The University of Nevada, Reno (also referred to as University of Nevada, UNR, or simply Nevada), is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA. It is the land grant institution for the state of Nevada.

The campus is home to the large-scale structures laboratory in the College of Engineering, which has put Nevada researchers at the forefront nationally in a wide range of seismological and large-scale structures testing and modeling. The Nevada Terawatt Facility, located on a satellite campus of the university, includes a terawatt-level Z-pinch machine and terawatt-class high-intensity laser system – one of the most powerful such lasers on any college campus in the country. It is home to the University of Nevada School of Medicine, with campuses in both of Nevada's major urban centers, Las Vegas and Reno, and a health network that extends to much of rural Nevada. The faculty are considered worldwide and national leaders in diverse areas such as environmental literature, journalism, Basque studies, and social sciences such as psychology. It is also home to the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, which has produced six Pulitzer Prize winners.^[3] The school includes 16 clinical departments and five nationally recognized basic science departments.^[4]

History[link]

Manzanita Lake in the southwestern part of the campus.

The University of Nevada was established by the Nevada State Constitution, and was founded in Elko, Nevada in 1874. In 1885, the University of Nevada was moved from Elko to its current home in Reno.^[5]

The University of Nevada remained the only four-year academic institution in the state of Nevada until 1965, when the Nevada Southern campus (now the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) was separated to become its own university.

The University of Nevada, Reno has been affected by the national economic crisis, which resulted in the vertical cutting of several programs rather than blanket across the board cuts. The Fall 2011 semester saw the largest incoming class in the history of the University.

Precise name[link]

There is some debate over whether the university should be called UNR or Nevada.^[6] However, some claim that since it was the first university in the state, its historic name should be its official designation as it is in many other multi-campus public university systems such as the University of Michigan or similar to the way the University of California's flagship campus of UC Berkeley is referred to as "California" or "Cal", but only for sporting purposes. Several of the university's institutions retain the institution's traditional name, "University of Nevada," including the alumni association, the student government, and the athletics department (which refers to the university's teams simply as "Nevada," a practice held since the late 19th century). When the University plays in sports against in-state rival, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the school's name is decided by the home team. When the game is held in Reno, it reads UNLV vs Nevada, however, if held in Las Vegas it reads, UNLV vs UNR.

Academics[link]

University of Nevada, Reno is ranked 181st amongst national universities nationwide as a Tier 1 University by U.S. News & World Report.^[7] Internationally, it is ranked among the world's top 500 universities.^[8]

Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs are offered through:

Centers[link]

Nevada sponsors a center dedicated to Basque studies (Including Basque language) due to the large Basque population in northern Nevada.

In addition, the university maintains and sponsors many centers, institutes & facilities.

Libraries[link]

The university and surrounding community is served by several campus libraries. The libraries are:

• Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center (main library). Opened on August 11, 2008 it was a $75.3 million project which began in September 2005. It replaced the Getchell library.
  • Basque Library (housed in separate section of the Knowledge Center)
• DeLaMare Library (engineering, computer science, mining, and geology)
  • Mary B. Ansari Map Library
• Savitt Medical Library
• Nell J. Redfield Learning and Resource Center (education library and resources)

Rankings and reputation[link]

Within the College of Business at the University of Nevada, the part-time MBA program is ranked 21st in the United States by BusinessWeek as of 2009.^[12]

Campus[link]

An older picture showing part of the campus in the foreground

The campus is located just north of downtown Reno overlooking Truckee Meadows and the downtown casinos.

Early construction[link]

The university's first building, Morrill Hall, was completed in 1887 and still stands on the historic quad at the campus' southern end. The hall is named after U.S. Senator Justin Morrill, author of the 1862 Land-Grant College Act.^[13]

Lincoln Hall (all-male residence) and Manzanita Hall (all-female residence) were both opened in 1896.

The Quad[link]

The Quad is located in the southern part of the campus, surrounded by Morrill Hall and the Mackay School of Mines. This quadrangle is modeled after Thomas Jefferson’s at the University of Virginia. The northern end of the Quad contains a statue of John William Mackay (namesake of Nevada's Mackay School of Mines, later renamed the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering), created by Mount Rushmore designer Gutzon Borglum. The Quad and the original campus buildings surrounding it have a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

View of the Quad, looking north

Arboretum[link]

Across the campus of the university exists the University of Nevada, Reno Arboretum, which was established in 1985, contains a collection of trees, shrubs, flowers, ornamentals and native flora, including over 60 genera and about 200 species of trees, many with several cultivars present. Thirty-six mature elm trees line the Quad.

Mackay Stadium[link]

The football team plays at Mackay Stadium, The modern Mackay Stadium was completed in 1965 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in the last 15 years and now seats 29,993.

Residential life[link]

The University Of Nevada, Reno offers a variety of options to students who are willing to stay on-campus. There are 8 different resident halls which comprise living learning communities and substance free halls. The living learning communities houses students of similar academic interests.

Sustainability[link]

Since its creation in the Fall of 2008, the University of Nevada, Reno's Sustainability Committee has been gathering information on various aspects of campus sustainability and beginning the development of a plan for creating a more sustainable campus.^[14] A lot of efforts are made towards recycling and keeping the campus green. Many University buses run on bio-diesel fuels. The bicycle program has seen a significant increase in the number of bicycle users. The University's Food Services has made a commitment of 1% of the meal plan revenue to go towards funding sustainable initiatives on campus.^[15] In order to reduce energy use, UNR has installed solar panels on the Joe Crowley Student Union and built its first LEED accredited building.^[16] The University of Nevada, Reno has been ranked among the nation's most sustainable colleges,^[17] receiving an overall grade of "B+" on the Sustainable Endowment Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2010.^[18]

Student government[link]

Associated Students of the University of Nevada[link]

The Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) is made up of every undergraduate student at the University of Nevada and provides a vehicle, through elected officials, to voice student concerns. The ASUN was founded as the Athletic Association in 1898 and is composed of an Executive Branch, Legislative Branch and Judicial Branch. The current ASUN President, Casey Stiteler, oversees all three branches and appoints the lead positions of the Executive Branch. The Executive Branch of ASUN consists of the following student body officers – President and Vice President – elected by the undergraduate student body. Appointed members include the Director of Programming, Director of Clubs and Organizations, Director of Traditions, Director of Campus Unity, Director of Legislative Affairs, Presidential Assistant on Public and Campus Relations, Attorney General, and Chief of Staff. The Senate of the Associated Students was established in 1933. The Senate is led by the Speaker of the Senate, and is the official voice of the undergraduate students on decisions regarding campus policies, programming, and money spent by the student government on student support services. The senate consists of 22 senators elected from each of the academic schools and colleges. ASUN

Graduate Student Association[link]

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) represents the graduate student population at the University of Nevada. The GSA consists of 25 Council Members and a 3 member Executive Council. The Council Members are elected from all of the colleges and schools throughout the university with graduate programs. The Executive Council includes the GSA President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, and Vice President of External Affairs, which are elected by the GSA Council Members.

Athletics[link]

Though often referred to as UNR within the state, the university is simply called Nevada for athletics purposes. Its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack (always two words). They participate in the NCAA's Division I (FBS for football) and in the Western Athletic Conference.

Men's basketball[link]

In March 2004, the Wolf Pack Men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history. The team earned a repeat trip in 2005 and beat Texas in the first round before falling to eventual national runner-up Illinois. The team returned for 2006 as a No. 5 seed but was upset in the first round by former Big Sky Conference rival Montana. They began the 2006–07 season ranked #24. The Pack's major star during this recent period of success was Nick Fazekas. In 2007, Nevada was ranked No. 9 in men's basketball, which is the highest ranking that Nevada has ever held. Coach Mark Fox took over after Trent Johnson left in 2004 to coach at Stanford University. On April 3, 2009 it was announced that David Carter would replace Fox who decided to leave Nevada for the same position at the University of Georgia. On March 1, 2012, the Wolf Pack basketball team won against New Mexico State University for the WAC title.

Football[link]

The football team, currently coached by College Football Hall of Famer Chris Ault, plays at Mackay Stadium. The modern Mackay Stadium was completed in 1965 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in the last 15 years and now seats 29,993. In 2005, Nevada won a share of the WAC Title. The 2010 season saw Nevada at its best finishing the season ranked No. 11 in the AP and No. 13 in the BCS, stunning Boise State 34-31 and costing the Broncos a possible shot at the BCS title, to win another share of the WAC Title.

Other[link]

Other successes have come in boxing (four collegiate champion teams), rifle shooting, baseball, women's soccer and softball, swimming and diving, rugby and lacrosse.

Rivalries[link]

Annually, Nevada's football team plays its primary rival, UNLV, for the Fremont Cannon in the Battle for Nevada. Nevada currently enjoys a 22–15 lead in the series, after beating UNLV in 2011, 37–0, in Reno, for the seventh straight year. Nevada also plays UNLV once a year in basketball, with UNLV currently leading the series 51-19. Nevada's two out-of-state rivals, particularly in football, are Boise State and Fresno State. Boise State is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, and Fresno State and Nevada will move there in 2012, which will intensify the Nevada-UNLV rivalry as UNLV is also in the MWC.

Mascot[link]

The Wolf Pack's mascot is an anthropomorphized wolf named Alphie, who took over the duties of cheering from his uncle, Wolfie, in 1999. In 2007, Alphie was joined by his younger brother, Wolfie Jr. In 2012, Wolfie was named Mascot of the Year.

Conference affiliations[link]

Nevada has been a member of the WAC since 2000. Nevada will join the Mountain West starting in 2012.[2]

Previous conference memberships include:

• 1992–99 – Big West
• 1979–92 – Big Sky (swapped conference affiliations with Gonzaga University, which has been without football since 1941)
• 1969–79 – West Coast Athletic – (independent for football)
• 1954–1968 – Northern California Athletic Conference

[3]

Student media[link]

Nevada's editorially independent, weekly student newspaper is called The Nevada Sagebrush. It comes out every Tuesday afternoon, and employs more than 40 people, 25 full-time. Prior to 2004, the newspaper called itself simply the Sagebrush.

The newspaper won the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award in 2008 and 2009.^[19] It was also a finalist for a Pacemaker at the 2006 and 2007 ACP student journalism awards. It has won the best of show award at the fall 2005, 2006 and 2007 ACP national conferences in its category (weekly broadsheet at a four-year university). It was also nominated for an online ACP Pacemaker in 2008. It's new web site, [www.nevadasagebrush.com], which launched in the fall of 2007, has also been recognized by the Center for Innovation in College Media for it breaking news packages, podcasts, videos and general innovation and Web presence. Many of The Nevada Sagebrush's former editors go on to work and take internships at newspapers and news organizations such as The Washington Post, The Oregonian, USA Today, The Miami Herald, The Arizona Republic and the Associated Press as well as dozens of local newspapers around the country.

Insight Magazine is the only student-run magazine at the University of Nevada, Reno. Formerly Nevada's yearbook for nearly 100 years, Insight Magazine, has evolved into the second major publication circulating at the university. The first edition of Insight Magazine was published in September 2008. It presents itself as a theme-based monthly magazine, providing photography, stories and graphics, in contrast to the weekly, newspaper-style of The Sagebrush. It is put out both in print and online. The online version, UNRINSIGHT.com, provides both support for the published stories and independent content.

In its sophomore year, Insight Magazine has received national attention from major college media organizations, such as the Associated College Press and the College Media Advisers. Insight placed fifth for headline presentation in Best of Collegiate Design 2009 by the "College Media Advisers". At the 2009 ACP Conference in Austin, Texas, Insight placed fifth in Best of Show for an audio podcast.

Nevada's literary arts journal Brushfire was created by a group of students in 1950. It is released once a semester and publishes original poetry, literature, and art by students and some faculty and community members.

The university is also home to a student-run radio station, Wolf Pack Radio. The station broadcasts primarily through its website, although it comes through at 1700 AM. Starting in the Fall 2010 semester, Nevada broadcast journalism students started "Wolf Pack Week," a 30-minute television newscast that is shown around campus. Future episodes will air on PBS in Reno and Las Vegas.

There are other independent student publications on campus (although they have stopped publishing regularly since 2006), including The Nevada Blue and the Pack Patriot.

Greek life[link]

Professional Fraternities

• Phi Alpha Delta, (ΦAΔ)
• Theta Tau, (ΘΤ)

Former Fraternities & Sororities[link]

• Alpha Tau Omega, suspended for two years, until 2010, "student conduct office found ATO guilty of hazing pledge members during recruitment last semester^[21] "
• Pi Kappa Alpha, university charter revoked, new rushing member "Albert Santos drowned in Manzanita Lake."

Notable alumni & faculty[link]

Film history[link]

The University of Nevada's classically-styled campus has served as the setting for many movies, including:^[22]

• Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
• Margie (1946)
• Apartment for Peggy (1948)
• Mother Is a Freshman (1949)
• Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
• Hilda Crane (1956)

See also[link]

• Black Rock Press - University of Nevada, Reno

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official Athletics website

University of Nevada could refer to either of the universities in the Nevada System of Higher Education:

• University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

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]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)

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]

Las Vegas Strip in Paradise and Winchester

Henderson

Reno

Elko

Carson City

Top 10 locations by GDP in Nevada[link]

Rural areas[link]

A small percentage of Nevada's population lives in rural areas. The culture of these places differs significantly from that of the major metropolitan areas. People in these rural counties tend to be native Nevada residents, unlike in the Las Vegas and Reno areas, where the vast majority of the population was born in another state. The rural population is also less diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. Mining plays an important role in the economies of the rural counties, with tourism being less prominent.^[28]

Human diversity[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)

According to the 2010 census estimates, racial distribution was as follows: 66.2% White (54.1% non-Hispanic white), 8.1% African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.2% Asian American, 0.6% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made 26.5% of the population.^[29] In 1970, non-Hispanic whites made up 88% of the state's population.^[30]

The principal ancestries of Nevada's residents in 2009 have been surveyed to be the following:^[31]

• 20.8% Mexican
• 13.3% German
• 10.0% Irish
• 9.2% English
• 6.3% Italian
• 3.8% American
• 3.6% Scandinavian (1.4% Norwegian, 1.4% Swedish, and 0.8% Danish).

In terms of diversity, Nevada is home to many cultures and nationalities. Las Vegas and Reno or Washoe County are 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 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 and 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.^[32]

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^[33] and 1% speak Chinese languages.

At the 2010 census, 6.9% of the state's population were reported as under 5, 24.6% were under 18, and 12.0% were 65 or older.^[34] Females made up approximately 49.5% of the population.^[35]

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 are the biggest employers 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 includes large communities of Mormons, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals; each is known for higher birth rates and a younger than national average age. American Jews represent a large proportion of the active adult retirement community.

Data from 2000 and 2005 suggests the following figures:

In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 8.8% of the population. This was the highest percentage of any state in the country.^[37]

Religion[link]

Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada are:^[38]

• 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.^[39]

LGBT[link]

An August 2011 Public Policy Polling survey found that 45% of Nevada voters supported legalizing same-sex marriage, with 44% thinking it should be illegal, and 11% were not sure. In a separate question, 77% of Nevada voters supported legal recognition of same-sex couples, with 39% supporting same-sex marriage and 38% supporting civil unions, while 22% opposed all legal recognition and 2% were not sure.^[40]

Economy[link]

Nevada quarter

Lake Tahoe on the Nevada, California border

The economy of Nevada has long been tied to vice industries. "[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", said the August 21, 2010 issue of The Economist.^[41]

The Bureau of Economic Analysis^[42][43] estimates that Nevada's total state product in 2010 was $126 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.^[44]

As of August 2011, the state's unemployment rate is the worst in the nation at 13.4%.^[45]

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, 6,800,000 ounces (190,000,000 g) 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 10,300,000 ounces (290,000,000 g) worth $69 million mined in 2004 (see Silver mining in Nevada).^[46] 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.^[47] 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 484,000 acres (196,000 ha) 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 July 1, 2009.^[48]

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.^[49]

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.

Largest employers[link]