 Wyoming
Information
Capital
City: Cheyenne
Economy: Mining, ranching
and tourism.
Language Description: English
Passport/Visa U.S.: Canadians
need to show proof of citizenship (including a photo ID) to enter the
U.S. and re-enter Canada; a passport is recommended. Reconfirm travel
document requirements with your carrier before departure.
Population: 493,780
Religion: Christian (Protestant,
Roman Catholic)
Time Zone: 7 hours behind
Greenwich Mean Time (-7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from first
Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October
Voltage Requirements:
110 volts
Wyoming's Flag: A bison on a blue field bordered in white
and red. The state seal branded on the bison. The woman represents the
state motto "Equal Rights" and the two men represent cattle
ranchers and miners. The words "Livestock", "Mines",
"Grains" and "Oil" represent Wyoming's wealth. The
eagle and shield show support for the United States. The dates 1869 and
1890 tell when Wyoming organized as a territory of the United States and
when it became a state.
History of
Wyoming: The U.S. acquired the land comprising
Wyoming from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. John Colter,
a fur-trapper, is the first white man known to have entered present Wyoming.
In 1807 he explored the Yellowstone area and brought back news of its
geysers and hot springs. Robert Stuart pioneered the Oregon Trail across
Wyoming in 1812–13 and, in 1834, Fort Laramie, the first permanent
trading post in Wyoming, was built. Western Wyoming was obtained by the
U.S. in the 1846 Oregon Treaty with Great Britain and as a result of the
treaty ending the Mexican War in 1848. When the Wyoming Territory was
organized in 1869 Wyoming women became the first in the nation to obtain
the right to vote. In 1925 Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected first woman
governor in the United States. Wyoming's towering mountains and vast plains
provide spectacular scenery, grazing lands for sheep and cattle, and rich
mineral deposits. Mining, particularly oil and natural gas, is the most
important industry. Wyoming has the world's largest sodium carbonate (natrona)
deposits and has the nation's second largest uranium deposits. Wyoming
ranks second among the states in wool production. In January 1995, it
ranked third in sheep and lambs, exceeded only by Texas and California;
it also had 1,410,000 cattle. Principal crops include wheat, oats, sugar
beets, corn, potatoes, barley, and alfalfa. Second in mean elevation to
Colorado, Wyoming has many attractions for the tourist trade, notably
Yellowstone National Park. Cheyenne is famous for its annual “Frontier
Days” celebration. Flaming Gorge, the Fort Laramie National Historic
Site, and Devils Tower and Fossil Butte National Monuments are other National
points of interest.
Other Wyoming Links:
Wyoming Association
of Municipalities
Wyoming Department of Education
Wyoming Division of Tourism
Wyoming State Library
Wyoming Business Council
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