Nevada

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Introduction

Nevada Winnings!

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Nevada is an interesting state beyond the gambling allure of Las Vegas. Different Native American tribes inhabited the area and many of there reservations are still within the State. The first settlers in Nevada were Mormons trying to secure the borders of a future religious empire. In 1859 the number of settlers interested in moving into Nevada grew because silver was found near Virginia City. This led to a population explosion and in 1861 the Nevada territory was separated from the Utah territory.

It's statehood was hurried in 1864 to insure that President Abraham Lincoln would be reelected. This is where the state motto comes from of being the "Battle Born State." Although unofficial gambling has always been part of Western culture it was actually outlawed in Nevada in 1909. By the 1930s the economy of Nevada had been hit hard. The double blow of the Great Depression and a decline in mining output made Nevada face finically hard times. On Marcy 19, 1931 gambling was legalized in order to boost the economy, other economy boosting measures were legalizing prostitution, quick divorce and quick marriage. These were viewed as a temporary measures but no one has every talked about changing it. The mafia quickly moved in order to launder their money in the new casinos. The mob was a big part of Las Vegas until Howard Hughes bought most of Vegas in the 1960s. Even then the mafia still has a presence in the state to this day.

Nevada was also the sight of several atomic bomb tests after World War II. More bombs were tested in Nevada then in any other place in the United States. The last underground bomb was detonated in 1992. Part of the reason why so many atomic bombs were donated in Nevada was because 80% of the state is on federal land. From the majesty of Hoover Dam to the beauty of the desert and the chances to win in the casinos, Nevada has a lot to offer.

Geography

Petroglyphs

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Nevada mainly resides with a large basin desert called the Basin and Range Province which covers several states and Mexico. Most of the state is also within the Great Basin Desert that experiences hot summers and very cold winters. There are several mountain ranges with the highest having peaks reaching over 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). These mountains are the homes to some lush and green forests. The southern third of the state is in the Mojave Desert, which can be very hot. Nevada shares domestic borders with California, Oregon, Utah and Arizona. A corner of the state does touch Colorado, but they do not technically share a border.

Cities

Hoover Dam

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• Boulder City
• Carson City is the state's capital
• Elko
• Fallon
• Henderson
• Las Vegas, world famous as a gambling mecca and is the state's largest city.
• Mesquite
• Reno
• Sparks

Sights and Activities

• Skiing is an option in the state known for gambling and the desert. And on top of that it is actually very good skiing. For more information read the article: Ski Areas around Lake Tahoe.
• Great Basin National Park

Events and Festivals

Weather

Nevada is known for having very mild winters and hot summers. The areas in the mountains can get a fair amount of snow which can make for good skiing.

Getting There

By Plane

McCarran International Airport is the main gateway, near Las Vegas. Southwest Airlines offers most flights. Destinations include Albuquerque, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, New Orleans, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C. and San Diego, among many more.
US Airways offers a lot of flights as well, including most of the above places and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Toronto and Vancouver. Westjet has flights to quite a few Canadian cities as well.
New York is served by Continental and Delta and international connections include Mexico City, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, London, Manila, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester and Monterrey.

Reno-Tahoe Airport near Reno offers quite a few flights as well, mainly with Southwest Airlines and a few other airlines. Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver are a few examples.

By Train

The California Zephyr, operated by Amtrak, travels between Chicago and Emeryville (San Francisco), stopping en route in Sparks, Reno and Winnemuca in the state of Nevada.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep