"All for our country"
Nevada
The United States of America
James F. Kaserman
Sarah J. Kaserman
Carson City
I Save A Tree
Electronic Books
C 2003 I Save A Tree Inc.
ISBN# 0-9714299-1-X
Table of Contents
Location
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5
State bird
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25
History before statehood
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7
State tree
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27
History since statehood
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9
State flower
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29
State government
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11
Famous people from Nevada
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31
State flag
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13
Things to do in Nevada
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33
Current facts
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15
Popular sports in Nevada
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35
Industry today
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17
Fast facts
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37
State landmarks
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19
Glossary
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39
Weather and land
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21
Web sites / books for information
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41
Animals in Nevada
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23
Index
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43
Credits
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45
Location
Nevada is a Rocky Mountain state.
To the north, Oregon and Idaho form
the northern border with Nevada. To
the east is Utah. Arizona lies to the
southeast and California is to the
south and west
Carson City is the capital of Nevada.
Carson City is located on the western
side of Nevada near Lake Tahoe.
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Carson City
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6
History
Before Statehood
Spanish missionary Francisco Garces
explored Nevada in 1775 and 1776. Fur
traders and trappers followed in 1825.
The Old Spanish
Trail opened the
region to trade in
1830. After the
Mexican War in
1848, Nevada
became part of the
United States.
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Silver mine
In 1850, it became
part of the Utah
Territory.
The discovery of
silver in 1859,
brought thousands of prospectors to
Virginia City to mine the Comstock
Lode. In 1861, Congress created the
Nevada Territory.
Fur pelts
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8
History
Since Statehood
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Las Vegas
On October 31, 1864, Nevada
became a state. During the 1860s, the
first transcontinental railroad was
created when the Central Pacific met
the Union Pacific tracks in Utah. By 1880
most of the
silver in the
state had been
mined, turning
many Nevada
mines and
towns into
ghost towns.
During World
War I, the state
prospered from
the demand for
minerals. The
Hoover Dam was constructed to
provide water to farmers and ranchers
in 1936. Las Vegas became a gambling
resort.
Hoover Dam
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10
Government
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Public defender
The state government of Nevada
is divided into three branches.
Governor Kenny Guinn is head of the
executive branch.
This branch is in
charge of carrying
out the laws. The
legislature has two
parts, the Senate and
Assembly.
The third branch
is the judicial
branch. This branch
interprets the laws.
Nevada has 16
counties. Each has
a local government. Under Nevada
law, Boards of County Commissioners
govern the counties.
Governor Kenny Guinn
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12
State Flag
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The Nevada
state flag was
adopted in 1929.
The flag has a
large blue field
with a banner in the upper left corner
that says "Battle Born" to show that
Nevada became a state during the
Civil War. Below the banner is a
five-pointed silver star between two
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sprays of sagebrush, the state flower,
crossed to form a half wreath.
"Nevada" is written around
the lower
points of the
star.
14
Current Facts
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Casino
Nevada landscape
Over 1,998,257
people live in
Nevada. The state
is ranked the 35th
largest state for the number of people
living in it. Nevada covers 109,806
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square miles.
It is ranked the
7th largest state
in total area in the United States. The
United States Government owns over
70 percent of Nevada.
16
Industry
Today
Gold mold
Nevada mines
produce large
quantities of
gold, silver,
copper and
mercury.
Nevada is the
largest gold producing state.
Nevada is the gambling capital of
the U.S. and a leading entertainment
center. Large resorts attract visitors
from all parts of the world to
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Las Vegas and Reno. Other industries
include the manufacture of machinery,
printing and publishing and food
processing. Agricultural products
include
livestock, barley,
oats, hay,
potatoes and
wheat.
Printing press
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18
Landmarks
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Fossils
The Berlinichtyosaurs State
Park is in Nye
County. Visitors
can see many
fossils of huge prehistoric fishreptiles. Hoover Dam is about 25 miles
southeast of Las Vegas. It is one of the
world's largest dams, standing 726 feet
tall. It was completed in 1936.
Lake Meade is one of the largest
man-made lakes. It was formed
when Hoover Dam was built across
the Colorado
River. Geyser
Basin has active
geysers, hot
springs and
bubbling mud.
Hoover Dam
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20
Weather & Land
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Cactus
January temperatures average
24° to 43° Fahrenheit. July temperatures range
from 70° to 86°.
The wettest part
of the state receives about 40 inches of
precipitation, while the driest
spot gets less than 4. The average
is 7.4 inches, making Nevada one of
our driest states.
Most of Nevada's rivers are small and
run only from December to June, the
wet season. Rugged mountain ranges
with buttes and
mesas run north
and south. In the
south lies the
Mojave Desert
and the Colorado
River Canyon.
River canyon
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22
Animals
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In Nevada
White pelican
Only a few large animals live in
Nevada. They include bighorn sheep,
the state animal, as well as mule deer
and antelope. The smaller animals in
Nevada include badgers, coyotes,
foxes, minks,
marmots,
muskrats,
porcupines,
rabbits and
raccoons.
Many different
kinds of lizards
and snakes live
in the deserts.
Hundreds of
white pelicans
live in Pyramid
Lake, as well as many other game
birds. Bass, carp, catfish, crappies and
many kinds of trout swim in Nevada's
streams and lakes.
Antelope
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24
State Bird
Bluebird
The mountain
bluebird (Sialia
artica) was named
the state bird in
1967. It is about seven inches long and
has a blue coat with white under
feathers.
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The bluebird's nest is usually in a
hollow tree or crevice. Bluebirds are
very neat and
carry away their
waste some
distance from
the nest.
Bluebird
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26
State Tree
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Bristlecone
Pinyon pine cones
Nevada has two
state trees: The
single-leaf pinyon
(Pinus monophylla),
adopted in 1953,
and the bristlecone
pine (Pinus aristata), adopted in 1987.
The pinyon pine cones contain seeds
called pine nuts. Single-leaf pinyons
got the name from their single needles.
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Bristlecone
pines are said to
be the oldest living organisms on
Earth, with some trees being over
3,000 years old. Typically, they're
found clinging to windy ridges in the
Great Basin National Park at high
altitudes.
28
State Flower
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Sagebrush
The sagebrush
(Artemisia
tridentata) is
named the state
flower. It is
a bushy plant that grows in the dry
parts of the western United States.
It has a straight, stiff stem.
The leaves are small and grow close
together. The flower of the sagebrush
may be white or yellow. The flower is
at the top of the
stem and is made
up of many
flowers called
florets. The
sagebrush has a
sweet smell and
a bitter taste.
Sagebrush
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30
Famous People
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Andre Agassi
Thelma "Pat" Nixon, wife of former
President Richard
Nixon, was born in
Ely, Nevada. Tennis
stars Andre Agassi
and Jack Kramer are
from Las Vegas.
Countless famous
entertainers and
stars visit Las Vegas
regularly and many have homes there.
Pat Nixon
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32
Things to Do
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In Nevada
Valley of Fire
Nevada has large
entertainment
resorts with great
shows and
activities. The state
has snow-capped
mountains for
skiing, hiking and snowmobile riding
and lakes and streams for fishing,
boating and swimming. Nevada has
several national and state parks.
The largest state park is the Valley of
Fire. The rocks there have been worn
to odd shapes. The most famous
is Elephant Rock.
There are many
mining towns
and a number
of ghost towns
to visit.
Old gold mine
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34
Sports
In Nevada
Boxing and wrestling matches are
held in many of the resorts in Las
Vegas. The Las Vegas Speedway hosts
both NASCAR
and open-wheel
IRL races each
year. The UNLV
Running Rebels
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NASCAR
are one of
college
basketball's
national
powerhouse
teams. The University of Nevada Las
Vegas (UNLV) and the University of
Nevada at Reno field teams in
all sports at the college level.
Boxing
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36
Rock formation
Fast Facts
Governor: Kenny Guinn
Capital: Carson City
Size: 109,806 square miles, 7th in the U.S.
Population: 1,998,257 people, 35th in
the U.S.
Major cities: Las Vegas, Reno, North Las
Vegas, Henderson, Sparks, Carson City
Nickname: "Silver State"
State animal: bighorn sheep
State bird: mountain bluebird
State flower: sagebrush
State tree: single-leaf pinon and
bristlecone pine
State song: "Home Means Nevada"
State motto: "All For Our Country"
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Badger
38
Glossary
banner, a flag of a nation, state or army
bearing a motto or legend.
butte, an isolated hill or mountain,
usually having a flat top, rising abruptly
above the surrounding land.
commissioner, a member of a commission
elected to perform certain duties.
entertainment, the act of entertaining or
the pleasure of being entertained,
amused or pleased.
mesa, a land formation having a flat top
and steep rock walls.
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minerals, various natural substances
such as gold, silver, oil or coal.
resort a popular place where people
go to relax or enjoy recreation.
wreath, a circular band of flowers
foliage or any ornamental work, for a
decorative purpose.
,
,
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40
Links & Books
For more information
____
Link1
____
Link2
____
Link3
____
Link4
Title: The World Book Encyclopedia
Publisher: World Book, Inc.
Copyright: 2002
Title: The Kid's World Almanac of the
United States
Author: Dr.Thomas G. Aylesworth
Publisher: World Almanac
Copyright: 1990
Title: Exploring the 50 States
Author: Marcie Anderson
Publisher: Willowisp Press, Inc.
Copyright: 1983
Visit our website @ www.isaveatree.com
42
Index
antelope, 23
bluebird, mountain, 25
Carson City, 5
Donald Duck Rock, 34
Hoover Dam, 10, 20
Guinn, Kenny, 11
Las Vegas, 10, 18, 19, 31, 35
mining, 34
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pine, bristlecone, 27, 28
pinyon, single-leaf, 27, 28
railroad, 9
sagebrush, 14, 29, 30
sheep, bighorn, 23
silver, 8, 9, 17
44
Credits
Written by
James F. Kaserman
Sarah J. Kaserman
Edited by
Linda Coyner
Produced by
Robert Rance
Technologies
Doug Meyers
Design
Dan Mader
Photo credits
Nevada Department of Natural
Resources
www.arttoday.com
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I Save A Tree Inc. reserves the right to remove or exchange any
photo/illustration at any time without notice.
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