Nevada is located in the western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is the "Silver State," due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there. Nevada has about 2.6 million residents, with over 85% of the population residing in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno. From 1940-2003 Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the U.S. and Las Vegas fastest growing metro area from 1960-2000. Over two thirds of the population of the state live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.