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Utah
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State of Utah
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Flag of Utahsvg
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Flag Of Utah
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Utahstatesealjpg
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Map of USA highlighting Utahpng
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Beehive State
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Salt Lake City
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Salt Lake City
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Jon M Huntsman, Jr (R)
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"http://wwwseattleluxurycom/encyclopedia/entry/Robert_Foster_Bennett" class="copylinks">Bob Bennett (R)
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UT
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English
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13<sup>th</sup>
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219,887
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212,751
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7,136
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325
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34<sup>th</sup>
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2,233,169
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41<sup>st</sup>
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1050
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45<sup>th</sup>
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January 4 , 1896
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-7/ -6
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109°W to 114°W
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37°N to 42°N
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435
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565
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4,123
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1,920
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610
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US-UT
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is a
State located in the
Western United States .
Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city. As of 2005, the state’s population was 2,547,389. Approximately 80% of Utah's population, or just over 2,000,000, live in a single urban area called the
Wasatch Front . Vast expanses of the state are relatively uninhabited and rural, since 88% of the population lives in what the
U.S. Census Bureau defines as
Urban Area s.
The state is generally rocky and arid with three distinct geological regions: the
Rocky Mountains , the
Great Basin , and the
Colorado Plateau . It has a large tourism business and was host to the
2002 Winter Olympics . The ski resorts in the northern
Wasatch Range , the natural speedways of the
Bonneville Salt Flats , the five national parks in the south, such as
Arches ,
Zion and
Bryce Canyon , and cultural attractions such as
Temple Square and the
Sundance Film Festival , are among the most visited.
Approximately 60% of state residents are adherents of the
Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The religion has historically had a strong regional influence and has contributed the state's restrictive attitude towards
Alcohol and
Gambling , and its high
Birth Rate (by far the highest in the nation). Before
1890 , the Church's teachings of
Polygamy had led to confrontation with the U.S. federal government in the
Utah War .
Beginning in the late
19th Century with the state's mining boom, including what is now the
World's Largest Open Pit Mine , companies attracted large numbers of immigrants (of diverse faiths) with job opportunities. The new immigrants often found themselves at odds with the state's LDS population. As a result, these tensions have played a large part in Utah's history (
Liberal Party vs.
People's Party ) and continue to do so as the state further diversifies.
Utah is one of the and
Wyoming in the north; by
Colorado in the east; at a single point by
New Mexico to the southeast (at the
Four Corners Monument ); by
Arizona in the south; and by
Nevada in the west. It covers an area of 84,899 square miles (219,887 km&
2).
One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its
Terrain . Running down the center of the state is the
Wasatch Range , which rises to heights of about 12,000 feet (3,650 m) above sea level. Portions of these mountains receive more than 500 inches (1,250 cm) of
Snow each year and are home to world-renowned
Ski Resort s, made popular by the light, fluffy snow which is considered good for skiing. In the northeastern section of the state, running east to west, are the
Uinta Mountains , which rise to heights of 13,000 feet (3,950 m) or more. The highest point in the state,
Kings Peak , at an elevation of 13,526 feet (4,123 m), lies within the Uinta Mountains.
At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the
Wasatch Front , a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. The major cities of
Ogden ,
Salt Lake City ,
Layton ,
West Valley City ,
Sandy ,
West Jordan ,
Orem , and
Provo are located within this region, which stretches approximately from
Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at the south end. Approximately 75% of the population of the state lies in this corridor, and urban sprawl continues to expand along the edges of these valleys.
Western Utah is mostly arid desert with a
Basin And Range geology. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain punctuate the landscape. However, the
Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat. Most of western Utah was once covered in
Lake Bonneville . The
Great Salt Lake and
Utah Lake are the only two significant remains of this ancient freshwater lake which once covered most of the eastern
Great Basin . West of the
Great Salt Lake , stretching to the
Nevada border, lies the
Great Salt Lake Desert , the most arid area in Utah.
Much of the scenic southern landscape is
Sandstone , more specifically
Kayenta Sandstone and
Navajo Sandstone . The
Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through the sandstone, creating some of the most striking and wild terrain in the world. Wind and rain have also sculpted the soft sandstone over millions of years. Canyons, gullies, arches, pinnacles, buttes, bluffs, and mesas are the common sight throughout south-central and southeast Utah. This terrain is accentuated in protected parks such as
Arches ,
Bryce Canyon ,
Canyonlands ,
Capitol Reef , and
Zion national parks,
Cedar Breaks ,
Grand Staircase-Escalante ,
Hovenweep , and
Natural Bridges national monuments,
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (site of the popular tourist destination,
Lake Powell ),
Dead Horse Point and
Goblin Valley state parks, and
Monument Valley , a popular photographic and filming site.
, Utah]]
Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as
Dixie because early settlers were able to grow limited amounts of cotton there.
Beaverdam Wash in far southwestern Utah is the lowest point in the state, at an elevation of 2,000 feet (610 m). The northernmost portion of the
Mojave Desert is also located in this area. Dixie is quickly becoming a popular recreational and retirement destination, and the population is growing rapidly.
Eastern Utah is a high elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins. Economies are dominated by
Mining ,
Oil and
Natural Gas -drilling,
Ranching , and
Recreation . Much of eastern Utah is part of the
Uintah And Ouray Indian Reservation . The most popular destination within eastern Utah is
Dinosaur National Monument .
Like most of the
West and
Southwest states, the
Federal Government owns much of the land in Utah. Over seventy percent of the land is either
BLM Land or
U.S. National Forest , park,
U.S. National Monument ,
National Recreation Area or
U.S. Wilderness Area .
See Also: List of Utah counties
Most of Utah is arid and high in elevation. Most of eastern and southern Utah receive 12 inches (300 mm) or less of precipitation per year, while many mountain areas receive more than 40 inches (1000 mm) per year, with some areas receiving up to 60 in (1500 mm). Much of western Utah receives less than 10 inches (250 mm), while the Wasatch Front receives approximately 15 inches (380 mm). The Great Salt Lake Desert is especially dry, receiving less than 5 inches (130 mm) annually. Snowfall is common in
Winter everywhere except the southern border and the Great Salt Lake Desert.
St. George averages about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of snow per year, while Salt Lake City receives almost 60 inches (150 cm) annually (amplified by the
Lake Effect from the Great Salt Lake). Many mountain areas receive in excess of 350 inches (900 cm) of snow in a year, while portions of the
Wasatch Range receive up to 500 inches (1,250 cm). Snowfall is common from late November through March in the lower elevations and from October through May in the mountains. The mountains often remain snow-covered into July. Fog and haze often caused by
Temperature Inversion s are common in the valleys and basins during winter, especially the
Uinta Basin , just south of the Uinta Mountains.
''See also
Utah Locations By Per Capita Income ''
The
Utah Jazz of the
National Basketball Association play in the
Delta Center in
Salt Lake City . Utah is by far the least populous U.S. state to have a
Major Professional Sports League franchise, although the
District Of Columbia has fewer people. Other teams include:
with the peak of
Mount Timpanogos covered in clouds on the far right upper corner.]]
- Popular recreational destinations within the mountains besides the ski resorts include Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area , Timpanogos Cave National Monument , Bear Lake , and Jordanelle , Strawberry , East Canyon , and Rockport reservoirs. The mountains are popular Camping , Rock-climbing , Skiing , Snowboarding , and Hiking destinations.
- The Trans-continental Railroad was joined at Promontory Summit, Utah
- Utah native Philo Farnsworth invented the electronic television in 1927
- Utah native John Moses Browning designed popular Firearm s like the M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun and the Colt Model 1911 .45 Semi-automatic Handgun
- The 2002 Winter Olympics were hosted by Salt Lake City.
- The USS ''Utah'' was named in honor of this state.
- The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster is built and serviced by the Thiokol division of ATK , which has its facilities in Brigham City. Boosters are tested periodically at a proving grounds in the Wasatch Range.
- Utah ranks first in antidepressant use and (as of 2004) personal bankruptcies per capita in the United States It ranks 47th in teen pregnancy (although at least some of these are married teenagers, which is not uncommon in the state), last in percentage of births out of wedlock, last in number of abortions per capita, and last in percentage of teen pregnancies terminated in abortion. Statistics relating to pregnancies and abortions may be artificially low from teenagers going out of state for abortions because of parental notification requirements [http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/journals/2911597.html , [http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/ib22.html]. Utah has the lowest child poverty rate in the country, despite its young demographics [http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html].
- According to IRS tax returns, Utahns rank first among all U.S. states in the proportion of income given to charity by the wealthy {Link without Title} .
- Jell-O is the official snack food of Utah.
The state of Utah relies heavily on income from tourists and travelers taking advantage of the state's ski resorts and natural beauty, and thus the need to "brand" Utah and create an impression of the state throughout the world has led to several state slogans, the most famous of which being "The Greatest Snow on Earth," which has been in use in Utah officially since
1975 (although the slogan was in unofficial use as early as
1962 ) and now adorns nearly 50% of the state's license plates. In
2001 , Utah Governor
Mike Leavitt approved a new state slogan, "Utah! Where Ideas Connect," which lasted until
March 10 ,
2006 , which the Utah Travel Council and the office of
Governor Jon Huntsman announced that "Life Elevated" would be the new state slogan.
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