year of Census |
Population |
Classified As Urban |
| 1860 |
7,000 |
0% |
| 1880 |
62,000 |
31% |
| 1900 |
42,000 |
17% |
| 1920 |
77,000 |
20% |
| 1940 |
110,000 |
39% |
| 1950 |
160,000 |
57% |
| 1960 |
285,000 |
70% |
| 1980 |
800,000 |
85% |
| 1990 |
1,201,833 |
88% |
| 2000 |
1,998,257 |
92% |
| POPULATION OF TEN LARGEST CITIES IN NEVADA |
| |
2000 Census |
1990 Census |
| Las Vegas |
478,434 |
258,295 |
| Reno |
180,480 |
133,850 |
| Henderson |
175,381 |
64,942 |
| North Las Vegas |
115,488 |
47,707 |
| Sparks |
66,346 |
53,367 |
| Carson City |
52,457 |
40,443 |
| Elko |
16,708 |
14,736 |
| Boulder City |
14,966 |
12,567 |
| Mesquite |
9,389 |
1,871 |
| Fallon |
7,536 |
6,438 |
A unified system of education was slow to develop in Nevada
because of the state’s low population density; this factor
also tended to restrict the establishment of cultural institutions
to the state’s major cities.
When the territory of Nevada was organized in 1861, a
provision
for a school system was adopted, and the state constitution of 1864
established a centralized public system. In the ealry 2000s Nevada’s public school had an annuakl enrollment of about 370,000, including about 270,000 in pre-kidergarten through grade 8. In the same period Nevada’s institutions of higher education had a combined yearly enrollment of close to 100,000. Among the colleges and uiersies was the University of Nevada (enrollment about 44,000), with campuses in Reno (1874) and
Las Vegas (1957); and Sierra Nevada College (1969), in Incline
Village.
Many of Nevada’s museums exhibit Indian crafts and
artifacts and relics from the early mining days. Among these are
the Nevada State Museum, in Carson City; Northeastern Nevada Museum,
in Elko; and the Nevada Historical Society, in Reno. More contemporary
artwork is displayed at the Sheppard Fine Art Gallery, in Reno. The Guggenheim-Hermitage Museum opened in 2001 in Las Vegas. Also in the city is the Atomic Testing Museum, which opened in 1998. Other institutions of special interest include the Railroad Museum, in Carson City, and The William F. Harrah Foundation National Automobile Museum, in
Reno. The Nevada Opera Association is based in Reno.
Nevada’s pioneering and mining days have been preserved
in a number of the state’s historical sites, including
The Castle, a mansion built in 1868, in Virginia City; Mormon Station
Historic State Monument, in Genoa; and Fort Churchill Historic State
Monument, in Yerington. About 200 ghost towns are scattered throughout
the state; onetime prosperous mining sites, they are, now mostly uninhabited,
attractions for tourists.
Nevada’s climate lends itself to such outdoor
activities
as golfing, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, motor biking, and
hunting. Skiing facilities are located in the Reno-Lake Tahoe
area. Of special note is Lake Mead National Recreation Area. National and state parks attract millions of visitors every year.
The state’s first radio station, KOH in Reno, was licensed in 1928. KOLO-TV in Reno and KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada’s first television stations,
began operation in 1953. The Territorial Enterprise,
the state’s first printed newspaper, began publication
in 1858 in Genoa. In the early 2000s Nevada had eight daily newspapers
with a total daily circulation of about 300,000. Influential dailies
included the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Sun,
in Las Vegas, and the Reno Gazette-Journal.
In 2003 about 61% of Nevada households had computers and 55% had Internet access.
Nevada is governed under its original constitution of 1864,
as amended. An amendment to the constitution may be proposed by
a constitutional convention, by the legislature, or by initiative.
In the latter two cases, the amendment must be approved by a majority
of the persons voting on the issue in a general election to become
effective.
The chief executive of Nevada is a governor, who is popularly
elected to a 4-year term and who is limited to a maximum of two
consecutive terms. Similar provisions apply to the lieutenant governor, who succeeds the governor should the latter resign, die, or be removed from office.
Other elected executive officers include the secretary of state,
attorney general, treasurer, and controller; all are limited to two successive 4-year terms.
The bicameral Nevada legislature is composed of a senate and
an assembly. The 21 members of the senate are elected to 4-year
terms; the 42 members of the assembly are elected to 2-year terms. Under a term-limits measure approved by voters in 1996 (effective in 2010), legislators are ineligible to run for office after three successive terms for senators and six successive terms for assembly members.
Nevada’s highest court, the supreme court, has 7 justices. The major trial courts, the district courts, have a total of 56 judges. Judges of both courts are appointed by the governor, based on the recommendations of a judicial nominating commission, and must then be confirmed by the voters at the next general election; after an initial 6-year term, judges must stand for reelection at 6-year intervals. Municipal judges function at the city court level and justices of the peace at the township court level. In 1996, state voters turned down a constitutional amendment that would have imposed term limits on judges.
Nevada has 17 counties, including one--Carson City, the state capital--which consolidates the functions of city and county government. Most counties
were governed by a board of three or more county commissioners; most cities
employed the mayor-council form of government. In the early 2000s the state had 19 municipalities, 17 school districts, and 158 special districts.
Nevada elects two senators and three representatives to the
U.S. Congress. The state has five electoral votes in presidential
elections.
Since 1900, about equal numbers of Democratic and Republican candidates have been elected governor. In presidential balloting, Nevada was
strongly Republican in the 1980s but has been hotly contested in recent decades. Among registered voters, Republicans and Democrats are closely matched.. The state’s most influential political figure is Harry Reid (1939– ), a Democrat who entered the U.S. Senate in 1987 and has served as minority leader (2005) and majority leader (2007– ).
Mining was the traditional cornerstone of the Nevada
economy.
The initial mining boom began with the discovery of the great silver
and gold deposits of the Comstock Lode in 1859. Other discoveries
led to the establishment of small mining communities throughout
the state. Agriculture, especially cattle ranching and other livestock
raising, developed as the second most important aspect of the economy.
The legalization of gambling in 1931 led to growth of the tourism and
entertainment industries, which today dominate the state’s economy.
The federal government employs many people in Nevada and forms a
significant component of the state’s economy. Perhaps the
most important federal facilities in the state are Nellis Air Force
Base and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site.
Since the 1960s, manufacturing, mostly the processing of raw materials,
has expanded, and the construction industry has been a leading employer; service industry jobs have also expanded.
| NEVADA STATE ECONOMY |
| STATE BUDGET (in thousands) |
| General revenue |
$10.136,127 |
| General expenditure |
$8,686,071 |
| Accumulated debt |
$3,607,292 |
 |
| STATE TAXES PER CAPITA |
$2,031 |
|
| PERSONAL INCOME, PER CAPITA |
$35,883 |
|
| POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL |
11.5% |
|
| EMPLOYMENT DISTRIBUTION |
| Management, business, finance |
134,000 |
| Professional and related |
160,000 |
| Services |
271,000 |
| Sales and related |
140,000 |
| Office and administrative support |
140,000 |
| Farming, fishing, forestry |
estimate too small to be statistically significant |
| Construction and extraction |
91,000 |
| Installation, maintenance, repair |
42,000 |
| Production |
45,000 |
| Transportation and moving |
57,000 |
|
| GROSS STATE PRODUCT |
$110.5 billion |
|
| NET FARM INCOME |
$111 million |
| Principal products |
cattle, hay, dairy products |
Farming accounts for about 1% of the annual gross
state product in Nevada. The state has some 3000 farms, averaging 850 ha (2100 acres) in size. Livestock products make up close to two-thirds of farm marketing revenues. Livestock ranches are found in every county,
but cattle and sheep raising is especially important in the NE.
Poultry and dairy farms are mainly near Las Vegas and Reno.
Crops account for roughly one-third of Nevada’s
yearly farm income. Farms are clustered along snow-fed streams at
the base of the Sierra Nevada in the W and along the Humboldt R. and
its tributaries; irrigation has expanded agriculture in S and
particularly SE Nevada. The leading products are hay and potatoes.
Other crops include wheat and barley. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and
cotton are grown in the irrigated areas of the SE, notably in
the Pahrump Valley NW of Las Vegas.
The mining industry accounts for about 5% of the annual
gross state product in Nevada. Among the principal minerals are
gold, silver, and petroleum. The largest gold mine is W of Carlin, but
the metal occurs in many other parts of the state. Copper, barite,
lead, sand and gravel, mercury, gypsum, salt, zinc, magnesium, and
clays are also produced. In 2004 nonfuel mineral production in Nevada was valued at about $3.3 billion, more than in any other state except California.
Enterprises engaged in manufacturing account for about 4% of the annual gross state product in Nevada and employ over 40,000 workers. The leading manufactures include printed materials, precision instruments, stone, clay, and glass
products, fabricated metal items, and industrial equipment. Also
of importance are food processing and the manufacture of rubber and
plastics, primary metals, lumber and wood products, and chemicals.
The majority of manufacturing activity is concentrated in the
metropolitan
regions of Las Vegas and Reno. A major manufacturing center is
Henderson, SE
of Las Vegas, where metals and industrial chemicals are produced.
Tourism dominates Nevada’s economy; taxes on
tourism-related
activities, including gambling, supply more than half of the state’s
annual general-fund revenue. In 2003, domestic travelers spent almost $20 billion in Nevada, ranking it 6th among U.S. states. The state had 2.4 million overseas visitors in 2000, ranking it 5th.
The principal attractions are the casinos,
luxury hotels, and nightclubs of Las Vegas and Reno, the former
city accounting for two-thirds of the state’s gambling
revenue. Nevada also offers a great variety of scenic attractions,
including beautiful Lake Tahoe, Boulder Canyon, and vast expanses of desert and
mountain landscapes. Mining towns, ghost towns, and the recreational
facilities of Lake Mead are also popular. Three areas in Nevada
are administered by the National Park Service. The state maintains
a system of 23 parks and recreation areas.
Nevada is served by a network of about 55,000 km (34,000 mi) of highways. This includes some 9000 km (560 mi) of interstate highways, which traverse the N central and SE parts of the state. International airports serving Las Vegas and Reno handle by far the most air passenger traffic, but air travel is also important in the more remote parts of the state.
In the early 2000s electricity generating plants in Nevada had a total capacity of about 7.5 million kw and produced about 33 about 19.3 billion kwh of electricity each year. Conventional thermal plants using fossil fuels produce
more than 90% of Nevada’s electric power. Virtually
all the remainder is generated by hydroelectric plants. Hoover Dam
(completed 1936) on the Colorado R. was historically important to
the growth of the SE part of the state. Davis Dam, in the extreme
SE, is the other major source of hydroelectric power.
The main Indian tribes in the Nevada area before the coming
of the Europeans were the Shoshoni, the Paiute, the Bannock, and
the Washoe. Although it was claimed by Spain, and later by Mexico,
the region remained largely unknown to the outside world until the
early 19th century.
Peter Skene Ogden, an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Co.,
led an expedition south from Canada and explored the Humboldt R.
in 1825. Two years later, Jedediah Smith, an American trapper, crossed
the Sierras and passed through Nevada on his way from California
to Saint Louis, and the U.S. Army officer John C. Frémont
explored the area extensively in 1843 and 1845. In 1848, at the
close of the Mexican War, the territory from which Nevada was formed
was acquired by the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Two years later, Mormon settlers from Salt Lake City founded a trading post
in the Carson R. valley near the present site of Genoa. Most of
Nevada was included in the Utah Territory, established in 1850.
The Mormon settlers set up their own government in 1851, but the
Utah authorities reestablished control in 1854. Carson City was
founded in 1858.
With the discovery of silver and gold in the Virginia City
area in 1859, prospectors poured in by the thousands. The Paiute
Indians, alarmed by the influx of newcomers, tried to drive them
out by force but were subdued by Carson City volunteers in 1860.
The U.S. territory of Nevada was created in 1861, just following
the outbreak of the American Civil War. Local mine owners were opposed to
statehood, fearing that they would be taxed to help finance the
war, but President Abraham Lincoln, who needed Nevada’s
support in Congress, pressed for its admission to the Union. Lincoln
prevailed, and Nevada became the 36th state in 1864; the present
boundaries of the state were fixed in 1866.
The Comstock Lode brought great wealth to Nevada.
During the mining boom, which ended in 1881, gold and silver worth an estimated
$300 million were produced. In Virginia City, the gambling houses and
the homes of the mine owners were famous the world over for their
opulence. After the Central Pacific Railroad crossed the state in 1869, cattle
and sheep raising also became central to the economy of Nevada.
In the early 1900s a new mining boom developed when gold and silver
were discovered in the southwestern desert at Tonopah, Goldfield, and
Rhyolite.
In an effort to counteract the economic impact in Nevada of the Great Depression, the state legislature in 1931 authorized six-week divorces and
legalized gambling. In the years that followed, luxury hotels
and dude ranches were built for out-of-state divorce seekers in and
around Reno, and gambling casinos featuring big-name entertainment
attracted increasing numbers of tourists from around the country.
Beginning in the 1940s, the small town of Las Vegas in southern
Nevada experienced rapid growth, becoming one of the nation’s
leading tourist and entertainment centers. The state’s
population showed a fifteenfold increase between 1950 and 2005; recent growth has been fueled in part by an influx of Latinos and Asians seeking jobs in Nevada’s rapidly expanding construction and service industries. A federal proposal to turn a S Nevada site at Yucca Mountain into a federal nuclear-waste repository, first approved by Congress in 1987, has long been controversial in the state; two decades later, the proposal remained the subject of intense legal, political, and scientific dispute.