Wyoming is a sparsely populated state in the Mountain West subregion. Mountain West subregion is part of the Western United States region. Wyoming is surrounded by eight other states: Montana in the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska in the east, Colorado and Utah in the south, Utah and Idaho in the west. There are several nicknames for Wyoming: Equality State, Cowboy State and Big Wyoming. We will talk about interesting Wyoming facts in this article to learn more about “The Equality State”.
1. Wyoming is the Least Populated State in the United States
Wyoming has the lowest population of any state in the United States. As the 10th largest state by area and its small population, Wyoming becomes the second least-densely populated state in the United States behind Alaska that’s the largest state by area. Along with Vermont, Wyoming is one of two states that has a population less than the population of the nation’s capital (Washington DC).
2. Cheyenne is the Capital and Largest City of Wyoming
The capital city of Wyoming is Cheyenne. Cheyenne is also the largest city in Wyoming. With a population of around 100,000, Cheyenne Metropolitan Area is also the larger of two metropolitan areas in Wyoming. The other metropolitan of Wyoming is Casper with around 80,000 population. Cheyenne and Casper Metropolitan are two large population centers of Wyoming in which around 30% of Wyoming population reside there.
3. Wyoming is the Largest Coal Producing State in the United States
Wyoming produces coal more than any other states in the United States. As the largest coal producing states, more than 40% coal produced by United States come from Wyoming. The Powder River Basin and the Green River Basin are two major coal areas in Wyoming. The North Antelope Rochelle Mine located in the Powder River Basin is the largest coal mine in the world.
4. Wyoming is the First State that Allow Women the Right to Vote
On December 10, 1869, Wyoming passed the first woman suffrage (right to vote) law and women were able to vote for the first time in 1870. Wyoming is also the first elect female governor. Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected as was elected on November 4, 1924 and becomes the first female governor of the United States after sworn in on January 5, 1925. Because of this history, Wyoming has its “The Equality State” nickname.
5. Wyoming is Doubly Landlocked State
There are 10 doubly landlocked states in the United States and Wyoming is one of them. As doubly landlocked state, we need to cross two other US states or 1 US state and 1 Canadian province to face open ocean. The other 9 doubly landlocked states of the United States are: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The neighbouring Nebraska is the only triply landlocked state of the United States.
6. Yellowstone National Park was the First National Park in the United States
Yellowstone National Park is a large national park in the northwest corner of Wyoming that extended to Montana and Idaho. On March 1, 1872, it became the first national park of the United States. It is also one of the oldest national parks in the world. Yellowstone National Park is known for its large variety of wild animals and the large number of geothermal features, one of the most popular is the Old Faithful geyser.
7. Wyoming is the State with the Largest Reserves of Uranium Ore in the United States
Wyoming is not the largest producing state of Uranium. But it’s the state with the largest reserves of Uranium Ore ahead of New Mexico and Colorado. Uranium is primarily used to power nuclear power plants. The United States is not currently on the top 5 of countries of uranium production by tonnes mined. Kazakhstan is on the top spot in Uranium mining.
8. Gannett Peak is the Highest Natural Point of Wyoming
At 13,810 feet (4,210 m) elevation, Gannett Peak is the highest natural point of Wyoming. Gannet Peak is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains outside of Colorado. It’s part of the Wind River Range within the Bridger Wilderness located in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Because of its remote and rugged wilderness, Gannett Peak is considered as one of the most difficult state high points to reach after Denali of Alaska and Granite Peak of Montana.
9. Western Meadowlark is the State Bird of Wyoming
The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) has been the state bird of Wyoming since February 5, 1927. It’s a medium-sized bird native to western and central North America. The western meadowlark nests on the ground in open grasslands and feed mostly on bugs, but also on seeds and berries. Besides the state bird of Wyoming, the western meadowlark is also the state bird of Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and Oregon.
10. Indian Paintbrush is the State Flower of Wyoming
On January 31, 1917, the Indian paintbrush was designated as the official state flower of Wyoming. It’s also often called Wyoming Indian paintbrush and narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush. The Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia) grows up to one meter in height with pinkish-red to yellow calyx and yellow-green floral tube flowers. Besides Wyoming, the Indian paintbrush also can be found in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.
If you know other interesting facts about Wyoming, it’s surely welcome to share your facts with us here. There are surely many other interesting facts about Wyoming that we haven’t talked about in this article.