Wyoming
State in western USA; nicknamed Equality State
Area:
253,400 sq km/97,812 sq mi
Capital:
Cheyenne
Cities:
Casper, Laramie
Physical:
Rocky Mountains; Yellowstone national park (a World Heritage Site),
the first national park in the USA (1872), with geysers (including Old
Faithful), hot springs, and mud pots; Grand Teton national park; Bighorn
Mountains; Gannett Peak (4,207 m/13,804 ft) in the Wind River Range,
the highest peak in the state; Flaming George national park; Devils
Tower national monument
Features:
Jackson; Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody; state capitol, Cheyenne
(1886); Wyoming Territorial Prison Park, Laramie; Fort Laramie (1834);
University of Wyoming
Industries:
Oil, natural gas, sodium salts, coal, uranium, sheep, beef Population:
(1995) 480,200
Famous People:
Buffalo Bill, Jackson Pollock
History:
Acquired by the USA from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase 1803;
Fort Laramie, a trading post, was settled 1834; women achieved
the vote 1869; became a state 1890. The region was explored 1807
by trapper John Colter. The Union Pacific Railroad came through
1867- 68; Wyoming then became a territory and passed a pioneering
women's suffrage act. Despite the development of its energy resources,
Wyoming remains sparsely settled, with large ranches dotting the
arid landscape.
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