Nevada
Nevada is nicknamed the Silver State because of its
silver mines. Thousands of people came to Nevada to mine silver in the late
1800s. Boom towns grew up around every major mine. Many of these towns were
abandoned after the mines closed. Today, Nevada’s abandoned mining towns, now
known as ghost towns, are popular tourist attractions.
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Facts About Nevada
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Capital
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Carson
City
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Population
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2,570,000
people
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Rank
among states in population
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35th
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Major
cities
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Las
Vegas, Reno, Henderson
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Area
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111,000
square miles
286,000 square kilometers |
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Rank
among states in area
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7th
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Statehood
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October
31, 1864, the 36th state
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State
nickname
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The
Silver State
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Name
for residents
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Nevadans
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State
bird
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Mountain
Bluebird
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State
flower
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Sagebrush
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State
tree
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Single-Leaf
Piñon
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Abbreviation
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NV
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THE COMSTOCK LODE AND VIRGINIA CITY
The Comstock Lode was a rich deposit of silver and
gold discovered in 1859 in central Nevada. Fortune seekers rushed in, and
Virginia City grew up quickly near the mines. For a while, the town was
fabulously wealthy, but most of the gold and silver had run out by the end of
the 1800s.
Virginia City is now Nevada’s best-known ghost
town. Stores, gambling houses, saloons, and dance halls from its pioneer days
remain. Some of the buildings have been turned into museums with relics from
the region’s past. Gold Hill and Silver City are other ghost towns nearby.
The Comstock Lode helped Nevada quickly become a
state. Even though there weren’t many people in Nevada during the 1860s, the
federal government wanted a share of the riches of the Comstock Lode. Nevada
became the 36th state on October 31, 1864. Carson City, another boom town, was
made the state capital.
Mining is still important to Nevada’s economy.
Nevada is a leading producer of gold, silver, and other minerals.
LAS VEGAS
Gambling is Nevada’s main source of income. Nevada
made gambling legal in 1931, and tourists have flocked to the state ever since.
Las Vegas, Nevada’s largest city, is famous for its luxurious gambling casinos,
fancy hotels, and exciting nightlife and entertainment. Downtown Las Vegas is
known as Glitter Gulch because of all its neon signs. The Strip is an area of
newer hotels and casinos just south of downtown.
Las Vegas even has a pyramid. It’s a
30-story hotel in the shape of an Egyptian pyramid. A copy of a sphinx in front
of the hotel adds to the Egyptian fantasy. Other hotels and casinos in Las
Vegas also have themes that create a make-believe world. One hotel has a roller
coaster built on its roof.
Most of Nevada’s people live in the state’s two
largest cities, Las Vegas and Reno. Las Vegas is one of the fastest-growing
cities in the United States.
THE SIERRA NEVADA
Most of Nevada lies on a high plateau between
two mountain ranges. The Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains rises to the
east, and the Sierra Nevada rises to the west. Nevada takes its name from the
rugged Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada range, meaning “snow-capped mountains,”
was named by Spanish explorers.
Pioneers on their way through Nevada to California
had to cross the Sierra Nevada. One group of 87 pioneers, known as the Donner
party, met disaster in the mountains. They became trapped in snow during the
winter of 1846 and 1847. Many of them died of cold and hunger, but 47 people
survived. Some ate human flesh to stay alive. The Donner Pass and Donner Lake
in the Sierra Nevada are named for these pioneers.
LAKE TAHOE AND RENO
Lake Tahoe is a mountain lake high in the
Sierra Nevada. It lies on the border between Nevada and California, with the
peaks of the Sierra Nevada around its rim. Lake Tahoe’s dramatic setting makes
it one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
Reno is near Lake Tahoe, at the foot of the
Sierra Nevada. Reno is a popular tourist center, known for its resorts and
gambling casinos.
Every September near Reno, hundreds of pilots race
their airplanes at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show. You can
watch races by several types of aircraft, including biplanes and jets. The
pilots compete for prize money.
HOOVER DAM AND LAKE MEAD
Hoover Dam lies south of Las Vegas, on Nevada’s
border with the state of Arizona. This massive dam on the Colorado River
provides electricity for Nevada, Arizona, and southern California.
An artificial lake, Lake Mead, has formed behind
the dam. It is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. Lake Mead is a
popular place for boating, swimming, and fishing. The nearby scenery is stark
but beautiful. Steep cliffs and desert border Lake Mead.
LAND OF PLAYAS
Nevada landscape has strange, shallow basins called
playas. These basins have no outlets. Rainwater and streams fill the basins at
times, but the water never flows out. Yet the water eventually disappears.
Where do you think the water goes? It evaporates—that is, it disappears into
the air as moisture.
Playa comes from the Spanish word for “beach.”
In Nevada, playas are sometimes called sinks or dry lakes. A playa with water
is called a playa lake or a salt lake. The water in a playa is very salty.
RANCHING AND RAINFALL
Northern Nevada gets more rain than the rest of the
state. It is good land for cattle ranching. The cattle ranches are large
because northern Nevada is still so dry that a cow needs to graze on a lot of
land to find enough food. Raising cattle is the major agricultural activity in
Nevada.
Many of Nevada’s ranches are found near Elko on the
Humboldt River. In January, Elko welcomes cowboys, cowgirls, and other guests
to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. This event started in 1985. The
cowboys and cowgirls recite poetry, sing, and dance.
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