Nevada is a state located in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its three largest incorporated cities. 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.

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. 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.

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

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.

Nevada is the largest landlocked U.S. state that does not border Canada or Mexico.

Etymology and pronunciation

The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish ''Nevada'' , meaning "snow-covered", after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountains") mountain range.

Nevadans normally pronounce the second syllable of their state name using the vowel of "bad". Many from outside the Western United States pronounce it with the vowel of "father" . 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 ," 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?" Bush subsequently carried the state in the election. Assemblyman Harry Mortenson has proposed a bill to recognize the alternate (quasi-Spanish) pronunciation of Nevada.

Geography

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. 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 in Laughlin (elevation of ) on June 29, 1994. The coldest recorded temperature was set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.

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 , harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than .

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 , creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights (due to temperature inversion). Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal line (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state boundary at just over . This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge 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 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

Nevada is made up of mostly desert and semiarid climate regions, daytime summer temperatures sometimes may rise as high as and nighttime winter temperatures may reach as low as . The winter season in the southern part of the state, however, 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 Range. The average annual rainfall per year is about ; the wettest parts get around . Nevada's highest recorded temperature is at Laughlin on June 29, 1994 and the lowest recorded temperature is at San Jacinto on January 8, 1937. Nevada's reading is the third highest temperature recorded in the U.S. just behind Arizona's reading and California's reading.

Vegetation

Nevada contains six biotic zones: alpine, sub-alpine, "yellow pine", "pinion-juniper", "sagebrush" and "creosotebush".

Counties

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 . 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. County seat Carson CityFallon, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaMinden, NevadaElko, NevadaGoldfield, NevadaEureka, NevadaWinnemucca, NevadaBattle Mountain, NevadaPioche, NevadaYerington, NevadaHawthorne, NevadaTonopah, NevadaLovelock, NevadaVirginia City, NevadaReno, NevadaEly, Nevada Counties: 17

NEVADA COUNTIES
County name	|	Year founded	2000 population	Percent of total	Area (mi²)	Percent of total	Population density (/mi²)
Carson City, Nevada	Carson City	|	1861	52,457	2.63 %	146	0.13 %	359.29
Churchill County, Nevada	Churchill	Fallon||	1861	23,982	1.20 %	5,023	4.54 %	4.77
Clark County, Nevada	Clark	Las Vegas||	1908	1,375,765	68.85 %	8,091	7.32 %	170.04
Douglas County, Nevada	Douglas	Minden||	1861	41,259	2.06 %	738	0.67 %	55.91
Elko County, Nevada	Elko	Elko||	1869	45,291	2.27 %	17,203	15.56 %	2.63
Esmeralda County, Nevada	Esmeralda	Goldfield||	1861	971	0.05 %	3,589	3.25 %	0.27
Eureka County, Nevada	Eureka	Eureka||	1869	1,651	0.08 %	4,180	3.78 %	0.39
Humboldt County, Nevada	Humboldt	Winnemucca||	1856/1861	16,106	0.81 %	9,658	8.74 %	1.67
Lander County, Nevada	Lander	Battle Mountain||	1861	5,794	0.29 %	5,519	4.99 %	1.05
Lincoln County, Nevada	Lincoln	Pioche||	1866	4,165	0.21 %	10,637	9.62 %	0.39
Lyon County, Nevada	Lyon	Yerington||	1861	34,501	1.73 %	2,016	1.82 %	17.11
Mineral County, Nevada	Mineral	Hawthorne||	1911	5,071	0.25 %	3,813	3.45 %	1.33
Nye County, Nevada	Nye	Tonopah||	1864	32,485	1.63 %	18,159	16.43 %	1.79
Pershing County, Nevada	Pershing	Lovelock||	1919	6,693	0.33 %	6,068	5.49 %	1.10
Storey County, Nevada	Storey	Virginia City||	1861	3,399	0.17 %	264	0.24 %	12.88
Washoe County, Nevada	Washoe	Reno||	1861	339,486	16.99 %	6,551	5.93 %	51.82
White Pine County, Nevada	White Pine	Ely||	1869	9,181	0.46 %	8,897	8.05 %	1.03
Totals	|		1,998,257		110,552		18.08

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

==History==

Before 1861

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

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

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, 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. 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.

Gaming and labor

Unregulated gaming was commonplace in the early Nevada mining towns but outlawed in 1909 as part of a nation-wide anti-gaming crusade. Because of subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the Great Depression, Nevada again legalized gaming on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. At the time, the leading proponents of gaming expected that it would be a short term fix until the state's economic base widened to include less cyclical industries. However, "re-outlawing" gaming has never been seriously considered since the industry has become Nevada's primary source of revenue today.

Nuclear testing

The Nevada Test Site, 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 of desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a 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

Growth

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.

The center of population of Nevada is located in southern Nye County. In this county, the unincorporated town of Pahrump, located west of Las Vegas on the California state line, has grown 26 times in size from 1980 to 2000. In the year 2006, the town may have over 50,000 permanent residents. 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 to have 2.5 million in the metropolitan area in 2010.

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 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 has grown tremendously 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".

Human Diversity

According to the 2008 census estimates racial distribution was as follows: 65% White American, 7.1% African American, 6% Asian American (estimates placed them at 10%), 2% others (American Indians and Pacific Islanders) and the remaining 20% were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

In terms of diversity, Nevada is home to many cultures and nationalities. Las Vegas and Reno or Washoe County has evolved to become Minority majority cities and counties. Nevada also has a sizable Basque ancestry population. In Douglas, Mineral and Pershing counties, a plurality of residents are of Mexican ancestry with Clark County (Las Vegas) being home to over 200,000 Mexican Americans alone; Nye County and Humboldt County have a plurality of Germans; and Washoe County has many of Irish-Americans. Americans of English descent form pluralities in Lincoln County, Churchill County, Lyon County, White Pine County and Eureka County. Las Vegas is home to rapid-growing ethnic communities like Scandinavians, Italians, Poles, Greeks, Spaniards and Armenians.

Largely African-American sections of Las Vegas ("the Meadows") and Reno can be found. Many current African-American Nevadans are newly transplanted residents from California, the Midwest, or the East Coast.

Since the California Gold Rush of the 1850s brought thousands of Chinese miners to Washoe county, Asian Americans lived in the state. They were followed by a few hundred of Japanese farm workers in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, many immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and recently from India and Vietnam, came to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city now has one of America's most prolific Asian-American communities, with a mostly Chinese and Taiwanese area known as "Chinatown" west of I-15 on Spring Mountain Boulevard, and an "Asiatown" shopping mall for Asian customers located at Charleston Avenue/Paradise Boulevard. Filipino Americans form the largest Asian American group in the state, with a population of more than 113,000. They comprise 56.5% of the Asian American population in Nevada and constitute about 4.3% of the entire state's population.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 16.19% of Nevada's population aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home, while 1.59% speak Filipino and 1% speak Chinese languages.

6.8% of the state's population were reported as under 5, 26.3% under 18, and 13.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.7% of the population. Las Vegas was a major destination for immigrants from South Asia and Latin America seeking employment in the gaming and hospitality industries during the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, but farming and construction is the biggest employer of immigrant labor.

Senior citizens (over age 65) and young children or teenagers (under age 18) form large sections of the Nevada population. The religious makeup of Nevadans include large communities of Mormons, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals, each are known for higher birth rates and a younger than national average age. American Jews represent a large porportion of the active adult retirement community.

In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 8.8% of the population. This was the highest percentage of any state in the country.

The principal ancestries of Nevada's residents in 2008 has been surveyed to be the following:

13.2% German

10.7% Irish

9.4% English

6.4% Italian

4.1% American

4.0% Scandinavian (1.7% Norwegian, 1.5% Swedish, and 0.8% Danish).

Religion

Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are:

Roman Catholic – 27%

Protestant

*Mainline – 11%

*Evangelical – 13%

*Other Protestant – 2%

Latter-day Saint/ Mormon – 11%

Muslim – 2%

Jewish – 1%

Other Religions – 3%

Unaffiliated – 20%

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 331,844; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 116,925; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 40,233. 77,100 Nevadans belong to Jewish congregations.

Economy

The economy of Nevada was "founded on mining and refounded on sin—beginning with prizefighting and easy divorce a century ago and later extending to gaming and prostitution".

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2007 was $127 billion. Resort areas such as Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Laughlin attract visitors from around the nation and world. In FY08 the total of 266 casinos with gaming revenue over $1m for the year, brought in revenue of $12 billion in gaming revenue, and $13 billion in non-gaming revenue. A review of gaming statistics can be found at Nevada gaming area.

The state's Per capita personal income in 2009 was $38,578, ranking nineteenth in the nation.

As of August 2010, the state's unemployment rate is the worst in the nation at 14.4%.

Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, alfalfa, dairy products, onions, and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment.

In portions of the state outside of the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas, mining and cattle ranching are the major economic activities. By value, gold is by far the most important mineral mined. In 2004, of gold worth $2.84 billion were mined in Nevada, and the state accounted for 8.7% of world gold production (see ''Gold mining in Nevada''). Silver is a distant second, with worth $69 million mined in 2004 (see ''Silver mining in Nevada''). Other minerals mined in Nevada include construction aggregates, copper, gypsum, diatomite and lithium. Despite its rich deposits, the cost of mining in Nevada is generally high, and output is very sensitive to world commodity prices.

As of January 1, 2006, there were an estimated 500,000 head of cattle and 70,000 head of sheep in Nevada. Most of these animals forage on rangeland in the summer, with supplemental feed in the winter. Calves are generally shipped to out-of-state feedlots in the fall to be fattened for market. Over 90% of Nevada's of cropland is used to grow hay, mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed.

The state sales tax in Nevada is variable depending upon the county. The minimum statewide tax rate is 6.85%, with five counties (Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, and Mineral) charging this minimum amount. All other counties assess various option taxes, making the combined state/county sales taxes rate in one county as high as 8.1%, which is the amount charged in Clark County. Sales tax in the other major counties: Carson at 7.475%, Washoe at 7.725%. The minimum Nevada sales tax rate changed on 1 July 2009.

Nevada has by far the most hotel rooms per capita in the United States. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, there were 187,301 rooms in 584 hotels (of 15 or more rooms). The state is ranked just below California, Texas, Florida, and New York in total number of rooms, but those states have much larger populations. Nevada has one hotel room for every 14 residents, far above the national average of one hotel room per 67 residents.

Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada in licensed brothels, but only counties with populations under 400,000 residents have the option to legalize it. Although prostitution employs roughly 300 women as independent contractors, and not a major part of the Nevada economy, it is a very visible endeavor. Of the 14 counties that are permitted to legalize prostitution under state law, about 8 have chosen to legalize brothels. State law prohibits prostitution in Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), and Washoe County (which contains Reno). However, prostitution is legal in Storey County, which is part of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.

Transportation

The 2011 American State Litter Scorecard ranked Nevada (tied with Mississippi) as a bottom-three, "Worst" jurisdiction in the U.S., for overall effectiveness and quality of statewide public space cleanliness—from state and related litter/debris removal efforts.

Amtrak's ''California Zephyr'' train uses the Union Pacific's original transcontinental railroad line in daily service from Chicago to Emeryville, California, serving Elko, Winnemucca, Sparks, and Reno. Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches also provide connecting service from Las Vegas to trains at Needles, California, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, California; and from Stateline, Nevada, to Sacramento, California. Las Vegas has had no passenger train service since Amtrak's Desert Wind was discontinued in 1997, although there have been a number of proposals to re-introduce service to either Los Angeles or Southern California.

The Union Pacific Railroad has some railroads in the north and in the south. Greyhound Lines provides some bus service. Interstate 15 passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. I-215 and spur route I-515 also serve the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Interstate 80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, roughly following the path of the Humboldt River from Utah in the east and passing westward through Reno and into California. It has a spur route, I-580. Nevada also is served by several federal highways: US 6, US 50, US 93, US 95 and US 395. There are also 189 Nevada state highways. Nevada is one of a few states in the U.S. that does not have a continuous interstate highway linking its two major population centers. Even the non-interstate federal highways aren't contiguous between the Las Vegas and Reno areas.

The state is one of just a few in the country that allow semi-trailer trucks with three trailers—what might be called a "road train" in Australia. However, American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.

RTC Transit is the public transit system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The agency is the largest transit agency in the state and operates a network of bus service across the Las Vegas Valley, including the use of The Deuce, double-decker buses, on the Las Vegas Strip and several outlying routes. RTC RIDE operates a system of local transit bus service throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit systems in the state include Carson City's JAC. Most other counties in the state do not have public transportation at all.

Additionally, a four mile (6 km) monorail system provides public transportation in the Las Vegas area. The Las Vegas Monorail line services several casino properties and the Las Vegas Convention Center on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, running near Paradise Road, with a possible future extension to McCarran International Airport. Several hotels also run their own monorail lines between each other, which are typically several blocks in length.

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is the busiest airport serving Nevada. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (formerly known as the Reno Cannon International Airport) is the other major airport in the state.

Law and government

The current Governor of Nevada is Brian Sandoval, a Republican; the governor of Nevada is limited by the Nevada Constitution to two four-year terms in office, by election or succession (lifetime limit). Nevada's two U.S. senators are Harry Reid (Democrat) and Dean Heller (Republican), who, by the United States Constitution, have no term limits. Reid is also the current Majority Leader in the US Senate. Nevada's U.S. Representatives are Republicans Joe Heck and Democrat Shelley Berkley. The third representative's seat is vacant.

Legislature

The Nevada Legislature is a bicameral body divided into an upper house Senate and a lower house Assembly. Members of the Senate serve for four years, and members of the Assembly serve for two years. Both houses of the Nevada Legislature will be impacted by term limits starting in 2010, as Senators and Assemblymen/women will be limited to a maximum of 12 years service in each house (by appointment or election which is a lifetime limit) – this provision in the constitution was recently upheld for legislators by the Supreme Court of Nevada in a unanimous decision (7–0), so term limits will be in effect starting in 2010. Each session of the Legislature meets for a constitutionally mandated 120 days in every odd-numbered year, or longer if the Governor calls a special session. Currently, the Senate is controlled by the Democratic Party (12 to 9 majority) and the Assembly is controlled by the Democratic Party (28 to 14 majority).

Judiciary

Nevada is one of the few U.S. states without a system of intermediate appellate courts.

The state supreme court is the Supreme Court of Nevada.

Original jurisdiction is divided between the District Courts (with general jurisdiction), and Justice Courts and Municipal Courts (both of limited jurisdiction).

Libertarian laws

In 1900, Nevada's population was the smallest of all states and was shrinking, as the difficulties of living in a "barren desert" began to outweigh the lure of silver for many early settlers. Historian Lawrence Friedman has explained what happened next:

:''"Nevada, in a burst of ingenuity, built an economy by exploiting its sovereignty. Its strategy was to legalize all sorts of things that were illegal in California ... after easy divorce came easy marriage and casino gaming. Even prostitution is legal in Nevada, in any county that decides to allow it. Quite a few of them do."'' With the advent of air conditioning for summertime use and Southern Nevada's mild winters, the fortunes of the state began to turn around, as it did for Arizona, making these two states the fastest growing in the Union.

Prostitution laws

Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal (under the form of licensed brothels).

Prostitution is specifically illegal by state law in the state's larger jurisdictions, which include Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), Washoe County (which contains Reno), and the independent city of Carson City. Otherwise, it is legal in those counties which specifically vote to permit it.

Divorce laws

Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that, prior to the no-fault divorce revolution in the 1970s, divorces were quite difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gaming and prostitution, Nevada continued the trend of boosting its profile by adopting one of the most liberal divorce statutes in the nation. This resulted in ''Williams v. North Carolina'', , in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina had to give "full faith and credit" to a Nevada divorce.

Nevada's divorce rate tops the national average.

Tax laws

Nevada's tax laws also draw new residents and businesses to the state. Nevada has no personal income tax or corporate income tax. Since Nevada does not collect income data it cannot share such information with the federal government, the IRS

Nevada's state sales tax rate is 6.85 percent. Counties may impose additional rates via voter approval or through approval of the Legislature; therefore, the applicable sales tax will vary by county from 6.85 percent to 8.1 percent in Clark County. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, imposes four separate county option taxes in addition to the statewide rate – 0.25 percent for flood control, 0.50 percent for mass transit, 0.25 percent to fund the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and 0.25 percent for the addition of police officers in that county. In Washoe County (which includes Reno), the sales tax rate is 7.725 percent, due to county option rates for flood control, the ReTRAC train trench project, mass transit, and an additional county rate approved under the Local Government Tax Act of 1991.

The lodging tax rate in unincorporated Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip, is 12%. Within the boundaries of the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, the lodging tax rate is 13%.

Incorporation laws

Nevada also provides friendly environment for the formation of corporations, and many (especially California) businesspeople have incorporated their businesses in Nevada to take advantage of the benefits of the Nevada statute. Nevada corporations offer great flexibility to the Board of Directors and simplify or avoid many of the rules that are cumbersome to business managers in some other states. In addition, Nevada has no franchise tax.

Financial institutions

Similarly, many U.S. states have usury laws limiting the amount of interest a lender can charge, but federal law allows corporations to 'import' these laws from their home state.

Drug and alcohol laws

Non-alcohol drug laws are a notable exception to Nevada's otherwise libertarian principles. It is notable for having the harshest penalties for drug offenders in the country. Nevada remains the only state to still use mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for marijuana possession. However, it is now a misdemeanor for possession of less than one ounce but only for persons age 21 and older. In 2006, voters in Nevada defeated attempts to allow possession of 1 ounce of marijuana (for personal use) without being criminally prosecuted, (55% against legalization, 45% in favor of legalization). However, Nevada is one of the states that allows for use of marijuana for medical reasons (though this remains illegal under federal law).

Nevada has very liberal alcohol laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24 hours, with no "last call". Liquor stores, convenience stores and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24 hours per day, and may sell beer, wine and spirits.

Smoking

Nevada voters enacted a smoking ban ("the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act") in November 2006 that became effective on December 8, 2006. It outlaws smoking in most workplaces and public places. Smoking is permitted in bars, but only if the bar serves no food, or the bar is inside a larger casino. Smoking is also permitted in casinos, hotel rooms, tobacco shops, and brothels. However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it. Yet, in one case, they did prosecute an establishment called "Bilbo's." As of 2008, the trial was still pending.

Crime

Nevada has been ranked as the most dangerous state in the U.S. for five years in a row, just ahead of Louisiana In 2006, the crime rate in Nevada was approximately 24% higher than the national average rate. Property crimes accounted for approximately 84.6% of the crime rate in Nevada which was 21% higher than the national rate. The remaining 20.3% were violent crimes and were approximately 45% higher than other states. In 2008, Nevada had the third highest murder rate, and the highest rate of robbery and motor vehicle theft. It should be noted that many of these statistics may not totally be attributed to the citizens of Nevada themselves, but partially to the high rate of visitors entering and leaving the state as well. In addition, the state's most populous county, Clark (accounting for 75% of the state's total population), skews the crime rate for the balance of the state.

Politics

+ Presidential elections results
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{| class=wikitable ! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 2010 |- ! colspan = 2 | Party ! Active Voters ! Inactive Voters ! Total Voters ! Percentage | Democratic | style="text-align:center;"| 456,672 | style="text-align:center;"| 126,158 | style="text-align:center;"| 580,393 | style="text-align:center;"| 43.10% | Republican | style="text-align:center;"| 398,898 | style="text-align:center;"| 79,414 | style="text-align:center;"| 475,764 | style="text-align:center;"| 35.33% | Unaffiliated | style="text-align:center;"| 163,816 | style="text-align:center;"| 49,731 | style="text-align:center;"| 213,329 | style="text-align:center;"| 15.84% | Minor Parties | style="text-align:center;"| 57,984 | style="text-align:center;"| 19,352 | style="text-align:center;"| 77,079 | style="text-align:center;"| 5.72% |- ! colspan = 2 | Total ! style="text-align:center;"| 1,077,370 ! style="text-align:center;"| 274,655 ! style="text-align:center;"| 1,346,565 ! style="text-align:center;"| 100% |}

State politics

Due to heavy growth in the southern portion of the state, there is a noticeable divide between politics of northern and southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in state government, even while the population of southern Nevada is larger than the rest of the state combined. The north sees the high population south becoming more influential and perhaps commanding majority rule. The south sees the north as the "old guard" trying to rule as an oligarchy. This has fostered some resentment, however, due to a term limit amendment passed by Nevada voters in 1994, and again in 1996, some of the north's hold over key positions will soon be forfeited to the south, leaving Northern Nevada with less power.

Clark and Washoe counties—home to Las Vegas and Reno, respectively—have long dominated the state's politics. Between them, they cast 87 percent of Nevada's vote, and elect a substantial majority of the state legislature. The great majority of the state's elected officials are either from Las Vegas or Reno.

National politics

Nevada has voted for the winner in every presidential election since 1912, except in 1976 when it voted for Gerald Ford over Jimmy Carter. This gives the state status as a political bellwether.

Nevada supported Democrat Bill Clinton in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections, Republican George W. Bush won in 2000 and 2004, and Democrat Barack Obama won the state in 2008.

The state's U. S. Senators are Democrat Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Republican Dean Heller. The Governorship is held by Brian Sandoval, a Republican from Reno.

State government

State departments and agencies:

Department of Secretary of State

Department of Taxation

Commission on Tourism

Department of Transportation

Nevada State Treasurer

Universities and Community Colleges of Nevada

Nevada Office of Veterans' Services

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

Nevada Department of Wildlife

Local government

Incorporated towns in Nevada, known as cities, are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. A recent movement has begun to permit home rule in incorporated Nevada cities to give them more flexibility and fewer restrictions from the Legislature.

Unincorporated towns are settlements eminently governed by the county in which they are located, but who, by local referendum or by the act of the county commission, can form limited local governments in the form of a Town Advisory Board (TAB)/ Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), or a Town Board.

Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils are formed purely by act of the county commission. Consisting of three to five members, these elected boards form a purely advisory role, and in no way diminish the responsibilities of the county commission that creates them. Members of advisory councils and boards are elected to two year terms, and serve without compensation. The councils and boards, themselves, are provided no revenue, and oversee no budget.

Town Boards are limited local governments created by either the local county commission, or by referendum. The board consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Half the board is required to be up for election in each election. The board elects from within its ranks a town chairperson and town clerk. While more powerful than Town Advisory Boards and Citizens Advisory Councils, they also serve a largely advisory role, with their funding provided by their local county commission. The local county commission has the power to put before residents of the town a vote on whether to keep or dissolve a town board at any general election. Town boards have the ability to appoint a town manager if they choose to do so.

Significant cities and towns

{| |- |valign=top| 591,536 align=left>Henderson, Nevada align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left

Rank	City !! Population withincity limits !! Land Area sq. miles !! PopulationDensity per sq mi !! County
1	align=left	|	131.3	4,217.8	Clark County, Nevada>Clark
2	Henderson ||	265,790	79.7	2,200.8	Clark County, Nevada>Clark
3	North Las Vegas ||	216,672	78.5	1,471.0	Clark County, Nevada>Clark
4	Reno ||	214,853	69.1	2,611.4	Washoe County, Nevada>Washoe
5	Sunrise Manor ||	195,727	38.2	4,081.8	Clark County, Nevada>Clark
6	Paradise ||	186,070	47.1	3,947.3	Clark County, Nevada>Clark
7	Spring Valley ||	175,581	33.4	3,519.4	Clark County, Nevada>Clark
8	Sparks ||	88,518	23.9	2,773.6	Washoe County, Nevada>Washoe
9	Carson City ||	58,350	143.4	366	Carson City
10	Pahrump ||	44,614	297.9	82.7	Nye County>Nye

|}

Paradise, Sunrise Manor, and Spring Valley are unincorporated towns in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

1,715,337 align=left>Washoe County, Nevada align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left

Rank	County !! Population withincounty limits !! Land Area sq. miles !! PopulationDensity per sq mi !! Largest city
1	align=left	|	7,910	174	Las Vegas, Nevada>Las Vegas
2	Washoe ||	383,453	6,342	54	Reno, Nevada>Reno
3	Carson City ||	56,146	155.7	366	Carson City, Nevada>Carson City
4	Douglas ||	47,803	710	58	Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada>Gardnerville Ranchos
5	Elko ||	46,499	17,179	3	Elko, Nevada>Elko
6	Lyon ||	44,646	1,994	17	Fernley, Nevada>Fernley
7	Nye ||	38,181	18,147	2	Pahrump, Nevada>Pahrump
8	Churchill ||	26,106	4,929	5	Fallon, Nevada>Fallon
9	Humboldt ||	17,129	9,648	2	Winnemucca, Nevada>Winnemucca
10	White Pine ||	8,966	8,876	1	Ely, Nevada>Ely

''Note: table was compiled using Nevada State estimates from 2004 for population and Census 2000 for area and density''

10 richest places in Nevada

Ranked by per capita income align=right>$52,521 align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left align=left

Rank	Place !! GDP !! County
1	align=left	|align=right | Washoe
2	Kingsbury ||	$41,421	align=right
3	Mount Charleston ||	$38,821	align=right
4	Verdi-Mogul ||	$38,233	Washoe
5	Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village ||	$37,218	Douglas
6	Summerlin South ||	$33,017	Clark
7	Blue Diamond ||	$30,479	Clark
8	Minden ||	$30,405	Douglas
9	Boulder City ||	$29,770	Clark
10	Spanish Springs ||	$26,908	Washoe

Education

Colleges and universities

Nevada System of Higher Education

*University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

*University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)

*Nevada State College

*Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC)

*Great Basin College

*College of Southern Nevada (CSN)

*Western Nevada College (WNC)

Sierra Nevada College

Touro University Nevada

University of Southern Nevada

Research institutes

Desert Research Institute

Parks and recreation areas

Recreation areas maintained by the National Park Service

Northern Nevada

California National Historic Trail

Death Valley National Park

Great Basin National Park near Baker

Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Pony Express National Historic Trail

Southern Nevada

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve

Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Mount Charleston and the Mount Charleston Wilderness

Spring Mountains and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Wilderness

There are 68 designated wilderness areas in Nevada, protecting some under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management.

State parks

See: ''List of Nevada state parks''.

Sports

Nevada is not well known for its professional sports, but the state takes pride in college sports, most notably the Nevada Wolf Pack (representing the University of Nevada, Reno) of the Western Athletic Conference and the UNLV Rebels of the Mountain West Conference. In 2012, Nevada will join its cross-state rival in the MWC.

UNLV is most remembered for its men's basketball program, which experienced its height of supremacy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels became one of the most elite programs in the country. In 1990, UNLV won the Men's Division I Championship by defeating Duke 103–73, which set tournament records for most points scored by a team and largest margin of victory in the national title game. In 1991, UNLV finished the regular season undefeated. Forward Larry Johnson won several awards, including the Naismith Award. UNLV reached the Final Four yet again, but lost their national semifinal against Duke 79–77, and is referred to as one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament. The Runnin' Rebels were the Associated Press pre-season #1 back to back (1989–90, 1990–91). North Carolina is the only other team to accomplish that (2007–08, 2008–09).

The state is also home to one of the most famous tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi.

Nevada sports teams

Professional

Las Vegas Locomotives, United Football League

Las Vegas 51s, Minor League Baseball (AAA)

Las Vegas Wranglers, ECHL

Reno Aces, Minor League Baseball (AAA)

Reno Bighorns, NBA D-League

Nevada Pumas, QuickHit Football League

College

Nevada Wolf Pack, UNR

UNLV Rebels

The state is also home to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and NASCAR event and the National Rodeo.

Military

Several United States Navy ships have been named USS ''Nevada'' in honor of the state. They include:

USS Nevada

USS Nevada (BM-8)

USS Nevada (BB-36)

USS Nevada (SSBN-733)

Area 51 is located near Groom Lake, a dry salt lake bed. The much smaller Creech Air Force Base is located in Indian Springs, Nevada; Naval Air Station Fallon in Fallon; Hawthorne Army Depot in Hawthorne; and the Tonopah Test Range near Tonopah.

These bases host a number of activities including the Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence, the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Nevada Test and Training Range, Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the United States Air Force Warfare Center, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School.

Songs about Nevada

"Silver State Fanfare" – the Official State March by Gerald G. Willis. Codified by the Nevada Legislature in 2001 at NRS 235.035

"Sands of Nevada" from Mark Knopfler's 2000 release ''Sailing to Philadelphia''

"Sin City" from Limbeck's 2005 release ''Let Me Come Home''

"Home Means Nevada", the state song of Nevada, by Bertha Rafetto

"Nevada" by Riders in the Sky from the album ''Best of the West''

"Night Time In Nevada" by Dulmage/Clint/Pascoe, 1931

"Nevada's Grace" by Atreyu, twelfth track off 2004's ''The Curse''

Future issues

Nevada enjoys many economic advantages, and the southern portion of the state enjoys mild winter weather, but rapid growth has led to some overcrowded roads and schools. Nevada has the nation's 5th largest school district in the Clark County School District (projected fall 2007 enrollment is 314,000 students grades K-12). While the state was recently one of the fastest growing in the country, population growth slowed down to a halt in 2008.

In 2008, the "American State Litter Scorecard," presented at the American Society for Public Administration national conference, positioned Nevada next to Mississippi and Louisiana as one of the worst states for removing litter from public roadways and properties.

In August 2008, it was announced that Boyd Gaming would halt construction on a 4.2 billion dollar project called Echelon, which was to replace the old Stardust Resort & Casino. The reason cited for this is lack of funding/credit from banks.

Coyote Springs is a proposed community for 240,000 inhabitants in Clark and Lincoln counties. It would be Nevada's largest planned city. The town is being developed by Harvey Whittemore and has generated some controversy because of environmental concerns and allegations of political favoritism.

State symbols

State animal: Desert Bighorn Sheep

State artifact: Tule Duck Decoy

State bird: Mountain Bluebird

State colors: silver and blue

State fish: Lahontan cutthroat trout

State flower: Sagebrush (''Artemisia tridentata'')

State fossil: Ichthyosaur

State grass: Indian ricegrass

State march: "Silver State Fanfare" by Gerald Willis

State metal: Silver (Ag)

State mottos: "Battle Born" and "All For Our Country"

State precious gemstone: Virgin Valley black fire opal

State semiprecious gemstone: Nevada turquoise

State slogan: "The Battle Born State"

State song: "Home Means Nevada" by Bertha Raffetto

State reptile: Desert Tortoise

State rock: Sandstone

State soil: Orovada (soil) series

State tartan: A particular tartan designed for Nevada by Richard Zygmunt Pawlowski

State trees: Single-leaf Pinyon pine and Bristlecone pine (''Pinus longaeva'')

See also

Great Basin

List of National Register of Historic Places in Nevada

List of people from Nevada

U.S. state

References

External links

Official state website

Nevada State Databases – Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nevada state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.

State Tourism website

Nevada state symbols

Secretary of State of Nevada

Nevada Classifieds

Nevada State Library and Archives

Energy Profile for Nevada

USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nevada

US Census Bureau

County Maps of Nevada Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats

Nevada State Facts

Pronunciation Guide: Nevada

Forgotten Nevada – Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nevada

Nevada's Historical Markers

Category:States of the United States Category:Former Spanish colonies Category:States and territories established in 1864 Category:Western United States

af:Nevada ang:Nevada ar:نيفادا an:Nevada arc:ܢܝܒܐܕܐ frp:Nevada ast:Nevada gn:Nevada az:Nevada bn:নেভাডা zh-min-nan:Nevada be:Штат Невада be-x-old:Нэвада bcl:Nevada bi:Nevada bo:ནེ་བ་ད། bs:Nevada br:Nevada bg:Невада ca:Nevada cv:Невада cs:Nevada co:Nevada cy:Nevada da:Nevada de:Nevada nv:Naʼazhǫǫsh Hahoodzo et:Nevada el:Νεβάδα es:Nevada eo:Nevado eu:Nevada fa:نوادا hif:Nevada fo:Nevada fr:Nevada fy:Nevada ga:Nevada gv:Nevada gag:Nevada gd:Nevada gl:Nevada hak:Nui-fà-tha̍t xal:Невад ko:네바다 주 hy:Նևադա hi:नेवाडा hr:Nevada io:Nevada ig:Náevadạ ilo:Nevada bpy:নেভাডা id:Nevada ie:Nevada iu:ᓂᕚᑖ/nivaataa ik:Nevada os:Невадæ is:Nevada it:Nevada he:נבדה jv:Nevada kn:ನೆವಾಡಾ pam:Nevada ka:ნევადა kw:Nevada sw:Nevada ht:Nevada ku:Nevada mrj:Невада lad:Nevada la:Nivata lv:Nevada lt:Nevada lij:Nevadd-a li:Nevada lmo:Nevada hu:Nevada mk:Невада mg:Nevada ml:നെവാഡ mi:Nevada mr:नेव्हाडा arz:نيفادا ms:Nevada mn:Невада nah:Nevada nl:Nevada (staat) ja:ネバダ州 frr:Nevada no:Nevada nn:Nevada oc:Nevada uz:Nevada pnb:نیواڈا pap:Nevada pms:Nevada nds:Nevada pl:Nevada pt:Nevada ro:Nevada rm:Nevada qu:Nevada suyu ru:Невада sah:Невада sq:Nevada scn:Nevada simple:Nevada sk:Nevada (štát USA) sl:Nevada szl:Newada ckb:نێوادا sr:Невада sh:Nevada fi:Nevada sv:Nevada tl:Nebada ta:நெவாடா tt:Невада (штат) th:รัฐเนวาดา chy:Nevada tr:Nevada uk:Невада ur:نیواڈا ug:Néwada shitati vi:Nevada vo:Nevada war:Nevada yi:נעוואדא yo:Nevada diq:Nevada bat-smg:Nevada zh:内华达州

name	Ms. Dynamite
background	solo_singer
birth name	Niomi Arleen MacLean-Daley
born	April 26, 1981Archway, London, England
instrument	Singing, rapping
genre	R&B;, hip hop, 2-step garage, grime
occupation	Singer, songwriter, rapper
years active	2001–present
label	Polydor (2001–2006) }}

Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley (born 26 April 1981), who performs as Ms. Dynamite, is a double BRIT Award and three time MOBO Awards winning UK garage, R&B; and hip hop singer and rapper.

Biography

Ms. Dynamite was born and raised in Archway, a district in North London, to a Jamaican father and a Scottish mother. She grew up listening to reggae and hip hop music. Though she wanted to become a schoolteacher or social worker, her biggest aspiration was to be a musician. She is the eldest of eleven siblings, one of whom is a hip-hop artist known as Akala, and attended Acland Burghley School in London.

Career

2001–2004: ''A Little Deeper''

Ms. Dynamite (originally called Lady Dynamite) was first known for her vocals on the UK garage underground track "Booo!", which was regularly played on London pirate radio stations and was later released as a single. Whilst working at the radio station RAW FM, Ms Dynamite was discovered by Richard Forbes AKA DJ Sticky at a West End club. After working briefly with the UK garage act So Solid Crew, she released her debut album, ''A Little Deeper'' in 2002, featuring the hit songs "It Takes More" and "Dy-na-mi-tee". In 2003, the album was released in the United States to critical acclaim. In 2002, Dynamite won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, for ''A Little Deeper''. She donated the £20,000 prize to the NSPCC.

Her first public performance was at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games at the City of Manchester Stadium. On 2 July 2005, she performed at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London. Among the songs performed was "Redemption Song" – a Bob Marley penned song.

2005–2006: ''Judgement Days''

On 11 September 2005, she returned to the limelight (having taken time off to have her son, Shavaar) with a new album entitled ''Judgement Days''. Featuring more social commentary, in songs such as the first double A-side single, "Judgement Day" / "Father" and the Tony Blair critique, "Mr Prime Minister," reviews of the album were not as favourable as those of her debut. However "Judgement Day" reached No. 25 in the UK Singles Chart.

On the 6 January 2006, Ms Dynamite was arrested outside a London nightclub, after a brawl in which she punched a male police officer in the face whilst in custody. She was convicted and sentenced to sixty hours of community service. The second single from ''Judgement Days'' was due to be "Fall In Love Again" (previously titled "When I Fall In Love"), with a release date of 30 January 2006. A video was shot for the track but, due to her arrest, the single was cancelled. The video did not surface until June 2006, when it was leaked on to the web.

In February 2006, she won the Naomi Award for Worst Urban Act.

Since her trouble in January 2006 and her disappearance from the public eye, Ms Dynamite confirmed that the much rumoured 'A Little Darker' album would be released in March 2006 as a mixtape. After the confirmation, the album was pushed back to June 2006. Also, in April 2006, Ms Dynamite confirmed that there would be no more releases from her ''Judgement Days'' album, and that she was due to start working on new material.

A collection of new and upcoming UK hip-hop and garage artists, was compiled by Ms Dynamite and her rapping brother Akala, who was voted Best Hip Hop Act at the MOBO Awards in September 2006.

In November 2006 she took part in a television show called ''The Race'' on Sky1. This was a week long event in which ten celebrities had to compete against each other on the track in different races building up to a thirty lap Formula Ford race on Sunday 12 November 2006. After about ten laps into the race disaster struck, and Ms. Dynamite hit the wall on the pit straight at about 100 mph. She was air lifted to hospital for overnight observations but later released.

2007–2009: Break from music

After taking a break from the music scene for a couple of years, Dynamite guest hosted BBC Radio 1Xtra, and stated she would be releasing a third album 'Democracy' in 2009. The first single from the new album will be "Bad Gyal". This was however later confirmed to have been push back, to concentrate on other projects and well as motherhood.

Ms Dynamite appeared on ''Hell's Kitchen'' on ITV1 in 2009. She was voted out by public vote on 24 April 2009 finishing fourth. Ms Dynamite also appeared as an expert adviser on ''Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment'' on BBC Two.

2010–present: Return to music and third album

In December 2010, Dynamite was featured on Katy B's second single, "Lights On". It peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart. She was also featured on the track "Fire", which featured on Magnetic Man's debut album.

On 3 August 2011 in an interview with Digital Spy, Dynamite confirmed that she is working on her third studio album, and confirmed that the lead single "Neva Soft" (produced by Labrinth) would be released on 4 September. Her third studio album is set to be released at the beginning of 2012.

Ancestry

As stated on the programme ''Ms Dynamite: In Search of Nanny Maroon'' in addition to her Jamaican-Scottish parentage, she shares Bajan, English, Irish, German and Grenadian ancestries.

Discography

''A Little Deeper'' (2002)

''Judgement Days'' (2005)

Soundtracks

"Dy-na-mi-tee" (On the Fifa 2003 soundtrack)

"Dynamite" (On the ''Ali G Indahouse'' soundtrack)

"Crazy Krush" (On the ''Misfits Channel 4'' soundtrack)

Music videos

Solo

{|class="wikitable" !Year !width="125"|Song !Director |- |rowspan="3"|2002 |"It Takes More" |rowspan="2"|Jake Nava |- |"Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" |- |"Put Him Out" | |- |rowspan="3"|2005 |"Judgement Day" |Giuseppe Capotondi |- |"Father" |Daniel Woolfe |- |"Fall In Love Again" | |- |rowspan="1"|2011 |"Neva Soft" | |}

Awards and honours

Mercury Music Prize – Album of the Year 2002

100 Great Black Britons – 2003 – No. 14

The South Bank Show Awards 2003 – Best Pop ("A Little Deeper")

Race In The Media Awards 2003 – Media Personality Of The Year

MOBO Awards 2003 – Best Single

MOBO Awards 2003 – Best Newcomer

MOBO Awards 2003 – U.K Act Of The Year

Brit Awards 2003 – British female solo artist

Brit Awards 2003 – Best British Urban Act

References

External links

Official website

Ms Dynamite Fans information and photos website

Category:1981 births Category:Anglo-Scots Category:BRIT Award winners Category:English female singers Category:English hip hop musicians Category:English rappers Category:English rhythm and blues singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:Female rappers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from London Category:People from Archway Category:English people of Jamaican descent Category:English people of Scottish descent Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English people of Barbadian descent Category:English people of Grenadian descent Category:Black British musicians Category:UK garage musicians

de:Ms. Dynamite fr:Ms Dynamite it:Ms. Dynamite nl:Ms. Dynamite ru:Ms. Dynamite sk:Ms Dynamite

Name	Vybz Kartel
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Adidja Palmer
Alias	Addi Di Teacha, Gaza Emperor, World Boss
Born	January 07, 1976Kingston, Jamaica
Origin	Portmore, Jamaica
Genre	ReggaeDancehallReggae fusion
Occupation	Deejay, Songwriter, Entrepreneur, Lyricist, Producer
Years active	2000–present
Label	Adidjaheim Records, NotNice Production
Associated acts	Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Aidonia Elephant Man, Ninjaman, Alliance, Portmore Empire, Major Lazer & Popcaan, Kano, Vanessa Bling
Website	Vybz Kartel's MySpace

Adidja Palmer (born January 7, 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi the Teacher and Gaza Emperor.

Biography

Adidja Palmer (Addi Teacha) began his career as a teenager in 1993, with his first recording "Love Fat Woman", his first single, released on Alvin Reid's label "One Heart", using the moniker "Adi Banton", a homage to Buju Banton. Palmer was later part of the three-member group "Vybez Cartel", keeping the slightly altered name after group split up, and became a protege of Bounty Killer, for whom he claims to have written nearly 30 songs, including "Gal Clown".

Vybz Kartel rose to prominence in 2003 after a string of hits in Jamaica. The year culminated in a pre-planned on-stage clash with Ninjaman at the annual dancehall festival Sting in Kartel's hometown of Portmore. The clash turned violent when Kartel's crewmembers, as well as Kartel himself, threw punches and assaulted Ninjaman onstage. While Kartel's manager initially blamed Ninjaman for the fracas, Kartel himself quickly apologised to Ninjaman and Sting organizers for the fracas. Four days after the incident, the two artists appeared before the press to announce a settlement of their differences and to end any animosity.

He established his own label Adidjahiem/Notnice Records with his business partner and producer Ainsley "Notnice" Morris. In 2010, he released his album ''Pon Di Gaza 2.0'' on Adidjahiem/Notnice Records in collaboration with Tads Record Inc. In Spring 2011, Kartel is scheduled to release a still-unnamed album with Brooklyn Hip Hop/Electro producer Dre Skull.

Kartel has worked on collaborations and remixes with Hip Hop and R&B; musicians Jay-Z, Rihanna, Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, M.I.A, Pharrell, Kardinal Offishal, Akon, Jim Jones and Eminem.

In 2009 he had two international hits with “Ramping Shop” debuting on the Billboard Top 100 Singles charts, and “Dollar Sign” being in regular rotation on urban radio stations in the US. His 2010 single "Clarks" was one of his biggest international successes, remaining in the top 3 Reggae Singles gaining the most radio plays in North America for 40 weeks. "Clarks" was also featured on the TV series ''So You Think You Can Dance Canada'', and on a CNN segment on Dancehall dance. MTV's ''Vice Guide to Dancehall'' featured Kartel at his weekly dance party, Street Vybz Thursday.

After splitting with Bounty Killer-led Alliance in 2006, Kartel founded the Portmore Empire, a group of Dancehall deejays and singers from his Portmore neighborhood that he signed to his newly founded Adidjahiem/Notnice Records. Current members of the group are: Popcaan, Shawn Storm, Sheba, Indu, Tommy Lee, Singing Maxwell, Singa Blinga, Lenny Mattic. Former members include Lisa Hype, Gaza Kim, Black Ryno, Jah Vinci, Deejay Spice, Doza Medicine and Merital.

Feud with Mavado

Towards the end of 2006, Vybz Kartel left the Alliance. Tensions arose following Kartel's continued association with Bounty Killer's longtime enemy, Beenie Man, including Kartel attending Beenie Man's wedding to Bounty Killer's ex-girlfriend, D'Angel. Vybz Kartel cited his departure as being due to his desire to be a more independent artist. It was reported that Vybz and Bounty Killer performed together ahead of the annual Sting show. Due to Kartel's defection from the Alliance and his 'parring' (fraternising) with Beenie Man, a series of songs and counteraction songs ensued - the main proponents being Kartel and Mavado.

A very public feud between Vybz Kartel and former collaborator Mavado arose towards the end of 2006, stemming from Vybz' much publicized departure from the dancehall conglomerate group, The Alliance. The feud resulted in numerous diss-tracks released, in which each artist dissed the other and their associates over popular dancehall rhythms. In a police-overseen press conference in March 2007, both Mavado and Vybz Kartel publicly announced an end to hostilities and apologized to fans.

However, by the summer of 2008, tensions flared with a renewal of "diss tracks" from each artist, and a lyrical clash between the two at Sting 2008 left mixed views as to the "winner". Most of 2009 saw a continuation of the public feud, which dominated Jamaican media and, to a certain extent, Jamaican culture, with the two artists' factions, ''Gaza'' (Kartel) and ''Gully'' (Mavado), being adopted by Jamaican youth, in some cases leading to street violence.

On December 8, 2009, Kartel and Mavado met with Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding in an attempt to end the feud, which had by that time fueled mob attacks in some of the inner-city neighborhoods of Kingston. The two had performed together on-stage the previous night in a sign of goodwill at the West Kingston Jamboree, a concert promoted by area leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke. After the truce in December 2009, the two artists were scheduled to perform a unity concert March 2010 in Barbados, which was later cancelled by the prime minister of that country.

Business

In 2008, Vybz Kartel launched his own liquor line Street Vybz Rum. He hosts a weekly dance party Street Vybz Thursday, at the Building, Kingston nightclub he manages with Street Vybz Rum business partner Corey Todd. The rum is officially distributed by Vybz Distillers Limited. The same year, he also released his own condom line, Daggering Condoms. Kartel's goal for 2011 is to release his own shoe line named Addi's, as well as his own line of "cake soap".

When his singles "Clarks", "Clarks 2 (Clarks Again)" and "Clarks 3 (Wear Weh Yuh Have)" featured the British shoe brand Clarks in 2010, its sales numbers and prices in Jamaica increased considerably.

Controversy

Kartel has come under controversy over perceived skin whitening, or "bleaching", leading him to claim to the use of "cake soap" to lighten his skin. The Blue Power Group, Jamaican manufacturer of the popular cake soap (or "blue soap") has refuted claims it changes skin colour. Kartel then stated the soap used to lighten his skin was his own brand, which he intends to release on the local market.

Awards

Kartel has had several collaborations with international hip hop and pop stars. He has released two albums for the UK/US based label Greensleeves Records. He was also nominated for the Source, VIBE and UK MOBO awards, although his 2004 UK MOBO award nomination was withdrawn amidst controversy over allegedly homophobic content of his lyrics.

2003

* Stone Love's 30th Anniversary

** DJ of the Year

2008

* CUMA (Caribbean Urban Music Awards)

2009

EME Awards

** Male DJ of the Year

** Lyricist/Songwriter of the Year

** Song of the Year (Romping Shop ft. Spice)

2010

EME Awards

** Male DJ of the Year

** Lyricist/Songwriter of the Year

** Recording Artist of the Year

WBLS Caribbean Artiste of the Year

Nominated by the MOBO Awards and Soul Train Awards for Reggae Artist of the Year.

References

External links

The Kartel Business - A look at Vybz Kartel as an Entrepreneur

Vybz Kartel, one of the baddest DJs

Vibes Kartel| Vybz Kartel| Fastest Growing Dancehall Artist in the Caribbean

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:Jamaican reggae musicians

da:Vybz Kartel de:Vybz Kartel fr:Vybz Kartel it:Vybz Kartel ht:Vybz Kartel

Name	Lords of the Underground
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Newark, New Jersey
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1990–19951999–present
Label	Pendulum Records, Jersey Kidz Records
Current members	DoItAllMr. FunkeDJ Lord Jazz }}

The Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) are a hip-hop trio based in Newark, New Jersey. MCs Mr. Funke and DoItAll Dupré met DJ Lord Jazz (a native of Cleveland) when all three were undergraduates at Shaw University.

The group released their debut album, ''Here Come the Lords'' on October 1, 1993 with production handled by Marley Marl and K-Def. The album peaked at 66 on the Billboard 200 and featured five charting singles, including the group's signature song, "Chief Rocka".

The group released their second album, ''Keepers of the Funk'' the following year on November 1, 1994. ''Keepers of the Funk'' peaked at 47 on the Billboard 200 and featured three charting singles, the most successful of which was "Tic Toc". The group disbanded in 1995.

They reunited for a third album with 1998's ''Resurrection''. Released via Queen Latifah's Jersey Kidz imprint, was so small-scale a release that few realized it had been recorded. The Lords returned again in 2007 for a fourth album entitled ''House of Lords'', but like ''Resurrection'', it failed to reach the Billboard charts.

The Lords are best remembered in connection with the golden age of hip hop. As such, when Nas decided in 2007 to do a remix of his song "Where Are They Now?", which asked of the fates of several long-forgotten golden age rappers, the Lords were among those requested to appear. DoItAll Dupré performed eight bars on the track.

DoItAll appeared briefly in the final scene of the final episode of ''The Sopranos'' credited as Du Kelly, as one of a series of potentially ominous figures entering the diner. He also appeared on other TV shows; ''Law & Order'' as Two Tone, on ''OZ'' the HBO series, and on the Christmas episode of ''30 Rock'' on NBC (2008). He has also been in independent movies such as ''Somewhere in the City'' with Bai Ling, Rhyme & Reason, and with Treach of Naughty By Nature. He has also starred in an off Broadway play entitled ''Diss, Diss, & Diss, Dat.''

Discography

Studio albums

{|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="2"| Chart positions |- ! U.S. ! U.S. R&B; |- |1993 |''Here Come the Lords''

Released: March 30, 1993

Label: Pendulum

|align="center"|66 |align="center"|13 |- |1994 |''Keepers of the Funk''

Released: November 1, 1994

Label: Pendulum

|align="center"|57 |align="center"|16 |- |1999 |''Resurrection''

Released: April 21, 1999

Label: Jersey Kidz

|align="center"|– |align="center"|– |- |2007 |''House of Lords''

Released: August 21, 2007

Label: Affluent

|align="center"|– |align="center"|– |}

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions	Album
!width="40"	!width="40"	!width="40"
	align="left"
	align="left"
1994
1994	align="left"
	align="left"
align="left"

External links

Official website

DJ Lord Jazz artist profile

DJ Lord Jazz at MySpace

LOTUG interview at britishhiphop.co.uk

Category:East Coast hip hop groups Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:Rappers from New Jersey

de:Lords of the Underground fr:Lords of the underground it:Lords of the Underground pt:Lords of the Underground

Name	Lil Scrappy
Background	solo_singer
Born	January 19, 1984
Birth name	Darryl Richardson
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation	Rapper
Genre	Hip Hop, Funk rap, Contemporary R&B;
Years active	2003–present
Associated acts	Crime Mob, Lil Flip, Trillville, Ludacris, Lil Jon, E-40
Label	G'$ Up, DTP, Def Jam, Real Talk
Website	}}

Darryl Kevin Richardson II (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.

Richards was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar, when a fight broke out during his set in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Along with labelmates Trillville, Lil Scrappy was one of the first signings to Lil Jon's BME Recordings.

Lil Scrappy built a strong reputation and eager following throughout the Southeastern United States through mixtapes and his 2003 song "Head Bussa", which was used as the theme for the 2004 Atlanta Braves.

Career

2006-2008: ''Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live'' and ''Prince of the South''

Lil Scrappy released his debut album ''Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live'' on December 5, 2006 on BME Recordings/Reprise Records/G-Unit Records and G-Unit South now Cashville Records.The album features appearances by Yung Joc, Three 6 Mafia, Lil Jon, Young Buck, 50 Cent, Olivia, Young Dro, and Bohagon. It was produced by Lil Jon and 50 Cent. The first single Money in the Bank features Young Buck and became Lil Scrappy's second Top 30 single. ''Money in the Bank'' peaked at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart trajectory, becoming his biggest solo hit and most commercially successful single to date in the U.S. as it surpassed the peak position of "No Problem" by one position. The second single from the album is called Gangsta, Gangsta and features Lil Jon. "Oh Yeah (Work)" is the third single from ''Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live'' and features E-40 and Sean P (formerly Sean Paul) of YoungbloodZ.

J-Bo, Lil Jon, & Too Short made cameo appearances in the video, which premiered January 25, 2007 on BET's 106 & Park as a New Joint. The song also received significant air play on various urban stations.

Lil Scrappy's first independent album, ''Prince of the South'', was released on May 13, 2008 through Real Talk Entertainment.

2009-present: ''Prince of the South 2'', ''Tha Grustle'', and ''Scrappacalypse''

In 2009 Lil Scrappy appeared in the motion picuture ''Just Another Day''. In this tale of the brutal realities of rap music, Scrappy plays a character named Jay. Lil Scrappy's second independent album, ''Prince of the South 2'', was released on October 19, 2010 through Real Talk Entertainment just like his first independent album.

Lil Scrappy's second studio album, ''Tha Grustle'', has been completed and is awaiting release in 2011. Due to the long wait time between the releases of ''Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live'' and ''Tha Grustle'' and the large recording budget he received from BME Recordings, Scrappy was able to record more than enough material for two albums. BME, not wanting to release a double album, picked the 20 tracks they liked best and gave the rights to the rest of the recordings to the artist. Lil Scrappy decided to rewrite his lyrics and re-record most of his vocals for the material he was left with, and recorded a much less commercial album with the abstract, experimental beats BME Recordings had rejected. Scrappy finished his second album to be awaiting release in summer 2011, this one to be titled ''Scrappacalypse'', a reference to his stage name and to the fact that the album would not be released until late 2012, and the doomsday theories surrounding the proposed release date.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live'' (2006)

''Tha Grustle'' (2011)

''Scrappacalypse'' (2012)

;Independent albums

''Prince of the South'' (2008)

''Prince of the South 2'' (2010)

;Collaboration albums

''The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy'' (with Trillville) (2004)

''Silence & Secrecy: Black Rag Gang'' (with G'$ Up Click) (2009)

''Horrible: The Remixes 12"'' (Skullfukkaz! with Lil Scrappy & Lil Squeezy) (2011)

References

External links

Official Website

Lil Scrappy at Twitter

Lil Scrappy at MTV

Category:1984 births Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Living people Category:American hip hop record producers

cs:Lil Scrappy de:Lil’ Scrappy es:Lil Scrappy fr:Lil' Scrappy it:Lil Scrappy no:Lil Scrappy pl:Lil Scrappy pt:Lil Scrappy fi:Lil Scrappy sv:Lil Scrappy