To mark America’s 250th birthday, we are revisiting key moments on Nevada history that had an impact on the country as a whole.
Nevada is the driest state in America, tucked in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada along its western edge. It’s also among the most mountainous, with 272 mountain ranges dividing up the state’s sparse population.
And that’s another thing: Nevada is among the states with the lowest population density, with fewer than 30 people per square mile. (For reference, Saudi Arabia has 43 people per square mile. Norway — where half the country is above the Arctic Circle — has 44 per square mile.)