Perhaps known best for Las Vegas (gambling , quickie marriage and quickie divorce) or its side of the Grand Canyon or perhaps the ET highway, Nevada is a study in contrasts and political volatility. It was admitted into the union on 31 October (Halloween) 1864, even though it id not meet population requirements. Republicans thought they needed the extra electoral votes.
Introduction
In 2006, Nevada had 2.5 million people, a 50% increase over 2000. It is overwhelmingly white (58.9%) and Hispanic (24.4%). Blacks were the next largest minority (7.9%), followed closely (6.0%) by Asians. Only 1.4% of the population were Native American.Despite being a Western state with lots of wide-open spaces, Nevada is predominantly urban; 7-in-10 live in Clark County, home of Las Vegas. Only 262,141 citizens were rural; but wide-open spaces lead to a population density of only 18.2 people per square mile, compared to the national average of 79.6.
Presidential Votes
Federal Representation
- Sen. Harry Reid (D, 1986)
- sen. John Ensign (R, 2000)
- Rep. Shelley Berkley (D, 1998)
- Rep. Dean Heller (R, 2006)
- Rep. John Porter (R, 2002)
State Government
The state capitol is Carson City; Republican Governor Jim Gibbons was elected in 2006. He is the first native Governor since 1966.Economics
Nevada's economy is service based; 90% of its 1 million employees are in the service sector. The driver of the economy is gambling, known in Nevada as "gaming." Las Vegas has 1.7 million people; Reno, another 490,000. The service sector also includes credit card centers and warehouses. Non-service is dominated by mining and some ranching.The population is transient: only 21% of those living in the state were born there. And only 11.1% of the population lived blow the poverty line in 2006, less than the national average (12.7%).