Find Your Fortune in Nevada

The Nevada Territory was incorporated into the Union in 1864 during the American Civil War and Nevada, "The Battle Born," then became the 36th American state. It is presently home to more than 2.6million people, who mostly live in the cities of Reno and Las Vegas.

Nevada is the most arid state in the country, so it's interesting that its name, which is of Spanish origin, means “snowfall." Nevada is also the 7th largest state, and upwards of 86% of all of its land is owned by the government. Geographically speaking, Nevada falls into the Basin and Range Province of the Great Basin and stretches from the basin in the north to the Mojave Desert in the south. It is bordered by Idaho to the northeast, Utah to the east, Arizona to the southeast, California to the west and Oregon to the northwest. Its capital is Carson City, which lies in Western Nevada.

Gold and silver mining are major industries in Nevada, which is sometimes called the Silver State, and in 2004, Nevada was responsible for 8.7% of the world's gold production. In the rural areas, cattle ranching is also big business while urban centers, especially Las Vegas, rely heavily on the gambling industry as their source of income. Gambling is legal in Nevada and has been since March 19, 1931.

Transportation in Nevada basically consists of the bus and railway system, especially Amtrak's California Zephyr train. There is also a selection of interstate and federal highways to choose from. The latter include US Route 50, which is also called "The Loneliest Road in America." Nevada also features many national trails, parks and wildlife preserves, of which the Death Valley National Park and the Pony Express National Trail are probably the best known.

Nevada was introduced to the rest of the world in the 1927 western epic "Nevada" that starred Gary Cooper and William Powell. One of its other claims to fame is that it is allegedly home to the US Air Force's mysterious alien-filled Area 51. Las Vegas has, furthermore, served as the backdrop for countless movies and television shows, including the popular 2001 hit, Ocean's Eleven.

Nevada's diversity is shown in its choice of state symbols and examples include the Virgin Valley black fire opal as the state precious gemstone, the ichthyosaur as the state fossil and the Lahontan cutthroat trout as the state fish.