- Population: 2,700,551 (2010 Census)
- Rank: 35th largest state (2010 Census)
- Capital: Carson City, population - 55,274 (2010 Census)
- Most populous city: Las Vegas, population - 583,756 (2010 Census)
- Most populous county: Clark County, population - 1,951,269 (2010 Census)
- Area: 109,781 square miles
- Rank: 7th largest (87 percent of Nevada's land
area is federally controlled)
- Highest elevation: Boundary Peak in Esmeralda County - 13,140 feet
- Lowest elevation: On the Colorado River in Clark County - 470 feet
- Battle-Born State
- Sagebrush State
- Silver State
The origin of the state's name is Spanish, meaning "snow-capped."
The presence of Nevada's earliest inhabitants, beginning about 12,400 years ago, is marked by
many petroglyphs and archaeological sites. Baskets, decoys, and ingenious traps are evidence of the resourcefulness
of these early people in a harsh and arid environment.
European explorers traveled through Nevada in the early 19th century, but it was not until 1851
that the first settlements were established. An Act of Congress created the Territory of Nevada on March 2, 1861.
James W. Nye of New York was appointed Nevada's first Territorial Governor by President Abraham Lincoln later that year.
On October 31, 1864, President Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's admission to the Union as the 36th state. The State's first
elected Governor, Henry Blasdel, took office on December 5, 1864.
Today, Nevada is the nation's seventh largest state in land area. Several hundred mountain ranges
cross its landscape, many with elevations over 10,000 feet. In contrast, the State's lowest point (along the Colorado
River) is only 470 feet above sea level. From majestic mountains to desert valleys, nature has endowed Nevada with
diverse and unique ecosystems.
The Nevada Legislature has honored the State's natural resources and cultural heritage with a
variety of State designations described below.
Click on an emblem for more information.
State Seal
NRS 235.010
In mid-1864, Nevada's Constitutional Convention adopted a description of the features to be placed on Nevada's Great Seal.
The Territorial Legislature had approved the description of the seal for the Territory of Nevada on November 29, 1861. The
Territorial Seal included the motto "Volens et Potens," which means "Willing and Able," expressing the ideas of loyalty to
the Union and the mineral wealth to sustain it.
On February 24, 1866, the Legislature changed the motto on the seal to "All for Our Country." In 1969, Nevada Revised
Statutes 235.010 was amended by Assembly Bill 157 to make the legal description conform to the actual features of the seal.
The design of The Great Seal of the State of Nevada is described as follows:
In the foreground, there are two large mountains, at the base of which, on the right, is located a quartz mill, and on the left, a
tunnel, penetrating the silver leads of the mountain, with a miner running out a carload of ore, and a team loaded with ore for the
mill. Immediately in the foreground, there are emblems indicative of the agricultural resources of the State including a plow, a
sheaf, and a sickle. In the middle ground, there is a railroad train passing a mountain gorge and a telegraph line extending along
the line of the railroad. In the extreme background, there is a range of snow-clad mountains, with the rising sun in the east.
Thirty-six stars (to signify Nevada as the 36th state to join the Union) and the motto, "All for Our Country," encircle the entire
illustration. In an outer circle, the words "The Great Seal of the State of Nevada" are engraved, with "Nevada" at the base of
the seal and separated from the other words by two groups of three stars each.
In 1999, the Nevada Legislature formally defined in the Nevada Revised Statutes the colors of the seal,
including the yellow band highlighting the words "All for Our Country."
Two large metal versions of the seal may be found on both the north and south exterior faces of the
Legislative Building, a gift from the Government of Taiwan to the Nevada Legislature. Taiwan was
designated as Nevada's sister state in 1985.
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State Flag
NRS 235.020
Nevada has had four flags in its history. The Legislature did not adopt the design of the first
flag until 1905, more than 40 years after Nevada entered the Union. Governor John Sparks and Colonel Henry Day of
Carson City, a member of the Governor's staff, designed this flag. It had a blue background with the words "Nevada"
in the center, "silver" at the top, and "gold" at the bottom. Thirty-six silver and gold stars represented that
Nevada was the 36th state admitted to the Union.
In 1915, the State Legislature repealed the 1905 Flag Act and created a new official flag, which
was much different from the original. Clara Crisler of Carson City designed the new flag. It had a blue background
with the State seal in the center. The design featured 18 gold stars arranged around the word "Nevada," and 18 silver
stars below the words "All for Our Country." Again, the 36 stars indicated that Nevada was the 36th state admitted
to the Union. When Miss Crisler added an extra star for a total of 37, the meaning of the stars was lost. This flag
now hangs in the Nevada State Museum located in Carson City.
The Legislature adopted the design of Don Louis Shellback III for the third flag in 1929.
The background color of the flag remained blue, but the flag's design changed dramatically. Two sprays of sagebrush
crossed to form a wreath in the upper left portion of the flag. A five-pointed star appeared at the center of the
wreath with "Nevada" spelled out between the points of the star. A scroll with the motto "Battle Born" signified
that Nevada entered the Union during the Civil War.
The 1991 Legislature approved a bill, sponsored by Senator William J. Raggio, to alter the way
that "Nevada" is depicted on the State flag. Since October 1, 1991, the name "Nevada" has been positioned
underneath instead of interspersed between the points of the star. Verne R. Horton created the current design of the flag.
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State Colors
State Song
"Home Means Nevada" (NRS 235.030)
In 1933, the Legislature adopted "Home Means Nevada" as
the official state song. Mrs. Bertha Raffetto of Reno wrote
the song to honor the State. The refrain of the song is
as follows:
"Home" means Nevada, "Home" means the hills,
"Home" means the sage and the pines.
Out by the Truckee's silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
There is a land that I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west
"Home" means Nevada to me.
(Special thanks to Mrs. Alami's and Paragini's
3rd Grade classes at Greenbrae Elementary for recording the state
song).
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State March
State Trees
Single-Leaf Piñon (NRS 235.040)
The Single-Leaf Piñon (Pinus monophylla) is
an aromatic pine tree with short, stiff needles and gnarled branches. The
tree grows in coarse, rocky soils and rock crevices. Though
its normal height is about 15 feet, the Single-Leaf
Piñon can grow as high as 50 feet under ideal conditions.
Image credit: naturesongs.com.
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Bristlecone Pine (NRS 235.040)
The Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) is the oldest
living thing on Earth, with some specimens in Nevada more than
4,000 years old. The tree can be found at high elevations. Normal
height for older trees is about 15 to 30 feet, although some
have attained a height of 60 feet. Diameter growth continues
throughout the long life of the tree, resulting in massive trunks
with a few contorted limbs.
Image credit: nevadaheritage.com/nevada_facts/.
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State Flower
Sagebrush (NRS 235.050)
The Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata or trifida) grows abundantly in the deserts of the western U.S.
A member of the wormwood family, sagebrush is a branching bush (1 to 12 feet high) and grows in regions where other
kinds of vegetation cannot subsist. Known for its pleasant aroma, gray green twigs, and pale yellow flowers,
sagebrush is an important winter food for sheep and cattle.
Image credit: Ed Kleiner at comstockseed.com.
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State Grass
Indian Ricegrass (NRS 235.055)
Indian Ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), once a staple
food source for Nevada Indians, now provides valuable feed
for wildlife and range livestock. This tough native
grass, which is found throughout the State, is known for its
ability to reseed and establish itself on sites damaged
by fire or overgrazing.
Image credit: TribalWisdomFoundation.org.
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State Bird
Mountain Bluebird (NRS 235.060)
The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) lives in the Nevada high country and destroys many harmful insects.
It is a member of the thrush family, and its song is a clear, short warble like the caroling of a robin.
The male is azure blue with a white belly, while the female is brown with a bluish rump, tail, and wings.
Image credit: Terry Sohl.
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State Insect
Vivid Dancer Damselfly (NRS 235.062)
The Vivid Dancer Damselfly (Argia vivida) is abundant in springs and ponds in all four regions of Nevada.
The adult male is a rich blue with clear wings that appear silver when rapidly beating in sunlight, while most
females are tan or tan and gray.
Image credit: Ann Johnson.
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State Reptile
Desert Tortoise (NRS 235.065)
The Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) lives in the
extreme southern parts of Nevada. This reptile
spends much of its life in underground burrows toescape
the harsh summer heat and winter cold. It can live to be
more than 70 years old.
Image credit: DKI Images.
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State Animal
Desert Bighorn Sheep (NRS 235.070)
The Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)
is smaller than its Rocky Mountain cousin, but has a wider
spread of horns. The bighorn is well-suited for Nevada's
mountainous desert country because it can survive for long periods
without water. The large rams stand about 4½ feet
tall and can weigh as much as 175 pounds.
Image credit: Betsy Husband.
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State Fish
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (NRS 235.075)
The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (Salmo clarki henshawi), a native trout found in
14 of the State's 17 counties, is adapted to habitats ranging from high mountain creeks and alpine
lakes to warm, intermittent lowland streams and alkaline lakes where no other trout can live.
Image credit: CLAN.
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State Fossil
The Ichthyosaur (NRS 235.080)
This fossil (genus Shonisaurus) was found in Berlin, east of Gabbs.
Nevada is the only state to possess a complete skeleton (approximately 55 feet long) of this extinct marine reptile.
Ichthyosaurs (a name meaning "fish lizards") were predatory reptiles that filled the same ecological niche
as—and quite resembled in body form—the dolphins of today, only many of them were much larger.
Image credit: Ryosuke Motani, Ph.D., Department of Geology, University of California.
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State Artifact
Tule Duck Decoy (NRS 235.085)
This decoy was created almost 2,000 years ago. Discovered by archeologists in 1924
during an excavation at Lovelock Cave, the decoys are formed of bundles of bulrush (tule) stems, bound
together and shaped to resemble canvasback ducks.
Image credit: Scott Klette.
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State Metal
Silver (Ag) (NRS 235.090)
Image credit: Silver Bars, photo no. 1141878 by Can Stock Photo, Inc., 2010.
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State Precious Gemstone
Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal (NRS 235.100)
Among the many gemstones found in Nevada, the Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal is one of the most beautiful.
The Virgin Valley in northern Nevada is the only place in North America where the Black Fire Opal is found in any
significant quantity.
Image credit: Emily at crystal_cure.com.
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State Semiprecious Gemstone
Nevada Turquoise (NRS 235.110)
Sometimes called the "Jewel of the Desert," Nevada Turquoise is found in many parts of the State.
Image credit: Emily at crystal_cure.com.
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State Soil
Orovada Soil Series (NRS 235.115)
Orovada soils are extensive in northern Nevada, where they have an area of more
than 360,000 acres. They are common soils on semiarid rangeland with sagebrush grass plant communities.
Orovada soils are arable when irrigated and are considered prime farmland. Alfalfa for hay and seed,
winter wheat and barley, and grass for hay and pasture are the principal crops grown on these soils.
Image credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service (United States).
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State Rock
Sandstone (NRS 235.120)
In its more traditionally recognized form or as quartzite, sandstone is found throughout the State.
In areas such as the
Valley of Fire State Park and
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (both near Las Vegas),
it provides some of Nevada's most spectacular scenery. The State Capitol and the former U.S. Mint are built of sandstone.
Image credit: Carol Dempsey Photoseek.com.
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State Tartan
NRS 235.130
Some colors of the tartan represent the following features that make Nevada a unique and bountiful state:
- Blue represents one of the state colors of Nevada, the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe and the Mountain Bluebird,
the official state bird;
- Silver represents the other state color, the official state mineral, the granite composition of the Sierra
Nevada Mountain Range, and the silver country of northern Nevada;
- Red represents the Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal, the official state precious gemstone, and the red rock
formations of southern Nevada;
- Yellow represents Sagebrush, the official state flower, and symbolizes the Great Basin Region of central Nevada; and
- White represents the name of this state, meaning snow-covered, which is the translation of the Spanish word "nevada."
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State Locomotives
Engine No. 40 (NRS 235.135)
The steam locomotive known as Engine No. 40 was built in 1910. Engine No. 40 is currently located in East Ely, Nevada.
Image credit: Engine No. 40
© Copyright 2010 by Frederick Boucher.
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