An impressive population development
In 1860, Nevada had 7,000 residents. While
other states repeatedly experienced setbacks
economically and in terms of population, Nevada saw
growth in every respect. In the decade between 1990
and 2000, the population increased by an incredible
63 percent.
In contrast, the population growth in the whole
of Germany was just 13 percent. Therefore, Nevada
regularly receives the title of "fastest growing
state in the United States". The "desert state"
experienced the greatest increase in population
around 1870, namely by an incredible 526 percent. In
the coming decades until the end of the 20th
century, this trend of population growth was broadly
the same. Values like 1870 were no longer
achieved, but they remained solid between 18 and 45
percent. There were outliers in the years 1910,
1960, 1970 and 1980. Here the growth rates ranged
between 50 and 78 percent.
Nevada has always been an attractive destination
for immigrants since the silver and gold rush,
despite or perhaps because of its exceptional
geography. In the history of this state, there was
only two years of negative growth, i.e. increased
emigration, in terms of population: 1890 and 1900
with a population decline of 24 percent and 10.6
percent, respectively. However, this trend reversed
only ten years later, because in 1910 Nevada was
again able to enjoy a growth rate of more than 93
percent. Today, about three million people live in
the desert state.
The population is heterogeneous: White Americans
are the most represented with a share of 66
percent. Due to its geographical proximity to
Mexico, many Latin Americans also live in Nevada,
their share is 26 percent. In contrast to other
states such as New York or the southern
states, blacks are less represented in Nevada with a
share of only 7 percent. Indians, Hawaiians and
Pacific Islanders make up a small proportion of the
population.
Places and attractions that no visitor to Nevada
should not miss
Las Vegas
The most famous attraction in Nevada is Las
Vegas. Nevada is one of the few states in the United
States where gambling is legal and also a major
source of income. Economically, Las Vegas is the
capital of the desert state, but the political
capital is Carson City. According to
allcitypopulation, the city of millions of
lights is an artificially created oasis in the
middle of vast desert landscapes.
From a political as well as an ecological point
of view, the players' paradise with its impressive
casinos and hotels is repeatedly a controversial
issue. However, it is not disputed that Nevada owes
a large part of its economic and population growth
to this artificially created oasis in the desert
landscape.
After gambling was legalized in the early 1930s,
fortune-seekers were always drawn to the city. Las
Vegas experienced a boom similar to that of the
silver and gold rush around 80 years earlier. The
city experienced its wedding from 1940 to the
mid-1960s. Not only large hotel chains settled here,
but also representatives of the mafia and numerous
show greats from Hollywood such as the Rat Pack
around the singer Frank Sinatra.
Reno
Located on the shores of Lake Tahoe, Reno has
given itself the title of "Largest Small Town in the
World". Before Las Vegas became an unbeatable
competitor, Reno was the center of gambling until
the early 1950s.
Reno also enjoys a dubious reputation as a
paradise for quick divorces. The areas around the
city are an ideal destination for outdoor fans,
because from skiing to rafting to hiking and
mountain biking, the landscape is suitable for every
popular sport. Car fans should visit the largest
automobile museum in the United States, the National
Automobile Museum.
Carson City
Carson City on the California border, located at
the foot of the Sierra Nevada, is the state's
capital. It was founded a year before the legendary
gold and silver discoveries in the Comstock Lode
mine, in 1858. The city was a mint for a long
time. There are still a few casinos and saloons here
that, unlike those in Las Vegas, seem to have fallen
out of time. Worth seeing is the replica of the
Comstock Lode mine under the name Nevada State
Museum and the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
At Lake Tahoe there is a very beautiful sandy
beach around the mountain lake, embedded in the park
of the same name.
Virginia City
Virginia City is one of the legendary gold mining
cities of the 19th century. In 1859, large silver
and gold deposits were found in the Comstock Lode
mines. In the following period the population
exploded, numerous saloons, large and small shops
were opened.
Among the immigrants was a certain Samuel
Langhorne Clemens who had come from Missouri. After
he was only moderately successful as a gold
prospector, he pricked his pen and provided the
population with news from the city for the
Territorial Enterprise. If this name says nothing,
you should think of Huckleberry Fin and Tom Sawyer,
because this gossip reporter was none other than the
man who was to become world famous shortly
afterwards under the stage name Mark Twain.
Virginia City came back to fame a century later
when the popular Bonanza western series was filmed
here.
Ghost towns
Wild west and gold rush romanticism experience
visitors in the ghost towns of Nevada. These were
founded at the time of the gold rush in the middle
of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th
century. After the precious metal finds in the mines
were exhausted, most of the residents moved on. Only
a few remained. These former wild west towns often
served as a backdrop for westerns and are now a
magnet for tourists from all over the world. |
