Las Vegas is a world-renowned large resort city best known for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole is Nevada's primary financial, economic, and cultural hub. In 2012, there were more than 500,000 people living in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, making it the second largest after New York City. The city is also a major center of commerce and trade for southern Nevada and eastern California. Las Vegas has been called America's playground due to its many amusement parks and other forms of entertainment such as shows and museums. There are also many activities available in the city including scuba diving, hiking, biking, rollerblading, and more. If you're looking to get away from it all, you can find quiet neighborhoods where you can relax or party cities where the focus is on fun. The city was founded as a mining camp named Silver Lake after the silver found in its lakes. Today, it is known for its gambling industry which includes casinos, poker rooms, and betting parlors. However, these days, tourism is becoming more important to the city's economy. In fact, visitors accounted for nearly a third of all jobs in 2007. There are also two smaller cities inside Las Vegas County: North Las Vegas and Henderson.