Introduction
Nevada is an American state located in the West. To its northwest is Oregon, to its northeast is Idaho, to its West is California, to its southeast is Arizona, and to its east is Utah. Nevada is the seventh-largest, 32nd-most populous, and 9th-most sparsely populated state in the nation.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT NEVADA
- Capital City: Carson City
- Largest City: Las Vegas
- Nickname: The Silver State
- Statehood: 1864; 36th state
- Population (as of 2020): 3,104,614
- Abbreviation: NV
- State bird: mountain bluebird
- State flower: sagebrush
- Total Size Of The State: 110,577 sq mi (286,382 km2)
Historical Background
Researchers are still determining when people began coming to the Nevada area, but they found petroglyphs (rock carvings) up to 14,800 years old. So ancient Native American tribes, including Northern and Southern Paiutes, Washoes, and Western Shoshones, lived here thousands of years ago.
In 1519, Spain claimed the area, but after Mexico gained its independence in 1821, the land became part of Mexico. Finally, the United States seized the area after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848.
Thousands of settlers rushed to the area after gold and silver were discovered in 1859. As a result, the state of Nevada was incorporated in 1864.
Why Does It Have That Name?
Named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Nevada derives its name from the Spanish word nieve, which roughly translates as “snow-capped.”
Silver Deposits attracted settlers and strengthened the region’s economy, called the Silver State.
Geographic Features and Landforms
Nevada borders Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and California. This state has more mountains than any other country and is also the driest.
There are three distinct regions on the state’s land. In Nevada’s northeastern corner, hardened lava formed the Columbia Plateau. Then, over thousands of years, water slowly eroded the land, carving out its high ridges and deep canyons.
In southern Nevada, the steep Sierra Nevada mountains dominate the landscape. It boasts the largest alpine lake in North America, Lake Tahoe, located along the border with California.
Over the rest of the state, there are more than 150 mountain ranges, buttes (flat hills), hot springs, and geysers. Boundary Peak, which rises to an elevation of 13,140 feet, is also located here. The low Mojave Desert also crosses the California border into Nevada in this region.
The Natural World
Nevada’s mammals include nine types of squirrels, antelope, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goats, and black bears. Reptiles include Chuckwallas (a lizard), desert tortoises, banded Gila monsters, and western diamondback rattlesnakes. Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and mountain bluebirds, the state bird, can be spotted from above. Amphibians in Nevada include the Great Plains toad and the Columbia spotted frog.
The state’s trees include Pinyon pine, Utah juniper, mesquite, and Great Basin bristlecone pine. Nevada is also home to blooming cacti such as beavertail prickly pear and tar-scented creosote bush (the state flower).
Natural Resources
In the United States, Nevada produces about three-quarters of the gold. Additionally, it contains silver, copper, and some of the world’s finest black opals.
Some Fun Facts About Nevada
- Among Nevada’s famous residents are tennis pro-Andre Agassi and Patricia Ryan Nixon, the former first lady of the United States.
- The Ancient Peoples may have stored thousands of artifacts, such as arrowheads and other tools, in the Hidden Cave in the 1920s as a haven.
- Las Vegas is the largest city in the state, attracting over 42 million visitors each year. The Stratosphere is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. Visitors who are brave enough can bungee jump from its top, which is more than a thousand feet high.
- The state transportation board in 1996 named State Route 375 Extraterrestrial Highway due to many reports that people saw extraterrestrials along its 98-mile (158-km) stretch.
- Las Vegas is the world’s gambling capital.
- Las Vegas is one of the brightest cities in the world.