Nevada is one of the 50 states of the United States of North America. The state is located in the western region of the US and has 2,723,322 inhabitants (2011). The capital is Carson City and the standard abbreviation for the state is NV.
Named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Nevada is bordered to the north by the states of Oregon and Idaho, to the east by Utah, to the southeast by Arizona and to the south and west by California.
Almost the entire state is part of the Great Basin. This plateau is interrupted in Nevada by numerous mountain ranges.
The highest point in Nevada is Boundary Peak at 4,007 meters. This mountain is located in the White Mountains, which are a spur of the Sierra Nevada.
The desert area of the state encompasses a fairly sizable swath in the northwest. Here lie the deserts of the Black Rock Desert, Granite Creek Desert, Smoke Creek Desert, and some scattered salt and alkali deserts known as ‘flats’.
Lakes and Rivers
In the far northeast of Nevada, rivers drain into the Snake River, which flows through the neighboring state of Idaho. In the southeast, this occurs on the Colorado River.
In addition, rivers in the state are disappearing due to dehydration or because they flow into salty lakes.
The main rivers are the Humboldt, the Carson and the Walker River.
Pyramid Lake is the largest natural lake in Nevada. It is located northeast of the city of Reno.
In the southeast corner of the state is the huge Lake Mead reservoir, which also contains the famous Hoover Dam.
Climate and Vacation
Nevada has the driest climate in the United States. The state lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada.
Famous Nevada tourist attractions include the gambling cities of Las Vegas and Reno.
Near the city of Las Vegas is Lake Mead, with the Hoover Dam. Lake Mead and Lake Mojave form the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Lake Tahoe, near Carson City, is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada, on the border between California and Nevada.
It is the largest alpine lake in North America, and with a depth of 501 meters, it is the second deepest lake in the United States after Crater Lake in the state of Oregon.
There are stalactite caves in the Great Basin National Park. These are the Lehman Caves.
Wheeler Peak, home to the southernmost glacier in the United States, has a unique ecosystem that ranges from desert to tundra.
The state also has many “ghost towns” that recall the pioneer days.
Cities Nevada
The largest cities in Nevada are next to the capital Carson City: Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sunrise Manor, Paradise, Spring Valley, Enterprise, Sparks.
Nevada counties
The US state of Nevada is administratively subdivided into 17 counties and one independent city.
Nevada
Nevada borders the states of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and California. The capital is Carson City.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and is located on the Colorado River. Due to the fact that it was necessary to supply water to the city of Las Vegas, located almost in the Mojave Desert, the huge Hoover Dam was built 54 km east of it in 1931. Due to the construction of the dam, a huge artificial lake was created on the Colorado River, which holds the largest volume of water in the entire USA. It is found on the border of Nevada and Arizona.
The newly created Lake Mead offers about 800 km of beaches and around 10 million tourists enjoy recreation here every year. The lake has an irregular shape, is 186 km long, the length of its coast is estimated at a respectable 900 km, and the reported depth is about 150-180 meters. Lake Mead is surrounded by the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and is said to be the fifth most visited national park in the US, attracting mainly lovers of sailing and other water sports. Lake Mead is maintained by the National Park Service.
Since there has been a long-term drought in the area in recent years, the water level in the dam is decreasing. However, it is not only the Arizona-Nevada Hoover Dam, but also other dams located on the Colorado River, such as Glen Canyon Dam, Parker Dam, Davis Dam, Palo Verde Diversion Dam and Imperial Dam, which together form a cascade of 6 dams. The loss of water is visible on the exposed rocks, which are bright white. The water is disappearing gradually, but constantly. So far, no one knows if this is just some kind of cycle that will return to normal in time, or if it is caused by the warming of the planet. In the future, it could happen that bodies of water like Lake Mead or Lake Powell would completely disappear from the map.
North of Lake Mead is the Valley of Fire National Park, named for the red sandstone rocks in the area. When reflected by the sun, it creates countless wonderful shades of red and orange. These rocks were once the home of the Anasazi Indian tribe, who left behind numerous carvings and paintings.
