The state of Nevada is located in the west of the United States. Most of Nevada lies within a geographical region called the Great Basin. Here, in what is known as basin and range topography, there are a number of mountain ranges, all aligned roughly north-south and separated by valleys. Dry river beds and salt flats are abundant. The rivers that do flow across the Great Basin, such as the Humboldt and Carson, never reach the ocean. Instead they drain into lakes or sinks, except where they have been diverted for irrigation. Although Nevada is mostly arid or semi-arid, its mountain ranges are covered by lush forest. The southern third of the state lies in the Mojave Desert. The Sierra Nevada mountain range forms part of the western border with Caifornia.

Name

Nevada means “snowy” or “snow-covered” in Spanish. The state is named after the Sierra Nevada (Spanish for “snow covered mountain range”), a mountain range that forms part of the western border with California and where the peaks are snow-covered in the winter months. The first Europeans to explore the region were Spanish, who arrived in the 18th century.

Northern and central Nevada has a semi-arid climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Southern Nevada has a desert climate. In many parts of the state, the average summer temperature range during a single day can be as much as 40°F (22°C). Normally, most of Nevada receives very little precipitation throughout the year, with the only significant rain falling on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Occasionally, winds blowing northeastwards from Arizona will cause summer thunderstorms. Pacific storms in winter sometimes bring snow from the west.

Nevada's economy is hugely dependent on tourism—especially entertainment and gambling in Las Vegas and Reno. Mining is also a key industry: Nevada is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world. Some of Nevada’s land (more than 75% of which is owned by the US federal government) is used for nuclear and military aircraft testing.

The Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC), near Reno, is the largest industrial park in the US. It contains factories (including a Tesla “gigafactory” which builds electric vehicle batteries), warehouse fulfilment centres and a vast array of data centres, owned or operated by Google, Microsoft, Apple and other tech giants.

Las Vegas

Situated in the Mojave Desert and surrounded by mountains on all sides, Las Vegas is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. It was founded soon after the arrival of the railway in 1905, but started to grow in the 1930s when Nevada legalized casino gambling and construction workers on the nearby Hoover Dam moved to the area. Today, “The Entertainment Capital of the World”, as Las Vegas calls itself, has become prosperous from the many visitors to its hotels, night clubs, gambling venues, championship boxing contests, family theme parks and other entertainments.

Facts about Nevada

Area 110,577 sq miles (286,380 sq km)

Highest point Boundary Peak 13,147 ft (4007 m)

Population 3,194,176

Capital Carson City (pop. 58,036)

Largest cities Las Vegas, 660,929; Henderson, 337,305; North Las Vegas, 284,771; Reno, 274,915; Enterprise, 232,043; Spring Valley, 219,913; Sunrise Manor 199,099; Paradise, 186,178; Sparks 110,323

Nicknames Sagebrush State, Silver State, Battle Born State

State bird Mountain bluebird

State flower Sagebrush

State tree Bristlecone pine