Nevada

C

Plants and Animals

Nevada’s diverse plant life includes creosote, mesquite, cactus, and yucca in the south, and juniper and piñon pines on the mountain slopes.

Among the larger mammals are the mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bobcat, and bighorn sheep. In the desert are various lizards, tortoises, and snakes, including the sidewinder rattlesnake. Birdlife includes the thrush, horned lark, Nevada creeper, pheasant, partridge, and sage grouse. The streams and lakes of the state are populated by a variety of fish, including carp, bass, crappie, and trout.

D

Resources, Products, and Industry

Nevada has a great diversity of mineral resources, with mining accounting for 5 per cent of the annual gross state product. In the 1990s Nevada was the nation's leading producer of gold and silver; other major mineral deposits included copper, oil, and lead.

Farming accounts for about 1 per cent of the annual gross state product. Cattle and sheep raising is especially important in the north-east; poultry and dairy farms are mainly near Las Beas and Reno. Principal crops are hay and potatoes, wheat, barley, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and cotton.

Manufacturing accounts for 4 per cent of the annual gross state product. Leading manufacturing industries produce printed materials, precision instruments, stone, clay and glass products, and industrial equipment. Also of importance are food processing and the manufacture of rubber and plastics, primary metals, timber and wood products, and chemicals.

III

Population

In 2006 Nevada had 2,495,529 inhabitants, an increase of 66.3 per cent between 1990 and 2000. During the 1980s, 1990s, and into the 2000s it was the fastest-growing state in the United States. In 2006 the average population density was 8.8 people per sq km (23 per sq mi). The vast majority of the state’s population was concentrated in the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas; in most of the remainder of the state population density was 2 people per sq km (fewer than 1 per sq mi). Nevada’s major cities are Carson City, the capital (population, 2005, 56,062); Las Vegas (population, 2005, 545,147); Reno (population, 2005, 203,550); Henderson (2005, 232,146); North Las Vegas (population, 2005, 176,635); and Sparks (population, 2005, 82,051).

In 1990 whites made up 84.3 per cent of the population and blacks 6.6 per cent. Additional population groups included 19,377 Native Americans, 12,048 people of Filipino background, and 6,618 people of Chinese descent. Approximately 124,400 people, or about 10.4 per cent of the population, were of Latino (primarily Mexican) background.

A

Education

When the territory of Nevada was organized in 1861, a provision for a school system was adopted, and the state constitution of 1864 established a centralized state school system. In the late 1990s Nevada spent about US$5,760 on each student's education, compared to a national average of about US$6,835. In 2001 Nevada had 15 institutions of higher education; included among these institutions were the University of Nevada, with campuses in Reno (1874) and Las Vegas (1957); and Sierra Nevada College (1969), in Incline Village.

B

Places of Interest

Apart from the attractions of the casinos and nightclubs of Las Vegas and Reno, there are also many scenic attractions, including Lake Tahoe, Boulder Canyon, and vast expanses of desert and mountain landscapes. Nevada’s pioneering and mining days have been preserved in a number of the state’s historical sites, including The Castle, a mansion built in 1868, in Virginia City; Mormon Station Historic State Monument, in Genoa; and Fort Churchill Historic State Monument, in Yerington. About 200 ghost towns are scattered throughout the state: one-time prosperous mining sites, they are now mostly uninhabited attractions for tourists.

Many of Nevada’s museums exhibit Native American crafts and artefacts and relics from the early mining days. Among these are the Nevada State Museum, in Carson City; North-Eastern Nevada Museum, in Elko; and the Nevada Historical Society, in Reno. More contemporary artwork is displayed at the Sheppard Fine Art Gallery, in Reno.