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The state flag,
adopted in 1929, bears a silver star. The words Battle Born
signify Nevada's admission to the Union during the Civil War. On
the state seal, adopted in 1866, a railroad and a telegraph line
symbolize Nevada's importance as a corridor between the Midwest
and the West Coast. A tunnel, an ore cart, and an ore-crushing
mill stand for the state's mineral wealth. A plow, a sickle, and a
sheaf of wheat represent agriculture.
Nevada is a land of rugged snow-capped mountains, grassy valleys,
and sandy deserts. Pine forests cover many mountain slopes, and
crystal-clear streams flow through steep, rocky canyons. Large
trout swim in sparkling valley lakes. In many places, geysers
erupt and hot springs gush amid the rocks. In the south, bighorn
sheep graze on jagged plateaus that glow red in the brilliant
sunshine. Glistening white patches called alkali flats stretch
across the deserts. The flowers of cactus, yucca, and sagebrush
plants add splashes of color. The gray-green sagebrush gave Nevada
one of its nicknames, the Sagebrush State. |
