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Las Vegas is the county seat of Clark County, Nevada, and the largest city in the state, with a 2008 population of almost 560,000. It is part of the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area with about 1.9 million residents. Located in a desert basin, Las Vegas enjoys abundant year-round sunshine, with very little rainfall.
Las Vegas, which calls itself The Entertainment Capital of the World, is a world famous destination for mega-resort casinos, gambling of all sorts, shopping, fine dining, spectacular shows and marquee name entertainment. Because of its tolerance of adult entertainment, Las Vegas garnered the nickname "Sin City". Tourism, gaming and conventions are the heart and soul of the local economy, which gives life to the retail, service and food industries.
But away from the glitz and glamour of the downtown Strip, Las Vegas is a growing retirement and family city. Retirement communities include Sun City Summerlin, Sun City Anthem, and Sun City MacDonald Ranch. Other neighborhoods include Summerlin, Northwest Las Vegas (Centennial Hills), Henderson, Green Valley, Lake Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Northeast Las Vegas (Nellis AFB) Desert Shores. The more affluent neighborhoods include Northwest (ranked #1), Summerlin, Southwest near the Spanish Trail Country Club, Southeast part of the Las Vegas Valley, Seven Hills, and sections of Green Valley.
