| State of Nevada | |
| Coordinates | 39°NB, 117°WL |
| General | |
| Surface | 286.585 km² (0,7% water) |
| Residents | 3.080.156 (2019) (9,57 inhabitants/km²) |
| Capital city | Carson City |
| Politics | |
| Governor | Steve Sisolak (D) |
| Other | |
| Time zone | -7 / -8 UTC |
| Joined | 31 October 1864 |
| Nickname | Sagebrush State, Silver State, Battle Born State |
| Website | nv.gov |
Nevada is one of the states of the United States. The standard abbreviation for the “Silver State”, as it is nicknamed, is NV. The capital is Carson City. Nevada is the driest state in the United States and consists mainly of (semi) deserts such as the Great Basin Desert and the Mojave Desert. Large parts of the state are practically uninhabited. The population is highly concentrated: in the northwest around the city of Reno and the relatively small capital Carson City, and in the south in the metropolis of Las Vegas. Nevada’s history is primarily marked by the mining and gambling industry. The large population growth due to mass (white) immigration started in 1859.
Etymology and pronunciation
The Spanish word nevada means “snow-covered” or snowy (from the root nev). The name of the state is often pronounced differently outside the western United States. To promote and promote the local pronunciation, a breve is sometimes placed on the first a: Nevăda. Since then, this spelling has also been available on number plates.
Geography
U.S. Route 50 cuts right through the Great Basin and has been called “The Loneliest Road in America.”
Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada on the border of California and Nevada.
According to JIBIN123.COM, Nevada covers 286,585 km², of which 284,449 km² is land. The state borders Oregon and Idaho to the north, California to the west and south, and Utah and Arizona to the east. The boundary in the far south is defined in part by the Colorado River, which flows through Lake Mead, where the large Hoover Dam is located. The state is in the Pacific Standard Time time zone and uses daylight saving time (Pacific Saving Time) from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
With the exception of central north and southern Nevada, most of Nevada is located in the Great Basin desert. With the exception of the mountain ranges, this part of Nevada has a cold steppe climate. This desert lies within the Great Basin, an area that does not drain into the oceans, but only has internal drainage. This Great Basin consists of several small and large river basins with a salt flat or a (seasonal) salt lake as the lowest point. The largest endorean basin is that of the Humboldt, also the largest river within the Great Basin, ending in the Humboldt Sink. The bank of this river was part of the California Trail in the 19th century, along which people traveled west. Another endorheic basin is that of the Quinn, ending in the Black Rock Desert. Other major rivers are the Truckee and Walker Rivers.
The extreme south of the state lies in the contiguous Mojave Desert. The transition between the Great Basin Desert and the Mojave Desert is primarily related to elevation and associated average temperature. The Great Basin Desert is a cold desert, while the Mojave Desert is considered to be one of the warm deserts, has a desert climate with less precipitation. This part of the state does experience monsoons and thunderstorms and is part of the Colorado River basin, which drains to the sea. The north belongs (via the Bruneau and the Owyhee) to the drainage area of the Columbia River.
Nevada is the US state with the least precipitation per year but has a great diversity of climates. Most of the state has a steppe climate, while the south (the region around Las Vegas) is in the Mojave Desert with a desert climate. A large part of the state is dry because of this, but within these arid areas you can find mountain ranges with a very different climate. The isolated mountain ranges form so-called sky islands where the climate is milder and the flora and fauna is different and wilder than in the surrounding desert. The animals that live here have no connection with nature in the surrounding areas.
Most of the Great Basin desert is higher than 1200 meters. The valley of Las Vegas and environs is lower than 1000 meters. Northwestern Nevada, near the western border with California and the cities of Reno and Carson City, falls within the Sierra Nevada foothills. This mountain range has a climate that is on the border of a moderate Mediterranean climate and a cold steppe climate. There is limited scope for farming here. The top of Boundary Peak (4005 m) in the White Mountains is the highest point in Nevada. This peak is also very close to the California border, where there are higher points, and is not always considered a full-fledged mountain. In that caseWheeler Peak in the Snake Range in eastern Nevada is the highest “mountain” in Nevada at 3982 meters. The highest point in southern Nevada and at the same time the highest point in the entire Mojave Desert is Charleston Peak (3,633 meters) in the Spring Mountains. The Spring Mountains tower some 3,000 feet above the neighboring Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Demographics
Nevada had 1,998,257 inhabitants (7 per km²), of which about 88% of the population lives in an urban area. The population increased to 2,643,085 in 2009. This makes it the state with the fastest growing population in percentage. Major cities in Nevada include Las Vegas, Henderson (next to Las Vegas), Reno, Sparks (next to Reno), and the state capital Carson City.
Nevada’s population is highly concentrated in two separate areas. Three quarters of the population lives in Clark County, in the southern part of the state, which includes the metropolitan area of Las Vegas. The majority of the rest of the population lives in the northwest of the state in or near Reno and Carson City. The distance between the capital Carson City and Las Vegas is more than 500 kilometers and leads mainly through uninhabited desert.
Economy
The gross product of the state in 2001 was $79 billion. On March 17, 1931, during the Great Depression, gambling was legalized in Nevada to stimulate the economy and continues to be an important source of income, especially in Las Vegas. Nevada is the only state in the US to have counties where prostitution is legal. Divorce is also relatively easy in Nevada. After spending six weeks in Nevada, residents of other states can also get divorced. Despite the snags associated with this arrangement, it is widely used. Legally getting married can even be done in one day.
Nevada is the third largest producer of gold in the world after Russia and South Africa and a major producer of silver. 84.5% of the state’s territory is in the hands of the Federal government, and large areas (see Nevada Nuclear Weapons Test Area) are used by U.S. defense. Nellis Air Force base and Area 51 are also located in Nevada.
Administrative division
According to COUNTRYAAH, Nevada is divided into 16 counties and one independent city.
| County | Inhabitants 1 July, 2007 |
County Seat | Inhabitants 1 July, 2007 |
| Churchill | 24.891 | Fallon | 8473 |
| Clark | 1.836.333 | Las Vegas | 558.880 |
| Douglas | 45.406 | Minden | 3108 |
| Elko | 47.010 | Elko | 17.180 |
| Esmeralda | 695 | Goldfield | 314 |
| Eureka | 1559 | Eureka | 1056 |
| Humboldt | 17.523 | Winnemucca | 7995 |
| Lander | 5104 | Battle Mountain | 2573 |
| Lincoln | 4759 | Pioche | 2126 |
| Lyon | 52.479 | Yerington | 3871 |
| Mineral | 4774 | Hawthorne | 3156 |
| Nye | 44.116 | Tonopah | 3499 |
| Pershing | 6376 | Lovelock | 1889 |
| Storey | 4193 | Virginia City | 2517 |
| Washoe | 406.079 | Reno | 214.853 |
| White Pine | 9146 | Ely | 4008 |
Politics
Nevada State Capitol in Reno.
The executive branch of the state is headed by a governor, who is directly elected by the voters in the state. The 2018 gubernatorial election was won by Steve Sisolak of the Democratic Party. He took office as governor of Nevada in January 2019.
The Legislature is made up of the Nevada National Assembly (Nevada Assembly) with 42 members and the Nevada Senate (Nevada Senate) with 21 members.
The lower house was last elected in November 2016 and will be fully elected again in November 2018. Same for the Senate, but here half (10 or 11 seats) are elected.
Since the beginning of the state, the political climate has been characterized by its libertarian legislation. This is reflected in his free laws regarding gambling, marriage, divorce and prostitution.
| Nevada Assembly (2017)27
15 27 15 The 42 seats are distributed as follows: ■ Democratic: 27 ■ Republican: 15 |
Nevada Senate (2017)10
1 9 1 10 1 9 1 The 21 seats are distributed as follows: ■ Democratic: 10 ■ Independently: 1 ■ Republican: 9 ■ Vacant: 1 |
Sights
A road winds between the colored rock formations in the Valley of Fire State Park
The Burning Man festival is held every year in the Black Rock Desert.
The most famous places of interest are the gambling cities Las Vegas and Reno. Outside of these cities, the state has plenty of natural beauty to offer in several national parks and state parks, such as Great Basin National Park Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Special rock formations can be found in the Valley of Fire State Park, Cathedral Gorge State Park, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Inyo National Forest, and the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
There are also National Trails, hiking trails, which lead along the former California Trail, the route of the Pony Express and the Old Spanish Trail.
There is also a lot of tourism along the lakes. Lake Mead, with surrounding tourist area and the Hoover Dam. Another lake is Lake Tahoe on the California border. Virginia City is an old gold prospector town that is part ghost town. True ghost towns can be found in the Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park and the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park.
The Black Rock Desert is a desert that is so flat, apart from the mountains that stand between it, that the necessary world land speed record has been broken here. The Burning Man festival is also held here every year.
