pop (2000e) 2 223 200; area 219 880 km²/84 899 sq mi. State in W USA, divided into 29 counties; the Beehive State; first white exploration by the Spanish, 1540; acquired by the USA through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848; arrival of the Mormons, 1847; Utah Territory organized, 1850; several petitions for statehood denied because of the Mormons' practice of polygamy; antagonism between Mormon Church and Federal law over this issue led to the Utah War, 18578; joined the Union as the 45th state, 1896; capital, Salt Lake City; other chief cities, Provo and Ogden; rivers include the Colorado and Green; contains the Great Salt Lake in the NW, the largest salt-water lake in the country (2590 km²/1000 sq mi); L Utah is a freshwater lake S of Great Salt Lake; the Wasatch Range, part of the Rocky Mts, runs NS through the state; the Uinta Mts in the NE; highest point, Kings Peak (4123 m/13 527 ft); mountainous and sparsely inhabited E region dissected by deep canyons; major cities (containing four-fifths of the population) lie along W foothills of the Wasatch Range; the Great Basin further W; the arid Great Salt Lake Desert in the NW; cattle, sheep, poultry, hay, wheat, barley, sugar-beet; copper, petroleum, coal; aerospace research, machinery, transportation equipment, electronic components, fabricated metals, processed foods; tourism (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Zion National Park).
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State of Utah
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Utah (IPA: [ˈjutɑː]) is a U.S. state located in the western United States. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most urbanized in the U.S.
The state is generally rocky with three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau.
Utah granted full voting rights to women in 1870, 26 years before becoming a state.
Geography
Utah is one of the Four Corners states, and is bordered by Idaho and Wyoming in the north; Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, Rush Lake and Little Salt Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake, which once covered most of the eastern Great Basin.
Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah.
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, Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest, park, U.S. National Monument, National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area.
Utah, like most of the western United States, has very few days of thunderstorms annually.
As troops approached Salt Lake in northern Utah, nervous Mormon settlers and Paiutes attacked and killed 120 immigrants from Arkansas in southern Utah.
Before troops led by Albert Sidney Johnston entered the territory, Brigham Young ordered all residents of Salt Lake City to evacuate southward to Utah Valley and sent out a force, known as the Nauvoo Legion, to delay the government's advance.
Utah contains 5 metropolitan areas (Logan, Ogden-Clearfield, Salt Lake City, Provo-Orem, and St. George), and 5 micropolitan areas (Brigham City, Heber, Vernal, Price, and Cedar City).
Race and ancestry
| Demographics of Utah (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 95.20% | 1.14% | 1.84% | 2.20% | 0.97% |
| 2000 (hispanic only) | 8.62% | 0.16% | 0.26% | 0.08% | 0.05% |
| 2005 (total population) | 95.01% | 1.32% | 1.69% | 2.40% | 0.95% |
| 2005 (hispanic only) | 10.39% | 0.23% | 0.26% | 0.10% | 0.05% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | 10.37% | 28.78% | 2.04% | 21.00% | 8.53% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) | 8.09% | 23.37% | 0.78% | 20.69% | 8.43% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) | 33.30% | 61.74% | 9.53% | 28.88% | 10.45% |
The five largest ancestry groups in the state are:
29.0% English 11.6% German 6.8% Native American 6.5% Danish 6.1% MexicanMost Utahns are of Northern European descent.
Religion
Utah is well-known for being a heavily Mormon (or Latter Day Saint) state. There is a large and increasing number of Catholics in Utah as a result of immigration from Mexico, along with previous waves of Catholics from Italy, and as with all states in the West the percentage of those claiming no religion is above the national average, earning the state the title of the 10th highest irreligious population, which it shares with five other states.
The self identified religious affiliations of adults (note that numbers below do not include children, thus the disparity with the percentage identified above) living in Utah are:
Latter-day Saints - 57% Roman Catholics - 6% Episcopalians - 3% Baptists - 2% Other Christians - 3% Evangelicals - 1% Presbyterians - 1% Lutherans - 1% Methodists - 1% Non-religious - 17% Refused to identify - 4% Other - 3% Muslim - 1%Totals are rounded.
Age and sex
Due to its high total birth rate (highest of any state in the U.S.), Utah has the youngest population of any state.
The age distribution in Utah is:
9.4% under age 5 32.2% under age 18 8.5% 65 or olderThe gender makeup of Utah is:
49.9% female 50.1% maleEconomy
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the gross state product of Utah in 2004 was $82.6 billion.
Tourism is a major industry in Southern Utah, with Utah's five national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion) and many other attractions.
Utah is also noted for its ski resorts, near Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Provo, and Cedar City.
Transportation
Interstate 15 is the main interstate highway in the state, entering from Arizona north to Idaho and serving such cities as St. George, Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden.
A light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley known as TRAX consists of two lines, one providing access from downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy, and the other providing access to the University of Utah east of downtown.
Law and government
Utah government, like most U.S. states, is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Other Laws
Utah is also one of only two states in the United States to outlaw all forms of gambling;
Politics
Presidential elections results| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 71% 663,742 | 26% 241,199 |
| 2000 | 67% 512,168 | 26% 201,734 |
| 1996 | 54% 361,911 | 33% 221,633 |
| 1992 | 43% 322,632 | 25% 183,429 |
| 1988 | 66% 428,442 | 32% 207,343 |
The current governor of Utah is Jon M.
Despite its political neutrality, the influence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made Utah one of the most Republican states in the nation and as a result is thought to be very conservative.
Governor elections results| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 57% 473,814 | 42% 350,841 |
| 2000 | 56% 422,357 | 43% 320,141 |
| 1996 | 75% 500,293 | 24% 155,294 |
The state's leadership is run by the Republican Party.
Senator Bennett results| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 69% 626,640 | 28% 258,955 |
| 1998 | 64% | 33% |
Prayers are commonplace in Utah politics, and lawmakers of both parties, whether liberal or conservative, speak of their relationship with God or their religious beliefs in ordinary conversation.
Utah's liberal areas include Carbon County, Grand County, Salt Lake County, and Summit County.
Senator Hatch results| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NA | NA |
| 2000 | 66% 501,925 | 32% 241,129 |
Carbon County's Democrats are generally made up of members of the large Greek, Italian,and Southeastern European communities, whose ancestors migrated in the early 1900s to work in the extensive mining industry.
Salt Lake County Mayor| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 44% 144,928 | 48% 157,287 |
| 2000 | 52% 158,787 | 47% 144,011 |
The state's most Republican areas tend to be Utah County, which is the home to Brigham Young University and Provo, and nearly all the rural counties. Bush won every county in the state and Utah gave him his largest margin of victory of any state.
Important cities and towns
Lists of cities in Utah: Alphabetical—Ranked by population
Utah's population is concentrated in two areas, the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, with a population of approximately 2 million;
According the 2000 Census, Utah was the fourth fastest growing state (at 29.6%) in the United States between 1990 and 2000. miles
|
Population Density per sq mi |
County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 178,097 | 109.1 | 1,632.4 | Salt Lake |
| 2 | Provo | 113,459 | 39.6 | 2,865.1 | Utah |
| 3 | West Valley City | 113,300 | 35.4 | 3,200.5 | Salt Lake |
| 4 | West Jordan | 91,444 | 30.9 | 2,959.3 | Salt Lake |
| 5 | Orem | 89,713 | 18.4 | 4,875.7 | Utah |
| 6 | Sandy | 89,664 | 22.3 | 4,020.8 | Salt Lake |
| 7 | Ogden | 78,309 | 26.6 | 2,943.9 | Weber |
| 8 | St. George | 64,201 | 64.4 | 996.9 | Washington |
| 9 | Layton | 61,782 | 20.7 | 2,984.6 | Davis |
| 10 | Taylorsville | 58,009 | 10.7 | 5,421.4 | Salt Lake |
| Combined Statistical Area |
Population (2004) |
|---|---|
|
Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield comprised of: Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield Metropolitan Areas and Brigham City and Heber Micropolitan Areas (as listed below) |
1,559,230 |
|
Utah Rank |
Metropolitan Area |
Population (2004) |
U.S. Rank |
Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City* | 1,018,826 | 50 | Salt Lake, Tooele, Summit |
| 2 | Ogden-Clearfield* | 477,455 | 101 | Weber, Davis, Morgan |
| 3 | Provo Orem | 412,361 | 112 | Utah |
| 4 | St. George | 109,924 | 318 | Washington |
| 5 | Logan | 109,666 | 320 | Cache, Franklin (Idaho) |
* Until 2003, the Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan areas were considered as a single metropolitan area.
|
Utah Rank |
Micropolitan Area |
Population (2004) |
U.S. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham City | 44,810 | 280 |
| 2 | Cedar City | 36,285 | 386 |
| 3 | Vernal | 26,671 | 495 |
| 4 | Price | 19,689 | 550 |
| 5 | Heber | 18,139 | 560 |
See also Utah locations by per capita income
Education
Colleges and universities
| Brigham Young University in Provo College of Eastern Utah in Price Dixie State College of Utah (formerly Dixie College) in St. George ITT Technical Institute in Murray LDS Business College in Salt Lake City Neumont University in South Jordan Provo College in Provo Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville Snow College in Ephraim and Richfield Southern Utah University (formerly Southern Utah State College) in Cedar City | Stevens-Henager College at various locations statewide University of Phoenix at various locations statewide University of Utah in Salt Lake City Utah College of Massage Therapy in Salt Lake City Utah State University in Logan (satellite campuses at various state locations) Utah Valley State College (formerly Utah Valley Community College) in Orem Weber State University in Ogden Western Governors University an online university, begun by former Utah Governor, Michael O. Leavitt Westminster College in Salt Lake City |
Professional sports teams
The Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association play in the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Other teams include:
Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer in Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City (a soccer-specific stadium has been approved for Sandy, and ground was broken for the new stadium on August 12, 2006) Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League in Lindquist Field in Ogden Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League in Parkway Crossings in Orem Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL in the E Center in West Valley City Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League at the Delta Center in Salt Lake CityMiscellanea
A view of the Wasatch Mountains with the peak of Mount Timpanogos covered in clouds on the far right upper corner. Mexican President Vicente Fox visited Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 23, 2006, as the first stop on his trip to the United States, which also included stops in California and Washington state. It is unusual for a foreign head of state to visit Utah (except for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics). Loretta Young - actress Merlin Olsen - former National Football League player and actorBranding
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! The state's Mormon population rebels against the United States in an attempt to create the Nation of Deseret throughout the series, which results in battles in and around Salt Lake City, Provo, and other locations.
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