Wyoming is a Rocky Mountain state bordered by Montana to the north, Nebraska and South Dakota to the east, Colorado and Utah to the south, and Idaho and Utah to the west. The state has the ninth largest area. However, it is the least populated state now that Alaska has more residents. Cheyenne, Wyoming's capital and largest city, is the state's only city with more than 50,000 residents. One reason for Wyoming's small population is probably its landscape, which includes high, rugged terrain; valleys; plains; and large, flat treeless basins. The Continental Divide, known as the Crest of the Rockies, runs across the state. The state has many several-thousand-acre ranches. Because of this, the state's cities and towns are far apart. About 50 percent of Wyoming's land is used for grazing because its lofty, rugged terrain and sparse rainfall don't allow for much else. Over one million cattle and about 800,000 sheep feed on Wyoming's grasslands. Because the United States government owns almost half of Wyoming's land, federal agencies control much of the state's grazing, logging, and mining. Besides being a state of firsts when it comes to national parks and monuments, Wyoming is a state of women's firsts. It was the first state to grant women the right to vote and serve on a jury. The country's first female governor was elected in Wyoming in 1924. Because of these firsts, Wyoming is nicknamed the "Equality State." Wyoming is named for the Wyoming Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania. The word "Wyoming" comes from an Indian word meaning "large prairie place."
Wyoming consistently has one of the nation's highest rates of workplace fatalities, more than 12 per 100,000 workers in 2010. That's more than three-and-a-half times the national average. Many deaths occur in the oil and gas industry. Recommendations in Ryan's report include better monitoring and analysis of occupational data and supporting industry efforts to develop, monitor and enforce safety standards and practices. Mead says the report shows that systemic changes are needed.
Wyoming is generally semiarid, with local desert conditions. Normal daily temperatures in Cheyenne range from –9°C to 3°C in January and 13°C to 28°C in July. The record low temperature, –54°C, was set 9 February 1933 at Riverside; the record high, 46°C, 12 July 1900 at Basin. In Cheyenne, average annual precipitation (1971–2000) was 15.5 inches a year, most of that falling between March and September; the snowfall in Cheyenne averages 56 inches annually.
Jackson: Jackson is located in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming. Jackson is high altitude community sitting at approximately the 6500' level. Jackson is the gateway for the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks and the National Elk Refuge.
Cheyenne: Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming and is located at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Interstate 25 in the South Eastern corner of the state.
Laramie: Laramie is a city of just over 25,000 in the south eastern part of Wyoming. Founded in the mid-1860s as a tent city near the Overland Stage Line route and the Union Pacific portion of the first transcontinental railroad. By May 10, 1868, when the first train entered town.
Devils Tower: Devils Tower in Wyoming is a large rock monilith that was formed by ancient volcanic activity. The theory is that magma welled up in an ancient volcano, hardened, and eventually the volcano eroded away, leaving the hard magma center. The interesting black lines are columnar joints which tell the story of weathering and the cooling history of rock.
Tourists visit Wyoming for its scenic beauty and historic places. Gape as the spectacular Old Faithful geyser erupts in a 150-foot-high column of steam in Yellowstone National Park, which is mainly located in the state. Yellowstone was the world's first national park. When Yellowstone was created in 1872, it became the first area in the country to be set aside from commercial exploitation. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Rocky Mountains. While you're in Wyoming, go to Devils Tower National Monument, a spectacular 865-foot tower of volcanic rock that protrudes above the soil. It became the country's first national monument in 1906. It's located near the Bell Fourche River in the northeastern corner of the state. Visit Shoshone National Forest, the country's first national forest. If you want to see 60-million-year-old fish fossils, go to Fossil Butte, a national monument in Wyoming's southwest. It's one of the world's largest fossilized fish beds. Visit spectacular mountains in Grand Teton National Park. Celebrate Frontier Days in Cheyenne and visit museums that have impressive Indian and pioneer exhibits.
The largest airport in Wyoming is Jackson Hole Airport, with over 500 employees. Three interstate highways and thirteen United States 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. The United States highways that pass through the state are United States Highways 14, 16, 18, 20, 26, 30, 85, 87, 89, 189, 191, 212, and 287.