Editing Nevada (section)

==Geography==
{{See also|Geography of Nevada}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2021}}
[[File:CCF12262007 00003.jpg|thumb|upright|Mountains west of Las Vegas in the [[Mojave Desert]]]]
[[File:Valley in Nevada.jpg|alt=A landscape shot of a long, dry valley. The sky is partially clouded over but blue sky breaks through in patches. It is a showcase of Nevada's natural beauty.|thumb|left|A valley near [[Pyramid Lake (Nevada)|Pyramid Lake]]]]
[[File:Digital-elevation-map-nevada.gif|thumb|left|Topographic map of Nevada]]

Nevada is almost entirely within the [[Basin and Range Province]] and is broken up by many north–south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have [[Endorheic basin|endorheic]] valleys between them.

Much of the northern part of the state is within the [[Great Basin]], a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the [[Arizona Monsoon]] will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was {{convert|125|°F|°C|0}} in [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]] (elevation of {{convert|605|ft|disp=or|sp=us}}) on June 29, 1994.<ref name="ReferenceA">National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C., and Storm Phillips, Stormfax, Inc.</ref> The coldest recorded temperature was {{convert|-52|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

The [[Humboldt River]] crosses the state from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the [[Humboldt Sink]] near [[Lovelock, Nevada|Lovelock]]. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the [[Walker River|Walker]], [[Truckee River|Truckee]], and [[Carson River|Carson]] rivers. All of these rivers are [[endorheic basin]]s, ending in [[Walker Lake (Nevada)|Walker Lake]], [[Pyramid Lake (Nevada)|Pyramid Lake]], and the [[Carson Sink]], respectively. However, not all of Nevada is within the Great Basin. Tributaries of the [[Snake River]] drain the far north, while the [[Colorado River]], which also forms much of the boundary with [[Arizona]], drains much of southern Nevada.

The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above {{convert|13000|ft}}, harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating [[sky island]]s for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than {{convert|3000|ft}}, while some in central Nevada are above {{convert|6000|ft}}.
[[File:Charge! Little Finland, NV.jpg|thumb|[[Little Finland]] rock formation in Nevada]]

The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the [[Mojave Desert]]. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below {{convert|4000|ft}}, creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights.

Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal [[Line (geometry)|line]] (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state [[Border|boundary]] at just over {{convert|400|mi}}. This line begins in [[Lake Tahoe]] nearly {{convert|4|mi}} offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the [[Colorado River]] where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge {{convert|12|mi}} southwest of the Laughlin Bridge.

The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the [[Spring Mountains|Spring Mountain Range]], just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.

Nevada has 172 mountain summits with {{convert|2000|ft}} of prominence. Nevada ranks second, after Alaska, for the greatest number of mountains in the United States, followed by California, Montana, and Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nevada Mountains|url=https://peakvisor.com/adm/nevada.html|access-date=2023-03-17|website=PeakVisor|language=en}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{further|Climate change in Nevada}}
[[File:Köppen Climate Types Nevada.png|left|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of Nevada, using 1991–2020 [[Climatological normal|climate normals]].]]
Nevada is the driest state in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |last=Osborn |first=Liz |url=http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/driest-states.php |title=Driest states |publisher=Currentresults.com |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117095100/http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/driest-states.php |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is made up of mostly desert and semi-arid climate regions, and, with the exception of the [[Las Vegas Valley (landform)|Las Vegas Valley]], the average summer [[diurnal temperature range]] approaches {{convert|40|F-change|C-change}} in much of the state. While winters in northern Nevada are long and fairly cold, the winter season in the southern part of the state tends to be of short duration and mild. Most parts of Nevada receive scarce precipitation during the year. The most rain that falls in the state falls on the east and northeast slopes of the [[Sierra Nevada]].

The average annual rainfall per year is about {{convert|7|in|mm}}; the wettest parts get around {{convert|40|in|mm}}. Nevada's highest recorded temperature is {{convert|125|F|C}} at [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]] on June 29, 1994, and the lowest recorded temperature is {{convert|-50|F|C}} at [[San Jacinto, Nevada|San Jacinto]] on January 8, 1937. Nevada's {{convert|125|F|C}} reading is the third highest statewide record high temperature of a U.S. state, just behind Arizona's {{convert|128|F|C}} reading and California's {{convert|134|F|C}} reading.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Nevada<ref name="Nevada climate averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=NV&statename=Nevada-United-States-of-America|title=Nevada climate averages|publisher=Weatherbase|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009031701/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=NV&statename=Nevada-United-States-of-America|archive-date=October 9, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" |Location
! colspan="2" |July (°F)
! colspan="2" |July (°C)
! colspan="2" |December (°F)
! colspan="2" |December (°C)
|-
!Max
!Min
!Max
!Min
!Max
!Min
!Max
!Min
|-
|[[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] || 106||81 || 41||27 || 56||38 || 13||3
|-
|[[Reno, Nevada|Reno]] || 92||57 || 33||14 || 45||25 || 7||–4
|-
|[[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]] || 89||52 || 32||11 || 45||22 || 7||–5
|-
|[[Elko, Nevada|Elko]] || 90||50 || 32||10 || 37||14 || 2||–9
|-
|[[Fallon, Nevada|Fallon]] || 92||54 || 33||12 || 45||19 || 7||–7
|-
|[[Winnemucca, Nevada|Winnemucca]] || 93||52 || 34||11 || 41||17 || 5||–8
|-
|[[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]] || 112||80 || 44||27 || 65||43 || 18||6
|}

===Flora and fauna===
{{Main|Fauna of Nevada}}
The vegetation of Nevada is diverse and differs by state area. Nevada contains six [[biotic zone]]s: [[Alpine vegetation|alpine]], [[sub-alpine]], [[ponderosa pine forest|ponderosa pine]], [[pinyon-juniper woodland|pinion-juniper]], [[sagebrush]] and [[creosotebush]].<ref>{{cite book | title=Nevada: a guide to the Silver state | author=Federal Writers' Project | author-link=Federal Writers' Project | publisher=US History Publishers | year=1940 | isbn=978-1-60354-027-8 | page=11 }}</ref>

===Counties===
{{Further|List of counties in Nevada}}
[[File:The Strip from Eiffel Tower (9176999807).jpg|thumb|The [[Las Vegas Strip]] looking South]]
[[File:Nevada State Museum.jpg|thumb|[[Carson City Mint]] in [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]]. Carson City is an [[Independent city (United States)|independent city]] and the capital of Nevada.]]

Nevada is divided into political jurisdictions designated as ''[[County (United States)|counties]]''. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality, meaning it legally functions as both a city and a county. As of 1919, there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from {{convert|146|to|18159|sqmi}}.

[[Lake County, Nevada|Lake County]], one of the original nine counties formed in 1861, was renamed [[Roop County, Nevada|Roop County]] in 1862. Part of the county became [[Lassen County, California]], in 1864, resolving border uncertainty. In 1883, Washoe County annexed the portion that remained in Nevada.<ref name="library">{{cite web|url=http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/political/historical/hist19.htm |title=Political History of Nevada |access-date=August 17, 2007 |website=Nevada State Library and Archives. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213541/http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/political/historical/hist19.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

In 1969, Ormsby County was dissolved and the [[Consolidated Municipality of Carson City]] was created by the Legislature in its place coterminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.

[[Bullfrog County, Nevada|Bullfrog County]] was formed in 1987 from part of Nye County. After the creation was declared unconstitutional, the county was abolished in 1989.<ref name="library" />

Humboldt County was designated as a county in 1856 by [[Utah Territorial Legislature]] and again in 1861 by the new Nevada Legislature.

Clark County is the most populous county in Nevada, accounting for nearly three-quarters of its residents. Las Vegas, Nevada's most populous city, has been the [[county seat]] since the county was created in 1909 from a portion of [[Lincoln County, Nevada]]. Before that, it was a part of Arizona Territory. Clark County attracts numerous tourists: An estimated 44{{spaces}}million people visited Clark County in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/visitors/Pages/default.aspx |title=Visitors |publisher=Clarkcountynv.gov |access-date=July 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717004427/http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/visitors/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=July 17, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Washoe County is the second-most populous county of Nevada. Its county seat is [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]]. Washoe County includes the [[Reno–Sparks metropolitan area]].

Lyon County is the third most populous county. It was one of the nine original counties created in 1861. It was named after [[Nathaniel Lyon]], the first Union General to be killed in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Its current county seat is [[Yerington, Nevada|Yerington]]. Its first county seat was established at [[Dayton, Nevada|Dayton]] on November 29, 1861.<ref name="1stSession">{{cite book |author=<!--Legislative Assembly, Territory of Nevada.--> |title=Laws of the Territory of Nevada passed at the first regular session of the Legislative Assembly |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oq0wAQAAMAAJ |location=San Francisco, CA |publisher=Valentine & Co. |pages=289–291 |date=1862 |access-date=May 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707140535/http://books.google.com/books?id=oq0wAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=July 7, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable" style="margin:lem; margin-top:0;"
|+ Nevada counties
|-
!rowspan=2 |County name
!rowspan=2 |County seat
!rowspan=2 |Year founded
!rowspan=2 |2022 population<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NV/PST045221 |title=Nevada's Census Population By County 2020 and 2022 |access-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422021034/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NV/PST045221 |url-status=live }}</ref>
!rowspan=2 |Percent of total
!colspan=2 |Area
!rowspan=2 |Percent of total
!colspan=2 |Population density
|-
!sq&nbsp;mi
!{{nowrap|km<sup>2</sup>}}
!per sq&nbsp;mi
!per {{nowrap|km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|[[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]]||[[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |58,130|| style="text-align:right;" |1.83 % || {{convert|157|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |0.14 % || {{convert|370.25|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Churchill County, Nevada|Churchill]]||[[Fallon, Nevada|Fallon]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |25,843|| style="text-align:right;" |0.81 % || {{convert|5,024|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |4.54 % || {{convert|5.14|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Clark County, Nevada|Clark]]||[[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]||1908|| style="text-align:right;" |2,322,985|| style="text-align:right;" |73.10 % || {{convert|8,061|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |7.29 % || {{convert|288.18|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Douglas County, Nevada|Douglas]]||[[Minden, Nevada|Minden]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |49,628|| style="text-align:right;" |1.56 % || {{convert|738|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |0.67 % || {{convert|67.25|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Elko County, Nevada|Elko]]||[[Elko, Nevada|Elko]]||1869|| style="text-align:right;" |54,046|| style="text-align:right;" |1.70 % || {{convert|17,203|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |15.56 % || {{convert|3.14|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Esmeralda County, Nevada|Esmeralda]]||[[Goldfield, Nevada|Goldfield]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |744|| style="text-align:right;" |0.02 % || {{convert|3,589|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |3.25 % || {{convert|0.21|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Eureka County, Nevada|Eureka]]||[[Eureka, Nevada|Eureka]]||1869|| style="text-align:right;" |1,863|| style="text-align:right;" |0.06 % || {{convert|4,180|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |3.78 % || {{convert|0.45|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Humboldt County, Nevada|Humboldt]]||[[Winnemucca, Nevada|Winnemucca]]||1856/1861|| style="text-align:right;" |17,272|| style="text-align:right;" |0.54 % || {{convert|9,658|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |8.73 % || {{convert|1.79|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Lander County, Nevada|Lander]]||[[Battle Mountain, Nevada|Battle Mountain]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |5,766|| style="text-align:right;" |0.18 % || {{convert|5,519|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |4.99 % || {{convert|1.04|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Lincoln County, Nevada|Lincoln]]||[[Pioche, Nevada|Pioche]]||1867|| style="text-align:right;" |4,482|| style="text-align:right;" |0.14 % || {{convert|10,637|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |9.62 % || {{convert|0.42|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Lyon County, Nevada|Lyon]]||[[Yerington, Nevada|Yerington]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |61,585|| style="text-align:right;" |1.94 % || {{convert|2,024|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |1.83 % || {{convert|30.43|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Mineral County, Nevada|Mineral]]||[[Hawthorne, Nevada|Hawthorne]]||1911|| style="text-align:right;" |4,525|| style="text-align:right;" |0.14 % || {{convert|3,813|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |3.45 % || {{convert|1.19|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Nye County, Nevada|Nye]]||[[Tonopah, Nevada|Tonopah]]||1864|| style="text-align:right;" |54,738|| style="text-align:right;" |1.72 % || {{convert|18,199|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |16.46 % || {{convert|3.01|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Pershing County, Nevada|Pershing]]||[[Lovelock, Nevada|Lovelock]]||1919|| style="text-align:right;" |6,462|| style="text-align:right;" |0.20 % || {{convert|6,067|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |5.49 % || {{convert|1.07|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Storey County, Nevada|Storey]]||[[Virginia City, Nevada|Virginia City]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |4,170|| style="text-align:right;" |0.13 % || {{convert|264|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |0.24 % || {{convert|15.80|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[Washoe County, Nevada|Washoe]]||[[Reno, Nevada|Reno]]||1861|| style="text-align:right;" |496,745|| style="text-align:right;" |15.63 % || {{convert|6,542|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |5.92 % || {{convert|75.93|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|[[White Pine County, Nevada|White Pine]]||[[Ely, Nevada|Ely]]||1869|| style="text-align:right;" |8,788|| style="text-align:right;" |0.28 % || {{convert|8,897|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || style="text-align:right;" |8.05 % || {{convert|0.99|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|-
|Totals||Counties: 17|| || style="text-align:right;" |3,177,772|| || {{convert|110,572|sqmi|km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} || || {{convert|28.74|/sqmi|/km2|disp=table|sortable=on}} 
|}

=== Settlements ===
{{See also|List of cities in Nevada}}{{Largest cities| country = Nevada
| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NV/PST045221|title=2020 Nevada QuickFacts|date=August 18, 2021|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=April 12, 2022|archive-date=April 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422021034/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NV/PST045221|url-status=live}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = Counties of Nevada{{!}}County
| city_1 = Las Vegas, Nevada{{!}}Las Vegas
| div_1 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_1 = 641,903
| img_1 = DowntownLasVegas.jpg
| city_2 = Henderson, Nevada{{!}}Henderson
| div_2 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_2 = 317,610
| img_2 = Lake_Las_Vegas_aerial_view.jpg
| city_3 = Reno, Nevada{{!}}Reno
| div_3 = Washoe County, Nevada{{!}}Washoe
| pop_3 = 264,165
| img_3 = Reno,_Nevada_photo_D_Ramey_Logan.jpg
| city_4 = North Las Vegas, Nevada{{!}}North Las Vegas
| div_4 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_4 = 262,527
| img_4 = Northlasv.jpg
| city_5 = Enterprise, Nevada{{!}}Enterprise
| div_5 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_5 = 221,831
| img_5 =
| city_6 = Spring Valley, Nevada{{!}}Spring Valley
| div_6 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_6 = 215,597
| img_6 =
| city_7 = Sunrise Manor, Nevada{{!}}Sunrise Manor
| div_7 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_7 = 205,618
| img_7 =
| city_8 = Paradise, Nevada{{!}}Paradise
| div_8 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark
| pop_8 = 191,238
| img_8 =
| city_9 = Sparks, Nevada{{!}}Sparks
| div_9 = Washoe County, Nevada{{!}}Washoe
| pop_9 = 108,445
| img_9 =
| city_10 = Carson City, Nevada{{!}}Carson City
| div_10 = Carson City
| pop_10 = 58,639
| img_10 =
}}