Economy

Until the mid-1900's, mining and the raising of livestock provided livelihoods for most of the people in Nevada. Today, tourism accounts for a substantial portion of the state's employment. Casinos featuring gambling and famous entertainers, principally in Las Vegas and Reno, attract many visitors and generate a large share of Nevada's tax revenue.

Nevada's service industries in the Las Vegas-Paradise and Reno-Sparks metropolitan areas provide the larges portion of the state's gross domestic product. These areas rely heavily on the tourist trade. Hotels, restaurants, and trade are the chief service industry groups, with most of the workers employed in casino hotels. Other leading businesses include government, car dealerships, gas stations, department and grocery stores, real estate, finance, insurance, community, business, transportation, communication, and personal services.

Nevada's manufacturing industries are based primarily on the processing of products from farms and mines. Foods, primary metals, and stone, glass, and clay products are, by value added, the state's most important manufactured items. In the past few decades, production has become increasingly diversified, with electric and electronic equipment and chemicals becoming important products. About 5 percent of the state's workers are employed in manufacturing. Production centers in the Las Vegas and Reno areas.

Cattle ranching and irrigated farming are the most important forms of agriculture in Nevada. The average farm size is almost 3,600 acres (1,460 hectares), many times larger than the average for the nation.

Cattle ranches are the most numerous type of farm. Ranchers lease much of their grazing land from the federal government, which owns about 85 per cent of the state's land. Beef cattle, by value, are the state's most important farm commodity. Sheep ranching and dairying are also significant activities. Livestock raising is done mostly in the northern half of the state.

Cropland accounts for only about 1 per cent of the state's total land area. In general, hay and alfalfa seed are the most important crops, by value, followed by potatoes and wheat. Most of the cropland is irrigated. Irrigated land is found mostly in the Reno-Carson City area and along the Humboldt River.

Mining is done throughout the state; silver, for example, is mined in almost all counties. In most years Nevada is the nation's leading producer of silver, gold, and mercury. Other metallic minerals mined include copper, lead, zinc, and tungsten. Nevada's output of nonmetals includes large amounts of barite, diatomite, sand, gravel, stone, and clay; and small amounts of petroleum.

Transportation. Motor vehicles provide the principal means of transportation in Nevada. Federal Interstate highways cross the northern and extreme southern parts of the state. Many rural roads are unpaved. Railroads carry freight almost exclusively; Amtrak provides limited passenger service. The main airports are at Las Vegas and Reno.