The America Project - Nevada

Nevada (NV) size 110,567 sq.m population 2.7 million

Bordering states California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona (5)
State capital Carson City
Most populous city Las Vegas
Other notable places Henderson, Reno, Sunrise Manor, Paradise
Notable landmarks and natural features Las Vegas Strip, Area 51, Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada mountains, Lake Tahoe, The Hoover Dam
Statehood 31st October 1864 (36th)

Ten famous Nevadans
Andre Agassi (tennis player; born Las Vegas, 1970 -)
Mädchen Amick (actress; born Sparks, 1970 -)
Kurt Busch (racing driver; born Vas Vegas, 1978 -)
Glen Charles (TV writer and producer; born Las Vegas, 1943 -)
Brad Dexter (actor; born Goldfield, 1917-2002)
Brandon Flowers (musician; born Henderson, 1981 -)
Jenna Jameson (actress; born Las Vegas, 1974 -)
Jack Kramer (tennis player; born Las Vegas, 1921-2009)
Patricia Nixon (former First Lady and Second Lady of the USA; born Ely, 1912-1993)
Amanda Righetti (actress; born St. George, Utah (raised in Las Vegas); 1983 -)

Three important events

1. Comstock Lode, 1859

The making of Nevada was the discovery of Comstock Lode, the largest deposit of silver ore in the United States. Discovered by enterprising miners with one of their number, Henry T. P. Comstock, lending it his name, it sparked a predictably frenzied silver rush all across the United States. With the surface pickings quickly exhausted, deep cast mining quickly followed. By 1880, nearly 7 million tons of gold and silver had been extracted from the site, making the State wealthier and more desirable than its largely unfarmable and unpromising dusty surroundings  - Nevada is the driest of the fifty States - would immediately suggest.

2. The Northern Club, 1931

Quite contrary to the self-flagellation which gripped the United States following the stock market crash of 1929, Nevada instead looked to mankind's many delicious vices as a guaranteed source of income.  With unemployment skyrocketing and Prohibition still in place, Nevada legalised gambling in 1931. The first licensed "gaming" venue was Northern Club casino in Las Vegas, guaranteeing financial ruin for generations to come. Nevada has never since gone back on its decision, although gambling remains taboo across much of the country to this day - Nevada remains the only State where casino-based gambling is legal throughout - and the gaming industry accounts for over a third of the Nevada's income. A further boost to Nevada's liberal reputation and its coffers is that it is also the only State with legalised prostitution.

3. The shooting of Tupac Shakur, 7th September 1996

A hugely successful and influential figure in the Hip-Hop music scene, Tupac Shakur was also a key player in the East coast - West coast rap wars of the 1990s, during which the United Kingdom remained neutral. Shakur was from New York City but in Nevada for the Mike Tyson - Bruce Sheldon heavyweight boxing match in Las Vegas. Upon leaving the MGM Grand, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by assault. He was taken to hospital with mortal wounds to his internal organs. He died 6 days later. When his body was cremated, some of the ashes were mixed with marijuana and smoked by Shakur's group, The Outlawz. Which is the way Chelsea Pensioners do it.