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- Name officially adopted in 1861 when territory was established by Congress; from Spanish meaning snow-capped.

1851--First settlement in dispute--Genoa, near Carson City, permanently settled by Mormons, then called Mormon Station in Utah Territory. Dayton, also near Carson City, permanently settled by miners and traders, then called Gold Canyon in Utah Territory.

1854--Carson County created as part of Utah Territory.
1861--Created as Territory of Nevada on March 2
1864--Admitted as State of Nevada October 31; a state holiday since 1939.

STATE FLAG	- Adopted March 26, 1929. The state flag has a Cobalt blue background with a 5-pointed star, with the word Nevada in gold letters under the star, located in the upper left quadrant between two sprays of sagebrush crossed forming a half wreath. A scroll located on the top of the wreath is gold in color and depicts the words BATTLE BORN in black letters.
STATE COLORS	- Silver and Blue
STATE SEAL	- Adopted February 24, 1866. A gold seal embossed with the words "The Great Seal of the State of Nevada" around the edge. Interior design shows picture of mining, agriculture, industry and Nevada scenery. Under the scroll appears the State motto, "ALL FOR OUR COUNTRY".
STATE SLOGAN	- The Battle Born State - Adopted March 26, 1937
STATE MOTTO	- "All for our country" How did it originate? The motto has always been part of the state seal but there is no documented source of its originality. Nevada entered the Union as a state during the Civil War and just before the presidential election of 1864. The Constitutional Convention met in Carson City on July 4, 1864, just one year after the terrible battle at Gettysburg. The Union needed another state, another supporter of President Lincoln, to prove to the Confederacy that the Union was strong. Patriotism was running high here and those assembled for the Convention felt very loyal to the Union and quite willing to do what they could to support it. Article V, Section 15 of the Nevada Constitution states that there is to be a state seal. In the second legislative session (1866), Assemblyman A. B. Elliot of Storey County introduced Bill 26. It was read and referred to the Committee on State Library. They returned it to the Assembly for another reading. It passed there and went to the Sentate. In the Senate, AB26 was referred to the Committee on State Affairs. On February 19, 1866, Senator Lockwood reported that the Committee had AB26 under consideration, had come to a favorable conclusion thereon, and directed their chairman to report the same to the Senate, without amendment, and recommended its passage. On the third reading it passed 12-1. The statutes of 1866 (chapter XLI) gives a complete description of the design. The last sentence reads "In an outer circle, the words, "The Great Seal of the State of Nevada," to be engraven with these words, for the motto of our State, "All for Our Country." Unfortunately, there are no records of the committee proceedings, discussions, nor any legislature's discussion of the seal, to tell us how or why or who came up with "All for our country."
STATE SONG	- "Home Means Nevada" - By Mrs. Bertha Raffetto, Reno. Click for additional Information!
STATE TREE	Two trees share the State tree designation. The Single-Leaf Piñon and the Bistlecone Pine.
STATE BIRD	- Mountain Bluebird
STATE ANIMAL	- Desert Bighorn Sheep
STATE FISH	- Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
STATE REPTILE	- The Desert Tortoise
STATE METAL	- Silver
STATE NICKNAMES	- Silver State - Sagebrush State - Battle Born State
STATE FLOWER	- Sagebrush - Adopted March 20, 1917
STATE CAPITAL	- State Capital - Carson City; designated in July 1864; also territorial capital dating back to 1861
AREA	- 110,540 square miles, 485 miles long, 315 miles wide; seventh in size.
POPULATION	- 1990 population, 1,201,833; 1997 estimated population, 1,700,000
COUNTIES	Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, White Pine. More Information!
MINING	Among its products are gold, silver, copper, zinc, brucite, magnesium, magnesite, manganese, tungsten, uranium, mercury, lead, non-metallics, oil, coal, iron.
AGRICULTURE	Cattle, horses, sheep, hogs, poultry, hay, wheat, corn, potatoes, rye, oats, alfalfa, barley, vegetables, dairy products, some fruits.
GEOGRAPHY/ CLIMATE	With mostly mountainous and desert terrain, altitudes vary from 1,000 feet to over 13,000 feet. Climate is arid, abundant sunshine; light rainfall; snow. Average temperature varies from 70 degrees Fahrenheit in south to 45 degrees Fahrenheit in north.
PRINCIPAL LAKES	Natural: Lake Tahoe, on California-Nevada border west of Carson City; Pyramid Lake, largest natural lake in state, north of Reno; Walker Lake, north of Hawthorne; Topaz Lake on California-Nevada border, south of Gardnerville; Ruby Lake, south of Elko. Manmade: Lake Mead, largest manmade lake in the state, with a 550-mile shoreline, forms southern boundary of state, east of Las Vegas, backed up by Hoover Dam on Colorado River; Lake Mohave, south of Las Vegas, backed up by Davis Dam on Colorado River; lake Lahontan, near Fallon; and Rye Patch Reservoir near Lovelock.
PRINCIPAL MOUNTAINS	Highest peak: Boundary Peak on Nevada-California border south of Hawthorne, 13,145 feet; other principal peaks: Wheeler Peak, east of Ely, 13,061; Mt. Charleston, west of Las Vegas, 11,910; North Schell Peak, north of Ely, 11,890; 51 peaks above 9,000 feet.
PRINCIPAL RIVERS	Longest: Humboldt River, 500 miles from Humboldt Mountains, east of Elko to Humboldt Sink south of Lovelock; Carson River, Truckee River, Walker River, Colorado River.
NATURAL RESOURCES	Minerals -- Gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, uranium, manganese, titanium, iron, mercury, opal, barite, molybdenum, magnesite, diatomite, talc, gypsum, dalomite, lime, turquoise, fluorspar, brucite, antimony, perlite, pumice, salt, sulfur oilshale. Oil -- In central and eastern Nevada. Forests -- Two national forests: Toiyabe, 2.5 million acres; Humboldt, 2.5 million acres divided into 19 forest areas. Water -- Principal rivers (Truckee, Carson, Walker, Humboldt) provide 2,000,000 acre feet annually within state. Colorado provides 300,000 acre feet annually, about 100,000 kilowatts of hydroelectric power being generated for use in Nevada; four hydroelectric plants near Reno, and Lahontan Dam hydroelectric plant near Fallon.