Nevada (help·info) (IPA: /n?'væ?d?/)
is a state located in the western region of the United States of
America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is 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 federal
government under various jurisdictions both civilian and military.[2]
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.[3] The state is well known for its easy marriage
and divorce proceedings, legalization of gambling and, in a few
counties, legalized brothels.
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 IPA: [n?'v?.d?] (as in the "o"
in "odd"), but IPA: [n?'væ.d?] (as in the "a"
in "glad").[4] In 2005, the state issued a specialty license
plate via the Nevada Commission on Tourism that lists the name of
the state as Nevada 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.[5]
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Bordering States
2 History
2.1 Statehood
2.2 Industry
2.2.1 Gaming and labor
2.2.2 Nuclear Testing
3 Demographics
3.1 Religion
4 Economy
5 Transportation
6 Law and government
6.1 Legislature
6.2 Judiciary
6.3 Libertarian laws
6.3.1 Divorce laws
6.3.2 Tax laws
6.3.3 Incorporation laws
6.3.4 Financial institutions
6.3.5 Drug laws
6.4 Smoking
6.5 Politics
6.6 State departments and agencies
6.7 Important Cities and Towns
6.8 10 richest places in Nevada
7 Education
7.1 Colleges and universities
8 Parks and Recreation
8.1 Recreation areas maintained by the National Park Service
8.2 Southern Nevada
9 Sports
10 Miscellaneous topics
10.1 Songs about Nevada
10.2 Future Issues
10.3 State symbols
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
[edit] Geography
Digitally colored elevation map of NevadaFurther information: 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.
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 125 °F (52 °C) in Laughlin (elevation of
605 feet (184 m)) on 29 June 1994.[6]
The Humboldt River crosses from east to west across the northern
part of the state, draining into the Humboldt Sink near Lovelock.
Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including
the Walker, Truckee and Carson rivers.
The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above 13,000 feet
(4,000 m), harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating
sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower
in elevation than 3,000 feet (900 m).
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 4,000 feet (1,200 m), creating conditions
for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights due to inversion.
Mountains west of Las Vegas in the Mojave DesertNevada and California
have by far the longest diagonal line (in respect to the cardinal
directions) as a state boundary at just over 400 miles (640 km).
This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly 4 miles (6 km) offshore (in
the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River
where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 12 miles
(19 km) southwest of the Laughlin Bridge.
Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park.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.
[edit] Bordering States
Utah - East
Arizona - Southeast
California - West
Oregon - North
Idaho - North
[edit] History
[edit] Statehood
On March 2, 1861, the Nevada Territory separated from the Utah territory
and adopted its current name, shortened from Sierra Nevada (Spanish
for "snowy range"). Eight days prior to the 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 Republican dominance
in Congress. [7] As Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the
more industrialized Union, it was viewed as more politically reliable
than other Confederate-sympathizing states such as neighboring California.
It is a common misconception that one of the reasons Nevada was
granted statehood was its large deposits of silver and gold.[citation
needed] This is merely a myth, however, and would have been illogical
in that Congress had unlimited control over these resources when
Nevada was a territory and only limited control after Nevada became
a state.
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, 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.
[edit] 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 in the late 19th century, Nevada found it
increasingly difficult to compete with states such as Colorado and
Utah in the mining industry.[citation needed] There was even talk
of stripping away statehood, the only time in American history such
an action was discussed in Congress[citation needed]. However, the
rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900 is thought to have saved the
state from collapse.[citation needed] This was followed by strikes
in Goldfield and Rhyolite, lasting well into the 1910s and making
Nevada a dominant player in mining once again.
[edit] Gaming and labor
The famous Las Vegas Strip, home to the world's largest casino-hotels.
Gambling erupted once more following a recession in the early 20th
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.
In 1935, construction began on Hoover Dam, located outside Las
Vegas near Boulder City. 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.
[edit] Nuclear Testing
The Nevada Test Site, 65 miles (105 km) 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 1,350 square miles
(3,500 km²) of desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing
at the Nevada Test Site began with a one-kiloton of TNT (4 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.
Over 80% of the state's area 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 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.
Nevada Population Density MapAccording to the Census Bureau's 2006
estimate, Nevada has an estimated population of 2,495,529, 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, Arizona has replaced Nevada to become
the fastest growing state in the country, percentage-wise. Nevada
is now the second fastest growing out of the fifty states, having
been in 1st place for about 60 straight years.[8]
The center of population of Nevada is located in southern Nye County
[1].
Demographics of Nevada (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native — NHPI is Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 86.11% 7.67% 2.17% 5.67% 0.83%
2000 (Hispanic only) 18.78% 0.44% 0.45% 0.25% 0.11%
2005 (total population) 84.25% 8.58% 2.15% 6.87% 0.92%
2005 (Hispanic only) 22.31% 0.69% 0.51% 0.30% 0.12%
Growth 2000–2005 (total population) 18.23% 35.25% 20.23% 46.27%
33.72%
Growth 2000–2005 (non-Hispanic only) 11.17% 31.96% 16.39%
46.36% 33.55%
Growth 2000–2005 (Hispanic only) 43.57% 88.97% 34.74% 44.46%
34.84%
The largest reported ancestry groups in Nevada are: German (14.1%),
Mexican (12.7%), Irish (11%), English (10.1%), Italian (6.6%), Filipino
(5.2%), and American (4.8%). Nevada also has a sizable Basque ancestry
population. In Clark and Pershing Counties, a plurality of residents
are of Mexican ancestry; Nye County and Humboldt County have a plurality
of German Americans.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 16.19% of the population aged
5 and over speak Spanish at home, while 1.59% speak Filipino [2].
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.
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%, 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.
[edit] Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are:[citation
needed]
Christian – 78%
Protestant – 34%
Baptist – 15%
Methodist – 6%
Lutheran – 3%
Other Protestant – 11%
Roman Catholic – 44%
Latter-day Saint – 12%
Other Christian – 1%
Jewish – 1%
Other Religions – 1%
Non-Religious – 20%
[edit] Economy
Nevada's booming economic center of Las VegasThe 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, 11th 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
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 (where Las
Vegas is), Washoe County (where Reno is), 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).
[9] 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.[10] Most of these animals forage
on rangeland in the summer, with supplemental feed in the winter.
Calves are generally shipped to out-of-state feedlots in the fall
to be fattened for market. Over 90% of Nevada's 484,000 acres (1,960
km²) of cropland is used to grow hay, mostly alfalfa, for livestock
feed.
Further information: Nevada locations by per capita income
Nevada is also one of only a few states with no personal income
tax and no corporate income tax. The state sales tax in Nevada is
6.5%. Counties can assess option taxes 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%.
[edit] Transportation
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, Winnemucca, Sparks, and Reno.
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches 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.
Interstate 15 passes through the southern tip of the state, serving
Las Vegas and other communities. I-215 and spur route I-515 also
serve the Las Vegas metropolitan area. 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, 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. Nevada is one of a few
states in the U.S. that does not have a continuous interstate highway
linking its major population centers: Reno/Carson City and Las Vegas.
Even the non-interstate federal highways aren't contiguous between
its two largest cities, 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
trucks 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.
Las Vegas has a bus network and a monorail system. McCarran International
Airport in Las Vegas is one of the busiest airports in the United
States. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (formerly known as
the Reno Cannon International Airport) is the other major airport
in the state.
RTC RIDE operates a well-structured frequent system of local transit
buses throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit
systems in the state include Carson City's JAC. Some counties do
not have public transport at all, e.g. Storey, Eureka, Lander, and
Nye.
[edit] Law and government
This section has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality.
Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page.
The current Governor of Nevada is Jim Gibbons (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 U.S. senators are Harry Reid (Democrat) and John Ensign
(Republican).
Further information: List of Nevada Governors; Map of Congressional
Districts
[edit] Legislature
A view of the Nevada State Legislative Building in Carson CityThe
Nevada Legislature is a bicameral body divided into an upper house
Senate and a lower house 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).
[edit] 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).
[edit] Libertarian laws
The courthouse of the Supreme Court of NevadaIn 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 is legal in Nevada,
in any county that decides to allow it. Quite a few of them do.
[11] 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.
[edit] 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,
divorces 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, 317 U.S. 287 (1942), in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled
that North Carolina had to give "full faith and credit"
to a Nevada divorce. (This basically means all states have to honor
a marriage or divorce performed in another state.)
[edit] 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.
[3].
[edit] 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 Corporations 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.
[edit] 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.[citation needed]
[edit] 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 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". Liquor stores, convenience
stores and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24 hours per day,
and may sell beer, wine and spirits.
[edit] Smoking
Nevada voters enacted a smoking ban ("the Nevada Clean Indoor
Air Act") in November 2006 that became effective on Dec. 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 brothels.[12] However, some businesses
do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it.[13]
Yet, in one case they did prosecute an establishment called "Bilbo's"
but trial is pending until 2008.[14]
[edit] Politics
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. According to official
statistics, party registration numbers show that 38.9% of voters
are registered Republicans, with 40.4% being Democrats and 19.8%
of voters being Independents.
The skyline of Reno.The state is not dominated by either major political
party and is 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 1992 and 1996 presidential elections and Republican
George W. Bush won Nevada in 2000 and 2004. In 2004, Bush narrowly
won the state's five electoral votes by a margin of two percentage
points with 50.5% of the vote. Clark and Mineral counties were the
only two counties to vote Democratic.
Three counties or county-equivalents--Clark, Washoe, and Carson
City--dominate the state's politics, casting roughly 85 percent
of the state's vote between them. The state's U. S. Senators are
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), a native of Searchlight,
and Senator John Ensign (R).
In state politics, both Democrats and Republicans have gained control
of the governorship and the Nevada Legislature, with often cross-party
support for varying candidates and politicians. However, no party
has yet had concrete control of the Legislature or governorship
in recent years.
[edit] State departments and agencies
Department of Administration
Department of Agriculture
Attorney General
Department of Business & Industry
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Consumer Health Assistance
Controller's Office
Department of Correction
Department of Cultural Affairs
Nevada Commission on Economic Development
Department of Education
Nevada Secretary of State, Election Division
Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation
Gaming Control Board
Governor's Office
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Information Technology
Department of Justice
Lieutenant Governor
Nevada Military Department
Division of Minerals, Commission on Mineral Resources
Department of Motor Vehicles
Nevada National Guard
Department of Personnel
Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys
Public Employees Benefit Program
Public Employees Retirement System
Department of Public Safety
Public Utilities Commission
Department of Secretary of State
Department of Taxation
Commission on Tourism
Department of Transportation
Nevada State Treasurer
Universities and Community Colleges of Nevada
Nevada Office of Veterans' Services
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Department of Wildlife [15]
Local important governorment laws 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 towns are settlements 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 compenstation. 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.
[edit] Important Cities and Towns
Rank City Population
within
city limits Land Area
sq. miles Population
Density
per sq mi County
1 Las Vegas 553,807 131.3 4,217.8 Clark
2 Henderson 255,646 79.7 2,200.8 Clark
3 Paradise 221,051 47.1 3,947.3 Clark
4 Reno 206,629 69.1 2,611.4 Washoe
5 Sunrise Manor 195,581 38.2 4,081.8 Clark
6 North Las Vegas 177,751 78.5 1,471.0 Clark
7 Spring Valley 176,552 33.4 3,519.4 Clark
8 Sparks 88,518 23.9 2,773.6 Washoe
9 Carson City 58,350 143.4 366 Carson City
10 Pahrump 44,614 297.9 82.7 Nye
Paradise, Sunrise Manor, and Spring Valley are unincorporated towns
in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Rank County Population
within
county limits Land Area
sq. miles Population
Density
per sq mi Largest city
1 Clark 1,715,337 7,910 174 Las Vegas
2 Washoe 383,453 6,342 54 Reno
3 Carson City 56,146 155.7 366 Carson City
4 Douglas 47,803 710 58 Gardnerville Ranchos
5 Elko 46,499 17,179 3 Elko
6 Lyon 44,646 1,994 17 Fernley
7 Nye 38,181 18,147 2 Pahrump
8 Churchill 26,106 4,929 5 Fallon
9 Humboldt 17,129 9,648 2 Winnemucca
10 White Pine 8,966 8,876 1 Ely
Note: table was compiled using Nevada State estimates from 2004
for population and Census 2000 for area and density
See also: List of cities in Nevada
[edit] 10 richest places in Nevada
Ranked by per capita income
Incline Village-Crystal Bay $52,521
Kingsbury $41,451
Mount Charleston $38,821
Verdi-Mogul $38,233
Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village $37,218
Summerlin South $33,017
Blue Diamond $30,479
Minden $30,405
Boulder City $29,770
Spanish Springs $26,908
Further information: Nevada locations by per capita income
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges and universities
Morrison University
Nevada System of Higher Education
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
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
[edit] Parks and Recreation
[edit] Recreation areas maintained by the National Park Service
California National Historic Trail
Death Valley National Park
Great Basin National Park near Baker
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Pony Express National Historic Trail
[edit] Southern Nevada
Mount Charleston and the Mount Charleston Wilderness Area
Mount Charleston as seen from the North Loop Trail, late AprilSpring
Mountains and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve
[edit] Sports
Las Vegas Gladiators, Arena Football League
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 Wolf Pack
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and
removing inappropriate ones.
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.
Although the name is derived from the Spanish word Nevada meaning
"snowy", the local pronunciation of the state's name is
not IPA: [n?'v?d?], but IPA: [n?'væd?]. Residents use the
state name as a Shibboleth to determine whether or not the speaker
is a native Nevadan. Residents also often regard the pronunciation
as a test of whether visitors such as presidential candidates, have
informed themselves about the state. In 2005, the state issued a
new series of license plates that list the name of the state as
Nevada to help with the pronunciation problem.
Several United States Navy ships have been named USS Nevada in
honor of the state.
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".
[edit] Songs about Nevada
Sands of Nevada from Mark Knopfler's 2000 release Sailing to Philadelphia
Darcy Farrow
[edit] Future Issues
Nevada enjoys many economic advantages 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 greater Las Vegas, are dealing
with the many problems brought about by urban sprawl, including
traffic, pollution, commute times, community isolation, and lack
of transportation choices due to the auto-dominated landscape.
[edit] State symbols
State animal: Desert Bighorn Sheep
State artifact: Tule Duck Decoy
State bird: Mountain Bluebird
State colors: Silver and Blue
State fish: Lahontan cutthroat trout
State flower: Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
State fossil: Ichthyosaur
State grass: Indian ricegrass
State march: "Silver State Fanfare" by Gerald Willis
State metal: Silver (Ag)
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 trees: Single-leaf Pinyon pine and Bristlecone pine (Pinus
longaeva)
A fictional history (with a great deal of fact) titled Nevada was
written by Clint McCullough.
CONTACT
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