Nevada is a state located in the Western, Mountain West, and Southwestern regions of the United States. It is the 7th largest state at 110,577 square miles and the 34th most populated with over 2.9 million residents. Nearly 1/3 of the population lives in the Las Vegas-Paradise metropolitan area. It is known as the "Silver State" because of the importance of silver to their history and economy. The state is largest made up of desert land.