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Las Vegas is the largest city in
Nevada,
United
States, the largest city founded in the
20th
century, and a major
vacation,
shopping,
and
gambling
destination. In the
2000
census, the city reported a population of 478,434
The Census Bureau's official population estimate as of
2003
was 518,313. Las Vegas has been the
county
seat of
Clark
County since its formation in
1909
[2].
Recent figures place the population for the
Las
Vegas metropolitan area at around 1,950,000 people (2005
estimate
[3]),
the fastest growing in the United States.
The name Las Vegas is often applied to the unincorporated areas of
Clark
County that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and
near the
Las
Vegas Strip. This 4½ mi
(7¼ km)
stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is mostly outside the Las Vegas city
limits, in the
township
of
Paradise
Las Vegas is sometimes called
Sin
City due to the popularity of legalized
gambling,
availability of
alcoholic
beverages any time (like all of
Nevada),
various forms and degrees of
adult
entertainment, and legalized
prostitution
in nearby counties (Nevada
law prohibits prostitution in counties which have populations
greater than 400,000). The nickname favored by local government and
promoters of
tourism
is
The
Entertainment Capital of the World. The city's glamorous image
has made it a popular setting for films and television programs.
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