Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and an internationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas is often called 'The Entertainment Capital of the World.'

Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the growth that followed, at the close of the century Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in the twentieth century (a distinction held by Chicago in the nineteenth century). The city's permissiveness for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the nickname of Sin City.

History

Las Vegas was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the nineteenth century, portions of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or meadows (vegas in Spanish), hence the name Las Vegas.

On March 19, 1931, gambling was legalized in the city. By December 26, 1946, Bugsy Siegel opened the infamous Flamingo Hotel in Paradise on what would later become the Las Vegas Strip. The Hoover Dam was completed on October 9, 1936 outside Boulder City and above ground nuclear testing was conducted at the Nevada Test Site in Nye County from 1951 to 1962. The extravagant era of megaresort casinos in Clark County began on November 22, 1989, with the opening of The Mirage.

Economy

The primary drivers behind the Las Vegas economy have been the confluence of tourism, gaming, and conventions which consequently feed the retail and dining industries. The city serves as world headquarters for the world's two largest Fortune 500 gaming companies, Harrah's Entertainment and MGM Mirage.

Constant population growth means that the housing construction industry is crucial to the development of the city. In 2000 more than 21,000 new homes and 26,000 resale homes were purchased. In early 2005 there were 20 residential development projects of more than 300 acres each underway.

The major attractions in Las Vegas are its various casinos. The most notable hotel casinos are located on Las Vegas Boulevard, better known as the Las Vegas Strip. Many of these hotels carrying thousands of rooms with their large adjoining casino areas.