- Wyoming adopted its seal in 1893, three years after becoming a state. In front of a pedestal is a …
Wyoming is a sprawling state in the western part of the United States. Wyoming's natural beauty was recognized in 1906 with the designation of Devils Tower as the first national monument in the United States. Cities and towns are located very far apart in Wyoming and most are sparsely populated. The state's total population was less than 500,000 in the year 2000. The capital is Cheyenne. Cattle drives on the vast Wyoming plains were frequent during the 19th century. Wyoming's nicknames have included the Cowboy State, the Sagebrush State, and the Equality State. The name Wyoming comes from a Delaware Indian word meaning “land of vast plains.” GeographyWyoming is in the shape of a rectangle. It is bounded on the north and northwest by Montana. To the west is Idaho. Utah lies to the southwest and Colorado to the south. Wyoming's eastern neighbors are Nebraska and South Dakota. The total area is 97,809 square miles (253,324 square kilometers). Numerous mountain ranges separate the land into vast plateaus. The state's average elevation is 6,700 feet (2,040 meters) above sea level. Only the state of Colorado has a higher average height. The Continental Divide, the backbone of the American continent, weaves across Wyoming from northwest to southeast. The Great Plains cover the eastern part of Wyoming and the Black Hills, which are chiefly in South Dakota, rise in the northeastern part of Wyoming. The Rocky Mountains cover the western two-thirds of the state. This is a region of lofty ranges separated by wide valleys and basins. In the north are the chief ranges of the Middle Rockies—the Absaroka and Bighorn mountains. Between these highlands is the basin of the Bighorn River. In the northwestern corner is Yellowstone National Park, a high plateau extending north and west into Montana and Idaho. Wyoming has a dry climate with cold winters and warm summers. Its temperatures vary greatly. Temperatures in January range from a low of 10° F (–12° C) in the mountains to 28° F (–2° C) in the southeast. In July temperatures range from 50° F (10° C) in the mountains to 75° F (24° C) in the Big Horn Basin in north-central Wyoming. Annual precipitation (rain and snowfall) varies from 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Wyoming's southwestern desert areas to much greater amounts in the mountains. Annual snowfall in the mountainous regions can surpass 200 inches (500 centimeters). People and cultureMany Native American peoples used the Wyoming territory for hunting ground. The groups that inhabited Wyoming included the Crow, Arapaho, Shoshone, and Cheyenne. After several battles with Europeans who occupied their land, the Native Americans eventually signed treaties with the United States government. In these treaties, the Native Americans agreed to settle on land that was set aside for them. Today more than half of Wyoming's Indians are Arapaho and Shoshone, living on the Wind River Reservation in Fremont County. The first white settlers in the Wyoming area were fur traders and trappers. Other pioneers won fame as Indian fighters and as hardy mountain men. Buffalo Bill Cody, who had ridden the Pony Express, founded the town of Cody. Wyoming ranked 50th in population in the year 2000. The total population was 493,782. Less than 1 percent of the population was African American. Native Americans made up 2.3 percent of the population, and Hispanics accounted for some 6 percent of the total. Distinct ethnic groups included Mexicans, Scandinavians, Italians, and Germans. CitiesCheyenne is not only the capital of Wyoming, but it is also the state's largest city. Located in the southeastern part of the state, Cheyenne is a trade center and railroad division point. Another important city is Casper, which lies near the center of the state on the North Platte River. Most of its growth has been due to its oil refineries and its central location in a sheep-raising area. Laramie, northwest of Cheyenne, is a shipping point for cattle and sheep. Rock Springs, in the southwest, is the center of a coal, petroleum, and natural-gas area. Sheridan, near the northern border, lies in a farming, stock-raising, and mining region. RecreationWestern traditions and culture remain part of Wyoming life. Annual festivals that celebrate the state's Western heritage include county fairs, the Wyoming State Fair, and Jubilee Days. Many of these events are held in conjunction with rodeos. The world's largest rodeo is held each summer in Cheyenne during Frontier Days. Frontier Days has been held annually since 1897 and draws visitors from all parts of the world to watch events such as bull riding, calf roping, and barrel racing. Wyoming's numerous state and national parks provide opportunities for camping, hiking, and observing wildlife. A large number of Wyoming residents also take advantage of the state's excellent hunting and fishing opportunities. EducationThe first school in the Wyoming area was established at Fort Laramie in 1852 by the Rev. William Vaux, the chaplain at the fort. The groundwork for the present educational system was laid by the territorial legislature in 1873. Two years later the first high school was opened at Cheyenne. Higher education is provided by the University of Wyoming, opened at Laramie in 1887. It is the state's only four-year institution. It is supplemented by several community colleges. EconomyNatural resourcesWyoming's best agricultural resource is its rich supply of grassland for grazing cattle and sheep. The state's grasses, before they were overgrazed, were ideal for raising livestock, which became popular after the American Civil War. Many of the mountain slopes are timbered. The chief commercial trees are pine, spruce, and fir. Wyoming's most valuable mineral resource is petroleum. MiningRanching was once the main industry in Wyoming. It was surpassed by mining in the mid–20th century. Wyoming is among the nation's leaders in coal, petroleum, natural-gas, uranium, bentonite, and iron-ore production. AgricultureAgriculture is limited by a lack of water and by temperature extremes, though the soils of the plains and mountains are generally fertile. Barley, wheat, corn (maize), hay, oats, sugar beets, dry beans, and potatoes are the leading crops. Wyoming ranks high nationwide in sheep rearing, mainly for wool. Beef cattle are raised in quantity, and beekeeping is also important. ManufacturingManufacturing is limited to petroleum refining, chemicals, fertilizer, and glass, but the state is a major producer of electrical energy, both hydroelectric and thermal, much of which it exports. TourismTourism is important, centering on the state's national parks, as well as national forests and privately owned dude ranches. Wyoming's national parks draw many visitors each year. Yellowstone and the Grand Teton, Flaming Gorge, and Big Horn national parks are all popular recreation spots. Camping, swimming, fishing, hunting, and hiking, as well as skiing and other winter sports attract millions of visitors annually just to the national parks and forests. Jackson Hole is a popular skiing destination. HistoryWyoming's first inhabitants were the Native American tribes of the Shoshone and Arapaho Plains. Only a few explorers and fur traders—white explorers from Canada—had crossed the present boundaries of the state before the 1800s. John Colter, the first European explorer known to have entered the Yellowstone Park region, explored this territory in about 1807. Robert Campbell and William Sublette built Fort William (later called Fort Laramie) near the junction of the Laramie and North Platte rivers in 1834. This first permanent settlement in what is now Wyoming became an Army fort in 1849. Jim Bridger founded Fort Bridger in present Uinta County in 1843. The first transcontinental-railroad train reached Cheyenne in 1867. The Wyoming territory was created in 1868. Wyoming's chief tourist attraction was recognized in 1872 when Yellowstone became the first national park created by Congress. Until 1876, when the Plains Indians were decisively defeated, white settlement was confined to southern Wyoming. After 1876 ranching became the principal industry. In 1890 Wyoming was admitted as a state and Cheyenne was designated as its capital. In 1869 women were granted the right to vote and hold office. Wyoming has been nicknamed the Equality State because it was the first state to allow such rights for women. In 1924 Wyoming elected the nation's first female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. Population (2000 census), 493,782. |