Sierra Nevada
The Sierra's Mills Creek cirque (center) is on the west side of the Sierra Crest, south of Mono Lake (top, blue).
Highest point
Peak	Mount Whitney
Elevation	14,505 ft (4,421 m) [1]
Coordinates	36°34′42.9″N 118°17′31.2″W / 36.578583°N 118.292°W / 36.578583; -118.292Coordinates: 36°34′42.9″N 118°17′31.2″W / 36.578583°N 118.292°W / 36.578583; -118.292
Dimensions
Length	400 mi (640 km) north-south from Fredonyer Pass to Tehachapi Pass [2]
Width	65 mi (105 km) [3]
Area	24,370 sq mi (63,100 km2) [4]
Naming
Etymology	1777: Spanish for "snowy mountain range"
Nickname	the Sierra, the High Sierra, the Sierras, Range of Light (1894, John Muir)[5]
Geography
Position of Sierra Nevada inside California
Country	United States
States	California and Nevada
Geology
Period	Mesozoic
Type of rock	batholith and igneous

The Sierra Nevada (/siˈɛrə nɨˈvɑːdə/, Spanish: [ˈsjera neˈβaða], snowy mountain range^[6]) is a mountain range in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, between the California Central Valley and the Basin and Range Province. The Sierra runs 400 miles (640 km) north-to-south, and is approximately 70 miles (110 km) across east-to-west. Notable Sierra features include Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America; Mount Whitney at 14,505 ft (4,421 m),^[1] the highest point in the contiguous United States; and Yosemite Valley sculpted by glaciers out of 100-million-year-old granite. The Sierra is home to three national parks, 20 wilderness areas, and two national monuments. These areas include Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

The character of the range is shaped by its geology and ecology. More than 100 Ma (million years ago), granite formed deep underground. The range started to uplift 4 Ma, and erosion by glaciers exposed the granite and formed the light-colored mountains and cliffs that make up the range. The uplift caused a wide range of elevations and climates in the Sierra Nevada, which are reflected by the presence of five life zones.

The Sierra Nevada was home to several Native American tribes. The first European to sight the range was Pedro Fages in 1772.^[7] The range was explored between 1844 and 1912.^[8]

Geography[link]

The Sierra Nevada stretches from the Susan River^[9] and Fredonyer Pass^[10] in the north to Tehachapi Pass in the south.^[2] It is bounded on the west by California's Central Valley and on the east by the Basin and Range Province. Physiographically, the Sierra is a section of the Cascade-Sierra Mountains province, which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division.

West-to-east, the Sierra Nevada's elevation increases gradually from the California Central Valley to the crest, while the east slope forms the steep Sierra Escarpment. The range is drained on its north-west slopes by the Sacramento River and to the west-southwest by the San Joaquin River, two major Central Valley watercourses that ultimately discharge to the Pacific Ocean. Smaller rivers of the west slope include the Feather, Yuba, American, Mokelumne, Stanislaus and Tuolumne. The southern part of the mountains are drained by four rivers called the Kings, Kaweah, Tule, and Kern. These rivers flow into an endorheic basin called Tulare Lake, but historically joined the San Joaquin during wet years.

Pyramid Peak dominates a glacier scoured basin in Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe.

To the east, the melting snow of the mountains forms many small rivers that flow out into the Great Basin of Nevada and eastern California. From north to south, the Susan River flows into intermittent Honey Lake; the Truckee River flows from massive Lake Tahoe into Pyramid Lake; the Carson River runs into Carson Sink; the Walker River into Walker Lake; Rush, Lee Vining and Mill Creeks into Mono Lake; and the Owens River into the dry Owens Lake. None of the east-side rivers reach the sea; however, many of the streams from Mono Lake southwards are diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct and their water shipped to Southern California.

The height of the mountains in the Sierra Nevada increases gradually from north to south. Between Fredonyer Pass and Lake Tahoe, the peaks range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to more than 9,000 feet (2,700 m). The crest near Lake Tahoe is roughly 9,000 feet (2,700 m) high, with several peaks approaching the height of Freel Peak [10,881 feet (3,317 m)]. Further south, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park is Mount Lyell [13,120 feet (3,999 m)]. The Sierra rise to almost 14,000 feet (4,300 m) with Mount Humphreys near Bishop, California. Finally, near Independence, Mount Whitney is at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), the highest point in the contiguous United States.

South of Mount Whitney, the range quickly dwindles. The crest elevation is almost 10,000 feet (3,000 m) near Lake Isabella, but south of the lake, the peaks reach only to a modest 8,000 feet (2,400 m).^[11]

Notable features[link]

Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe

There are several notable geographical features in the Sierra Nevada:

• Lake Tahoe is a large, clear freshwater lake in the northern Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m) and an area of 191 sq mi (490 km²).^[12] Lake Tahoe lies between the main Sierra and the Carson Range, a spur of the Sierra.^[12]
• Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite Valley, Kings Canyon, and Kern Canyon are examples of many glacially-scoured canyons on the west side of the Sierra.
• Yosemite National Park is filled with notable features, such as waterfalls and granite domes.
• Groves of Giant Sequoias Sequoiadendron giganteum occur along a narrow band of altitude on the western side of the Sierra Nevada. Giant sequoias are the most massive trees in the world.^[13]

Geologic history[link]

The earliest granite of the Sierra started to form in the Triassic period. This granite is mostly found east of the crest and north of 37.2°N.^[14] In the Triassic and into the Jurassic, an island arc collided with the west coast of North America and raised a set of mountains, in an event called the Nevadan orogeny.^[15]

Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park.

In the Cretaceous, a subduction zone formed at the edge of the continent.^[16] This means that an oceanic plate started to dive beneath the North American plate. Magma formed through the subduction of the ancient Farallon Plate rose in plumes (plutons) deep underground, their combined mass forming what is called the Sierra Nevada batholith. These plutons formed at various times, from 115 Ma to 87 Ma.^[17] The earlier plutons formed in the western half of the Sierra, while the later plutons formed in the eastern half of the Sierra.^[14] By 65 Ma, the proto-Sierra Nevada had been worn down to a range of rolling low mountains, a few thousand feet high.

Twenty million years ago, crustal extension associated with the Basin and Range Province caused extensive volcanism in the Sierra.^[18] About 4 Ma, the Sierra Nevada started to form: a block of crust between the Coast Range and the Basin and Range Province started to tilt to the west. Rivers started cutting deep canyons on both sides of the range. The Earth's climate cooled, and ice ages started about 2.5 Ma. Glaciers carved out characteristic U-shaped canyons throughout the Sierra. The combination of river and glacier erosion exposed the uppermost portions of the plutons emplaced millions of years before, leaving only a remnant of metamorphic rock on top of some Sierra peaks.

Uplift of the Sierra Nevada continues today, especially along its eastern side. This uplift causes large earthquakes, such as the Lone Pine earthquake of 1872.^[19]

Sierra Escarpment viewed from the east. In the foreground is Tinemaha Reservoir in the Owens Valley.

Climate and meteorology[link]

Red Slate Mountain (elevation 13,156 ft/4,010 m) is still covered with snow in June.

The climate of the Sierra Nevada is influenced by the Mediterranean climate of California. During the fall, winter and spring, precipitation in the Sierra ranges from 20 to 80 in (510 to 2,000 mm) where it occurs mostly as snow above 6,000 ft (1,800 m). Summers are dry with low humidity; however, afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon, particularly during the North American Monsoon. Summer high temperatures average 42–90 °F (6–32 °C). The growing season lasts 20 to 230 days, strongly dependent on elevation.^[20]

The Sierra Nevada snowpack is the major source of water and a significant source of electric power generation in California.^[21] Many reservoirs were constructed in the canyons of the Sierra throughout the 20th century, Several major aqueducts serving both agriculture and urban areas distribute Sierra water throughout the state. However, the Sierra casts a rain shadow, which greatly affects the climate and ecology of the central Great Basin. This rain shadow is largely responsible for Nevada being the driest state in the United States.^[22]

The height of the range and the steepness of the Sierra Escarpment, particularly at the southern end of the range produces a wind phenomenon known as the "Sierra Rotor". This is a horizontal rotation of the atmosphere just east of the crest of the Sierras, set in motion as an effect of strong westerly winds.^[23]

Ecology[link]

Tuolumne Meadows is an example of a subalpine meadow in the Sierra.

The Sierra Nevada is divided into a number of biotic zones, each of which is defined by its climate and supports a number of interdependent species.^[17] Life in the higher elevation zones adapted to colder weather, and to most of the precipitation falling as snow. The rain shadow of the Sierra causes the eastern slope to be warmer and drier: each life zone is higher in the east.^[17] A list of biotic zones, and corresponding elevations, is presented below:

• The Pinyon pine-Juniper woodland, 5,000–7,000 ft (1,500–2,100 m) east side only.
• The Sierra Nevada lower montane forest (indicator species: Ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine),^[17] 3,000–7,000 ft (910–2,100 m) west side, 7,000–8,500 ft (2,100–2,600 m) east side. This biotic zone is notable for containing Giant Sequoia.
• The upper montane forest (indicator species: Lodgepole pine, Red fir),^[17] 7,000–9,000 ft (2,100–2,700 m) west side, 8,500–10,500 ft (2,600–3,200 m) east side
• The Sierra Nevada subalpine zone (indicator species: Whitebark pine)^[24] 9,000–10,500 ft (2,700–3,200 m) west side, 10,500–11,500 ft (3,200–3,500 m) east side
• The alpine region at greater than 10,500 ft (3,200 m), and greater than 11,500 ft (3,500 m) east side

History[link]

John Frémont was an early European explorer of the Sierra

Native Americans[link]

Archaeological excavations placed Martis people of Paleo-Indians in northcentral Sierra Nevada during the period of 3,000 BCE to 500 CE. The earliest identified sustaining indigenous people in the Sierra Nevada were the Northern Paiute tribes of Native American on the east side, with the Mono tribe and Sierra Miwok tribe on the western side, and the Kawaiisu tribe in the southern Sierra. Today, some mountain passes, such as Duck Pass with obsidian arrowheads, are artifact locations from historic intertribal trade route trails. The California and Sierra Native American tribes were predominantly peaceful, with occasional territorial disputes between the Paiute and Sierra Miwok tribes in the mountains.^[25] Washo and Maidu were also in this area prior to the era of European exploration and displacement.^[26][27]

Etymology[link]

Kearsarge Lakes Basin is named after the USS Kearsarge.^[28]

Used in 1542 by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo to describe a Pacific Coast Range (Santa Cruz Mountains), the term "sierra nevada" was a general identification of less familiar ranges toward the interior,^[29] In 1777, Pedro Font's map applied the name to the range currently known as the Sierra Nevada.^[30]

The literal translation is "snowy mountains," from sierra "a range of hills," 1610s, from Spanish sierra "jagged mountain range," lit. "saw," from Latin serra "a saw"; and from fem. of Spanish nevado "snowy."^[31][32]

European-American exploration[link]

European-American exploration of the mountain range started in the 1840s. In the winter of 1844, Lt. John C. Frémont, accompanied by Kit Carson, was the first European to see Lake Tahoe. The Frémont party camped at 8,050 ft (2,450 m).^[33]

By 1860, California Gold Rush populated the flanks of the Sierra Nevada, leaving most of the Sierra unexplored.^[34][35] The state legislature authorized the California Geological Survey to officially explore the Sierra (and survey the rest of the state). Josiah Whitney was appointed to head the survey. Men of the survey, including William H. Brewer, Charles F. Hoffmann and Clarence King, explored the backcountry of what would become Yosemite National Park in 1863.^[34] In 1864 they explored the area around Kings Canyon. In 1869, John Muir started his wanderings in the Sierra Nevada range,^[36] and in 1871 King was the first to climb Mount Langley and that year fishermen were the first to climb Mount Whitney.^[34] From 1892–7 Theodore Solomons made the first attempt to map a route along the crest of the Sierra.^[34]

Other people finished exploring and mapping the Sierra. Bolton Coit Brown explored the Kings River watershed in 1895–1899. Joseph N. LeConte mapped the area around Yosemite National Park and what would become Kings Canyon National Park. James S. Hutchinson, a noted mountaineer, climbed the Palisades (1904) and Mount Humphreys (1905). By 1912, the USGS published a set of maps of the Sierra Nevada, and the era of exploration was over.^[8]

Conservation[link]

The General Sherman Tree: a Sequoiadendron in Sequoia National Park is the world's largest tree by volume.

The tourism potential of the Sierra Nevada was recognized early in the European history of the range. Yosemite Valley was first protected by the federal government in 1864. The Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded to California in 1866 and turned into a state park.^[37] John Muir perceived overgrazing by sheep and logging of Giant Sequoia to be a problem in the Sierra. Muir successfully lobbied for the protection of the rest of Yosemite National Park: Congress created an Act to protect the park in 1890. The Valley and Mariposa Grove were added to the Park in 1906.^[37] In the same year, Sequoia National Park was formed to protect the Giant Sequoia: all logging of the Sequoia ceased at that time.

In 1903, the city of San Francisco proposed building a hydroelectric dam to flood Hetch Hetchy Valley. The city and the Sierra Club argued over the dam for 10 years, until the U.S. Congress passed the Raker Act in 1913 and allowed dam building to proceed. O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923.^[38][39]

Between 1912 and 1918, Congress debated three times to protect Lake Tahoe in a national park. None of these efforts succeeded, and after World War II, towns such as South Lake Tahoe grew around the shores of the lake. By 1980, the permanent population of the Lake Tahoe area grew to 50,000, while the summer population grew to 90,000.^[40] The development around Lake Tahoe affected the clarity of the lake water. In order to preserve the lake's clarity, construction in the Tahoe basin is currently regulated by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.^[41]

As the twentieth century progressed, more of the Sierra became available for recreation: other forms of economic activity decreased. The John Muir Trail, a trail that followed the Sierra crest from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, was funded in 1915 and finished in 1938.^[42] Kings Canyon National Park was formed in 1940 to protect the deep canyon of the Kings River.

By 1964, the Wilderness Act protected portions of the Sierra as primitive areas where humans are simply temporary visitors. Gradually, 20 wilderness areas were established to protect scenic backcountry of the Sierra. These wilderness areas include the John Muir Wilderness (protecting the eastern slope of the Sierra and the area between Yosemite and Kings Canyon Parks), and wilderness within each of the National Parks.

Protected areas[link]

The Minarets are visible from the John Muir Trail and protected from development by the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Today, much of the Sierra Nevada is owned by the U.S. Federal government and is either protected from development or is strictly managed. The three National Parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia), two National Monument (Devils Postpile, Giant Sequoia), and 20 wilderness areas lie within the Sierra. These areas protect 15.4% of the Sierra's 63,118 km² (24,370 sq mi) from logging and grazing.^[4]

The United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management currently control 52% of the land in the Sierra Nevada.^[4] Logging and grazing is generally allowed on land controlled by these agencies, under federal regulations that balance recreation and development on the land.

The California Bighorn Sheep Zoological Area near Mount Williamson in the southern Sierra was established to protect the endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep. Starting in 1981, hikers were unable to enter the Area from May 15 through December 15, in order to protect the sheep. As of 2010, the restriction has been lifted and access to the Area is open for the whole year.^[43]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sierra Nevada (category)

• List of books about the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
• List of Sierra Nevada road passes
• List of Sierra Nevada topics
• List of Sierra Nevada wildfires
• Logging in the Sierra Nevada

References[link]

External links[link]

• Clickable map of Sierra Nevada peaks
• Sierra Nevada info at SummitPost
• Galen Rowell's Sierra Nevada – slideshow by Life magazine

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Sierra Nevada is a Spanish phrase meaning "snow-covered mountain range" (sierra is one of the Spanish words for "mountain range").

Sierra Nevada may refer to any of the following:

Mountain Ranges[link]

• Sierra Nevada (Spain) in Andalusia, Spain
• Sierra Nevada (Mexico), the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
• Sierra Nevada (U.S.) in California and Nevada, United States
• Sierra Nevada de Lagunas Bravas, a volcanic complex in Chile and Argentina
• Sierra Nevada de Mérida in Venezuela
• Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia)

National Parks[link]

• Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain)
• Sierra Nevada National Park (Venezuela)

Mountains[link]

• Sierra Nevada (stratovolcano)

Ski resorts[link]

• Sierra Nevada Ski Station (Spain)

Industry[link]

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, a California beer brewer
• Sierra Nevada Corporation, an aerospace contractor
• Sierra Nevada (ferry), a ferry operated on San Francisco Bay

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

State of Nevada
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Silver State (official); Sagebrush State; Battle Born State
Motto(s): All For Our Country
Official language(s)	De jure: None De facto: English
Demonym	Nevadan
Capital	Carson City
Largest city	Las Vegas
Largest metro area	Las Vegas metropolitan area
Area	Ranked 7th in the U.S.
- Total	110,622 sq mi (286,367 km2)
- Width	322 miles (519 km)
- Length	492 miles (787 km)
- % water
- Latitude	35° N to 42° N
- Longitude	114° 2′ W to 120° W
Population	Ranked 35th in the U.S.
- Total	2,723,322 (2011 est)[1]
- Density	24.8/sq mi  (9.57/km2) Ranked 42nd in the U.S.
- Median household income	$56,361 (15th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Boundary Peak[2][3][4][5] 13,147 ft (4007.1 m)
- Mean	5,500 ft  (1680 m)
- Lowest point	Colorado River at California border[3][4] 481 ft (147 m)
Before statehood	Nevada Territory
Admission to Union	October 31, 1864 (36th)
Governor	Brian Sandoval (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Brian Krolicki (R)
Legislature	Nevada Legislature
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	Assembly
U.S. Senators	Harry Reid (D) Dean Heller (R)
U.S. House delegation	1: Shelley Berkley (D) 2: Mark Amodei (R) 3: Joe Heck (R) (list)
Time zones
- most of state	Pacific: UTC-8/-7
- West Wendover	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Abbreviations	NV Nev. US-NV
Website	www.nv.gov

Nevada (ⁱ/nəˈvædə/ or /nəˈvɒdə/) is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. Nevada is the 7th most extensive, the 35th most populous, and the 9th least densely populated of the 50 United States. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in one single county, Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area,^[6] where the state's three largest incorporated cities are located.^[7] Nevada's capital is Carson City.

Nevada is largely desert and semiarid, with much of it located within the Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains lie on the western edge. Approximately 86% of the state's land is owned by the US government under various jurisdictions, both civilian and military.^[8]

The name Nevada is derived from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, which means "snow-capped mountain range" in Spanish. The land comprising the modern state was inhabited by Native Americans of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes prior to European contact.^[9] It was subsequently claimed by Spain as a part of Alta California until the Mexican War of Independence brought it under Mexican control. The United States gained the territory in 1848 following its victory in the Mexican-American War and the area was eventually incorporated as part of Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom that was an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864.^[10]

The establishment of legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce proceedings in the 20th century transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination.^[11][12] The tourism industry remains Nevada's largest employer,^[13] with mining continuing to be a substantial sector of the economy as Nevada is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world.^[14]

Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" due to the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the "Battle Born State" because it achieved statehood during the Civil War and the "Sagebrush State" for the native eponymous plant.

Etymology and pronunciation[link]

The quartzite of the Prospect Mountain Formation on top of Wheeler Peak, the highest peak entirely within Nevada

The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish Nevada [neˈβaða], meaning "snow-covered",^[15] after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountains") mountain range.

Nevadans normally pronounce the second syllable of their state name using the /æ/ vowel of "bad". Many from outside the Western United States pronounce it with the /ɑː/ vowel of "father" /nəˈvɑːdə/. Although the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation, it is not the pronunciation preferred by locals. Notably, George W. Bush made this faux pas during his campaign for the 2004 US Presidential Election. Vindication later came when President Bush campaigned at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on June 18, 2004. The president opened his talk by proclaiming that "It's great to be here in Nevada /nəˈˈvædə/," emphasizing the correct 'a' – the crowd roared its approval when he light-heartedly noted, "You didn't think I'd get it right, did ya?"^[16] Bush subsequently carried the state in the election. Assemblyman Harry Mortenson has proposed a bill to recognize the alternate (quasi-Spanish) pronunciation of Nevada.^[17]

Geography[link]

Digitally colored elevation map of Nevada

Nevada is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province, and is broken up by many north-south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them, which belies the image portrayed by the term Great Basin.

Sunrise over Reno

Basin and Range scenery near Rachel

Much of the northern part of the state is within the Great Basin, a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the Arizona Monsoon will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was 125 °F (52 °C) in Laughlin (elevation of 605 feet / 184 metres) on June 29, 1994.^[18] The coldest recorded temperature was −52 °F (−47 °C) set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.^[18]

The Humboldt River crosses from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the Humboldt Sink near Lovelock. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the Walker, Truckee and Carson rivers.

The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above 13,000 feet (4,000 m), harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than 3,000 feet (910 m).

The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the Mojave Desert. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below 4,000 feet (1,200 m), creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights (due to temperature inversion).

Fly Geyser

Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal line (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state boundary at just over 400 miles (640 km). This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 12 miles (19 km) southwest of the Laughlin Bridge.

The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the Spring Mountain Range, just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.

Nevada has 172 mountain summits with 2,000 feet (610 m) of prominence. Nevada ranks second in the US, behind Alaska, and ahead of California, Montana, and Washington. This makes Nevada the "Most Mountainous" state in the country, at least by this measure.

Climate[link]

Nevada is the driest state in the US.^[19] It is made up of mostly desert and semiarid climate regions, daytime summer temperatures sometimes may rise as high as 125 °F (52 °C) and nighttime winter temperatures may reach as low as −50 °F (−46 °C). While winters in northern Nevada are long and fairly cold, the winter season in the southern part of the state tends to be of short duration and mild. Most parts of Nevada receive scarce precipitation during the year. Most rain falls on the lee side (east and northeast slopes) of the Sierra Nevada. The average annual rainfall per year is about 7 inches (18 cm); the wettest parts get around 40 inches (100 cm). Nevada's highest recorded temperature is 125 °F (52 °C) at Laughlin on June 29, 1994 and the lowest recorded temperature is −50 °F (−46 °C) at San Jacinto on January 8, 1937. Nevada's 125 °F (52 °C) reading is the third highest temperature recorded in the U.S. just behind Arizona's 128 °F (53 °C) reading and California's 134 °F (57 °C) reading.

Vegetation[link]

Nevada contains six biotic zones: alpine, sub-alpine, "Ponderosa Pine", "pinion-juniper", "sagebrush" and "creosotebush".^[20]

Counties[link]

Nevada is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality; however, for many purposes under state law it is considered to be a county. As of 1919 there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from 146 to 18,159 square miles (380 to 47,030 km²). In 1969 Ormsby County was dissolved and the consolidated municipality of Carson City was created by the Legislature in its place co-terminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.

• Humboldt was designated as a County in 1856 by Utah Territorial Legislature and again in 1861 by the new Nevada Legislature.

History[link]

Before 1861[link]

See History of Utah, History of Las Vegas, and the discovery of the first major U.S. deposit of silver ore in Comstock Lode under Virginia City, Nevada in 1859.

Separation from Utah Territory[link]

Nevada territory in 1861

On March 2, 1861, the Nevada Territory separated from the Utah Territory and adopted its current name, shortened from Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range").

The 1861 southern boundary is commemorated by Nevada Historical Markers 57 and 58 in Lincoln and Nye counties.

Statehood[link]

Eight days prior to the presidential election of 1864, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed to the date of October 31 to help ensure Abraham Lincoln's reelection on November 8 and post-Civil War Republican dominance in Congress,^[22] as Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union.

Nevada is notable for being one of only two states to significantly expand its borders after admission to the Union.^{[clarification needed]} Nevada achieved its current southern boundaries on May 5, 1866, when it absorbed the portion of Pah-Ute County in the Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River, essentially all of present day Nevada south of the 37th parallel. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought by officials that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark County. In 1868 another part of the western Utah Territory, whose population was seeking to avoid Mormon dominance, was added to Nevada in the eastern part of the state, setting the current eastern boundary.

Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years (see Silver mining in Nevada). When Mark Twain lived in Nevada during the period described in Roughing It, mining had led to an industry of speculation and immense wealth. However, both mining and population declined in the late 19th century. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900, followed by strikes in Goldfield and Rhyolite, again put Nevada's population on an upward trend.

Gambling and labor[link]

Gambling erupted once more following a recession in the early 20th century, helping to build the city of Las Vegas

Unregulated gambling was commonplace in the early Nevada mining towns but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gambling crusade. Because of subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great Depression, Nevada again legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. Governor Fred B. Balzar's signature enacted the most liberal divorce laws in the country and open gambling. The reforms came just eight days after the federal government presented the $49 million construction contract for Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam).^[23]

Nuclear testing[link]

The Nevada Test Site, 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site is composed of approximately 1,350 square miles (3,500 km²) of desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a 1 kilotonne of TNT (4.2 TJ) bomb dropped on Frenchman Flat on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962, and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for having the highest concentration of nuclear-detonated weapons in the U.S.

Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. The primary reason for this is that homesteads were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of ranching still prevails).

Demographics[link]

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Growth[link]

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Nevada was 2,723,322 on July 1, 2011, a 0.84% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[1]

According to the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, Nevada has an estimated population of 2,565,382 which is an increase of 92,909, or 3.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 516,550, or 20.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 81,661 people (that is 170,451 births minus 88,790 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 337,043 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 66,098 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 270,945 people. According to the 2006 census estimate, Nevada is the eighth fastest growing state in the nation.^[24]

The center of population of Nevada is located in southern Nye County.^[25] In this county, the unincorporated town of Pahrump, located 60 miles (97 km) west of Las Vegas on the California state line, has grown very rapidly from 1980 to 2010. At the 2010 census, the town had 36,441 residents.^[26] Las Vegas was America's fastest-growing city and metropolitan area from 1960 to 2000, but has grown from a gulch of 100 people in 1900 to 10,000 by 1950 to 100,000 by 1970.^{[citation needed]}

From about the 1940s until 2003, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the US percentage-wise. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased 66.3%, while the USA's population increased 13.1%. Over two thirds of the population of the state live in the Clark County Las Vegas metropolitan area.

Henderson and North Las Vegas are among the USA's top 20 fastest-growing cities of over 100,000.

The rural community of Mesquite located 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Las Vegas was an example of micropolitan growth in the 1990s and 2000s. Other desert towns like Mercury and Searchlight on the outskirts of Las Vegas have seen some growth as well.

Large numbers of new residents in the state originate from California, which led some locals to feel that their state is being "Californicated".^[27]

Largest Cities[link]