From the high western plateaus of the Great Plains, the state of Wyoming stretches across the Continental Divide and into the Rocky Mountains. This is a land of scenic beauty and geographic diversity; mountain ranges, grasslands, and desert can all be found within Wyoming's borders.

The first Europeans to explore this region were French; brothers Louis and Francés François Verendrye trapped here in 1743. The first American to enter what is now Yellowstone National Park was John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who was here during the winter of 1807-1808. The 1820s saw a number of trappers and fur traders become established in the area. The territory became the site of important stops along the pioneer trails to the West Coast in the 1840s-1860s.

The pioneer trails across Wyoming allowed pioneers to cross the rugged spine of the Rocky Mountains on an easy grade, following grass and water over the Continental Divide. Of the approximately 350,000 individuals who made their way along the various westward trails, some 21,000 died en route, claimed by disease, accidents, and mountain snow. After 1847, thousands of Mormons came along the Mormon Trail to join Brigham Young's settlement at Salt Lake. The situation improved dramatically for those bound for the West when the Union Pacific Railroad pushed across Wyoming during 1867-1869. The "iron horse" made the journey considerably safer and easier, not to mention faster. Permanent settlement of the West then began in earnest.

The hard existence wrought from a sometimes inhospitable land bred a tough, practical people who recognized merit when they saw it. While still a territory, Wyoming in 1869 became the first area in the United States to grant women the right to vote. Subsequently, Wyomingites were the first in the nation to appoint a woman justice of the peace, the first to select women jurors, and the first to elect a woman, Nellie Tayloe Ross, governor in 1924. This reputation has earned Wyoming the nickname "the Equality State."

The civic-mindedness of its citizens spread beyond the political arena with equal vigor. Wyoming introduced the nation's first county library system and instituted a public education system that today ranks among the finest in the United States.

Cattle and sheep outnumber people by more than five to one in Wyoming, which is the least populated state in the country. It is, therefore, easy to see how the cowboy has become such a prominent symbol here. The bucking horse insignia has appeared on Wyoming license plates since 1936. It also appears in various versions on road signs, storefronts, and newspapers.

Mineral extraction is the principal industry in Wyoming, which has the largest coal resources in the country. Tourism and recreation ranks second, with approximately 4 million visitors per year entering the state. Generally, they come to visit the numerous national parks, forests, and monuments. But Wyoming offers a wide range of attractions, from abundant camping to rustic guest ranching, all set among some of the finest natural beauty to be found in the nation.

The country's first national park (Yellowstone), first national monument (Devils Tower), and first national forest (Shoshone) are all located in Wyoming.