All About Wyoming

Description

Once the exclusive land of prehistoric creatures, nomadic hunters and American Indians tribes, Wyoming truely defines the rugged outdoors with a natural beauty second to none.

It's the home of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Devils Tower and Fossil Butte national monuments and a large slice of the history of the American West.

The U.S. Government still owns a great portion of the land, and over 75% of Wyoming is still used for cattle grazing. Oil wells are scattered throughout the prairies, and rodeos - a symbol of the American cowboy - are celebrated in cities and towns across the state.

It may be small in population, but not in forward-thinking as it elected the country's first woman official, first woman governor, and adopted the nickname of the "Equality State."

The great state of Wyoming is visited by over 8 million tourists annually, and its a magnet for all lovers of the outdoors.

Timeline of History

(1807) American John Colter discovers and explores Yellowstone and the Tetons

(1812) Robert Stuart discovered the South Pass across the Rockies

(1822) Trading established on Yellowstone River

(1833) Oil discovered near Wind River Mountains

(1834) Laramie becomes the first European settlement

(1868) Wyoming Territory established

(1867) The Transcontinental Railroad arrives in Cheyenne

(1869) Women within the Wyoming Territory given the right to vote

(1870) Scientific exploration party from the East arrive at Yellowstone, and their reports of geysers and hot springs caused great excitement

(1872) Yellowstone becomes the first national park

(1890) Wyoming becomes the 44th U.S. state

(1897) The first Cheyenne Frontier Days occurs

(1925) Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first female governor of a U.S. state

(1906) Devil's Tower is declared the first national monument

(1951) Uranium discovered within the state

(1960) Ballistic missile silos built in the Cheyenne area

(1988) Yellowstone loses over one million acres to a devastating fire

Facts and Figures

Statehood July 10, 1890 (44th state)

Capital Cheyenne

Currency U.S. Dollar

Language English (official)

Largest Cities (by population) Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie

Origin of Name Reportedly adapted from two Delaware Indian words meaning "upon the great plain."

Population 498,703 (50th)

Symbols

Animal Bison

Bird Western Meadowlark

Flower Indian Paintbrush

Fish Cutthroat Trout

Gem Jade

Motto "Equal Rights"

Nicknames "Equality State"

Reptile Horned Lizard

Song "Wyoming"

Tree Plains Cottonwood

Land Statistics

Area 97,818 sq miles (9th)

(Land) 97,105 sq. miles (Water) 714 sq. miles

Bordering States (6) Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Idaho

Number of Counties 23 counties map here

Largest County (by population) Laramie, 81,607

Highest Point Gannett Peak, 13,804 ft.

Lowest Point Belle Fourche River, 3,099 ft.

Geographic Center 58 miles ENE of Lander

The Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. In essence the state is a plateau broken by mountain ranges.

They include (in the northwest) the Absaroka, Owl Creek, Wyoming, Gros Ventre, Wind River and Tetons ranges, and in the west, the Salt River Range. In addition, the rugged peaks of the Bighorn and Laramie Mountains add to the impressive topography.

Most of the eastern landscapes are wind swept plains and grasslands. The elevated Great Divide Basin (plateau) splits the Continental Divide in the south-central part of the state.

Significant rivers include the Bighorn, Green, Powder and North Platte. For information on the geysers and hot springs within Yellowstone National Park, go here

For an accurate look at the topography of Wyoming, view this map.