Las Vegas
Overview
Las Vegas, officially the City of Las Vegas and often known simply as Vegas, is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada.
History
The city was founded by ranchers and railroad workers but quickly found that its greatest asset was not its springs but its casinos. Las Vegas’s embrace of Old West-style freedoms—gambling and prostitution—provided a perfect home for East Coast organized crime. Beginning in the 1940s, money from drugs and racketeering built casinos and was laundered within them. Visitors came to partake in what the casinos offered: low-cost luxury and the thrill of fantasies fulfilled.
Economy
The economy of Las Vegas is primarily driven by tourism, gaming, and conventions, which in turn feed the retail and restaurant industries. Most of the largest hotel, casino, and resort properties in the world are located on the Las Vegas Strip. The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of "Sin City", and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature, films, television programs, and music videos.
Culture
Las Vegas is known for its vibrant nightlife, with a concentration of casinos and entertainment venues along the Strip. The city's cultural highlights include the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, the Neon Museum, and the Mob Museum. The city also hosts numerous festivals and events throughout the year, including the Las Vegas Film Festival and the Las Vegas BikeFest.
Geography and Climate
Las Vegas is situated within Clark County in a basin on the floor of the Mojave Desert and is surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. Much of the landscape is rocky and arid, with desert vegetation and wildlife. The city's climate is a subtropical, hot desert climate, typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies.
