Las Vegas Guide

Las Vegas is the most populous city of Nevada. Las Vegas is considered the largest adult playground of the world. It is sometimes called “Sin City” because of the legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic drinks at any time of the day, various forms of entertainment events, and legalized prostitution in nearby counties. Las Vegas Entertainment, Las Vegas Casinos and Las Vegas hotels are all world renowned. Its biggest industries are gambling and entertainment.

State: Nevada

Country: United States of America

Location: Las Vegas is situated in southwest of Nevada, near the borders of California and Arizona. It is situated 279.6 miles (450 km) from Los Angeles.

Geographic Coordinates: Longitude 115.09 W, Latitude 36.10 N

Map: To view a Las Vegas city map, click here. Map of Las Vegas

Area: Las Vegas has an area of 113.4 square miles (293.6 square km)

Per Capita Income: Las Vegas has a per capita income of $22,060.

Population: According to the United States Census Bureau's estimate of 2004, the population of Las Vegas city was 534,837.

Age Distribution: 25.9 percent of the people of Las Vegas are under the age of 18. Another 8.8 percent are between the ages of 18 to 24. 32 percent of the people are between the ages of 25 to 44 years, while 21.7 percent of the people are between the ages of 45 to 64. The 65 years or above age group accounts for 11.6 percent of the population.

Racial Makeup: 69.86 percent of the population of Las Vegas is White. African-Americans constitute 10.36 percent of the population. 0.75 percent of the population consists of Native Americans. Asians constitute 4.78 percent of the population, while 23.61 percent of the population is Hispanic or Latinos of any race.

Economy: The economy of Las Vegas is based on

the tourism and entertainment industries. While the casinos of Las Vegas were originally focused on gambling, they have slowly become family friendly over the last 10 years. Las Vegas is not only known for gambling, but is also famous for golfing, auto racing, conventions, amusement parks, restaurants, and luxurious hotels.

There has been a concentrated effort by the government to diversify the city’s economy away from tourism by encouraging manufacturing, banking, and other industries. In the year 2005, the World Market Center was established in Las Vegas. It is estimated to become the world's largest furniture wholesale market.

Climate: Las Vegas is located in a desert valley in the extreme south of the Nevada state. Therefore, Las Vegas summers display typical southwest desert characteristics. Summers are marked by extremely high temperatures. Average high temperatures exceed 100 o F, while average low temperatures are in the 70 o F range. Humidity increases during the months of July and August. The moist winds sometimes cause spectacular desert thunderstorms, which are often associated with flash flooding. Winters are mild and pleasant. The average afternoon temperatures are around 60 o F. Snow is extremely rare, however freezing temperatures do occur every year. The spring and fall seasons are almost ideal. Las Vegas experiences very little rainfall each year. You can visit Las Vegas all year round, but the best times to be in Las Vegas are the spring and the fall seasons.

Rainfall: Las Vegas experiences an annual rainfall of 4.2 inches (107 mm).

Government Type: The city of Las Vegas is divided into six wards. The Mayor is elected from the city at large, and councilmen are elected from each ward. The Mayor and the six councilmen constitute the City Council. The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the city. The City Council exercises legislative power. A City Manager is accountable for the effective administration and operation of all municipal services for the city of Las Vegas.

Major Political Parties: Democratic Party, Republican Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party