Welcome to Wyoming
"The Equality State" Wyoming's official nickname, "the Equality State," is due to the state's many landmark progressive political firsts in the realm of women's rights. It was the first U.S. state to extend suffrage to women (in 1869, when it was still Wyoming Territory), the first to have a woman serve on a jury (in 1870), and the first to elect a female governor, Nellie Taylor Ross, who was elected in 1924. While modern Wyoming is still primarily known for its cowboys (its unofficial nickname being "the Cowboy State"), agriculture, including livestock production, is on the decline. Mineral production, however, is booming—the state is the number one producer of coal in the U.S. and ranks second in natural gas production. The least populated state in the Union, Wyoming's near-virgin wilderness accounts for $2 billion in tourist revenue annually. In 2002, 6 million visited the state's national parks and monuments, which include Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Wyoming's wide-open plains and gorgeous Rocky Mountain vistas have come to represent a romantic idea of the West, and its lack of individual and corporate income tax certainly adds to its allure—in 2008, the Tax Foundation ranked the state as the most business friendly in the U.S. in terms of its tax structure. State Name: Wyoming State Nicknames: "The Equality State" (official), "The Cowboy State"  State Motto: "Equal Rights" Name for Residents: Wyomingite Abbreviation: WY Time Zone: Mountain, GMT/UTC -7 / -6 (Daylight Savings Time) Capital City: Cheyenne Date of Statehood: July 10, 1890 Statehood Rank: 44th State Area: 97,818 square miles (253,348 km²) Area Rank: 10 of 50 Number of Counties: 23 State Population: 532,688 (2008 estimate) Largest Cities:     Cheyenne - 55,731 (2006)     Casper - 51,738 (2006)     Laramie - 26,050 (2006) Major Rivers:     Snake River - Length: 1,040 mi (1,670 km)     Yellowstone River - Length: 692 mi (1,114 km)     North Platte River - Length: 680 mi (1,094 km) Highest Point: Gannett Peak, 13,809 ft (4,210 m) Lowest Point: Belle Fourche River, 3,099 ft (945 m) Bordering States and Countries:     Montana (North)     South Dakota (East)     Nebraska (East)     Colorado (South)     Utah (Southwest)     Idaho (West) Record High Temperature:     115°F (46°C)     July 12, 1900 at Basin Record Low Temperature:     -66°F (-54°C)     February 9, 1933 at Riverside R.S.
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	Author: World Trade Press