Introduction - Nevada Facts
Bordered by Arizona, California, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon in the Western region of the U.S., Nevada is home to one of the world's most famous cities, Las Vegas. Las Vegas is not known for being a kid-friendly vacation destination, but a city where glitzy casinos, massive hotels and adult entertainment abound. Nevada is also home to the Hoover Dam, Area 51, and Lake Mead; which are all mentioned in the interesting information and quick facts sections below. You'll also read about the man who invented the first slot machine, what Native American Indian tribes inhabited Nevada, when Nevada became a U.S. state, and why 1859 was such an important year for Nevada. These lists of information are written for both kids and adults.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about Nevada.
State of Nevada Quick Facts
- Nevada was the 36th state to join the union.
- Nevada officially became a state on October 31, 1864.
- The state capital is Carson City.
- The largest city is Las Vegas.
- The population of Nevada is 2,790,136 (source 2013 United States Census Bureau estimate).
- Nevada ranks as the seventh largest state in the United States (source 2013 United States Census Bureau estimate).
- The state flower of Nevada is the Sagebrush.
- The three nicknames for this state are the Silver State, the Sagebrush State, and the Battle Born State.
- The nickname given to residents of Nevada is Nevadans.
- Major lakes within this U.S. state include Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country, in addition to Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, Lake Mojave, and Walker Lake.
- The major rivers in Nevada are the Colorado River, the Humboldt River and the Truckee River.
- The state song of Nevada is "Home Means Nevada".
State of Nevada Interesting Facts
- When constructed in the 1930s, the Hoover Dam, which lies approximately 30 miles outside Las Vegas, was one of the world's largest man-made structures.
- Roughly 85 percent of Nevada's land is government owned. This includes the top secret military zone, Area 51, which lies about 90 miles north of Las Vegas.
- In 1895, a car mechanic named Charles Fey, invented the first mechanical slot machine named the Liberty Bell. The original machine is on display in Reno, Nevada at the Liberty Belle Saloon and Restaurant.
- Gambling became legal in the state of Nevada in March of 1931.
- Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state in the U.S.
- Las Vegas, NV, has more hotel rooms than anywhere else in the world.
- The Native American Indian tribes of Nevada include the Shoshoni, Northern and Southern Paiute and Washo.
State of Nevada Historical Facts
- As a result of the Mexican American War, in 1848, Mexico was forced to part with almost half of their national territory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between Mexico and the U.S. forced Mexico to sign over territory that now includes several U.S. states including Nevada.
- In 1859, a silver rush occurred in Nevada after one of the most significant mining discoveries in U.S. history. It was called the Comstock Lode and it was the first major discovery of silver ore in the country.
- On March 1, 1869, Nevada became the first state to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, giving African-American men the right to vote. Eleven other states besides Nevada did so later the same month.
- In Nevada, during the 1850s and 1860s, camels were used as pack animals. A man named Edward Fitzgerald Beale was responsible for having them sent to the U.S. from Egypt and Tunisia and led the first and only camel expedition in the U.S.