Twenty two Nevada facts

1. Nevada is a state located in the western region of the United States.
2. The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish Nevada, meaning "snowfall", after the Sierra Nevada ("snow-covered mountains") mountain range.
3. Total Area: 7th among states, 286,367 sq km (110,567 sq mi).
4. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas.
5. Virginia City, founded when the Comstock Lode was discovered, was home to 20,000 people at its peak in the 1870s but now has only about 800.
6. The state's nickname is Silver State, due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there.
7. "Sagebrush State" and "Battle Born State" are its alternative nicknames.
8. During the Cold War, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission chose a Nevada site to test nuclear weapons.
9. In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state to enter the union, and the phrase "Battle Born" on the state flag reflects the state's entry on the Union side during the American Civil War.
10. Nevada is the driest state in the nation with an average annual rainfall of only about 7 inches. The wettest part of state receives about 40 inches of precipitation per year, while the driest spot has less than four inches per year.
11. Nevada is the most arid state in the Union.
12. John Charles Frémont led the first thorough exploration of the Great Basin, which includes most of Nevada, in 1843 and 1844.
13. Approximately 86% of the state's land is owned by the U.S federal government under various jurisdictions both civilian and military.
14. Nevada is the gambling and entertainment capital of the United States.
15. As of 2008, there were about 2.6 million residents, with over 85% of the population residing in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno.
16. Nevada was made famous by the discovery of the fabulous Comstock Lode in 1859. Its mines have produced large quantities of gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, barite, and tungsten.
17. The state is well known for its easy marriage and divorce proceedings, entertainment, legalized gambling and, in eight out of its 16 counties, legalized active brothels.
18. In 1899 Charles Fey invented a slot machine named the Liberty Bell. The device became the model for all slots to follow.
19. Hoover Dam, near Las Vegas, impounds the waters of Lake Mead, one of the world's largest artificial lakes.
20. Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation. It is second in the world behind South Africa.
21. There were 16,067 slots in Nevada in 1960. In 1999 Nevada had 205,726 slot machines, one for every 10 residents.
22. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on Earth.