State of Wyoming Facts & Information

The great State of Wyoming adopted the name "wyoming" from the Delaware Indian word meaning "mountains and valleys alternating". There is also claim that the name comes from the Dakota Indian word "mscheweamiing" meaning "at the big flats" or "large plains". Both are certainly appropriate in depicting the landscape of Wyoming.

Facts & Information

Wyoming comes from the Delaware Indian word, “wyoming,” which means “mountains and valleys alternating.” A fitting description of the state as Wyoming’s landscapes are made up of large plains and towering mountain ranges. The capital is Cheyenne. The estimated population of the state in 2009 was 544,270. Wyoming has three nicknames: Big Wyoming, Cowboy State and Equality State (because Wyoming women were the first in the U.S. to vote, hold public office and serve on juries.

The state flower is the Indian Paintbrush, occurring on the rocky slopes of the mountains on the arid plains. The state mammal is the bison, the state bird the Meadowlark and the state tree is the Plains Cottonwood.

Location

Wyoming is south of Montana and north of Colorado and Utah. To the west lies Idaho and to the east lies South Dakota and Nebraska. It is the ninth largest state in the United States.

Topography

The great State of Wyoming offers beauty and diversity in its grand landscape. The Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains here, making for an overall view of a large plateau broken by significant mountain ranges. The highest point in the state is Gannett Peak at 13,804 feet. The lowest point is the Belle Fourche River at 3,100 feet.

In the northwest are the Absaroka, Owl Creek, Wyoming, Gros Ventre, Wind River and Teton Mountains. In the north central are the Big Horns, in the northeast are the Black Hills, and in the south are the Laramie, Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre Mountains.

Top Attractions

Wyoming’s national parks and monuments attract millions of people each year. In 2002, over six million people visited Wyoming’s protected landmasses.

The most popular attraction in Wyoming is, of course, Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was the first national park in the United States, and the name credited to the Native Americans living in and around the area. Visitors flock to this incredible park to see thousands of geysers, hot springs and mud pots.

Grand Teton National Park lies just south of Yellowstone and offers breathtaking mountain vistas, glacial lakes and abundant wildlife.

Wyoming has nine national forests, with Shoshone National Forest being the first national forest in America. There is also the popular Bighorn National Forest that encompasses 1.1 million acres, with Cloud Peak being the highest in the park. The vertical wall formations here at Bighorn rise 1,500 feet into the sky.

Devil’s Tower National Monument is another first for the United States: the first national monument. Devil’s Tower rises feet into the sky, a dome-shaped and rocky monolith of stone.

Climate

Wyoming’s climate varies due to the wide diversity of its topography, from the high mountains to the rolling valleys and wide plains. The summer daytime temperatures range from 80 to 90 degrees F. with cool nights and winter daytime temperatures (not in the mountains) range from about 50 to 60 degrees F. Annual rainfall averages about 15 inches.

Economy

The travel and tourism industry is the top economy of Wyoming, along with the mineral extraction industry. Agriculture has been thriving here, with commodities such as cattle livestock, hay, sugar beets, grains of wheat and barley and wool.