<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Released in 2006 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Lists of United States state symbols </Td> </Tr> <P> Nevada (Spanish for "snowy"; see pronunciations) is a state in the Western, Mountain West, and Southwestern regions of the United States of America . Nevada is the 7th most extensive, the 34th most populous, but the 9th least densely populated of the 50 United States . Nearly three - quarters of Nevada's people live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas--Paradise metropolitan area where three of the state's four largest incorporated cities are located . Nevada's capital is Carson City . Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" because of the importance of silver to its history and economy . It is also known as the "Battle Born State", because it achieved statehood during the Civil War (the words "Battle Born" also appear on the state flag); as the "Sagebrush State", for the native plant of the same name; and as the "Sage - hen State". Nevada borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast and Utah to the east . </P> <P> Nevada is largely desert and semi-arid, much of it within the Great Basin . Areas south of the Great Basin are within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada lie on the western edge . About 86% of the state's land is managed by various jurisdictions of the U.S. federal government, both civilian and military . </P>

Why do they call nevada the battle born state