The desert and sparsely populated federal state of Nevada stretches in the west of the United States of America. With an area of 286,367 km², it is the seventh largest state in the USA. Neighboring states are Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah and Arizona. Most of the territory is covered by the desert region in the Great Basin. The peaks of the Sierra Nevada range rise to the west and the Rocky Mountains rise to the east. Various landscapes alternate here, you will find snow-capped mountain peaks, vast pastures and arid deserts. Nevada is considered the driest region in the US.
Important rivers flow through the state, such as the Colorado River, Humboldt River, Truckee River, and lakes Pyramid Lake, Lake Mead, Lake Mojave, Lake Tahoe, Walker Lake were created here. Tourist attractions include the Hoover Dam located on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This dam supplies water to all of Nevada and part of neighboring Arizona. It was built in the 1930s and is named after US President Hoover.
- LIUXERS: Offers a list of schools with federal school code in Nevada, including contact information, graduation rate, retention rate and transfer rate for each college located within Nevada.
Death Valley, which straddles the border of Nevada and California, is a well-visited place every year. The valley covers an area of 8,000 km2 and stretches for 225 km. It is part of the national park of the same name, which was declared in 1994, until then it was known as a National Monument. This entire area is considered to be the driest place in America, some experts even claim that it is the hottest desert in the world. The average annual precipitation does not even reach 5 cm. In the summer months, there is extreme and unbearable heat, when the mercury on the thermometer usually rises above 50°C. In the past, a unique mineral – borax – was mined here. Today, the valley is home to many small towns and settlements, which are called Ghost Towns.
An interesting feature is the Badwater salt field, which is located 86 meters below sea level, making it the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere. In contrast, the highest peak of the national park, Teleskope Peak, located in the Panamit Range, reaches an altitude of 3,368 meters. The view of numerous canyons, impressive rock formations, sand dunes, volcanic craters and natural bridges is also breathtaking.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, only Indian tribes lived in this inhospitable territory, but they were pushed to the north by white settlers (mainly the Spaniards). Spain and the USA fought numerous and bloody battles for this territory. In the end, it fell to the Americans, who incorporated it partly into the Utah Territory and partly into New Mexico. The turning point was 1859, when a rich deposit of gold was discovered in Nevada, which attracted a wave of immigrants and gold miners eager for wealth.
In 1861, the independent territory of Nevada was created, which subsequently became an independent federal state. The state got its name after the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which was given its name by Spanish sailors. Due to the white peaks, the mountain range was named “snowy mountains”. Over time, the entire new territory separated from the state of Utah was named this way, but the name was shortened to Nevada. Several Indian reservations are located in the territory of Nevada today.
The population of Nevada is less than 2 million inhabitants, the population density is 7 inhabitants per square km. Almost 90% are white, 4% are black and the rest are divided between Indians, mixed race and Asian. The vast majority of the population is Christian, the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches predominate. Mormons also have a large presence here.
Nevada’s industry is dependent on mining and ore processing, but gold, silver, mercury, bauxite, sulfur and salt are also mined here. The chemical and engineering industries are also important. Agriculture is not significant here due to the desert character, thanks to the irrigation systems it is possible to at least cultivate cotton, potatoes, grain and vegetables. Sheep and cattle are raised, milk is produced. An interesting fact is that Nevada was the first place where the atomic bomb was tested.
According to COUNTRYAAH, the capital is Carson City with a population of 56,000. It was founded in 1858 and named after the silver mine discoverer Kit Carson. A much more visited and well-known city is Las Vegas, which began to be built in 1905. On March 17, 1931, gambling was legalized here, and already in the second half of the 20th century, Las Vegas became a city of gambling, kitsch and wealth, it became a kind of symbol the entire state. Today it is known for its nightlife, but also for its relatively high crime rate. Other cities of interest are Reno, Henderson, Sparks, Elko, Boulder City, Mesquite and Fallon.
