Editing Nevada (section)

====Nuclear testing====
The [[Nevada Test Site]], {{convert|65|mi}} northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of [[nuclear weapons]]. The site consists of about {{convert|1350|sqmi}} of the desert and mountainous terrain. [[Nuclear test]]ing at the Nevada Test Site began with a {{convert|1|ktonTNT|sp=us}} nuclear bomb dropped on [[Frenchman Flat]] on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962, and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for having the highest concentration of nuclear-detonated weapons in the U.S.

Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. This is mainly because [[Homestead Acts|homesteads]] were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of [[ranching]] still prevails).