Wyoming gets its name from the Algonquin words for "land
of vast plains." After the Union Pacific Railroad reached
the town of Cheyenne, the capital, in 1867, the population began
to grow steadily in the Wyoming Territory, established in 1868.
Wyoming was admitted as the 44th state in 1890. The constitution
of the "Equality State" was the first in the world to
grant voting rights to women. Wyoming was also the first state to
elect a woman governor. People are spread out across the state in
small farming and ranching towns, and millions of visitors come
to enjoy the Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks each
year. The state flower has the poetic name of Indian paintbrush.
Wyoming is the smallest state in the Union in population.
State Flower: Indian paintbrush
State Motto: Equal rights
State Nickname: Equality State
State Bird: Meadowlark
Land area: 97,105 sq mi.
Largest cities (1999 est.):
Cheyenne, 53,925;
Casper, 48,233;
Laramie, 24,905;
Gillette, 19,860;
Rock Springs, 19,230;
Sheridan, 14,657;
Green River, 12,887;
Evanston, 11,436;
Riverton, 10,782; - Persons per square mile (1999): 4.9