Wyoming
Wyoming | |
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Plains cottonwood (Populus sargentii) | |
Dinosaur | Triceratops |
Fossil | Knightia |
Mineral | Nephrite |
Wyoming (
Wyoming's western half consists mostly of the ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains; its eastern half consists of high-elevation prairie, and is referred to as the High Plains. Wyoming's climate is semi-arid in some parts and continental in others, making it drier and windier overall than other states, with greater temperature extremes. The federal government owns just under half of Wyoming's land, generally protecting it for public uses. The state ranks sixth in the amount of land—and fifth in the proportion of its land—that is owned by the federal government.[11] Its federal lands include two national parks (Grand Teton and Yellowstone), two national recreation areas, two national monuments, and several national forests, as well as historic sites, fish hatcheries, and wildlife refuges.
Farming and ranching, and the attendant range wars, feature prominently in the state's history. Today, Wyoming's economy is largely based on tourism and the extraction of minerals such as coal, natural gas, oil, and trona. Its agricultural commodities include barley, hay, livestock, sugar beets, wheat, and wool.
Wyoming was the first state to allow women the right to vote (not counting New Jersey, which had allowed it until 1807), and the right to assume elected office, as well as the first state to elect a female governor. In honor of this part of its history, its most common nickname is "The Equality State" and its official state motto is "Equal Rights".[1] It is among the least religious states in the country,[15] and is known for having a political culture that leans towards libertarian conservatism.[16] The Republican presidential nominee has carried the state in every election since 1968.[17]
History
Several
From the late 18th century,
American John Colter first recorded a description in English of the region in 1807. He was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which was guided by French Canadian Toussaint Charbonneau and his young Shoshone wife, Sacagawea. At the time, Colter's reports of the Yellowstone area were considered fictional.[19] On a return from Astoria, Robert Stuart and a party of five men discovered South Pass in 1812.[18]
The Oregon Trail later followed that route as emigrants moved to the west coast. In 1850, mountain man Jim Bridger first documented what is now known as Bridger Pass.[20] Bridger also explored Yellowstone, and filed reports on the region that, like Colter's, were largely regarded at the time as tall tales. The Union Pacific Railroad constructed track through Bridger Pass in 1868.[20] It was used as the route for construction of Interstate 80 through the mountains 90 years later.[21]
After the Union Pacific Railroad reached
Once government-sponsored expeditions to the Yellowstone country began, Colter's and Bridger's descriptions of the region's landscape were confirmed. In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was created as the world's first, to protect this area. Nearly all of the park lies within the northwestern corner of Wyoming.
On December 10, 1869, territorial Governor John Allen Campbell extended the right to vote to women, making Wyoming the first territory to do so, and upon statehood became the first state to grant women's suffrage.[25] Women first served on juries in Wyoming (Laramie in 1870). Wyoming was also a pioneer in welcoming women into electoral politics.[26] It 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). In 1924, Wyoming was the first state to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who took office in January 1925.[27] Due to its civil-rights history, one of Wyoming's state nicknames is "The Equality State", and the official state motto is "Equal Rights".[1]
Wyoming's constitution also included a pioneering article on water rights.[28] Bills for Wyoming Territory's admission to the union were introduced in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives in December 1889. On March 27, 1890, the House passed the bill and President Benjamin Harrison signed Wyoming's statehood bill; Wyoming became the 44th state in the union.[1]
Wyoming was the location of the
Etymology
The region had acquired the name Wyoming by 1865, when Representative James Mitchell Ashley of Ohio introduced a bill to Congress to provide a "temporary government for the territory of Wyoming". The territory was named after the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. Thomas Campbell wrote his 1809 poem "Gertrude of Wyoming", inspired by the Battle of Wyoming in the American Revolutionary War. The name ultimately derives from the Lenape Munsee word xwé:wamənk ("at the big river flat").[29][30]
Geography
Climate
Wyoming's climate is generally
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
The number of thunderstorm days varies 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 that occur farther 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 (0) |
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 (0) |
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:[33] |
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:[34] |
Location and size
As specified in the designating legislation for the
Natural landforms
Mountain ranges
The
The Snowy Range in the south central part of the state is an extension of the Colorado Rockies both in geology and in appearance. The Wind River Range 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 Bighorn Mountains in the north central portion are somewhat isolated from the bulk of the Rocky Mountains.
The Teton Range in the northwest extends for 50 miles (80 km), part of which is included in Grand Teton National Park. The park includes the Grand Teton, the second-highest peak in the state.
The
The Continental Divide forks in the south central part of the state in an area known as the Great Divide Basin where water that precipitates onto or flows into it cannot reach an ocean—it all sinks into the soil and eventually evaporates.
Several rivers begin in or flow through the state, including the Yellowstone River, Bighorn River, Green River, and the Snake River.
Basins
Much of Wyoming is covered with large basins containing different eco-regions, from shrublands to smaller patches of desert.[37] Regions of the state classified as basins contain everything from large geologic formations to sand dunes and vast unpopulated spaces.[38] Basin landscapes are typically at lower elevations and include rolling hills, valleys, mesas, terraces and other rugged terrain, but also include natural springs as well as rivers and artificial reservoirs.[39] They have common plant species such as various subspecies of sagebrush, juniper and grasses such as wheatgrass, but basins are known for their diversity of plant and animal species.[37]
Islands
Wyoming has 32 named islands; the majority are in
Regions and administrative divisions
Counties
The state of Wyoming has 23 counties.
Rank | County | Population | Rank | County | Population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Laramie | 100,512 | 13 | Converse | 13,751 |
2 | Natrona | 79,955 | 14 | Goshen | 12,498 |
3 | Campbell | 47,026 | 15 | Big Horn | 11,521 |
4 | Sweetwater | 42,272 | 16 | Sublette | 8,728 |
5 | Fremont | 39,234 | 17 | Platte | 8,605 |
6 | Albany | 37,066 | 18 | Johnson | 8,447 |
7 | Sheridan | 30,921 | 19 | Washakie | 7,685 |
8 | Park | 29,624 | 20 | Crook | 7,181 |
9 | Teton | 23,331 | 21 | Weston | 6,838 |
10 | Uinta | 20,450 | 22 | Hot Springs | 4,621 |
11 | Lincoln | 19,581 | 23 | Niobrara | 2,467 |
12 | Carbon | 14,537 | Wyoming Total | 576,851 |
Wyoming license plates have a number on the left that indicates the county where the vehicle is registered, ranked by an earlier census.[40] Specifically, the numbers are representative of the property values of the counties in 1930.[41] The county license plate numbers are:
License Plate Prefix |
County | License Plate Prefix |
County | License Plate Prefix |
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
The State of Wyoming has 99 incorporated municipalities.
Rank | City | County | Population |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Cheyenne | Laramie | 65,132 |
2 | Casper | Natrona | 59,038 |
3 | Gillette | Campbell | 33,403 |
4 | Laramie | Albany | 31,407 |
5 | Rock Springs | Sweetwater | 23,526 |
6 | Sheridan | Sheridan | 18,737 |
7 | Green River | Sweetwater | 11,825 |
8 | Evanston | Uinta | 11,747 |
9 | Jackson | Teton | 10,760 |
10 | Riverton | Fremont | 10,682 |
11 | Cody | Park | 10,028 |
12 | Rawlins | Carbon | 8,221 |
13 | Lander | Fremont | 7,546 |
14 | Powell | Park | 6,419 |
15 | Douglas | Converse | 6,386 |
16 | Torrington | Goshen | 6,119 |
In 2020, 51.1% of Wyomingites lived in one of the 12 most populous Wyoming municipalities.
Metropolitan areas
The
Census Area | County | Population |
---|---|---|
Cheyenne
|
Laramie | 100,512 |
Casper
|
Natrona | 79,955 |
Gillette
|
Campbell | 47,026 |
Rock Springs
|
Sweetwater | 42,272 |
Riverton
|
Fremont | 39,234 |
Laramie
|
Albany | 37,066 |
Jackson
|
Teton County, Wyoming | 23,331 |
Teton County, Idaho | 11,630 | |
Total | 34,961 | |
Sheridan
|
Sheridan | 30,233 |
Cody
|
Park | 29,624 |
Evanston | Uinta County, Wyoming | 20,450 |
Rich County, Utah | 2,510 | |
Total | 22,960 |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
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% | |
2010 | 563,626 | 14.1% | |
2020 | 576,851 | 2.3% | |
2023 (est.) | 584,057 | [42] | 1.2% |
Sources: 1910–2020[43] |
Population
The
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 648 homeless people in Wyoming.[46][47]
According to the 2020 census, the population's racial composition was 84.7%
As of 2015, Wyoming had an estimated population of 586,107, which was an increase of 1,954, or 0.29%, from the prior year and an increase of 22,481, or 3.99%, since the
According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestry groups in Wyoming were:
]In 2018, The top countries of origin for Wyoming's immigrants were Mexico, China, Germany, England and Canada.[53]
Birth data
Non-Hispanic White 60–70%70–80%80–90%90%+
Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
Race
|
2013[54] | 2014[55] | 2015[56] | 2016[57] | 2017[58] | 2018[59] | 2019[60] | 2020[61] | 2021[62] | 2022[63] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White: | 7,090 (92.7%) | 7,178 (93.2%) | 7,217 (92.9%) | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
> Non-Hispanic White | 6,136 (80.3%) | 6,258 (81.3%) | 6,196 (79.8%) | 5,763 (78.0%) | 5,426 (78.6%) | 5,078 (77.4%) | 5,158 (78.6%) | 4,762 (77.7%) | 4,882 (78.3%) | 4,622 (76.4%) |
Native American | 305 (4.0%) | 294 (3.8%) | 294 (3.8%) | 200 (2.7%) | 206 (3.0%) | 219 (3.3%) | 198 (3.0%) | 176 (2.9%) | 179 (2.9%) | 185 (3.1%) |
Asian | 124 (1.6%) | 108 (1.4%) | 135 (1.7%) | 100 (1.3%) | 79 (1.1%) | 72 (1.1%) | 73 (1.1%) | 58 (0.9%) | 67 (1.1%) | 64 (1.1%) |
Black | 125 (1.6%) | 116 (1.5%) | 119 (1.5%) | 63 (0.9%) | 45 (0.7%) | 57 (0.9%) | 61 (0.9%) | 55 (0.9%) | 48 (0.8%) | 46 (0.8%) |
Hispanic (of any race) | 926 (12.1%) | 895 (11.6%) | 963 (12.4%) | 973 (13.2%) | 892 (12.9%) | 851 (13.0%) | 839 (12.8%) | 818 (13.3%) | 749 (12.0%) | 835 (13.8%) |
Total Wyoming | 7,644 (100%) | 7,696 (100%) | 7,765 (100%) | 7,386 (100%) | 6,903 (100%) | 6,562 (100%) | 6,565 (100%) | 6,128 (100%) | 6,237 (100%) | 6,049 (100%) |
- Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Languages
In 2010, 93.39% (474,343) of Wyomingites over age 5 spoke
In 2007, the American Community Survey reported 6.2% (30,419) of Wyoming's population over five spoke a language other than English at home. Of those, 68.1% were able to speak English very well, 16.0% spoke English well, 10.9% did not speak English well, and 5.0% did not speak English at all.[65]
Religion
Surveys have consistently ranked Wyoming among the most irreligious states.[15][66] According to the 2020 American Values Atlas survey, Wyoming was the least religious state in the country.[66]
In 2020, the
A 2010 Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) report recognized as Wyoming's largest denominations the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with 62,804 (11%); the Catholic Church, with 61,222 (10.8%); and the Southern Baptist Convention, with 15,812 (2.8%). The report counted 59,247 evangelical Protestants (10.5%), 36,539 mainline Protestants (6.5%), 785 Eastern Orthodox Christians; 281 Black Protestants; 65,000 adhering to other traditions; and 340,552 claiming no religious tradition.[70] In 2020, ARDA reported the state's largest individual denominations as the following: the Catholic Church (69,500); the LDS Church (67,729); and the Southern Baptist Convention (11,082). Non-denominational Protestants were 23,410 in number.[71]
Through ARDA's 2020 report, the Roman Catholics had an adherence rate of 120.48 per 1,000 people, Mormons 117.41 per 1,000 people, and Southern Baptists 19.21 per 1,000 people. Non-denominational Protestants had an adherence rate of 40.58 per 1,000 people; these trends reflected the separate 2014 Pew study's varying attendance at religious services. In 2014, 38% visited a religious service at least once a week, 28% once or twice a month, and 32% seldom/never.[68] A 2018 research article by the National Christian Foundation cited non-churchgoing Christians nationwide did not attend religious services often through practicing the faith in other ways, not finding a house of worship they liked, disliking sermons and feeling unwelcomed, and logistics.[72]
Economy and infrastructure
According to a 2012 United States Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Wyoming's gross state product was $38.4 billion.[73] As of 2014, the population was growing slightly with the most growth in tourist-oriented areas, such as Teton County. Boom conditions in neighboring states, such as North Dakota, were drawing energy workers away. About half of Wyoming's counties showed population loss.[74] The state makes active efforts through Wyoming Grown, an internet-based recruitment program, to find jobs for young people educated in Wyoming who have emigrated but may wish to return.[75]
The mineral-extraction industry and travel and tourism sector are the main drivers of Wyoming's economy.[76] The federal government owns about 42.3% of its landmass, while the state controls 6%.[76] The total taxable value of mining production in Wyoming in 2007 was over $14.5 billion. In 2018, tourism industry accounts for over $3.8 billion in revenue.[76]
In 2002, more than six million people visited Wyoming's
Historically, agriculture has been an important component of Wyoming's economy. Its overall importance to the economy has waned, but it is still an essential part of Wyoming's culture and lifestyle. The main agricultural commodities Wyoming produces include livestock (beef),
Wyoming is the home of only a handful of companies with a regional or national presence.
Various initiatives have been put in place and legislation adopted to encourage the use of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies in the state.[77] Tyler Lindholm, a former state legislator, claimed that 500 member-owned limited liability companies built on blockchain had been established and that 17,000 businesses with "crypto" in their name registered by 2023.These included the blockchain platforms Cardano and Tacen.[78]
Mineral and energy production
Wyoming's mineral commodities include coal, natural gas,
.- Wyoming produced 277 million Green River Basin.
- The boom for coalbed methane (CBM) began in the mid-1990s. CBM is methane gas extracted from Wyoming's coal bed seams. It is a 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).
- Wyoming produced 53.4 million barrels (8.49×10 6 m3) of crude oil in 2007. The state ranked fifth nationwide in oil production in 2007.[82] Petroleum is most often used as a motor fuel, but is also used in the manufacture of plastics, paints, and synthetic rubber.
- The Wyoming craton, which hosts the kimberlite volcanic pipesthat were mined, underlies most of Wyoming.
- Wyoming produced 1.77 trillion cubic feet (50.0 billion m3) of natural gas in 2016, ranking the state ranked 6th nationwide in natural gas production.[83] Major markets for natural gas include industrial, commercial, and domestic heating.
- Wyoming possesses the world's largest known reserve of trona,[84] a mineral used in 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.[84]
- Because of its geography and altitude, the potential for wind power in Wyoming is one of the highest of any U.S. state. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project is the largest commercial wind generation facility under development in North America.[85] Carbon County is home to the largest proposed wind farm in the nation. Construction plans have been halted because of proposed new taxes on wind power energy production.[86]
- Although uranium mining in Wyoming is much less active than in previous decades, recent increases in uranium's price have generated new interest in prospecting and mining.
- Rare earth metals.[87]
Taxes
Unlike most other states, Wyoming levies no individual or corporate income tax. It also assesses no tax on retirement income earned and received from another state. Wyoming has a state sales tax of 4%. Counties have the option to collect 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.[88] A county lodging tax 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 property's assessed value; 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 percentage 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 eight 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 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. Mine lands, underground mining equipment, and oil and gas extraction equipment are exempt from property tax, but companies must pay a gross products tax on minerals and a severance tax on mineral production.[89][90]
Wyoming does not collect
In 2008, the Tax Foundation reported that Wyoming had the most "business-friendly" tax climate of any U.S. state.[91] 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.[82] As of 2017, Wyoming receives more federal tax dollars as a percentage of state general revenue than any state except Montana.[92]
As of 2016, Wyoming does not require the beneficial owners of LLCs to be disclosed in the filing, which creates an opportunity for a tax haven, according to Clark Stith of Clark Stith & Associates.[93] If fact, Wyoming was the first state to enact a statute authorizing the creation of LLCs.[94]
Transportation
Wyoming's largest airport is
Interstate 25 enters Wyoming south of Cheyenne and runs north, intersecting Interstate 80 immediately west of 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 third of the state, passing through Cheyenne before entering Nebraska near Pine Bluffs. Interstate 90 comes into Wyoming near Parkman and cuts through the northeastern part of the state. It serves Gillette and enters South Dakota east of Sundance.
U.S. Routes 14, 16, and the eastern section of U.S. 20 have their western terminus at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park and pass through Cody. U.S. 14 runs eastward before joining I-90 at Gillette. U.S. 14 then follows I-90 to the South Dakota border. U.S. 16 and 20 split off of U.S. 14 at Greybull and U.S. 16 turns east at Worland while U.S. 20 continues south Shoshoni. U.S. Route 287 runs from Fort Collins, Colorado, to Laramie, Wyoming, through a pass between the Laramie Mountains and the Medicine Bow Mountains, then merges with US 30 and I-80 until it reaches Rawlins, where it continues north, passing Lander. Outside of Moran, U.S. 287 is part of a large interchange with U.S. Highways 26, 191, and 89, before continuing north to Yellowstone's southern entrance. U.S. 287 continues north of Yellowstone, but the park separates the two sections.
Other
Wyoming is one of only two states (the other is
Local transit map |
---|
Major interstates
- in Buffalo.
- .
- .
Wind River Indian Reservation
The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes share the Wind River Indian Reservation in central western Wyoming, near Lander. The reservation is home to 2,500 Eastern Shoshone and 5,000 Northern Arapaho.[101]
Today the Wind River Indian Reservation is jointly owned, with each tribe having a 50% interest in the land, water, and other natural resources.[104] It is a sovereign, self-governed land with two independent governing bodies: the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Until 2014, the Shoshone Business Council and Northern Arapaho Business Council met jointly as the Joint Business Council to decide matters that affect both tribes.[102] Six elected council members from each tribe served on the joint council.
Public lands
The federal government owns nearly half of Wyoming's land (about 30,099,430 acres (121,808.1 km2)); the state owns another 3,864,800 acres (15,640 km2).
There are also areas managed by the National Park Service and agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- National parks
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park—first designated national park in the world[105]
- Memorial parkway
- The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
- National recreation areas
- Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
- Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (managed by the Forest Service as part of Ashley National Forest)
- National monuments
- Devils Tower National Monument—first national monument in the U.S.[105]
- Fossil Butte National Monument
- National historic trails, landmarks and sites
- California National Historic Trail
- Fort Laramie National Historic Site
- Independence Rock National Historic Landmark
- Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark
- Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wyoming
- Oregon National Historic Trail
- Pony Express National Historic Trail
- National fish hatcheries
- National wildlife refuges
Education
The state superintendent of public instruction, an elected state official, directs
Higher education
Wyoming has a public four-year institution, the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and a private four-year college, Wyoming Catholic College, in Lander. There are also seven two-year community colleges.
Before the passing of a new law in 2006, Wyoming had hosted unaccredited institutions, many of them suspected
Media
Wyoming's media market consists of 16 broadcast TV stations, radio stations and dozens of small to medium-sized newspapers.[109][110][111] There are also a few small independent news sources such as the nonprofit news site Wyofile.com[112] and Oil City News.[113]
Government and politics
State government
Wyoming's Constitution established three branches of government: the
Wyoming's sparse population warrants the state only one
The Wyoming State Liquor Association is the state's sole legal wholesale distributor of spirits, making it an alcoholic beverage control state. With the exception of wine, state law prohibits the purchase of alcoholic beverages for resale from any other source.[114]
Judicial system
Wyoming's highest court is the
Before 1972, Wyoming judges were selected by popular vote on a nonpartisan ballot. This earlier system was criticized by the state bar who called for the adoption of the
Political history
Party | Number of voters | Percentage | |
---|---|---|---|
Republican | 177,326 | 82.09% | |
Democratic | 22,750 | 10.53% | |
No party affiliation
|
14,666 | 6.79% | |
Libertarian | 968 | 0.45% | |
Constitution | 294 | 0.14% | |
Other | 13 | 0.01% | |
Total | 216,017 | 100.00% |
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.[117] On December 10, 1869, John Allen Campbell, the first Governor of the Wyoming Territory, approved the first law in United States history explicitly granting women the right to vote. This day was later commemorated as Wyoming Day.[117] On November 5, 1889, voters approved the first constitution in the world granting full voting rights to women.[117]
While the state elected notable Democrats to federal office in the 1960s and 1970s, 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, John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, and its one member of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman. All three are Republicans; a Democrat has not represented Wyoming in the Senate since 1977 or in the House since 1978. The state has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964, one of only eight times since statehood. 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.
The last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Wyoming was in
Republicans are dominant at the state level. They have held a majority in the state senate continuously since 1936 and in the state house since 1964, though Democrats held the
Wyoming retains the
Culture
Sports
Due to its sparse population, Wyoming lacks any major professional sports teams; the
State symbols
List of all Wyoming state symbols:[1]
- Sturnella neglecta)
- State coin: Sacagawea dollar
- State dinosaur: Triceratops
- State emblem: Bucking Horse and Rider
- State fish: cutthroat trout(Oncorhynchus clarki)
- 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 insect: Sheridan's green hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys sheridanii)
- State mammal: American bison (Bison bison)
- Equal Rights
- State nicknames: Equality State; Cowboy State; Big Wyoming
- Phrynosoma douglassi brevirostre)
- Great Seal of the State of Wyoming
- State song: "Wyoming" by Charles E. Winter & George E. Knapp
- State sport: rodeo
- plains cottonwood(Populus sargentii)
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
- ^ a b 2020 Census population
References
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External links
- State of Wyoming government official website
- Official Wyoming State Travel Website
- Wyoming State Facts from USDA
- Wyoming at Curlie
- Geographic data related to Wyoming at OpenStreetMap