{{Otheruses1|the U.S. State}}
{{US state |
Name = Nevada |
Fullname = State of Nevada |
Flag = Nevada state flag.png |
Flaglink = Flag_of_Nevada |
Seal = Nevada state seal.png |
Map = Map of USA highlighting Nevada.png |
Nickname = Silver State, Battle Born State (official) |
Capital = Carson City |
LargestCity = Las Vegas |
Governor = Kenny_Guinn (R)|
Senators = Harry_Reid (D)
John_Ensign (R) |
PostalAbbreviation = NV |
OfficialLang = None |
AreaRank = 7th |
TotalArea = 286,367 |
LandArea = 284,396 |
LandRank = 7th |
WaterArea = 1,971 |
PCWater = 0.7 |
PopRank = 35th |
2000Pop = 1,998,257 |
DensityRank = 43rd |
2000Density = 7.03 |
AdmittanceOrder = 36th |
AdmittanceDate = October_31, 1864 |
TimeZone = Pacific: UTC-8/-7
Mountain: UTC-7/-6
All but West Wendover is in Pacific | Longitude = 114°W to 120°W | Latitude = 35°N to 42°N | Width = 519 | Length = 788 | HighestElev = 4,005 | MeanElev = 1,676 | LowestElev = 146 | ISOCode = US-NV | Website = www.nevada.gov }} '''Nevada''' is a state located in the western United_States. The population as of July 2004 was estimated to be 2,334,771, up nearly 17% from the 2000 census figure of 1,998,257. Nevada is the fastest growing state in the country. Between 2000 and 2003, Nevada's population increased 12.2%, while the USA's population increased 3.3%. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased 66.3%, while the USA's population increased 13.1%. Nevada's nickname is "The Silver State", and the state's motto is "All for Our Country". "Home_Means_Nevada" by Bertha_Rafetto 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. Despite the name's derivation from the Spanish word ''nevada'' meaning "snowy", the local pronunciation of the state's name is not "Ne-vah-da"; the middle syllable has a short ''a'' sound as in ''cat'' or ''hat''. (Residents 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 '''Nevǎda''' to help with the pronunciation problem. Several United_States_Navy ships have been named USS ''Nevada'' in honor of the state. == History == In 14.08.1850, the U.S. Congress established the Utah_territory which included the present day states of Utah, Idaho and Nevada. 1859 saw the discovery of the Comstock_Lode, a rich outcropping of gold and silver, and Virginia City sprang up. This discovery brought a flood of miners, prospectors, merchants and others hoping to strike it rich. On March_2, 1861, Nevada separated from the Utah territory and adopted its current name, shortened from ''Sierra Nevada'' (Spanish for "snowy range"). On October_31, 1864, just eight days prior to the presidential election, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed through despite Nevada's tiny population to help ensure Abraham_Lincoln's reelection and post-Civil War Republican dominance in congress. As Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union, it was viewed as politically reliable (as opposed to the more Agrarian and Confederate-sympathizing California). 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. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark_County,_Nevada. Negotiations are currently underway for Nevada to annex Wendover,_Utah, which would be merged with West_Wendover,_Nevada. This deal will require the permission of both the Nevada and Utah legislatures and the U.S. Congress. Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years. In the late 1800's, the Comstock_Lode played out, and Nevada went into a tailspin. There was even talk of stripping away statehood, the only time in American history such an action was discussed in Congress. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900 helped save the state. This was soon followed by strikes in Goldfield and Rhyolite in the following years. These strikes lasted well into the 1910s and made Nevada a dominant player in mining once again. Mines still control a good percentage of Nevada's economy. Gold from the Carlin Trend in Northern Nevada is the second richest in the world. Other minerals, such as copper, molybdenum, and lithium, are also mined. Despite Nevada being the third oldest western state, it is referred to as the "Permanent Colony" as over 87% of the land 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 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. Gambling was common in the early Nevada mining towns, but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gaming crusade. Due to a sharp decline in mining output in the 1920s and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great_Depression, Nevada re-legalized gambling in 1931. 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. A fictional history (with a great deal of fact) titled ''Nevada'' was written by Clint_McCullough. == Law and government == Nevada's Capital is Carson City and its governor is Kenny_Guinn (Republican). Nevada's two U.S. senators are Harry_Reid (Democrat) and John_Ensign (Republican). {{see|List of Nevada Governors}} Due to the tremendous growth of Las Vegas in recent years, there is a noticeable divide between politics of Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in the state government even while the Las Vegas area is larger than the rest of the state (the "cow counties"). 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. Most people outside the state are not familiar with this rivalry. The state is not dominated by either major political party. Democrat Bill Clinton won the state in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections and Republican George Bush won Nevada in 2000 and 2004. In 2004, George Bush narrowly won the state's 5 electoral votes by a margin of 2 percentage points with 50.5% of the vote. Las Vegas' Clark County, which contains the majority of the state's population, was the only county to vote Democratic. Nevada is currently the only state that has different ages of consent for different sexual practices. An adult may have "ordinary sexual intercourse, anal intercourse, cunnilingus or fellatio" with another person that is 16 years old or older (NRS 200.364); however a different law makes it illegal to incite, entice, or solicit any minor (a person under 18) to engage in the "infamous crime against nature". (NRS 201.195). {{see|Age of Consent}} == Geography == right {{see|List of Nevada counties}} Nevada has borders with Oregon and Idaho to the north, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast and Utah to the east. The border with Arizona includes the Colorado River and Hoover_Dam. It is in a mountain region that includes semiarid grasslands, lush alpine forests, and sandy deserts, and is the most arid (dry) state in the nation. Nevada is a land of rugged, snow-capped mountains, grassy valleys and sandy deserts. The northern and central portions of Nevada are mostly within the Great_Basin Desert, while portions of the southern tip are within the Mojave_Desert. {{seealso|list of mountain ranges of Nevada}}
== Economy == The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2003 was $88 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $31,910, 19th in the nation. Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, dairy products, onions and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment. It is well-known for gambling and nightlife. Large, luxurious casinos in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno attract visitors from around the world. Nevada is the only state with legalized Prostitution. {{see|Prostitution in Nevada}} {{see|Nevada locations by per capita income}} Nevada is also one of only a few states with no personal income tax. == Demographics == {| class="toccolours" align="right" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 95%;" |- ! colspan=2 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"| Historical populations |- ! align="center"| Census
year !! align="right"| Population |- | colspan=2|
|- | align="center"| 1860 || align="right"| 6,857 |- | align="center"| 1870 || align="right"| 42,941 |- | align="center"| 1880 || align="right"| 62,266 |- | align="center"| 1890 || align="right"| 47,355 |- | align="center"| 1900 || align="right"| 42,335 |- | align="center"| 1910 || align="right"| 81,875 |- | align="center"| 1920 || align="right"| 77,407 |- | align="center"| 1930 || align="right"| 91,058 |- | align="center"| 1940 || align="right"| 110,247 |- | align="center"| 1950 || align="right"| 160,083 |- | align="center"| 1960 || align="right"| 285,278 |- | align="center"| 1970 || align="right"| 488,738 |- | align="center"| 1980 || align="right"| 800,493 |- | align="center"| 1990 || align="right"| 1,201,833 |- | align="center"| 2000 || align="right"| 1,998,257 |} According to the Census Bureau, as of 2004, the population of Nevada was 2,334,771. The racial makeup of the state is: *65.2% White non-Hispanic *19.7% Hispanic *6.8% Black *4.5% Asian *0.9% Native American *1.4% Mixed_race The five largest ancestry groups in Nevada are: German (14.1%), Mexican (12.7%), Irish (11%), English (10.1%), Italian (6.6%), American (4.8%). In Clark and Pershing Counties, a plurality of residents are Mexican; Nye County and Humboldt County have a plurality of German-Americans. 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. ===Religion=== The religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are: *Christian – 78% **Protestant – 44% ***Baptist – 15% ***Methodist – 6 ***Lutheran – 3% ***Other Protestant – 21% **Roman Catholic – 24% **Mormon – 3% **Other Christian – 1% *Other Religions – 2% *Non-Religious – 20% == Important cities and towns == {{ussm|nevada.png|nv}} The largest city is Las Vegas. {| |- |valign=top| *Las Vegas *Reno *Henderson *North Las Vegas *Sparks |valign=top| *Carson City *Pahrump *Elko *Boulder City *Mesquite |valign=top| *Fernley *Fallon *Winnemucca *Gardnerville *Minden |} Nevada is also reputedly the home of Area_51, a top-secret installation the U.S. federal government has always denied existed. Area 51 is supposedly located in Groom Lake, near Nellis_Air_Force_Base. {{seealso|List of cities in Nevada}} ===10 richest places in Nevada=== Ranked by Per_capita_income #Incline_Village-Crystal_Bay,_Nevada $52,521 #Kingsbury,_Nevada $41,451 #Mount_Charleston,_Nevada $38,821 #Verdi-Mogul,_Nevada $38,233 #Zephyr_Cove-Round_Hill_Village,_Nevada $37,218 #Summerlin_South,_Nevada $33,017 #Blue_Diamond,_Nevada $30,479 #Minden,_Nevada $30,405 #Boulder_City,_Nevada $29,770 #Spanish_Springs,_Nevada $26,908 {{see|Nevada locations by per capita income}} ==State symbols== Image:Digital-elevation-map-nevada.gif *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 *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 series *State tartan: A particular Tartan designed for Nevada by Richard Zygmunt Pawlowski *State_trees: Single-leaf Piñon and Bristlecone_pine == Education == === Colleges and universities === *Sierra_Nevada_College *Nevada_System_of_Higher_Education **University_of_Nevada,_Las_Vegas **University_of_Nevada,_Reno **Nevada_State_College_at_Henderson **Community_College_of_Southern_Nevada **Great_Basin_College **Truckee_Meadows_Community_College **Western_Nevada_Community_College == Professional sports teams == *Las_Vegas_Gladiators, Arena_Football_League *Las_Vegas_51s, Minor_league_baseball *Las_Vegas_Wranglers, East_Coast_Hockey_League == Famous Nevadans == *Andre_Agassi - Tennis player *Kurt_Busch - NASCAR driver *Walter_van_Tilburg_Clark - writer *Michael_Chang - Tennis player *Jenna_Jameson - adult film actress *Jack_Kramer - tennis player *Paul_Laxalt - politician *Robert_Laxalt - writer *Greg_Maddux - Major League Baseball player *Pat_Nixon - First Lady *Harry_Reid - Senate Minority Leader *Edna_Purviance - actress *Steve Wynn - casino owner *Barry_Zito - Major League Baseball player ==Transportation== Image:Nvuds.jpg.]] Interstate_15 passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. It has spur routes I-215 and I-515. Interstate_80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, reaching 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. The state is one of just a few in the country that allow Semi-trailer combinations 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. Union_Pacific_Railroad has some railroads in the north and in the south (map). Amtrak's ''California_Zephyr'' uses one of the northern branches in a daily service from Chicago,_Illinois to Emeryville,_California serving Elko, Winnemucca, Sparks, and Reno. http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct04/P05.pdf Burlington_Northern_Santa_Fe has Trackage_rights to the Union Pacific lines in the north. Amtrak provides bus services from Las Vegas to Needles,_California and Los_Angeles (http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct04/P03.pdf). Greyhound_Lines also provides some bus services. Las Vegas has a bus network, and a monorail system that is being extended. McCarran_International_Airport in Las Vegas is one of the busiest airports in the United States. There are also bus services in Reno/Sparks, and from there to Carson City. Some counties do not have public transport at all, for example Eureka County. ==See also== *List_of_BSA_local_councils_and_districts_in_Nevada *List_of_cities_in_Nevada *List_of_Governors_of_Nevada *List_of_mountain_ranges_of_Nevada *List_of_Nevada_counties *List_of_Nevada_rivers *List_of_Nevada_state_prisons *List_of_people_from_Nevada *List_of_radio_stations_in_Nevada *List_of_television_stations_in_Nevada *List_of_United_States_Senators_from_Nevada *List_of_ZIP_Codes_in_Nevada == External links == {{commons|Category:Nevada}} *Official state website *Nevada state symbols *Nevada State Library and Archives — Why Did Nevada Become a State? *Photos of Nevada - Terra Galleria *US Census Bureau *County Maps of Nevada Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats {{Nevada}} {{United_States}} Category:States_of_the_American_West * Category:States_of_the_United_States Bg:Невада Ca:Nevada Cs:Nevada Da:Nevada De:Nevada Es:Nevada Eo:Nevado Fr:Nevada Ga:Nevada Gl:Nevada Ko:네바다_주 Id:Nevada It:Nevada He:נבדה Ka:ნევადა La:Nivata Lv:Nevada Lt:Nevada Hu:Nevada Nl:Nevada Ja:ネバダ州 No:Nevada Nn:Nevada Os:Невадæ Pl:Nevada Pt:Nevada Ru:Невада Sr:Невада Fi:Nevada Sv:Nevada Uk:Невада Zh:内华达州
Mountain: UTC-7/-6
All but West Wendover is in Pacific | Longitude = 114°W to 120°W | Latitude = 35°N to 42°N | Width = 519 | Length = 788 | HighestElev = 4,005 | MeanElev = 1,676 | LowestElev = 146 | ISOCode = US-NV | Website = www.nevada.gov }} '''Nevada''' is a state located in the western United_States. The population as of July 2004 was estimated to be 2,334,771, up nearly 17% from the 2000 census figure of 1,998,257. Nevada is the fastest growing state in the country. Between 2000 and 2003, Nevada's population increased 12.2%, while the USA's population increased 3.3%. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased 66.3%, while the USA's population increased 13.1%. Nevada's nickname is "The Silver State", and the state's motto is "All for Our Country". "Home_Means_Nevada" by Bertha_Rafetto 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. Despite the name's derivation from the Spanish word ''nevada'' meaning "snowy", the local pronunciation of the state's name is not "Ne-vah-da"; the middle syllable has a short ''a'' sound as in ''cat'' or ''hat''. (Residents 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 '''Nevǎda''' to help with the pronunciation problem. Several United_States_Navy ships have been named USS ''Nevada'' in honor of the state. == History == In 14.08.1850, the U.S. Congress established the Utah_territory which included the present day states of Utah, Idaho and Nevada. 1859 saw the discovery of the Comstock_Lode, a rich outcropping of gold and silver, and Virginia City sprang up. This discovery brought a flood of miners, prospectors, merchants and others hoping to strike it rich. On March_2, 1861, Nevada separated from the Utah territory and adopted its current name, shortened from ''Sierra Nevada'' (Spanish for "snowy range"). On October_31, 1864, just eight days prior to the presidential election, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed through despite Nevada's tiny population to help ensure Abraham_Lincoln's reelection and post-Civil War Republican dominance in congress. As Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union, it was viewed as politically reliable (as opposed to the more Agrarian and Confederate-sympathizing California). 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. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark_County,_Nevada. Negotiations are currently underway for Nevada to annex Wendover,_Utah, which would be merged with West_Wendover,_Nevada. This deal will require the permission of both the Nevada and Utah legislatures and the U.S. Congress. Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years. In the late 1800's, the Comstock_Lode played out, and Nevada went into a tailspin. There was even talk of stripping away statehood, the only time in American history such an action was discussed in Congress. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900 helped save the state. This was soon followed by strikes in Goldfield and Rhyolite in the following years. These strikes lasted well into the 1910s and made Nevada a dominant player in mining once again. Mines still control a good percentage of Nevada's economy. Gold from the Carlin Trend in Northern Nevada is the second richest in the world. Other minerals, such as copper, molybdenum, and lithium, are also mined. Despite Nevada being the third oldest western state, it is referred to as the "Permanent Colony" as over 87% of the land 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 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. Gambling was common in the early Nevada mining towns, but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gaming crusade. Due to a sharp decline in mining output in the 1920s and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great_Depression, Nevada re-legalized gambling in 1931. 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. A fictional history (with a great deal of fact) titled ''Nevada'' was written by Clint_McCullough. == Law and government == Nevada's Capital is Carson City and its governor is Kenny_Guinn (Republican). Nevada's two U.S. senators are Harry_Reid (Democrat) and John_Ensign (Republican). {{see|List of Nevada Governors}} Due to the tremendous growth of Las Vegas in recent years, there is a noticeable divide between politics of Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in the state government even while the Las Vegas area is larger than the rest of the state (the "cow counties"). 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. Most people outside the state are not familiar with this rivalry. The state is not dominated by either major political party. Democrat Bill Clinton won the state in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections and Republican George Bush won Nevada in 2000 and 2004. In 2004, George Bush narrowly won the state's 5 electoral votes by a margin of 2 percentage points with 50.5% of the vote. Las Vegas' Clark County, which contains the majority of the state's population, was the only county to vote Democratic. Nevada is currently the only state that has different ages of consent for different sexual practices. An adult may have "ordinary sexual intercourse, anal intercourse, cunnilingus or fellatio" with another person that is 16 years old or older (NRS 200.364); however a different law makes it illegal to incite, entice, or solicit any minor (a person under 18) to engage in the "infamous crime against nature". (NRS 201.195). {{see|Age of Consent}} == Geography == right {{see|List of Nevada counties}} Nevada has borders with Oregon and Idaho to the north, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast and Utah to the east. The border with Arizona includes the Colorado River and Hoover_Dam. It is in a mountain region that includes semiarid grasslands, lush alpine forests, and sandy deserts, and is the most arid (dry) state in the nation. Nevada is a land of rugged, snow-capped mountains, grassy valleys and sandy deserts. The northern and central portions of Nevada are mostly within the Great_Basin Desert, while portions of the southern tip are within the Mojave_Desert. {{seealso|list of mountain ranges of Nevada}}
== Economy == The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2003 was $88 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $31,910, 19th in the nation. Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, dairy products, onions and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment. It is well-known for gambling and nightlife. Large, luxurious casinos in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno attract visitors from around the world. Nevada is the only state with legalized Prostitution. {{see|Prostitution in Nevada}} {{see|Nevada locations by per capita income}} Nevada is also one of only a few states with no personal income tax. == Demographics == {| class="toccolours" align="right" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 95%;" |- ! colspan=2 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"| Historical populations |- ! align="center"| Census
year !! align="right"| Population |- | colspan=2|
|- | align="center"| 1860 || align="right"| 6,857 |- | align="center"| 1870 || align="right"| 42,941 |- | align="center"| 1880 || align="right"| 62,266 |- | align="center"| 1890 || align="right"| 47,355 |- | align="center"| 1900 || align="right"| 42,335 |- | align="center"| 1910 || align="right"| 81,875 |- | align="center"| 1920 || align="right"| 77,407 |- | align="center"| 1930 || align="right"| 91,058 |- | align="center"| 1940 || align="right"| 110,247 |- | align="center"| 1950 || align="right"| 160,083 |- | align="center"| 1960 || align="right"| 285,278 |- | align="center"| 1970 || align="right"| 488,738 |- | align="center"| 1980 || align="right"| 800,493 |- | align="center"| 1990 || align="right"| 1,201,833 |- | align="center"| 2000 || align="right"| 1,998,257 |} According to the Census Bureau, as of 2004, the population of Nevada was 2,334,771. The racial makeup of the state is: *65.2% White non-Hispanic *19.7% Hispanic *6.8% Black *4.5% Asian *0.9% Native American *1.4% Mixed_race The five largest ancestry groups in Nevada are: German (14.1%), Mexican (12.7%), Irish (11%), English (10.1%), Italian (6.6%), American (4.8%). In Clark and Pershing Counties, a plurality of residents are Mexican; Nye County and Humboldt County have a plurality of German-Americans. 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. ===Religion=== The religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are: *Christian – 78% **Protestant – 44% ***Baptist – 15% ***Methodist – 6 ***Lutheran – 3% ***Other Protestant – 21% **Roman Catholic – 24% **Mormon – 3% **Other Christian – 1% *Other Religions – 2% *Non-Religious – 20% == Important cities and towns == {{ussm|nevada.png|nv}} The largest city is Las Vegas. {| |- |valign=top| *Las Vegas *Reno *Henderson *North Las Vegas *Sparks |valign=top| *Carson City *Pahrump *Elko *Boulder City *Mesquite |valign=top| *Fernley *Fallon *Winnemucca *Gardnerville *Minden |} Nevada is also reputedly the home of Area_51, a top-secret installation the U.S. federal government has always denied existed. Area 51 is supposedly located in Groom Lake, near Nellis_Air_Force_Base. {{seealso|List of cities in Nevada}} ===10 richest places in Nevada=== Ranked by Per_capita_income #Incline_Village-Crystal_Bay,_Nevada $52,521 #Kingsbury,_Nevada $41,451 #Mount_Charleston,_Nevada $38,821 #Verdi-Mogul,_Nevada $38,233 #Zephyr_Cove-Round_Hill_Village,_Nevada $37,218 #Summerlin_South,_Nevada $33,017 #Blue_Diamond,_Nevada $30,479 #Minden,_Nevada $30,405 #Boulder_City,_Nevada $29,770 #Spanish_Springs,_Nevada $26,908 {{see|Nevada locations by per capita income}} ==State symbols== Image:Digital-elevation-map-nevada.gif *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 *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 series *State tartan: A particular Tartan designed for Nevada by Richard Zygmunt Pawlowski *State_trees: Single-leaf Piñon and Bristlecone_pine == Education == === Colleges and universities === *Sierra_Nevada_College *Nevada_System_of_Higher_Education **University_of_Nevada,_Las_Vegas **University_of_Nevada,_Reno **Nevada_State_College_at_Henderson **Community_College_of_Southern_Nevada **Great_Basin_College **Truckee_Meadows_Community_College **Western_Nevada_Community_College == Professional sports teams == *Las_Vegas_Gladiators, Arena_Football_League *Las_Vegas_51s, Minor_league_baseball *Las_Vegas_Wranglers, East_Coast_Hockey_League == Famous Nevadans == *Andre_Agassi - Tennis player *Kurt_Busch - NASCAR driver *Walter_van_Tilburg_Clark - writer *Michael_Chang - Tennis player *Jenna_Jameson - adult film actress *Jack_Kramer - tennis player *Paul_Laxalt - politician *Robert_Laxalt - writer *Greg_Maddux - Major League Baseball player *Pat_Nixon - First Lady *Harry_Reid - Senate Minority Leader *Edna_Purviance - actress *Steve Wynn - casino owner *Barry_Zito - Major League Baseball player ==Transportation== Image:Nvuds.jpg.]] Interstate_15 passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. It has spur routes I-215 and I-515. Interstate_80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, reaching 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. The state is one of just a few in the country that allow Semi-trailer combinations 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. Union_Pacific_Railroad has some railroads in the north and in the south (map). Amtrak's ''California_Zephyr'' uses one of the northern branches in a daily service from Chicago,_Illinois to Emeryville,_California serving Elko, Winnemucca, Sparks, and Reno. http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct04/P05.pdf Burlington_Northern_Santa_Fe has Trackage_rights to the Union Pacific lines in the north. Amtrak provides bus services from Las Vegas to Needles,_California and Los_Angeles (http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct04/P03.pdf). Greyhound_Lines also provides some bus services. Las Vegas has a bus network, and a monorail system that is being extended. McCarran_International_Airport in Las Vegas is one of the busiest airports in the United States. There are also bus services in Reno/Sparks, and from there to Carson City. Some counties do not have public transport at all, for example Eureka County. ==See also== *List_of_BSA_local_councils_and_districts_in_Nevada *List_of_cities_in_Nevada *List_of_Governors_of_Nevada *List_of_mountain_ranges_of_Nevada *List_of_Nevada_counties *List_of_Nevada_rivers *List_of_Nevada_state_prisons *List_of_people_from_Nevada *List_of_radio_stations_in_Nevada *List_of_television_stations_in_Nevada *List_of_United_States_Senators_from_Nevada *List_of_ZIP_Codes_in_Nevada == External links == {{commons|Category:Nevada}} *Official state website *Nevada state symbols *Nevada State Library and Archives — Why Did Nevada Become a State? *Photos of Nevada - Terra Galleria *US Census Bureau *County Maps of Nevada Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats {{Nevada}} {{United_States}} Category:States_of_the_American_West * Category:States_of_the_United_States Bg:Невада Ca:Nevada Cs:Nevada Da:Nevada De:Nevada Es:Nevada Eo:Nevado Fr:Nevada Ga:Nevada Gl:Nevada Ko:네바다_주 Id:Nevada It:Nevada He:נבדה Ka:ნევადა La:Nivata Lv:Nevada Lt:Nevada Hu:Nevada Nl:Nevada Ja:ネバダ州 No:Nevada Nn:Nevada Os:Невадæ Pl:Nevada Pt:Nevada Ru:Невада Sr:Невада Fi:Nevada Sv:Nevada Uk:Невада Zh:内华达州