America’s least populous state with a population of 522,830, Wyoming is the tenth largest state by size. Like Colorado and Utah, Wyoming has only lines of latitude and longitude for boundaries rather than natural borders as is common with most states. The lines of latitude and longitude forming the state’s boundaries carve it into a shape math majors will recognize as a geoellipsoidal rectangle. The U.S. Government owns more than 48% of the land in Wyoming (30,000,000+ acres), and the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service manage most of it.
Mineral extraction and the travel and tourism industry are the power behind Wyoming’s $27.4 billion economy. The state’s mineral haul includes coal, natural gas, methane, crude oil, and uranium. Wyoming ranks #1 in coal production in the country and fifth in the production of natural gas. Millions of tourists visit Wyoming every year to enjoy its many national parks including Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. The state charges no individual or corporate income tax and in 2008 was ranked the single most “business friendly” tax climate of all 50 states by the Tax Foundation.
Roads
Interstate 25: Running north/south from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Buffalo, Wyoming, I-25 travels 301 miles within Wyoming passing through Casper and Cheyenne.
Interstate 80: America’s second-largest highway at 2,905 miles, I-80 crosses the country from San Francisco to Teaneck, New Jersey. The 403 miles of I-80 in Wyoming territory pass through Cheyenne.
Interstate 90: Narrowly beating out I-80 (see above) as America’s longest highway at 3,100 miles, I-90 spans the distance from Seattle to Boston. The 207 miles of I-90 contained within Wyoming pass by Buffalo, Gillette and Sheridan.