Wyoming is located in the western part of the United States of America. A small part of the eastern side lies within the Great Plains though several mountain rangers and rangelands dominate the rest.

Local features

Wyoming is one of the least populated of states in America, having a population of approximately half a million people. The local residents of the state call themselves Wyomingites. The capital city of Wyoming is Cheyenne.

The northern border of Wyoming touches Montana. The eastern border is shared with South Dakota and Nebraska while the southern edge runs along Colorado. To the west lies Idaho.

Wyoming is one of only three states in the United States of America whose borders are straight lines. It is the 11th largest state in the country with an area of 97,818 square miles that is divide up into 23 counties.

Geographical Features

The Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains meet in the state of Wyoming which is basically one big plateau interrupted by man important mountain ranges. To the north, one can find Absaroka, Owl Creek, Wyoming, Gros Ventre, Wind River, and Teton ranges. In the north central regions are the Big Horns, Black Hills to the northeast. Mountain ranges in the south include Wyoming, Laramie, Medicine Bow, and Sierra Madre.

The Snowy Range in the south central areas is an extension of the Colorado Rockies. The Wind River Range in the central west includes Gannett Peak, the highest peak in Wyoming. The Big Horn mountains are a bit isolated from the remaining bulk of the Rocky Mountains.

There are many rivers that begin or go through Wyoming like Yellowstone River, Powder River, and Snake River. The Continental Divide waters fork in the southern regions and flow or sink into what is known as the Great Divide Basin. These waters do not make their way to an ocean but simple disappear into the soil or evaporate.

Rivers to the east of the Divide end in the Missouri River Basin from where they reach the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these rivers are Platte, Wind, Big Horn, and Yellowstone.

Weather
Wyoming is quite a dry place with most of it receiving less than 10" of rainfall annually. Consequently, there are not too many agriculture farms in the state. However, thanks to the mountain rangers, ranching is very common profession in Wyoming.

Things to see

The Teton Range is 50 miles long and is a most impressive of the mountain ranges in Wyoming. It also houses the second highest peak known as Grand Teton. The Grand Teton National Park is responsible for the maintenance of the Teton Range.