Wyoming State Information
Capital
Cheyenne
Nickname
Big Wyoming, Equality State, Cowboy State
Motto
“Equal Rights”
Admitted To Union
July 10, 1890 – 44th State
Size
97,914 square miles
Highest Point
Gannett Peak; 13,804 feet
Lowest Point
Belle Fourche River; 3,100 feet
Geographic Center
Fremont, 58 miles northeast of Lander
Topography
Great Plains rise to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains; Continental Divide crosses the state from northwest to the southeast.
Population
(2000) 493,782
Wyoming State Flower
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja linariaefolia)
Wyoming State Mammal
Bison
Wyoming State Bird
Meadowlark
Wyoming State Tree
Plains Cottonwood (Populus sargentii)
Song
Wyoming
State Gemstone
Jade
State Fish
Walleye
State Reptile
Horned Toad
State Fossil
Knightia (prehistoric fish)
Largest Cities
Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Gillette, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Green River, Evanston, Riverton, Cody
Economy
Agriculture: Cattle, sugar beets, sheep, hay, wheat
Industry
Coal mining, oil and chemical products, lumber and wood products, tourism.
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.
Origin of state’s name – Based on an Algonquin or Delaware Indian word meaning “large prairie place”
Famous Wyomingites
James Bridger
Trapper, guide and storyteller
John Colter
Trader
June Etta Downey
Educator
Thomas Fitzpatrick
Mountain man and guide
Curt Gowdy
Sportscaster, Green River
Tom Horn
Detective
Isabel Jewell
Actress
Velma Linford
Writer
Ted Olson
Writer
Jackson Pollock
Painter, Cody
Alan K. Simpson
Former U.S. senator
Francis E. Warren
First state governor
Chief Washakie
Chief of the Shoshone
James G. Watt
Former secretary of the Interior