Language: English is the primary language. About 16 percent of Nevada’s population is foreign-born, with Mexico, the Philippines, and El Salvador being the most common countries of origin. The most frequently heard foreign tongues are Indo-European and Asian and Pacific Island languages.
Climate: Nevada has sunshine most of the year and receives less precipitation than any other state. Most is in the form of snow, which can be heavy in the mountains in winter, especially in the north. Winters vary from moderate, with temperatures ranging from 26 to 51 degrees Fahrenheit (-3.33 to 10.56 degrees Celsius), to mild, with temperatures between 33 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit (.56 to 14.45 degrees Celsius). Summers can be almost unbearably hot, with several weeks of temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.22 degrees Celsius) in the north, and above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 degrees Celsius) in the south. Even in the hottest parts of July and August, nights can be cool, with temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit (9 to 11 degrees Celsius). You will probably need a sweater or jacket even for summer nights.
Potable Water: Tap water is good, and bottled water is readily available. It is easy to dehydrate in desert climates; be sure to drink plenty of water. If you wait until you feel thirsty, then you are already dehydrated.
Time Zone: Nevada is in the US Pacific Time Zone, which is offset from UTC/GMT by -8 hours. Daylight Savings Time extends from the first Sunday in April at 2 am local standard time until 2 am local daylight time on the last Sunday in October (UTC/GMT offset -7 hours).
Entry Requirements: Under the Visa Waiver Scheme, designed to speed up immigration procedures, citizens of Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and most European countries in possession of full passports do not require visas for trips to the United States of less than ninety days duration. Visa waiver forms are handed out on incoming planes, and are processed during immigration control at your initial point of arrival on US soil. The form requires details of where you are staying on your first night, and the date you intend to leave the US. You should be able to prove that you have enough money to support yourself while in the US. You may experience difficulties if you admit to being HIV-positive or having AIDS or TB. Part of the form will be attached to your passport, where it must stay until you leave. The same form also covers entry across the land borders with Canada and Mexico.
Citizens of all other countries should contact their local US embassy or consulate for details of current entry requirements. Even those eligible for the visa waiver scheme must apply for a free tourist visa if they intend to stay in the US for more than ninety days. Whatever your nationality, visas are not issued to convicted felons or to anybody who admits to being a communist, fascist or drug dealer.
Canadian citizens are in a particularly privileged position when it comes to crossing the border into the US. For a brief excursion, you do not necessarily need even a passport, just some form of ID; if you're obviously setting off on a longer trip, you should carry a passport, and if you plan to stay for more than ninety days, you will need a visa, too.
Bear in mind that if you cross into the United States in your car, trunks and passenger compartments are subject to spot searches by US Customs and Border Protection personnel, and these are especially likely in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in September 2001. Remember, too, that Canadians are legally barred from seeking gainful employment in the US.
Extensions: The date stamped on your passport is the latest you're legally allowed to stay. Leaving a few days later may not matter, especially if you're heading home, but more than a week or so can result in a protracted, rather unpleasant interrogation from officials, which may cause you to miss your flight. Overstaying might also cause you to be turned away the next time you try to enter the US.
To get an extension before your time is up, apply at the nearest US Customs and Border Protection office (addresses appear in the Federal Government Offices listings in local telephone directories). They will assume that you are working illegally, and it is your responsibility to convince them otherwise. Do this by providing evidence of ample finances and, if you can, bring along an upstanding US citizen to vouch for you. You will also have to explain why you didn't plan for the extra time initially.
Work and Study: Only the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service can grant permission to work in the country. Contact your local embassy or consulate for advice on current regulations and CBP addresses; however, unless you have relatives (parents or children over 21) or a prospective employer to sponsor you, your chances are at best slim.
Illegal work is not as easy to find as it once was, as the government imposes fines of up to $10,000 on companies caught employing anyone without the legal right to work in the US. Even in the traditionally more casual establishments, like restaurants and bars, things have really tightened up.
Students have the best chance to prolong their stay in the US. One way is to get onto an Exchange Visitor Program; participants get a J-1 visa that entitles them to accept paid summer employment and apply for a social security number. However, most of these visas are issued for jobs in American summer camps, which aren't everybody's idea of a good time; they fly you over, and after a summer's work you end up with around $500 and a month to six weeks in which to spend it. If you want to study at an American university, apply to that institution directly; once accepted, you're more or less entitled to unlimited visas so long as you remain enrolled in full-time education.
Applicants for au pair visas must prove that they have at least 200 hours of experience with infants, 24 hours of training in child development, and eight hours of child safety training. Prospective employers must provide a written description of the job they expect their au pair to perform, so that there is protection on both sides.
Customs: All passengers arriving in the US must present a completed customs declaration form (also handed out on incoming planes). Customs officers check whether you're carrying any fresh foods and ask if you've visited a farm in the last month: if so, you could well lose your shoes. As well as foods and anything agricultural, it's prohibited to carry into the country any articles from such places as North Korea, Cambodia, Iraq, Libya, or Cuba; obscene publications; lottery tickets; chocolate liqueurs; or pre-Columbian artifacts. Anyone caught bringing drugs into the country will not only face prosecution but be entered in the records as an undesirable and probably permanently denied entry.
Tax Free/Duty Free: The duty-free allowance if you are over 17 is 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars (Cuban cigars are not allowed) and, if you are over 21, a liter of spirits.
Cash and Foreign Currency: If you carry more than US$10,000 (all currencies, traveler's checks, money orders, or other bearer or negotiable monetary instruments) into or out of the US, you are required by US law to file a report with the US Customs and Border Protection Service. Failure to do so can result in these funds being seized and penalties assessed.
Medications: Foreign visitors should bear in mind that many pills available over the counter at home -- most codeine-based painkillers, for example -- require a prescription in the US. Anyone caught with such medications without a prescription could be prosecuted.
Luggage inspection: All baggage is subject to inspection at the first point of entry. Random inspections may be performed at any location.
Currency/Money: Currency is the US dollar (USD). Paper bills are in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $20 and $50. Coin denominations are 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, fifty cents, and $1.
Transportation:
Air Service: Most airlines serve Nevada’s larger airports, particularly Las Vegas. Air taxi and charter services are widely available.
Public Transportation: Major cities provide public transportations, but if you plan to venture into the wilderness, you’ll need a vehicle. Rental cars are widely available, but do not venture into scantily populated areas with a survival kit. Desert nights can be quite cold, and passersby may be few and far between.
Accommodations: Lodging is widely available in a variety of price ranges. The more heavily populated areas provide the greatest diversity.
Cuisine: Nevada’s cuisine is derived from the Basque sheepherders who settled in the state’s mountains. The food is simple, always fresh, with generous portions, and is often still served “family style,” with diners seated side-by-side at long tables. Beef and lamb steaks, soup, salads, beans, spaghetti, bread, and wine are common. Garlic is the favored seasoning. A Basque-style chateaubriand is a thick steak cooked between two thin steaks, which are removed after cooking. The slab is served rare. Lamb is a perennial favorite, and spicy chorizo, similar to the Portuguese linguica, is a treat. Alcohol is part of life for the Basque, and one specialty is Picon Punch, made with grenadine, Amer Picon, brandy and soda. Be warned, though: it’s mild taste disguises a powerful drink.
Alcohol: The legal age for consuming alcoholic beverages in the US is 21. In the state of Nevada it is unlawful to drive or be in control of a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .10 or more within two hours of driving. The maximum allowable blood alcohol concentration for underage drivers is .02.
Telephones: The Area Codes for Nevada are 702 and 775. Ten-digit dialing for local calls may be in effect in some areas. Country Code is 1, and international access code is 011. Directory Assistance is 411, and Emergency Police/Fire/Rescue is 911.
Electricity: The standard for the United States is 110 volts. Visitors from outside North America will require a transformer or converter.
Attire: Many establishments require patrons to wear shirts and shoes to receive service. Dress appropriately for the situation.
Banks: Normal banking hours are 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Thursday, and 9 am to 6 pm on Friday. Most banks are closed on weekends, although a few open for half-days on Saturday.
Personal Safety: Nevada’s crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, but while no one can pretend that the USA is trouble-free, away from the urban centers crime is often remarkably low-key. The majority of the most dangerous cities are safe by day. At night, however, some areas are completely off limits. All the major tourist areas and the main nightlife zones in cities are invariably brightly lit and well policed. By planning carefully and taking good care of your possessions, you should, generally speaking, have few real problems.
Mugging and Theft: The biggest fear for most travelers is mugging. It's impossible to give hard and fast rules about what to do if confronted by a mugger. Whether to run, scream, or fight depends on the situation, but most locals would just hand over their money. Simple precautions can drastically reduce the likelihood of being targeted. Remember a few basic rules: don't flash money around; don't peer at your map at every street corner, thereby announcing that you're a lost stranger; if drunk, take a taxi to your hotel; avoid dark streets; and in the wee hours stick to the street-side edge of the sidewalk, so you can run into the street to attract attention. If you must ask for directions, choose your target carefully. Consider carrying a wad of cash, perhaps $50, separately from the bulk of your holdings so that if you do get confronted you can hand over something without losing everything. If the worst happens and your assailant is toting a gun or (more likely) a knife, try to stay calm: remember that he (most muggers are male) may be scared, too. Keep still, make no sudden movements, and hand over your money. When he's gone, find a phone and dial 911, or hail a cab and ask the driver to take you to the nearest police station. Here, report the theft and get a reference number on the report to claim insurance and travelers check refunds. If you're in a big city, call the local Travelers Aid (their numbers are listed in the telephone directory) for sympathy and practical advice.
Hotel-Room Burglary is another potential problem. Always store valuables in the hotel safe when you go out; when inside, keep your door locked and don't open it to anyone who causes you to be suspicious. If they claim to be hotel staff and you don't believe them, call reception to check. Obviously, losing your travel documents -- especially your passport -- is a traveler's nightmare. If you are unlucky in this respect, go to the nearest consulate and get a temporary passport – usually just a sheet of paper saying you've reported the loss -- which will suffice to get you out of the United States and back home.
Car Crime: Crimes committed against tourists driving rented cars aren't as common as they once were, but it still pays to be cautious. In major urban areas, any car you rent should have nothing on it, such as a particular license plate, that makes it easy to identify as a rental. When driving, under no circumstances stop in any unlit or seemingly deserted urban area, and especially not if someone is waving you down and suggesting that there is something wrong with your car. Similarly, if you are "accidentally" rammed by the driver behind, do not stop immediately but drive on to the nearest well-lit, busy area and call 911 for assistance. Keep your doors locked and windows never more than slightly open. Do not open your door or window if someone approaches your car on the pretext of asking directions. Hide any valuables out of sight, preferably locked in the trunk or in the glove compartment.
Medical Facilities: If you have a serious accident while in the US, emergency medical services will get to you quickly and charge you later. For emergencies or ambulances, dial 911, the nationwide emergency number. Should you need to see a doctor, consult the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory under "Clinics" or "Physicians and Surgeons." The basic consultation fee is $50-100, payable in advance. Medications aren't cheap either -- keep all your receipts for later claims on your insurance policy. Foreign visitors should bear in mind that many pills available over the counter at home -- most codeine-based painkillers, for example -- require a prescription in the US. Local brand names can be confusing; ask for advice at the pharmacy in any drugstore.
Health Risks: In 1994, an international commission certified the eradication of endemic wild poliovirus from the Americas. Ongoing surveillance in formerly endemic Central and South American countries (Tropical and Temperate) confirms that poliovirus transmission remains interrupted.
The incidence of communicable diseases is such that they are unlikely to prove a hazard for international travelers greater than that found in their own country. There are, of course, health risks, but in general, the precautions required are minimal.
Certain diseases occasionally occur, such as plague, rabies in wildlife (including bats), Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, arthropod-borne encephalitis, and seasonal outbreaks of influenza. Rodent-borne hanta virus has been identified, predominantly in the western states of the US. Lyme disease is endemic in the northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic, and the upper Midwest, and in the southwestern provinces of Canada. Occasional cases have been reported from the Pacific Northwest. Recently, cases of West Nile virus have occurred around the New York City area. During recent years, the incidence of certain food-borne diseases, e.g., E. coli O157:H7 and salmonellosis, has increased in some regions. Other hazards include poisonous snakes, poison ivy, and poison oak. In the north, very low winter temperatures pose a serious hazard.
Injuries: Injuries, especially those from motor vehicle crashes, pose the greatest risk of serious disability or loss of life to international travelers. However, the risk of motor vehicle-related death is generally many times higher in developing countries than in the United States. Motor vehicle crashes result from a variety of factors, all of which are preventable or can be abated. Defensive driving is an important preventive measure. When driving or riding, request a vehicle equipped with safety belts, and, where available, use them. Cars and trucks should be carefully inspected to assure that tires, windshield wipers, and brakes are in good condition and that all lights are in good working order. As a high proportion of crashes occur at night when drivers are returning from "social events," avoid nonessential night driving, alcohol, and riding with persons who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This risk of death in a motor vehicle crash is greater for persons sitting in the front seat than for those in the rear seat. Where possible, travelers should ride in the rear seats of motor vehicles. For travel with young children, you should bring your own child safety seat.
Fire injuries are also a significant cause of injuries and death. Do not smoke in bed, and inquire about whether hotels have smoke detectors and sprinkler systems. Travelers may wish to bring their own smoke detectors with them. Always look for a primary and alternate escape route from rooms in which you are meeting or staying. Look for improperly vented heating devices which may cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Remember to escape a fire by crawling low under smoke.
Other major causes of injury trauma include drowning and injuries to water skiers and divers due to boat propellers. Boats equipped with propeller guards should be used whenever possible. Wear a personal flotation device (PFD) whenever you ride on a boat.
Travelers should also be aware of the potential for violence-related injuries. Risk for assault or terrorist attack varies from country to country; and location to location. Heed advice from residents and tour guides about areas to be avoided, going out at night, and going out alone. Do not fight attackers. If confronted, give up your valuables.
Animal-Associated Hazards: Animals in general tend to avoid human beings, but they can attack, particularly if they are protecting their young. In areas of endemic rabies, domestic dogs, cats, or other animals should not be petted. Wild animals should be avoided; most injuries from wild animals are the direct result of attempting to handle or feed the animals.
The bites, stings, and contact with some insects cause unpleasant reactions. Medical attention should be sought if an insect bite or sting causes redness, swelling, bruising, or persistent pain. Many insects also transmit communicable diseases. Some insects can bite and transmit disease without the person being aware of the bite, particularly when camping or staying in rustic or primitive accommodations. Insect repellents, protective clothing, and mosquito netting are advisable in many parts of the world.
Poisonous snakes are hazards in many areas, although deaths from snake bites are relatively rare. The coral and rattlesnakes in the Americas are particularly dangerous. Most snake bites are the direct result of handling or harassing snakes, which bite as a defensive reaction. Attempts to kill snakes are dangerous, often leading to bites on the fingers. The venom of a small or immature snake may be even more concentrated than that of larger ones; therefore, all snakes should be left alone. Fewer than half of all snake bite wounds actually contain venom, but medical attention should be sought any time a bite wound breaks the skin. A pressure bandage, ice (if available), and immobilization of the affected limb are recommended first aid measures while the victim is moved as quickly as possible to a medical facility. Specific therapy for snake bite is controversial, and should be left to the judgment of local emergency medical personnel. Snakes tend to be active at night and in warm weather. As a precaution, boots and long pants may be worn when walking outdoors at night in snake-infested regions. Bites from scorpions may be painful but seldom are dangerous, except possibly in infants. In general, exposure to bites can be avoided by sleeping under mosquito nets and by shaking clothing and shoes before putting them on, particularly in the morning. Snakes and scorpions tend to rest in shoes and clothing.
Anthrax-Contaminated Goatskin Handicrafts: Anthrax is a disease caused by a bacterial organism that produces spores that are highly resistant to disinfection. These infectious spores may persist on a contaminated item for many years. Anthrax spores have been found on goatskin handicrafts from Haiti. Because of the risk, importation of goatskin handicrafts from Haiti is not permitted at US ports of entry; such items will be confiscated and destroyed.
Swimming Precautions: Swimming in contaminated water may result in skin, eye, ear, and certain intestinal infections, particularly if the swimmer's head is submerged. Generally for infectious disease prevention, only pools that contain chlorinated water can be considered safe places to swim. In certain areas, fatal primary amebic meningoencephalitis has occurred following swimming in warm dirty water. Swimmers should avoid beaches that might be contaminated with human sewage or with dog feces. Wading or swimming should be avoided in freshwater streams, canals, and lakes liable to be infested with the snail hosts of schistosomiasis (bilharziasis) or contaminated with urine from animals infected with Leptospira. Biting and stinging fish and corals and jelly fish may be hazardous to the swimmer. Never swim alone or when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and never dive head first into an unfamiliar body of water.
Emerging Infectious Diseases: Emerging infectious diseases are diseases of infectious origin whose incidence in humans has increased within the past two decades or threatens to increase in the near future. Many factors, or combinations of factors, can contribute to disease emergence. New infectious diseases may emerge from genetic changes in existing organisms; known diseases may spread to new geographic areas and populations; and previously unknown infections may appear in humans living or working in changing ecologic conditions that increase their exposure to insect vectors, animal reservoirs, or environmental sources of novel pathogens. Reemergence may occur because of the development of antimicrobial resistance in existing infections (e.g., gonorrhea, malaria, pneumococcal disease) or breakdowns in public health measures for previously controlled infections (e.g., cholera, tuberculosis, pertussis).
Vaccinations: In general, inoculations are not required for entry into the US.