“Nevada” is a derivative of a Spanish word meaning snow-clad. The official colors of Nevada are blue and silver, and one of Nevada’s nicknames is the Silver State. The state slogan, Battle Born, was adopted because Nevada became a state during the Civil War, on October 31, 1864. In 1939,
October 31st was declared a state holiday—Nevada is the only state to commemorate the date it joined the Union through a state holiday. Nevada also has a state song, “Home Means Nevada,” which was written by Bertha Raffetto and adopted in February 1933.
Nevada is a
jewel with many facets—from its desert landscapes to its towering mountain peaks; from pristine Lake Tahoe to the unparalleled Great Basin National Park; from its rustic
small towns to the glittering Las Vegas strip to the fastest growing cities in the
United States.
Nevada is the home of Hoover
Dam, formerly the highest concrete dam in the U.S. Hard hats worn by construction workers were invented specifically for the construction of Hoover Dam.
Gambling was legalized in the State of Nevada in 1931. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other city on
earth, and it also has most of the largest hotels on
earth. Tourism-related industries, such as hotels and casinos, are the largest employers in Nevada.
