Wyoming ⁱ / w aɪ ˈ oÊŠ m ɪ Å‹ / is a state A U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of commonwealth rather than state. State citizenship is in the Western United States The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time. Prior to about 1800, the crest of the Appalachian. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The North American Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feet (4,401, while the easternmost section of the state includes part of a high elevation prairie region known as the High Plains The High Plains are a subregion of the Great Plains in the central United States, generally encompassing the western part of the Great Plains before the region reaches the Rocky Mountains. The High Plains are located in eastern Colorado, western Kansas, western Nebraska, central and eastern Montana, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma,. While the tenth largest U.S. state by area, Wyoming is the least populous, with a U.S. Census The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as a leading source of data about America's people and economy estimated population of 544,270 in 2009. This is a 5.9% increase since 2000.^[4] The capital A capital city is the area of a country, province, region, or state, regarded as enjoying primary status; although there are exceptions, a capital is almost always a city which physically encompasses the offices and meeting places of the seat of government and is fixed by law. An alternate term is political capital, but this phrase has a second and the most populous city of Wyoming is Cheyenne Cheyenne is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population was 53,011 at the 2000 census, making it the second smallest city to be the largest city in its state,.

Contents 1 Geography and climate 1.1 Location and size 1.2 Mountain ranges 1.3 Public lands 1.3.1 Parks 1.3.2 Recreation areas 1.3.3 National monuments 1.3.4 National historic trails and sites 1.3.5 National parkways 1.3.6 Wildlife refuges and hatcheries 1.4 Climate 2 History 3 Demographics 3.1 Population 3.2 Religion 4 Economy 4.1 Mineral production 4.2 Taxes 5 Transportation 6 Wind River Indian Reservation 7 State law and government 7.1 Judicial system 7.2 Politics 8 Counties 9 Cities and towns 10 Metropolitan areas 11 Education 11.1 Higher education 12 Sports 13 Miscellaneous information 13.1 State symbols 13.2 Notable Wyomingites 14 See also 15 References 16 External links

Geography and climate

Location and size

As specified in the designating legislation for the Territory of Wyoming The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital. The boundaries of the Wyoming Territory were identical to the modern State of Wyoming, Wyoming's borders are lines of latitude Latitude, usually denoted by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body) north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines shown running east-to-west (or west to east) on maps (particularly so in the Mercator projection) that run either north or south of the equator, 41°N The 41st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 41 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean and 45°N The 45th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. The 45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole, but the true halfway point is actually 16.2 kilometres north of the 45th parallel because the Earth is oblate, that is, it bulges at the equator, and longitude Longitude , identified by the Greek letter lambda (λ), is the geographic coordinate most commonly used in cartography and global navigation for east-west measurement. Constant longitude is represented by lines running from north to south. The line of longitude (meridian) that passes through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in England,, 104°3'W and 111°3'W (27° W and 34° W of the Washington Meridian The Washington meridian was one of four prime meridians of the United States which passed through Washington, D.C.. The four which have been specified are:), making the shape of the state a latitude-longitude quadrangle.^[5] Wyoming is one of only three states (along with Colorado Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence. Colorado is bordered on the north by Wyoming and Nebraska, on the east by Nebraska and Kansas, on the south by Oklahoma and New Mexico, and on the west by Utah and Utah Utah is one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union. Between 41% and 60% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life) to have borders along only straight latitudinal and longitudinal lines, rather than being defined by natural landmarks. It and Colorado are the only states with an entirely rectangular shape. Due to surveying errors during the 19th century, Wyoming's legal border deviates from the latitude and longitude lines by up to half of a mile (.8 km) in some spots, especially in the mountainous region along the 45th parallel The 45th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. The 45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole, but the true halfway point is actually 16.2 kilometres north of the 45th parallel because the Earth is oblate, that is, it bulges at the equator.^[6] Wyoming is bordered on the north by Montana Montana has several nicknames, none official, including: "The Treasure State" and "Big Sky Country," and slogans that include "Land of the Shining Mountains," and more recently, "The Last Best Place." The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in population, and therefore has the third lowest population, on the east by South Dakota South Dakota is bordered by the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. The state is bisected by the Missouri River, dividing South Dakota into two geographically and socially distinct halves, known to residents as "East River" and "West River". Eastern South Dakota is home to most of the state' and Nebraska Once considered part of the Great American Desert , Nebraska is now a leading farming and ranching state, on the south by Colorado Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence. Colorado is bordered on the north by Wyoming and Nebraska, on the east by Nebraska and Kansas, on the south by Oklahoma and New Mexico, and on the west by Utah, on the southwest by Utah Utah is one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union. Between 41% and 60% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life, and on the west by Idaho Idaho is a mostly mountainous state, with an area larger than all of New England. It is landlocked, surrounded by the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the Canadian Province of British Columbia. However, the network of dams and locks on the Columbia River and Snake River make the city of Lewiston the farthest inland. It is the tenth largest state in the United States in total area, containing 97,818 square miles (253,350 km²) and is made up of 23 counties. From the north border to the south border it is 276 miles (444 km); and from the east to the west border is 365 miles (587 km) at its south end and 342 miles (550 km) at the north end.

Mountain ranges

The Great Plains The Great Plains are the broad expanse of prairie, steppe and grassland which lie west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, and the Canadian meet the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The North American Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feet (4,401 in Wyoming. The state is a great plateau In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau. A volcanic plateau is a plateau produced by volcanic activity broken by a number of mountain ranges A mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different orogeny, for example volcanoes, uplifted mountains or fold mountains and may,. Surface elevations range from the summit of Gannett Peak in the Wind River Mountain Range The Wind River Range , is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW-SE for approximately 100 miles (161 km). The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak, which at 13,804 feet (4,207 m), is the highest peak in Wyoming. There are more than 40 other, at 13,804 feet (4,207 m), to the Belle Fourche River valley in the state’s northeast corner, at 3,125 feet (953 m). In the northwest are the Absaroka The Absaroka Range is a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. The range stretches about 150 mi (240 km) across the Montana-Wyoming border, forming the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park and the western side of the Big Horn Basin. The range borders the Beartooth Mountains to the north and the Wind River Range to the, Owl Creek The Owl Creek Mountains are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains in central Wyoming in the United States, running east to west to form a bridge between the Absaroka Range to the northwest and the Bridger Mountains to the east. The range forms the boundary between the Bighorn Basin to the north and the Shoshone Basin to the south. The Wind River, Gros Ventre, Wind River and the Teton The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. The principal summits of the central massif are the Grand Teton at 13,770 ft , Mount Owen at 12,928 feet (3,940 m), Teewinot (12,325 ft), the Middle ranges. In the north central are the Big Horn Mountains The Big Horn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains. They are separated from the Absaroka Range, which lie on the main branch of the Rockies in western Wyoming, by the; in the northeast, the Black Hills The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of trees in a sea of grass". The Black Hills; and in the southern region the Laramie The Laramie Mountains are a range of moderately high peaks on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the states of Wyoming and Colorado in the United States. The range is the northernmost extension of the line of the ranges along the eastern side of the Rockies, and in particular of the higher peaks of the Front Range directly to the south, Snowy and Sierra Madre ranges.

Dead Indian Pass Dead Indian Pass is a mountain pass in Wyoming traversed by Wyoming Highway 296. The pass is located along Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and crosses the Absaroka Range, Wyoming

The Snowy Range The Medicine Bow Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains that extend for 100-mile from northern Colorado into southern Wyoming. Wyoming's northern portion of the range is often referred to as The Snowy Range or "The Snowies". From the northern end of Colorado's Never Summer Mountains, the Medicine Bow mountains extend north in the south central part of the state is an extension of the Colorado Rockies The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The North American Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feet (4,401 in both geology and appearance. The Wind River Range The Wind River Range , is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW-SE for approximately 100 miles (161 km). The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak, which at 13,804 feet (4,207 m), is the highest peak in Wyoming. There are more than 40 other in the west central part of the state is remote and includes more than 40 mountain peaks in excess of 13,000 ft (4,000 m) tall in addition to Gannett Peak, the highest peak in the state. The Big Horn Mountains The Big Horn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains. They are separated from the Absaroka Range, which lie on the main branch of the Rockies in western Wyoming, by the in the north central portion are somewhat isolated from the bulk of the Rocky Mountains.

Wyoming terrain

The Teton Range The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. The principal summits of the central massif are the Grand Teton at 13,770 ft , Mount Owen at 12,928 feet (3,940 m), Teewinot (12,325 ft), the Middle in the northwest extends for 50 miles (80 km), part of which is included in Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. The park is named after the Grand Teton, which, at 13,770 feet , is the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. The park includes the Grand Teton Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering, the second highest peak in Wyoming.

The Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea. The endpoints where a continental divide meets the coast are not always spans north-south across the central portion of the state. Rivers east of the divide drain into the Missouri River Basin The Missouri River Valley outlines the journey of the Missouri River from its headwaters where the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers flow together in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri. At 2,300 miles long the valley drains one-sixth of the United States, and is the longest river valley on the North and eventually the Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico is the eleventh largest body of water in the world. Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and. They are the North Platte The North Platte River is a tributary of the Platte River, approximately 680 mi long, in the U.S. states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. It forms the Platte at its confluence with the South Platte River in western Nebraska. The river provides the major avenue of drainage for eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. Although it is not navigable, Wind, Big Horn The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately 461 mi long, in the western United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana and the Yellowstone The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 692 miles long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National Park across the mountains and high plains rivers. The Snake River The Snake is a major river in the greater Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is the largest and longest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Rising in western Wyoming, the river flows westwards through the Snake River Plain, and turns north to empty into the in northwest Wyoming eventually drains into the Columbia River The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state of Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east, as does the Green River through the Colorado River Basin.

The continental divide forks in the south central part of the state in an area known as the Great Divide Basin where the waters that flow or precipitate into this area remain there and cannot flow to any ocean. Instead, because of the overall aridity of Wyoming, water in the Great Divide Basin simply sinks into the soil or evaporates.

Several rivers begin or flow through the state, including the Yellowstone River, Bighorn River, Green River, and the Snake River.

Public lands

Map of Wyoming: National Parks and NPS sites

More than 48% of the land in Wyoming is owned by the U.S. Government, leading Wyoming to rank sixth in the US in total acres and fifth in percentage of a state's land owned by the Federal government.^[7] This amounts to about 30,099,430 acres (121,808.1 km²) owned and managed by the U.S. Government. The state government owns an additional 6% of all Wyoming lands, or another 3,864,800 acres (15,640 km²).^[7]

The vast majority of this government land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in numerous National Forests, a National Grassland, and a number of vast swaths of public land, in addition to the F.E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne.

In addition, Wyoming contains a number of specific areas that are under the management of the National Park Service and other agencies. They include:

An eruption of Castle Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Parks

• Yellowstone National Park
• Grand Teton National Park

Recreation areas

• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
• Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

National monuments

• Devils Tower National Monument
• Fossil Butte National Monument

National historic trails and sites

• California National Historic Trail
• Fort Laramie National Historic Site
• Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
• Oregon National Historic Trail
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• Medicine Wheel National Historic Site

National parkways

• John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway between Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park

Wildlife refuges and hatcheries

• Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
• National Elk Refuge
• Jackson National Fish Hatchery
• Saratoga National Fish Hatchery

Panoramic view of the Teton Range looking west from Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park.

Climate

Further information: Climate change in Wyoming Wyoming state welcome sign on Interstate 80 in Uinta County (at the Utah border).

Wyoming's climate is generally semi-arid and continental (Köppen climate classification BSk), and is drier and windier in comparison to most of the United States with greater temperature extremes. Much of this is due to the topography of the state. Summers in Wyoming are warm with July high temperatures averaging between 85 °F (29 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C) in most of the state. With increasing elevation, however, this average drops rapidly with locations above 9,000 feet (2,700 m) averaging around 70 °F (21 °C). Summer nights throughout the state are characterized by a rapid cooldown with even the hottest locations averaging in the 50–60 °F (10–16 °C) range at night. In most of the state, the late spring and early summer is when most of the precipitation tends to fall. Winters are cold, but are variable with periods of sometimes extreme cold interspersed between generally mild periods, with Chinook winds providing unusually warm temperatures in some locations. Wyoming is a dry state with much of the land receiving less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall per year. Precipitation depends on elevation with lower areas in the Big Horn Basin averaging 5–8 inches (130–200 mm) (making the area nearly a true desert). The lower areas in the North and on the eastern plains typically average around 10–12 inches (250–300 mm), making the climate there semi-arid. Some mountain areas do receive a good amount of precipitation, 20 inches (510 mm) or more, much of it as snow, sometimes 200 inches (510 cm) or more annually.

The climate of any area in Wyoming is largely determined by its latitude, altitude and local topography. When put together, these factors have a lot to do with airflow patterns, temperature variations, precipitation and humidity brought in by the weather systems that migrate eastward. In winter, Wyoming is often beneath the jet stream, or north of it, which accounts for its frequent strong winds, blasts of Arctic air and precipitation, all the necessary ingredients for great snow conditions at Wyoming's northwestern ski areas. In summer, the jet stream retreats northward to Canada, leaving the state's weather mild and pleasant at a time when the majority of Wyoming's visitors choose to arrive. Jackson, located at 6,230 feet (1,900 m) above sea level and surrounded by mountains, can expect a high temperature in July of 80 °F (27 °C). The average is more likely to be 65 °F (18 °C). The closest National Weather Station (in Riverton on the other side of the Wind River Mountains at 4,955 feet (1,510 m)) reports slightly warmer July weather.

The number of thunderstorm days vary across the state with the southeastern plains of the state having the most days of thunderstorm activity. Thunderstorm activity in the state is highest during the late spring and early summer. The southeastern corner of the state is the most vulnerable part of the state to tornado activity. Moving away from that point and westwards, the incidence of tornadoes drops dramatically with the west part of the state showing little vulnerability. Tornadoes, where they occur, tend to be small and brief, unlike some of those which occur a little further east.

Casper climate: Average maximum and minimum temperatures, and average rainfall.
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average max. temperature °F (°C)	32	37 (3)	45 (7)	56 (13)	66 (19)	78 (26)	87 (31)	85 (29)	74 (23)	60 (16)	44 (7)	34 (1)	58 (14)
Average min. temperature °F (°C)	12 (-11)	16 (-9)	21 (-6)	28 (-2)	37 (3)	46 (8)	54 (12)	51 (11)	41 (5)	32	21 (-6)	14 (-10)	31 (-1)
Average rainfall inches (mm)	0.6 (15.2)	0.6 (15.2)	1.0 (25.4)	1.6 (40.6)	2.1 (53.3)	1.5 (38.1)	1.3 (33.0)	0.7 (17.8)	0.9 (22.9)	1.0 (25.4)	0.8 (20.3)	0.7 (17.8)	12.8 (325.1)
Source:[8]

Jackson climate: Average maximum and minimum temperatures, and average rainfall.
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average max. temperature °F (°C)	24 (-4)	28 (-2)	37 (3)	47 (8)	58 (14)	68 (20)	78 (26)	77 (25)	67 (19)	54 (12)	37 (3)	24 (-4)	49 (9)
Average min. temperature °F (°C)	-1 (-18)	2 (-17)	10 (-12)	21 (-6)	30 (-1)	36 (2)	41 (5)	38 (3)	31 (-1)	22 (-6)	14 (-10)	0 (-18)	20 (-7)
Average rainfall inches (mm)	2.6 (66.0)	1.9 (48.3)	1.6 (40.6)	1.4 (35.6)	1.9 (48.3)	1.8 (45.7)	1.3 (33.0)	1.3 (33.0)	1.5 (38.1)	1.3 (33.0)	2.3 (58.4)	2.5 (63.5)	21.4 (543.6)
Source:[9]

History

Main article: History of Wyoming A 12 pounder mountain howitzer on display at Fort Laramie in eastern Wyoming.

Several Native American groups originally inhabited the region now known as Wyoming. The Crow, Arapaho, Lakota, and Shoshone were but a few of the original inhabitants encountered when white explorers first entered the region. Although French trappers may have ventured into the northern sections of the state in the late 1700s, John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, first described the region in 1807. His reports of the Yellowstone area were considered at the time to be fictional. Robert Stuart and a party of five men returning from Astoria discovered South Pass in 1812. The Oregon Trail later followed that route. In 1850, Jim Bridger located what is now known as Bridger Pass, which the Union Pacific Railroad used in 1868—as did Interstate 80, 90 years later. Bridger also explored Yellowstone and filed reports on the region that, like those of Colter, were largely regarded as tall tales at the time.

The region may have acquired the name Wyoming as early as 1865, when Representative J. M. Ashley of Ohio introduced a bill to Congress to provide a "temporary government for the territory of Wyoming". The name Wyoming derives from the Munsee name xwé:wamənk, meaning "at the big river flat", originally applied to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, made famous by the 1809 poem Gertrude of Wyoming by Thomas Campbell.^[10][11]

After the Union Pacific Railroad reached the town of Cheyenne in 1867, the region's population began to grow steadily, and the Federal government established the Wyoming Territory on July 25, 1868.^[12] Unlike Colorado to the south, Wyoming enjoyed no significant discovery of such celebrated minerals as gold and silver—nor Colorado's consequent boom in population—although South Pass City experienced a short-lived boom after the Carissa Mine began producing gold in 1867.^[13] Moreover, some areas, such as between the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Snowy Range near Grand Encampment, produced copper.^[14]

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. Nearly all of Yellowstone National Park lies within the far northwestern borders of Wyoming.

On December 10, 1869, territorial Gov. John Allen Campbell signed a suffrage act into law, which extended the right to vote to women. And in addition to being the first U.S. state to grant suffrage to women, Wyoming was also the home of other firsts for U.S. women in politics. For the first time, women served on a jury in Wyoming (Laramie in 1870). Wyoming had the first female court bailiff (Mary Atkinson, Laramie, in 1870) and the first female justice of the peace in the country (Esther Hobart Morris, South Pass City, in 1870). Wyoming became the first state in the Union to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who was elected in 1924 and took office in January 1925. Because of rights given to women, Wyoming earned the nickname of "The Equality State".^[15]

Wyoming's constitution included women's suffrage and a pioneering article on water rights.^[16] The United States admitted Wyoming into the Union as the 44th state on July 10, 1890.^[15]

Wyoming was the location of the Johnson County War of 1892, which erupted between competing groups of cattle ranchers. The passage of the federal Homestead Act led to an influx of small ranchers. A range war broke out when either or both of the groups chose violent conflict over commercial competition in the use of the public land.

See: List of counties in Wyoming

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	9,118		—
1880	20,789		128.0%
1890	62,555		200.9%
1900	92,531		47.9%
1910	145,965		57.7%
1920	194,402		33.2%
1930	225,565		16.0%
1940	250,742		11.2%
1950	290,529		15.9%
1960	330,066		13.6%
1970	332,416		0.7%
1980	469,557		41.3%
1990	453,588		−3.4%
2000	493,782		8.9%
Est. 2009[1]	544,270		10.2%

Wyoming Population Density Map

Population

The center of population of Wyoming is located in Natrona County.^[17]

As of 2005, Wyoming had an estimated population of 509,293, which was an increase of 3,407, or 0.7%, from the prior year and an increase of 15,512, or 3.1%, since the 2000 census. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 12,165 people (that is 33,704 births minus 21,539 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 4,035 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 2,264 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 1,771 people. In 2004, the foreign-born population was 11,000 (2.2%). In 2005, total births in Wyoming numbered 7,231 (Birth Rate of 14.04).^[18]

Sparsely populated, Wyoming is the least populous (total number of people) state of the United States, and has the second lowest population density, behind Alaska.

Demographics of Wyoming (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	96.19%	1.01%	3.06%	0.84%	0.13%
2000 (Hispanic only)	6.05%	0.11%	0.32%	0.06%	0.02%
2005 (total population)	96.01%	1.15%	3.06%	0.90%	0.12%
2005 (Hispanic only)	6.38%	0.15%	0.27%	0.05%	0.01%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	2.95%	17.26%	3.16%	10.32%	-3.47%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	2.57%	14.20%	4.95%	12.17%	0.18%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	8.66%	42.08%	-12.31%	-14.09%	-28.40%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

The largest ancestry groups in Wyoming are: German (25.9%), English (15.9%), Irish (13.3%), American (6.5%), Norwegian (4.3%), and Swedish (3.5%).

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Wyoming are shown in the table below:

• Christian – 79%
  • Protestant – 53%
    • Lutheran – 8%
    • Baptist – 8%
    • Methodist – 6%
    • Presbyterian – 4%
    • Episcopal – 4%
    • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 21%
  • Catholic – 16%
  • LDS (Mormon) – 11%*
• Jewish – 0%
• Other Religions – 1%

• Non-Religious – 18%

The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Catholic Church with 80,421; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as of December 31, 2008 recorded 61,430; and the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention in 1980 counted 17,101.^[19]

Economy

Electricity generating wind farm in Uinta County.

According to the 2005 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Wyoming’s gross state product was $27.4 billion.

As of January 2010, the states unemployment rate is 7.6%.^[20] Components of Wyoming's economy differ significantly from those of other states.

The mineral extraction industry and the travel and tourism sector are the main drivers behind Wyoming’s economy. The Federal government owns about 50% of its landmass, while 6% is controlled by the state. Total taxable values of mining production in Wyoming for 2001 was over $6.7 billion. The tourism industry accounts for over $2 billion in revenue for the state. Wyoming was the first state in the United States to adopt a statute permitting the formation of limited liability companies as a business form in 1977.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, more than six million people visited Wyoming’s national parks and monuments. The key tourist attractions in Wyoming include Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Devils Tower National Monument and Fossil Butte National Monument. Each year Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park, receives three million visitors.

Historically, agriculture has been an important component of Wyoming’s economy. Its overall importance to the performance of Wyoming’s economy has waned. However, agriculture is still an essential part of Wyoming’s culture and lifestyle. The main agricultural commodities produced in Wyoming include livestock (beef), hay, sugar beets, grain (wheat and barley), and wool. More than 91% of land in Wyoming is classified as rural.

Mineral production

A Wyoming coal mine.

Wyoming’s mineral commodities include coal, natural gas, coalbed methane, crude oil, uranium, and trona.

• Coal: Wyoming produced 395.5 million short tons (358.8 million metric tons) of coal in 2004. The state is the number one producer of coal in the U.S.^[21] Wyoming possesses a reserve of 68.7 billion tons (62.3 billion metric tons) of coal. Major coal areas include the Powder River Basin and the Green River Basin
• Natural gas: Wyoming produced 2,254 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2007. The state ranked 2nd nationwide for natural gas production in 2007.^[22] The major markets for natural gas include industrial, commercial, and domestic heating.

A Drilling rig drills for natural gas just west of the Wind River Range in the Wyoming Rockies

• Coal Bed Methane (CBM): The boom for CBM began in the mid-1990s. CBM is characterized as methane gas that is extracted from Wyoming’s coal bed seams. It is another means of natural gas production. There has been substantial CBM production in the Powder River Basin. In 2002, the CBM production yield was 327.5 billion cubic feet (9.3 km³).
• Crude oil: Wyoming produced 53.4 million barrels of crude oil in 2007. The state ranked 5th nationwide in oil production in 2007.^[22] Petroleum is most often used as a motor fuel, but it is also utilized in the manufacture of plastics, paints, and synthetic rubber.
• Trona: Wyoming possesses the largest known reserve of trona in the world^[23] Trona is used for manufacturing glass, paper, soaps, baking soda, water softeners, and pharmaceuticals. In 2008 Wyoming produced 46 million short tons (41.7 million metric tons) of trona, 25% of the world's production.^[23]
• Diamonds: The Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine, located in Colorado less than 1000 feet from the Wyoming border, produced gem quality diamonds for several years. The Wyoming craton, which hosts the kimberlite volcanic pipes that were mined, underlies most of Wyoming.
• Uranium: Although uranium mining in Wyoming is much less active than it was in previous decades, recent increases in the price of uranium have generated new interest in uranium prospecting and mining.

Taxes

Unlike most other states, Wyoming does not levy an individual or corporate income tax. In addition, Wyoming does not assess any tax on retirement income earned and received from another state. Wyoming has a state sales tax of 4%. Counties have the option of collecting an additional 1% tax for general revenue and a 1% tax for specific purposes, if approved by voters. Food for human consumption is not subject to sales tax.^[24] There also is a county lodging tax that varies from 2% to 5%. The state collects a use tax of 5% on items purchased elsewhere and brought into Wyoming. All property tax is based on the assessed value of the property and Wyoming's Department of Revenue's Ad Valorem Tax Division supports, trains, and guides local government agencies in the uniform assessment, valuation and taxation of locally assessed property. "Assessed value" means taxable value; "taxable value" means a percent of the fair market value of property in a particular class. Statutes limit property tax increases. For county revenue, the property tax rate cannot exceed 12 mills (or 1.2%) of assessed value. For cities and towns, the rate is limited to 8 mills (0.8%). With very few exceptions, state law limits the property tax rate for all governmental purposes.

Personal property held for personal use is tax-exempt. Inventory if held for resale, pollution control equipment, cash, accounts receivable, stocks and bonds are also exempt. Other exemptions include property used for religious, educational, charitable, fraternal, benevolent and government purposes and improvements for handicapped access. Minerals are exempt from property tax but companies must pay a gross products tax and a severance tax when produced. Underground mining equipment is tax exempt.

Wyoming does not collect inheritance taxes. Because of the phase-out of the federal estate tax credit, Wyoming's estate tax is not imposed on estates of persons who died in 2005. There is limited estate tax related to federal estate tax collection.

In 2008, the Tax Foundation ranked Wyoming as having the single most "business friendly" tax climate of all 50 states.^[25] Wyoming state and local governments in fiscal year 2007 collected $2.242 billion in taxes, levies, and royalties from the oil and gas industry. The state's mineral industry, including oil, gas, trona, and coal provided $1.3 billion in property taxes from 2006 mineral production.^[22]

Transportation

Map of Wyoming - PDF

The largest airport in Wyoming is Jackson Hole Airport.Three interstate highways and thirteen U.S. highways pass through Wyoming. In addition, the state is served by the Wyoming state highway system.

Interstate 25 enters the state south of Cheyenne and runs north, intersecting Interstate 80 in Cheyenne. It passes through Casper and ends at Interstate 90 near Buffalo. Interstate 80 crosses the Utah border west of Evanston and runs east through the southern half of the state, passing through Cheyenne before entering Nebraska near Pine Bluffs. Interstate 90 comes into Wyoming near Parkman and cuts through the northern part of the state. It serves Gillette and enters South Dakota east of Sundance. In addition, Interstate 180 services Cheyenne, and not only is it the only three-digit interstate highway in the state, it is the only non-freeway in the country that is signed as an interstate.^{[citation needed]}

The U.S. highways that pass through the state are U.S. Highways 14, 16, 18, 20, 26, 30, 85, 87, 89, 189, 191, 212, and 287.

See also: List of Wyoming railroads, List of airports in Wyoming, and State highways in Wyoming.

Wyoming is one of two States in 48 contiguous states not serviced by Amtrak.

Wind River Indian Reservation

Main article: Wind River Indian Reservation

The Wind River Indian Reservation is shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Amerindians in the central western portion of the state near Lander. It is the seventh-largest Indian reservation in the United States, with a land area of 8,995.733 km² (3,473.272 sq mi), encompassing most of Fremont County and part of neighboring Hot Springs County.^[26] The reservation is home to 2,500 Eastern Shoshone and 5,000 Northern Arapaho.^[27]

Chief Washakie established the reservation in 1868^[26] as the result of negotiations with the federal government in the Fort Bridger Treaty.^[28] However, the Northern Arapaho were forced onto the Shoshone reservation in 1876 by the federal government after the government failed to provide a promised separate reservation.^[28]

Today the Wind River Indian Reservation is jointly owned, with each tribe having a 50% interest in the land, water, and other natural resources.^[29] The reservation is a sovereign, self-governed land with two independent governing bodies: the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Government and the Northern Arapaho Tribal Government. The Eastern Shoshone Business Council meets jointly with the Northern Arapaho Business Council as the Joint Business Council to decide matters that affect both tribes.^[26] Six elected council members from each tribe serve on the joint council.

State law and government

Wyoming's Constitution established three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

The Wyoming state legislature comprises a House of Representatives with 60 members and a Senate with 30 members.

The executive branch is headed by the governor and includes a secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction. Wyoming does not have a lieutenant governor. Instead the secretary of state stands first in the line of succession.

Wyoming's sparse population warrants it only a single at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and hence only three votes in the Electoral College. Its low population renders Wyoming voters effectively more powerful in presidential elections than those in more populous states. For example, while Montana had a 2000 census population of 902,195 to Wyoming's 493,782, they both have the same number of electoral votes.

Wyoming is an alcoholic beverage control state.

Judicial system

Wyoming's highest court is the Supreme Court of Wyoming, with five justices presiding over appeals from the state's lower courts. Wyoming is unusual in that it does not have an intermediate appellate court, like most states. This is largely attributable to the state's size and correspondingly lower caseload. Appeals from the state district courts go directly to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Wyoming also has state circuit courts (formerly county courts), of limited jurisdiction, which handle certain types of cases, such as civil claims with lower dollar amounts, misdemeanor criminal offenses, and felony arraignments. Circuit court judges also commonly hear small claims cases as well. All state court judges in Wyoming are nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission and appointed by the Governor. They are then subject to a retention vote by the electorate.

Politics

Presidential elections results^[30]

Year	Republicans	Democrats
2008	64.78% 164,958	32.54% 82,868
2004	68.86% 167,629	29.07% 70,776
2000	67.76% 147,947	27.70% 60,481
1996	49.81% 105,388	36.84% 77,934
1992	39.70% 79,347	34.10% 68,160
1988	60.53% 106,867	38.01% 67,113
1984	70.51% 133,241	28.24% 53,370
1980	62.64% 110,700	27.97% 49,427
1976	59.30% 92,717	39.81% 62,239
1972	69.01% 100,464	30.47% 44,358
1968	55.76% 70,927	35.51% 45,173
1964	43.44% 61,998	56.56% 80,718
1960	55.01% 77,451	44.99% 63,331

Wyoming's political history defies easy classification. The state was the first to grant women the right to vote and to elect a woman governor. While the state elected notable Democrats to federal office in the 60's and 70's, politics have become decidedly more conservative since the 1980s as the Republican party came to dominate the state's congressional delegation. Today, Wyoming is represented in Washington by its two Senators, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, and its one member of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis. All three are Republicans. The state has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964, one of only five times since statehood. At present, there is only one reliably Democratic county in the state: Teton. In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won his second-largest victory, with 69% of the vote. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is a Wyoming resident and represented the state in Congress from 1979 to 1989. However, after his term, he resided primarily in Texas, a fact that drew mild criticism from his political opponents when he changed his voter registration back to Wyoming prior to joining George W. Bush's ticket in the 2000 Presidential election in order to comply with the Twelfth Amendment's prohibition against both Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates residing in the same state.^{[citation needed]}

Republicans are no less dominant at the state level. They have held a majority in the state senate continuously since 1936 and in the state house since 1964. However, Democrats have held the governorship for all but eight years since 1975. Democrat Dave Freudenthal was elected in 2002 and has one of the highest approval ratings of any governor in the USA.^{[citation needed]} Uniquely, Wyoming elected Democrat Nellie Tayloe Ross as the first woman in US history to serve as state governor. She served from 1925 to 1927 after winning a special election after her husband, governor at the time, unexpectedly died.^[31]

Further information: Political party strength in Wyoming

Counties

The State of Wyoming has 23 counties.

Wyoming Counties Ranked By 2009 Population[32]
Rank	County	Population	Rank	County	Population
1	Laramie County	88,854	13	Converse County	13,578
2	Natrona County	74,508	14	Goshen County	12,319
3	Campbell County	43,967	15	Big Horn County	11,581
4	Sweetwater County	41,226	16	Sublette County	8,792
5	Fremont County	38,719	17	Johnson County	8,531
6	Albany County	33,979	18	Platte County	8,196
7	Sheridan County	29,163	19	Washakie County	7,911
8	Park County	27,976	20	Weston County	7,009
9	Uinta County	20,927	21	Crook County	6,653
10	Teton County	20,710	22	Hot Springs County	4,590
11	Lincoln County	16,995	23	Niobrara County	2,366
12	Carbon County	15,720	Wyoming Total		544,270

Map of Wyoming showing the 23 counties.

In 2005, 52.4% of Wyoming residents lived in one of the five most populous Wyoming counties.

Wyoming license plates contain a number on the left that indicates the county in which the vehicle is registered. The county license plate numbers are as follows:

Number on License Plate	County	Number on License Plate	County	Number on License Plate	County
1	Natrona	9	Big Horn	17	Campbell
2	Laramie	10	Fremont	18	Crook
3	Sheridan	11	Park	19	Uinta
4	Sweetwater	12	Lincoln	20	Washakie
5	Albany	13	Converse	21	Weston
6	Carbon	14	Niobrara	22	Teton
7	Goshen	15	Hot Springs	23	Sublette
8	Platte	16	Johnson

Cities and towns

Casper

The State of Wyoming has 98 incorporated municipalities.

The 20 Most Populous Wyoming Cities and Towns^[33]

Rank	City	County	Population
1	City of Cheyenne	Laramie County	56,915
2	City of Casper	Natrona County	54,047
3	City of Laramie	Albany County	27,664
4	City of Gillette	Campbell County	26,871
5	City of Rock Springs	Sweetwater County	20,200
6	City of Sheridan	Sheridan County	17,197
7	City of Green River	Sweetwater County	12,149
8	City of Evanston	Uinta County	11,781
9	City of Riverton	Fremont County	10,032
10	Town of Jackson	Teton County	9,806
11	City of Cody	Park County	9,309
12	City of Rawlins	Carbon County	8,740
13	City of Lander	Fremont County	7,264
14	City of Douglas	Converse County	5,971
15	City of Powell	Park County	5,524
16	City of Torrington	Goshen County	5,514
17	City of Worland	Washakie County	4,958
18	City of Buffalo	Johnson County	4,832
19	Town of Newcastle	Weston County	3,390
20	Town of Wheatland	Platte County	3,298

In 2005, 50.6% of Wyomingites lived in one of the 13 most populous Wyoming municipalities.

Metropolitan areas

The United States Census Bureau has defined two Metropolitan Statistical Areas and seven Micropolitan Statistical Areas for the State of Wyoming.

U.S. Census Bureau Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas of Wyoming^[34]

Census Area	County	Population
Cheyenne, WY, Metropolitan Statistical Area	Laramie County, Wyoming	87,542
Casper, WY, Metropolitan Statistical Area	Natrona County, Wyoming	73,129
Gillette, WY, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Campbell County, Wyoming	41,473
Rock Springs, WY, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Sweetwater County, Wyoming	39,944
Riverton, WY, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Fremont County, Wyoming	38,113
Laramie, WY, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Albany County, Wyoming	32,758
Sheridan, WY, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Sheridan County, Wyoming	28,662
Jackson, WY-ID, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Teton County, Wyoming	20,376
	Teton County, Idaho	8,833
	Total	29,209
Evanston, WY, Micropolitan Statistical Area	Uinta County, Wyoming	20,617

In 2008, 30.4% of Wyomingites lived in either of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and 73% lived in either a Metropolitan Statistical Area or a Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Education

Main article: List of high schools in Wyoming

Public education is directed by the state superintendent of public instruction, an elected state official. Educational policies are set by the State Board of Education, a nine-member board appointed by the governor. The constitution prohibits the state from establishing curriculum and text book selections; these are the prerogatives of local school boards. The Wyoming School for the Deaf was the only in-state school dedicated to supporting deaf students in Wyoming, but it closed in summer of 2000.

Higher education

Main article: List of colleges and universities in Wyoming

Wyoming has one public four-year institution, the University of Wyoming in Laramie. In addition, there are seven two-year community colleges spread through the state.

Before the passing of a new law in 2006, Wyoming had hosted unaccredited institutions, many of them suspected diploma mills.^[35] The 2006 law is forcing unaccredited institutions to make one of three choices: move out of Wyoming, close down, or apply for accreditation. The Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization predicts that in a few years the problem of diploma mills in Wyoming might be resolved.^[36]

Sports

• Casper Ghosts, minor league baseball
• Wyoming Cavalry, American Indoor Football Association
• University of Wyoming, football, basketball, swimming, diving, soccer, golf, wrestling, tennis, volleyball, track and field

Miscellaneous information

State flower of Wyoming: Indian Paintbrush

• USS Wyoming was named in honor of this state.

Wyoming was chosen as the official state for the Free State Wyoming project; a splinter of the Free State Project. The purpose of the project is to relocate Libertarians to a single state, making it possible to live a "free life".

In 2008, The American State Litter Scorecard rated Wyoming a nationally Best state for statewide litter eradication from public properties, having the highest total objective and subjective ranking scores for the Western United States, followed by Oregon.

Rooster Teeth's web series Red Vs Blue created a freelancer character bearing the state name.

State symbols

The Bear River flowing through the southwest part of the state. Though the horned lizard is the Wyoming state reptile, a sign northwest of Thermopolis acknowledges the presence of prairie rattlesnakes, "feared by many and respected by most".

• State bird: Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
• State coin: Sacagawea dollar
• State dinosaur: Triceratops
• State emblem: Bucking Horse and Rider
• State fish: Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki)
• State flag: Flag of the State of Wyoming
• State flower: Wyoming Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia)
• State fossil: Knightia
• State gemstone: Wyoming nephrite jade
• State grass: Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii)
• State mammal: American Bison (Bison bison)
• State motto: Equal Rights
• State nicknames: Equality State; Cowboy State; Big Wonderful Wyoming
• State reptile: Horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglassi brevirostre)
• State seal: Great Seal of the State of Wyoming
• State soil: Forkwood (unofficial)
• State song: Wyoming (song) by Charles E. Winter & George E. Knapp
• State sport: Rodeo
• State tree: Plains Cottonwood (Populus sargentii)

Notable Wyomingites

• John Perry Barlow
• Chris LeDoux
• John Barrasso
• Eli Bebout
• Charles Belden
• James Bridger
• Cale Case
• Dick Cheney
• Lynne Cheney
• William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody
• Barbara Cubin
• Mike Enzi
• Leonard McEwan
• Matthew Fox
• Dave Freudenthal
• Rulon Gardner
• Jim Geringer
• Curt Gowdy
• Clifford Hansen
• William Henry Harrison
• Stanley K. Hathaway
• Harold Hellbaum
• Edgar Herschler
• Tom Horn
• Ray Hunkins
• Craig Johnson
• Ralph S. Johnson
• Richard R. "Dick" Jones
• Mike Leach
• Cynthia Lummis
• Randall Luthi
• Gale W. McGee
• Max Maxfield
• Ron Micheli
• Esther Hobart Morris
• Warren A. Morton
• John C. Ostlund
• Gordon L. Park
• Bryan Pedersen
• Jackson Pollock
• Charles E. Richardson
• Nellie Tayloe Ross
• William B. Ross
• Robert Schliske
• Joseph Selby
• Bryan Sharratt
• Matthew Shepard
• Larry D. Shippy
• Alan K. Simpson
• Colin M. Simpson
• Milward Simpson
• Mike Sullivan
• Craig Thomas
• Elton Trowbridge
• Thomas E. Trowbridge
• Malcolm Wallop
• Tom Walsh
• Alvin Wiederspahn
• Larry Wilcox^[37]

See also

	North America portal
	United States portal
	Wyoming portal

Main articles: Outline of Wyoming and Index of Wyoming-related articles

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008". United States Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2008-01.csv. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest. Retrieved November 9, 2006.
3. ^ In the event of a vacancy in the office of Governor, the Secretary of State is first in line for succession.
4. ^ "Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009". 2009 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. 2007-12-27. http://eadiv.state.wy.us/pop/st-07est.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
5. ^ Willam J. Gribb; Lawrence M. Ostrech. Databases and Algorithms to Determine the Boundary of Wyoming. University of Wyoming, Department of Geography. http://gis.esri.com/library/userconf/proc04/docs/pap1718.pdf. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
6. ^ Ivars Peterson. "Rectangular States and Kinky Borders". http://www.maa.org/mathtourist/mathtourist_08_30_07.html. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
7. ^ ^{a b} MainEnvironment.org Public Land Ownership by State, 1995 Main Environment.org
8. ^ CountryStudies.us
9. ^ Countrystudies.us
10. ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 576
11. ^ State of Wyoming - Narrative
12. ^ State of Wyoming - General Facts About Wyoming
13. ^ "South Pass City Historic Site.". http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Site/Brochure/SouthPassCity.pdf. Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
14. ^ Mines Register: Successor to the Mines Handbook and the Copper Handbook, Describing the Non-ferrous Metal Mining Companies in the Western Hemisphere. 1911. http://books.google.com/?id=M8pIAAAAMAAJ. Mines Publication, 1911. Original from the University of Michigan.
15. ^ ^{a b} "General Facts about Wyoming", wyoming.gov, Retrieved on July 2, 2008.
16. ^ Sodaro, Craig; Adams, Randy (1996). Frontier Spirit: The Story of Wyoming. Johnson Books. pp. 136–139. ISBN 1-55566-163-7.
17. ^ "Population and Population Centers by State: 2000". U. S. Census Bureau. 2000. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
18. ^ "Hispanics fastest growing ethnic group in Wyoming". Billings Gazette via AP. 2007-05-21. http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/05/21/news/wyoming/40-growing.txt. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
19. ^ TheArda.com
20. ^ Bls.gov; Local Area Unemployment Statistics
21. ^ "EIA State Energy Profiles: Wyoming". 2008-06-12. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=WY. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
22. ^ ^{a b c} "Petroleum Association of Wyoming". http://www.pawyo.org/facts.html.
23. ^ ^{a b} Gearino, Jeff (February 16, 2009). "Soda ash companies enjoy record year". Casper Star Tribune. http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2009/02/16/news/wyoming/4b7e9a771fe4bd868725755e00268e51.txt.
24. ^ Votes back repeal of food tax, Billings Gazette, March 3, 2006
25. ^ The Tax Foundation – Tax Research Areas – Wyoming
26. ^ ^{a b c} Background of Wind River Reservation
27. ^ "Wind River Country: Wind River Indian Reservation.". http://www.wind-river.org/info/communities/reservation.php.
28. ^ ^{a b} "Chiefe: The Rez". http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/chiefs/rez.html. PBS. Independent Lens
29. ^ "Background: Northern Arapaho Tribe.". http://www.northernarapaho.com/background.
30. ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison - New York". US Election Atlas. http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/compare.php?year=2008&fips=56&f=1&off=0&elect=0&type=state. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
31. ^ Teva J. Scheer (2005). Governor lady: the life and times of Nellie Tayloe Ross. Columbia: University of Missouri Press. pp. 73. ISBN 0-8262-1626-9.
32. ^ "Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Counties of Wyoming: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009" (CSV). 2009 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. 2006-03-16. http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2009-01-56.csv. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
33. ^ "Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Wyoming, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008" (CSV). 2008 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. 2006-06-20. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-56.csv. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
34. ^ "Census.gov: Population Estimates and Estimated Components of Change for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Their Geographic Components: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008" (CSV). 2008 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. 2006-08-18. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metropop/2008/cbsa-01-fmt.csv. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
35. ^ Alleged "diploma mills" flocking to Wyoming, by Mead Gruver, Seattle Times, February 9, 2005
36. ^ Unaccredited Colleges, Potential problems with degree suppliers located in these states - Wyoming, Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
37. ^ World Almanac & Book of Facts, Reader's Digest Publishing, 2008

External links

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• State of Wyoming government official website
• Official Wyoming State Travel Website - Forever West
• Wyoming at the Open Directory Project

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Preceded by Idaho

List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on July 10, 1890 (44th)

Succeeded by Utah

Coordinates: 43°00′N 107°30′W / 43°N 107.5°W

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