residential city (1990 pop. 12,567), S Nev., just W of Hoover Dam near Lake Mead; inc. 1959. Built (1932) by the federal government as headquarters during the dam's construction, it became a self-governing municipality by act of Congress in 1958. It is a year-round tourist center and the headquarters of Lake Mead National Recreation Area (see National Parks and Monuments , table).
