- For other places with the same name, see Wyoming (disambiguation).
Wyoming is a state of the western United States of America. It is the least populous U.S. state.
History
The region known today as the state of Wyoming was originally inhabited by several Native American groups. The Crow, Arapahoe, Sioux and Shoshone were found in various areas of region. Although French trappers may have ventered into the northern sections of the state in the late 1700's, John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was probably the first white American to enter the region in 1807. His reports of the Yellowstone region were considered at the time to be fictional. Explorer Jim Bridger discovered South Pass in 1827, which later became the route followed by the Oregon Trail. In 1850, Bridger also located what is now known as Bridger Pass, which was later used by both the Union Pacific Railroad in 1868, and in the 20th century by Interstate 80. Bridger also explored the Yellowstone region and like Colter, most of his reports on that region of the state were considered at the time to be tall tales.
After the Union Pacific Railroad reached the town of Cheyenne, which later became the state capital, in 1867, the population began to grow steadily in the Wyoming Territory, established on July 25, 1868.
Once government sponsored expeditions to the Yellowstone country were undertaken, the previous reports by men like Colter and Bridger were found to be true. This led to the creation of Yellowstone National Park which became the world's first National Park in 1872 and is located in the far northwestern portion of the state. Most of the territory that comprises Yellowstone National Park is located in Wyoming.
Wyoming was admitted to the Union on July 10, 1890. It was named after the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania, made famous by the 1809 poem Gertrude of Wyoming by Thomas Campbell. The name was suggested by Representative J. M. Ashbey of Ohio.
In 1869 Wyoming extended suffrage to women, at least partially in an attempt to garner enough voters to be admitted as a state. In addition to being the first U.S. state to extend suffrage to women, Wyoming was also the home of many other firsts for U.S. women in politics. It had the first female court bailiff and the first female justice of the peace in the country. Wyoming was also the first state in the Union to elect a woman governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross in 1925 see List of Wyoming Governors.
Wyoming was the location of the Johnson County War of 1892.
Geography
Map of Wyoming - PDF |
See: List of Wyoming counties
It is bordered on the north by Montana, on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska, on the south by Colorado, and on the west by Utah and Idaho. Devil's Tower, made famous in the film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, is located near Moorcroft in Crook County.
Wyoming is generally considered an arid state with much of the land receiving less than 10 inches of rainfall a year. Consequently, the land supports few opportunities for farming. Ranching, however, is widespread, especially in areas near the numerous mountain chains. There are several major mountain ranges in the state, all part of the Rocky Mountains. The Snowy Range in the south central part of the state is an extension of the Colorado Rockies in both geology and appearance. The Wind River Range in the west central part of the state is remote and also has the highest peak Gannett Peak, in the state. The Big Horn Mountains in the north central portion are somewhat isolated from the bulk of the rest of the Rocky Mountains. Finally, the Teton Range in the northwest extends for 50 miles and represents the most impressive section of mountains in the state, home to the second highest peak Grand Teton and Grand Teton National Park which preserves the most scenic section of the Teton range.
Several rivers begin or flow through the state, including the Yellowstone River, Powder River, and the Snake River.
The Continental Divide, which runs through most of North America forks in the south central part of the state. The waters that flow or precipitate into this area, known as the Great Divide Basin, do not flow to any ocean. Instead, due to the overall aridity of Wyoming, they simply sink into the soil or evaporate.
Wyoming sports the lowest population of any state and the lowest population density of the continental 48 states; however, non-contiguous Alaska's population density is lower, although its total population is higher.
Demographics
Population
- 2000 Census - 493,782
- 2003 estimate - 501,242
Racial makeup
The 5 largest ancestry groups in Wyoming are: German (25.9%), English (15.9%), Irish (13.3%), American (6.5%), Norwegian (4.3%).
While German-Americans are the largest population group in most of the state, western and southern areas are largely British-American.
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Wyoming are:
- Christian – 78%
- Non-Christian Religions – 1%
- No Religion – 21%
Important cities and towns
The Wyoming municipalities with populations over 10,000 are, in descending order:
Education
Colleges and universities
Professional sports teams
Miscellaneous information
- Capital: Cheyenne
- Nickname: Big Wonderful Wyoming, Equality State, Cowboy State
- State motto: "Equal Rights"
- Population: 493,782 (2000 census)
- State flower: Indian Paintbrush
- State mammal: Bison
- State bird: Western Meadowlark
- State tree: Plains Cottonwood
- State gemstone: Jade
- State fish: Cutthroat Trout
- State reptile: Horned Toad
- State Fossil: Knightia
- State dinosaur: Triceratops
- State coin: Golden Dollar
- State sport: Rodeo
USS Wyoming was named in honor of this state.
Major highways
External links
This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005- 04-14, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ()
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