Nevada is a western state with its western border entirely along the eastern border of California. On the north it borders Oregon and Idaho, on the east Utah, and in the most south eastern corner, Arizona. Nevada’s nickname is ‘the silver state’ due to the large number of silver mines found within it. Nevada joined the union of the United States in 1864, and is known as the ‘Battle Born State’ due to the fact that it joined the union during the American Civil War. A large percentage of the land of Nevada is owned by the Federal Government, (86%) under both civilian and military jurisdictions. Eighty-five percent of the population of Nevada dwells within either the Las Vegas of Reno metropolitan areas. Nevada is well known for its unrestrictive legal attitudes to marriage, divorce, gambling and in half of its 16 counties, prostitution is legal. Learn more about Nevada by visiting its largest cities: