The Las Vegas Strip, commonly referred to as only Las Vegas or The Strip, is a four-mile stretch that in reality only partially lies in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The majority of The Strip is in the unincorporated regions of Paradise, Nevada, and Winchester, Nevada.   The Strip is made up of some of the largest, most luxurious hotel properties in the world.  As a matter of fact, The Strip contains eighteen of the twenty-five largest hotels on the globe.

The Strip is famous for gambling and flamboyance.  Hotels are often themed outrageous themes ranging from European influenced themes to the hotel Treasure Island.  Flashy shows are available for viewing in almost every hotel.  These shows include famous musicians, Cirque du Soleil, or magic acts that will leave viewers breathless.
The first hotel located on what is now called The Strip (previously the area held different names) was the El Rancho Vegas, which opened in 1941.  Several other hotels followed suit, making Las Vegas a popular attraction.  Smaller hotels thrived until 1989 when The Mirage opened.  The first mega-resort, The Mirage set a new standard for Las Vegas.

There have been several attempts to make Las Vegas a more family-friendly vacation spot.  Theme parks were opened and hotels boasted family oriented shows.  Some hotels even revamped their entire themes in order to make the atmosphere more welcoming for kids.  The movement has not been well accepted however, and Las Vegas remains a vacation spot that is most enjoyed by adults.

Aside from amazing resorts and titillating shows, The Strip is famous for the gambling opportunities.  Almost every hotel offers some sort of gambling like Poker, Blackjack or Roulette, and certainly every resort offers multiple gambling opportunities.  For decades, Las Vegas held the title of highest-grossing gambling region.  In 2006 Las Vegas lost the title to Macau.