Wyoming (English: Wyoming [waɪoʊmɪŋ]) is a mountainous state in the western United States, which is part of the group of so-called Mountain States. The population is 532.7 thousand people (50th, i.e. the last place among the US states; 2008 data). Ethnic composition: Germans — 25.9%, English — 15.9%, Irish — 13.3%, ” Americans ” — 6.5%, Norwegians — 4.3%, Swedes — 3.5%.
The state with the lowest population density in the country after Alaska (1.8 people per km²).
The capital and largest city is Cheyenne. The official nickname is ” Equality State “.
Famous people
- Jackson Pollock(1912-1956) is an American artist.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
| Cheyenne | |
| Place in the United States | |
| Location of Cheyenne in Wyoming | |
| Location of Wyoming in the US | |
| Location | |
| County | Laramie County |
| Type of place | City |
| State | Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 41° 9′ N, 104° 48′ W |
| General | |
| Surface | 74.10 km² |
| – country | 73.81 km² |
| – water | 0.29 km² |
| Inhabitants (2006) |
55,314 (749 inhabitants/km²) |
| Height | 1,848 m |
| Politics | |
| Mayor | Patrick Collins |
| Other | |
| ZIP code(s) | 82001–82010, 82001, 82002, 82003, 82008, 82010 |
| FIPS code | 13900 |
| Website | cheyennecity.org |
| Wyoming State Capitol | |
According to COUNTRYAAH, Cheyenne is the capital of the US state of Wyoming and the capital of Laramie County. In 2013, the city had a population of 62,448. It is also the largest city in the state.
A tented camp was erected on the site of the present town on July 4, 1867 as a shelter for the builders of the Union Pacific Railroad. This was the beginning of a settlement that grew into the current city.
Sights
- Wyoming State Capitol
- Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
- FE Warren Air Force Base
Events
- Cheyenne Frontier Days (last full week of July)
Nearby places
The figure below shows nearby places within a 60 km radius of Cheyenne.
Cheyenne
Grover (57 km)
Nunn (49 km)
Pierce (57 km)
Wellington (52 km)
Burns (38 km)
Born
- Mildred Harris (1901-1944), actress
- Cecilia Hart (1948-2016), actress
- Rensis Likert (1903-1981), sociologist
- Bri Bocox (1997), speed skater
Fossil Butte National Monument
More than 50 million years ago, in the area where the borders of the present-day states of Wyoming, Utah and Colorado meet, there were three large lakes – Gosuite Lake, Lake Uinta and Fossil Lake. The lakes gradually dried up, but many animals and plants of that time were stuck on their bottoms. Such rich fossil material has been preserved here, which perfectly maps the diversity of life at that time not only in the lakes, but also in the wider area.
The most prized are the rocks formed from the sediments in Fossil Lake, where the world’s largest and best fossil fish deposit is located. In ancient times, the lake was about 30 x 80 km in size, and 20 different species of fish, several small terrestrial animals, but also the skeleton of a crocodile, the shell of an ancient turtle and an almost complete snake skeleton have been found in its sediments. The world’s oldest known bat fossil is also significant. The animals were buried under layers of sand and calcareous coating for about 2 million years.
The local rocks are unique not only in terms of their content, but also the property of being easily split according to the original layers of sediments, which is especially appreciated by scientists and geologists searching for fossils. The fossil-rich layers are called the Green River Formation, which is a layer found at 60-90 meters. However, the most valued layer is the 18-inch layer, named after its thickness, whose 45 centimeters is a true paradise for all researchers.
The first white settlers began arriving in the area in the early 19th century. The remnants of a route called the Oregon Emigrant Trail were preserved here, along which the expeditions reached further and further West. The first expert survey was carried out at the fossil site in 1856 by geologist Dr. John Evans, who described the first types of local fossils. Later, a railway line was built here, which was proof of the discovery of a rich deposit. It began to be mined in the second half of the 19th century and the stones were sold to private buyers and museums around the world.
Fossil Butte National Monument was established in 1972 and protects approximately 1% of the total area of the local deposits of the Green River Formation. Declaring the park also prevented unprofessional commercial exploitation of the local unique location. Digging or even just collecting fossils is prohibited in the park due to their protection, unfortunately there are several companies in the immediate vicinity that carry out commercial exploration of strata and the extraction of fossils lying on private land. Each interested party will receive a stick, gloves and a flat flexible lamella cleaver, with which the individual layers can be separated relatively easily. You can then keep the found fossils as a souvenir. During the 3-hour research, it is not a problem to find the fossils of eight whole fish, which is the allowed limit.
More than 80 original fossils are on display in the visitor center, including a four-meter crocodile skeleton. You can also view photos from the excavations as well as a 15-minute video introducing the origin and history of this location. Since the park is located at an altitude of around 2300 meters, there are harsh winters with a lot of snow. Thus, only the visitor center is open during the winter. In the summer, visitors can take two hiking trails that lead to the most interesting parts of the park. The Historic Quarry Trail is 2.5 miles long and loops around a historic quarry from the latter half of the 20th century. The shorter Fossil Lake Trail is 1.5 miles and takes visitors to an overlook that offers a beautiful panoramic view of much of the park.