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Trappers and traders, including
Jedediah Smith and Peter Skene Ogden, entered the
Nevada area in the 1820s. In 1843–1845, John C.
Frémont and Kit Carson explored the Great Basin and
Sierra Nevada. The U.S. obtained the region in 1848
following the Mexican War, and the first permanent
settlement was a Mormon trading post near
present-day Genoa. The
driest state in the nation, with an average annual
rainfall of only about 7 in., much of Nevada is
uninhabited, sagebrush-covered desert. The wettest
part of the state receives about 40 in. of
precipitation per year, while the driest spot has
less than 4 in. per year.
Nevada was made famous by the
discovery of the Comstock Lode, the richest known
U.S. silver deposit, in 1859, and its mines have
produced large quantities of gold, silver, copper,
lead, zinc, mercury, barite, and tungsten. Oil was
discovered in 1954. Gold now far exceeds all other
minerals in value of production.
In 1931, the state created two
industries, divorce and gambling. For many years,
Reno and Las Vegas were the “divorce capitals of the
nation.” More liberal divorce laws in many states
have ended this distinction, but Nevada is still the
gambling capital of the U.S. and a leading
entertainment center. State gambling taxes account
for 34.1% of general fund tax revenues. Although
Nevada leads the nation in per capita gambling
revenue, it ranks only tenth in total gambling
revenue.
The state's leading agricultural
industry is cattle and calves. Agricultural crops
consist mainly of hay, alfalfa seed, barley, wheat,
and potatoes.
Nevada manufactures gaming
equipment; lawn and garden irrigation devices;
titanium products; seismic and machinery monitoring
devices; and specialty printing.
Lake Tahoe, Reno, and Las Vegas
are major resorts. Recreation areas include Pyramid
Lake, Lake Tahoe, and Lake Mead and Lake Mohave,
both in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Other
attractions are Hoover Dam, Virginia City, and Great
Basin National Park (includes Lehman Caves). |
