In
our "Weekly News" section we talked about Nevada having a large population
growth since 1990. Due to this fact, we decided to make it our "Picture
of the Week". Let us now learn more about this popular Western State.
Nevada is nicknamed the Silver State. It joined the Union on October 31, 1864. The state bird is the mountain bluebird and the state flower is the sagebrush.
Nevada is a Spanish word for "snow-capped". Nevada was given its name in 1861. Its land area is 109,806 square miles.
Nevada was home to the Paiute and Shoshone Indians as early as 1776. But, it was not until 1820 that white settlers and traders discovered the area. Kit Carson explored the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin in the 1840s and, in 1848, the United States acquired Nevada after the Mexican-American War. The first settlement was Genoa, which is near Carson City. Carson City is the state capital. Carson City was selected as the capital in 1864.
The
Nevada State flag has a cobalt blue background. In its upper left corner
is a five-pointed star placed between two sprays of sagebrush, (the state
flower), crossed to form a half wreath. The name Nevada encircles the
star. This flag had its design adopted on March 26, 1929 and it was revised
in 1991.
Nevada has a very mild climate and has only small amounts of precipitation. Potatoes, wheat, and barley are grown, however, a large amount of foodstuffs are imported to Nevada. Nevada is the country's leading producer of gold, silver, and mercury. Sand and gravel are also mined.
Nevada's economy is overwhelmingly based upon its tourists, in particular, gambling, which was legalized in 1931. Many people also flock to Nevada each year for quick marriages and quick divorces.