Nevada
The main reasons why Nevada is called the Silver State is that metal is important there historically and for economic reasons. Many people were able to strike it rich when they found silver there during the early twentieth and late nineteenth centuries. Well over half of the residents of Nevada are living in Clark County. This is, of course, where Las Vegas is, and the casinos it has in it are what attract so many tourists there each and ever year. That industry brings in over 12 billion dollars in profits, alone, making it important for Nevada to make sure people keep coming to visit!