Nevada Land
The State of Nevada encompasses 110,000 square miles and is the seventh largest state in the Union. The topography of Nevada land is quite varied, consisting of huge, barren deserts as well as high, pine-tree-covered, snow-capped mountain ranges. The highest elevation in the state is 13,140 feet at Boundary Peak in the White Mountains, and the lowest is 470 feet at the Colorado River.
The first white men to enter what is now the State of Nevada were Spanish Franciscans in the late 1700s during their attempt to establish a trail between New Mexico and the California coast. The Mexican-American War in 1846-48 resulted in all of Nevada being acquired by the United States. As the result of the Republican Party wanting to pick up three more electoral votes for President Lincoln’s re-election campaign, in October of 1864 Nevada became the 36th state to join the Union.
Mining and gambling are the two industries that drive Nevada’s economy. Mining began in the middle of the 19th Century, and gambling was legalized by Nevada’s legislation in 1931. From the 1950s through the first several years of the 21st Century, the gambling industry was far and away the dominant partner of the two. Since the financial recession began in 2008 and has since accelerated, the gambling industry has temporarily hit a brick wall, while the mining industry has come on very strong.
Despite the current recession, Nevada land can also be an excellent investment. It can be used to graze cattle, mine precious minerals, build residential communities, develop shopping centers, and construct resorts and casinos. As long as the sun continues to shine most days of the year, people will continue coming to the Southwestern states. And many people refer to Nevada as the most exotic, unusual, and inviting state of them all.