Wyoming State in
nw USA, bounded
n by Montana,
e by South Dakota,
s by Colorado,
sw by Utah, and
w by Idaho; the state capital is
Cheyenne. Other major cities are Jasper and Laramie. Wyoming has the nation's smallest state population. Mountains and four million hectares (10 million acres) of forest dominate the landscape. The
Rocky Mountains cross the state from
nw to
se. To the
e of the Rockies lie the rolling grasslands of the
Great Plains, and the centre of the state is also high plains country. The
n of the state is primarily tall grass plain, where buffalo roamed and were hunted by the
Crow and then the
Sioux. Today, it is fertile farmland and cattle ranch country.
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and largest US National Park, occupying the entire
nw corner of Wyoming. Many rivers flow down from the mountains, including the North Platte and the Snake. Following the
Louisiana Purchase (1803), the USA had, by 1846, acquired the entire territory of Wyoming through treaties. Nineteenth-century development was linked to the fur trade and westward migration along the Oregon Trail. The 1860s marked the first dramatic arrival of new settlers: the Bozeman Trail opened in 1864, and the railway arrived in 1868. By the end of the 1870s, the government had placed the Native American population on reservations. The next 20 years were marked by a rise of vigilante groups to deal with cattle rustlers and outlaws, and in 1890 Wyoming became the 44th State of the Union. Tourism is a vital industry, with the state's natural beauty attracting more than seven million annual visitors. While cattle ranching, sheep and wheat farming remain important to the economy, Wyoming is primarily an oil-producing state. Oil was discovered in the 1860s, and in 1993 output totalled 87.7 million barrels. Other important mineral resources include coal and uranium. Area: 253,596sq km (97,913sq mi). Pop. (2000) 493,782.
Statehood : | July 10, 1890 |
Nickname : | The Equality State |
State bird : | Meadowlark |
State flower : | Indian paintbrush |
State tree : | Cottonwood |
State motto : | Equal rights |
http://www.state.wy.us
