Interesting Facts about Nevada: 10 Facts about The Silver State

Nevada has an official “The Silver State” nickname. It’s located in the western region of the United States. It’s bordered by 5 other states. Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, Utah to the east and Oregon to the northwest. “The Sagebrush State” and “The Battle Born State” are two other popular nicknames of Nevada. Let’s talk about 10 interesting Nevada facts in this article.

1. Nevada was the Least-Populated State

In 1940, Nevada was the least-populated state with a population of just over 110,000 people. It’s even less than half of the population of Wyoming, the second least-populated state at that time. Nowadays, Nevada is the 32nd-most populous state in the United States. As it’s 7th largest in area, Nevada is still relatively sparsely populated with nearly three-quarters of Nevada residents living in Clark County.

Flag of Nevada
Flag of Nevada

2. The Capital City of Nevada is Carson City while Las Vegas is Its Largest

Carson City is the capital city of Nevada. It has been the capital city of Nevada since its statehood in 1864. Las Vegas is the largest city in Nevada. It’s also the 25th most populous city in the United States. Las Vegas Valley is also the largest metropolitan area in Nevada. Since 2003, Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is coextensive with Clark County.

Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

3. Nevada was the Second of Two States Admitted to the Union During the Civil War

There were two states admitted to the Union during the civil war. The first one was West Virginia and the second one was Nevada. On October 31, 1864, Nevada became the 36th state. Before statehood, the State of Nevada was The Territory of Nevada that separated from The Territory of Utah. Because of its statehood was during the Civil War, Nevada has “The Battle Born State” nickname.

Old Drawing Capitol of Nevada (1889)
Old Drawing Capitol of Nevada (1889)

4. Nevada is the Driest State in the United States

With only 9.5 inches (241 mm) of rain each year, Nevada is the least rainy state in the United States as well as the driest one. Nevada is made up of mostly desert and semi-arid climate regions. The east and northeast slopes of the Sierra Nevada are the regions that get the most rain fall. Fall and summer are the driest seasons in Nevada.

Nevada desert
Nevada desert

5. Nevada is the Largest Gold Producing State of the United States

Nevada is the top gold producing state of the United States. It’s also the world’s fourth largest producer of gold. In 2018, Nevada produced 78% of gold in the United States or around 5% of world’s gold production. Newmont Goldcorp and Barrick Gold Corporation are two major mining companies that operate many gold mines in Nevada. Nevada’s gold production mainly comes from large open pit mining using heap leaching recovery.

Gold open pit mining
Gold open pit mining

6. Las Vegas has More Hotel Rooms than any Other Cities in the United States

There are more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas. It’s more hotel rooms in than any other cities in the United States. Its large number of hotel rooms provide accommodation for tourists as Las Vegas is one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations. Besides leisure tourists, Las Vegas is also among the top three destination in the United States for business conventions.

Luxury Hotels and Casinos in Las Vegas
Luxury Hotels and Casinos in Las Vegas

7. Nevada is the State with the Largest Percentage of Federal Land

More than 80% of Land in Nevada is federally owned. It makes Nevada the state with the largest percentage of Federal Land ownership. But Nevada is still behind Alaska in total area since Alaska is indeed much bigger in size. The majority of Federal Land in Nevada are owned by U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Valley of Fire State Park Nevada
Valley of Fire State Park Nevada

8. Boundary Peak is the Highest Natural Point of Nevada

The highest natural point of Nevada is Boundary Peak with 13,147 feet (4,007 m) elevation. It’s a mountain in the Boundary Peak Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest that is located in Esmeralda County of southwestern Nevada. Wheeler Peak is the second highest peak of Nevada that’s only 82 feet (25 m) shorter than Boundary Peak. Wheeler Peak is located in Great Basin National Park, White Pine County in eastern Nevada and it is the tallest independent mountain within Nevada.

Boundary Peak, Nevada
Boundary Peak, Nevada

9. The Official State Bird of Nevada is the Mountain Bluebird

The mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) has been the official state bird of Nevada since 1967. It’s a small migratory bird that can be found in the mountainous area of the western Nort America. The mountain bluebird is an omnivore with a 6-10 years lifespan. Besides the state bird of Nevada, the mountain bluebird is also the state bird of Idaho.

Mountain bluebird
Mountain bluebird

10. Sagebrush is the Official State Flower of Nevada

In 1917, Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) was designated as the official state flower of Nevada. Sagebrush grows in arid and semi-arid conditions in the Intermountain West of North America. Sagebrush is used medicinally by Native American while it’s also used as firewood. Sagebrush is usually 0.5–3 metres (1+1⁄2–10 feet) tall with yellow flowers and silvery-grey foliage.

Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)

It’s surely welcome if you want to share other interesting facts about Nevada since there are many more interesting Nevada facts that are not mentioned in this article.

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