Utah

Template:US state

Utah (IPA: [ˈjutɔː, ˈjutɑː]) an intermountain state located in the western US, became the 45th state to join the Union on January 4, 1896. Most of the state's 2,500,000 residents live in its capital and largest metropolis, Salt Lake City, in the center of the Wasatch Front or in other nearby major cities: Provo, Orem, Ogden, Logan, and the suburb of Sandy. The State also contains vast, nearly uninhabited stretches of land. Utah ranks as the sixth most urbanized state in the Union.

The state is famous for its geological diversity, ranging from snowcapped mountains to flowing river valleys and rugged, stony deserts carved into spectacular scenes. Utah is one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union; approximately 62% of its residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also called the LDS or Mormon Church. Evidence of LDS influence upon Utah's daily life includes the number of LDS churches and other church founded institutions such as the Great Temple in Salt Lake City, home of the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Deseret publishing company, and Brigham Young University.

Utah's pivotal central western location make the state a natural transportation center. Other key industries include information technology and research, government services, mining, and tourism. Utah attracts numerous visitors to its churches, museums, parks, and natural recreation areas, such as Bryce Canyon. The State Motto, Industry reflects Utah's long tradition of resourcefulness and hard work. St. George, Utah was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000-2005 In 2006, Utah ranked as the sixth fastest growing state.[40]

This spectacular land's history is wrought with the struggle of its various cultural groups to appreciate each other's values and contributions to the state and the need to work together to make the most of its resources. All peoples who settled Utah hoped to establish happy homes where their families could live in freedom. Governor Huntsman, several businessmen, Native peoples, and others are striving to enhance the state's natural features and to improve the living standards of all Utah's citizens. It is hoped that their success will multiply in Utah, the United States, and the world.

Etymology

Utah's name originates from the Ute Indian language, which is translated "people of the mountains." The Utes comprised the most populous of Utah's indigenous peoples who lived in the vicinity prior to and during white settlement.

Geography

Utah State Symbols

Living Symbols
-Animal	Rocky Mountain Elk
-Bird	California Seagull
-Butterfly	N/A
-Fish	Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
-Flower	Sego Lily
-Furbearer	{{{Furbearer}}}
-Grass	Indian ricegrass
-Insect	European Honey Bee
-Reptile	N/A
-Tree	Blue Spruce
-Wildflower	N/A
Beverage	N/A
Capital	Salt Lake City
Colors	N/A
Dance	Square Dance
Fossil	Allosaurus
Gemstone	Topaz
Mineral	Copper
Motto	Industry
Musical Instrument	{{{MusicalInstrument}}}
Neckwear	{{{Neckwear}}}
Nickname	Beehive State
Rock	Coal
Game	Chess
Ship(s)	USS Utah (BB-31)
Song	Utah, This is the Place
Soil	Mivida
Tartan	Utah State Tartan
Waltz	N/A

File:Map of Utah NA.png

Map of Utah

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Utah from space. The state is known for its diversity in geology, climate, and ecosystems.

Joshua Trees, yucca plants, and Jumping Cholla cactus occupy the far southwest corner of the state in the Mojave Desert.

Logan Canyon in northern Utah.

File:PSP 021.jpg

Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Topography

Utah has three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau. Residents and visitors alike enjoy Utah's natural diversity of arid deserts with sand dunes and mountains and valleys with thriving pine forests.

The Beehive State shares its borders with Idaho to its northwest, Nevada to its west, Wyoming to its northeast, Colorado to its east, New Mexico to its southeast, and Arizona to its south. Unique within the 48 contiguous states, the four states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona meet at a single point, the Four Corners Monument). The state comprises a total land mass of 84,899 square miles (219,887 km²).

One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the center of the state is the Wasatch Range, with heights of approximately 12,000 feet (3,650 m) above sea level. Portions of these mountains receive more than 500 inches (12.7 m) of snow each year and are home to world-renowned ski resorts, made popular by the light, fluffy snow. In the northeastern section of the state, running east to west, are the Uinta Mountains, which attain heights of 13,000 feet (3,950 m) and where the highest state summit, Kings Peak, 13,528 feet (4,123 m), is found..

Western Utah is primarily an arid desert comprised of a basin and range that is difficult to farm and develop. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain comprise most of the landscape except for the Bonneville Salt Flats, which are rather flat. At one time they formed the lake bed of Lake Bonneville. 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. West of the Great Salt Lake, stretching to the Nevada border, lies the Great Salt Lake Desert, the most arid part of Utah, which posed a difficult crossing point for American pioneers venturing west. Traveling in 1860 to Salt Lake Valley, pioneer child, Mary Ann Hafen, related: "There were six to our cart. Father and Mother pulled it; Rosie (her sister, age 2) rode, John (age 9) and I (age 6) walked. Sometimes, when it was downhill, they let me ride, too....Mother's feet [became] so swollen that she could not wear shoes, but had to wrap her feet with cloth."

The southern landscape is primarily comprised of Kayenta and Navajo sandstone. The Colorado River and its tributaries wind through this rock, creating some of the most spectacular wild terrain in the world. Wind and rain have sculpted the soft rock outcroppings over millions of years, producing breathtaking sites of canyons, gullies, arches, pinnacles, buttes, bluffs, and mesas throughout south-central and southeast Utah. Here 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.

Southwestern Utah, also called Dixie for its southern location and cotton crop, contains the state's lowest and hottest spot. Beaverdam Wash, the site of the state's lowest point at 2,000 feet (610 m)., lies in far southwestern Utah, the site of the northernmost portion of the Mojave Desert. Many retirees and tourists are flocking to Dixie, and travelers and residents both enjoy Utah's highest ski resort, Brian Head located to Dixie's immediate north.

In contrast, Eastern Utah has a high elevation, generally covered by plateaus and basins. Its primary economies include mining, oil, natural gas-drilling, ranching, and recreation. Much of eastern Utah contains part of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The Navajo Nation also extends into southeastern Utah. The most popular destination within eastern Utah is Dinosaur National Monument.

Like most of the west and southwest states, the federal government under the BLM land, Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest, park, U.S. National Monument, National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area, owns a vast amount, over seventy percent, of Utah's land. Since 2007 this figure stands at 90% in the southern counties. Often contention occurs between commercial interests such as ranching, mining, energy development, and motorized recreation when the government owns so much land and imposes extra rules. However, regular tourism and non motorized recreation attract many people and revenue to Utah's south, so these residents do not mind the federal control.

Climate

Most of Utah is arid with a high elevation. Its eastern and southern areas commonly receive 12 inches (300 mm) or less of precipitation per year, and the annual rainfall in western Utah is generally less than ten inches (25 cm). The Wasatch Front receives approximately 15 inches (38 cm) per year. The Great Salt Lake Desert is quite dry, with less than five inches (13 cm) annually. Rain favors the mountain areas, with more than 40 inches (1 m) per year overall, although annual precipitation in some alpine places can be up to 60 inches (1.5 m).

Snowfall is common in winter everywhere except along the southern border and in the Great Salt Lake Desert. St. George averages about three inches (7.5 cm) of snow per year, while Salt Lake City receives almost 60 inches (1.5 m) annually (amplified by the lake effect from the Great Salt Lake). Many mountain areas receive 350 inches (9 m) of snow per year; while portions of the Wasatch Range receive up to 500 inches (12.7 m). Snowfall is common from November through mid-April in the lower elevations and from October through May in the mountains. The mountains often retain snow into July. Fog and haze caused by temperature inversions are common in the valleys and basins during winter, especially in the Uinta Basin, just south of the Uinta Mountains.

During summer and fall, most precipitation originates from storms in the south. These tempests consist of short, sporadic, and intense thunderstorms that can cause wildfires and flash floods. Precipitation during the rest of the year generally arrives on jetstreams from the Pacific Ocean. Spring is the wettest season across the northern part of the state, while the south experiences its wettest times in late summer and early fall. Winter is the wettest season in most of the mountain areas.

Utah winters are frigid; most temperatures fall below freezing. Highs average between 25 °F (-4 °C) and 50 °F (10 °C) across the state. Days below 0 °F (-18 °C) generally occur at least once a year. In the populated areas, cold snaps are usually short and not severe. However, some mountain valleys, including Randolph, generally experience temperatures below 0 °F (-18 °C) 50 days per year. Sometimes the mountains to Utah's north and east function as barriers to Arctic air. Summer produces the other extreme, with high temperatures averaging between 85 °F (29 °C) and 100 °F (38 °C). Days over 100 °F (38 °C) can be expected in most areas below 5,000 feet (1,500 m) at least once per year and are the norm in the southern valleys. According to the Golden Gate Weather Service, the record high temperature in Utah was 117 °F (47 °C), recorded at St. George on July 5, 1985, and the record low was -69 °F (-56 °C), recorded at Peter's Sink in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah on February 1, 1985.

Like most In most of the western United States, there are few thunderstorms. According to the National Climatic Data Center, Utah has an average of two per year, and these tempests are usually short but intense.

History

Native American History

The original inhabitants of Utah were Desert Culture dwellers who lived in the Great Basin near present day Wendover about 12,000 years ago. They were nomadic, moving to areas which best met their food and shelter needs according to the seasons. For food, they gathered berries, grains, nuts, and medicinal plants. Each family hunted insects, rabbits, and rodents; however, families worked together to track large animals such as antelope and sheep.

The Fremont Culture peoples lived in Utah about 400 C.E. They had learned farming and building techniques from ancient Mexican civilizations. The Fremonts lives throughout Utah north of the Colorado River. Today we can find many of their sites on top of older Desert Culture sites. These indigenous peoples built pit houses which they dug into the ground and lined with stone or plaster and covered with tree limbs and brush. A large grouping of 20 such houses has been found in Caldwell Village in the Uinta Basin.

A third ancient culture developed south of the Colorado River. They were the Anasazi, a Navajo word which means Ancient Ones. The Anasazi were farmers who irrigated fields to grow crops and built pueblos, or villages which housed several hundred people. Their apartment constructions, some as high as five stories, were made on cliff caves or flat hills called mesas or tables. The most renowned is in Hovenweep, southeastern Utah.

The Fremonts and Anasazi peoples were famous for their rock art, depicted in chipped or painted symbols and figures on canyon walls. For unknown reasons, their homes and villages were abandoned in the late 1200s, perhaps due to inclement weather, such as drought, or invasions of other more aggressive peoples.

More recent indigenous groups include the Paiutes (Pahutes), Gosiutes (or Goshutes) Utes and Shoshones who arrived in Utah around the time the Fremonts and Anasazis had left. These groups came from southern California and northern Mexico. The Paiutes lived in southern Utah, parts of Arizona, Nevada, and California. They were hunters and traveled as small families. The western deserts were the homes of the Gosiutes, whose primary foods at that time were seeds, roots, and insects. They also lived in small groups. The Paiute, Gosiute, Ute, are among the tribes still living in Utah today.

The Utes were the most prevalent of these three tribes. They were the first modern Indians in Utah to utilize the horse. They became skillful riders and traveled throughout the entire state, hunting buffalo and other animals. Their numbers and power grew, and they adapted slave trading from the Spaniards, raiding the other two weaker, smaller tribes. Some Ute customs still prevalent today include the spring Bear Dance and the summer Sun dance.

The Navajo comprise a large Nation in New Mexico, Arizona, and since 1500, the area in Utah near Four Corners. Like the Utes, they domesticated the horse and sheep and they lived as herders. Navajo are excellent craftsman as weavers, metalworkers, and jewelers. Their beautiful necklaces made of turquoise, silver, and local stones and metals are popular gifts among tourists.

Among the different types of indigenous groups in the area, the Utes were the largest in number and the ones with whom white settlers clashed most. At first, the Utes traded with settlers. Relations worsened, however, as the two groups fought each other for dominion of territory and food.

In 1865, Utah's Black Hawk War developed into the deadliest conflict in the territory's history. Chief Antonga Black Hawk had surrendered three years earlier having seen the futility of continuing further bloodshed of his people and others. Black Hawk and the Utes had raided white settlements, seeking cattle to replace lost land and food. After the conflict to restore relations, he visited every city from Cedar City to Payson. The chief died in 1870, and he was buried in the foothills east and south of Spring Lake Villa, Utah County. <ref. "Black Hawk Passes Over, A letter from William Provert."</ref> Mr. Provert shared the information with Mr. Peter Gottfriedson who included it in his website:

Battles continued between the settlers and the indigenous peoples until additional federal troops were ordered to suppress the Ghost Dance of 1872, a three-way conflict, with mounted Timpanogos Utes led by Antonguer Black Hawk exploited by both federal and LDS authorities.

The Utes were compelled to leave their original lands in Central Utah and Colorado in 1879 and settle in the reservations of the Utah desert where they were still affected by white laws. To be assimilated into white society, indigenous youngsters were forced to attend boarding schools for six consecutive years. During that period those students were not permitted to visit their parents. Often youth died from diseases to which they had no immunity and were buried on property outlying the school.

Utah's Native American families still experience many difficulties; however, government leaders, business people, and the Natives are working together to implement new opportunites for them. For example, investor John Jurrius helps fund oil exploration, and Governor Jon Huntsman has made unprecedented efforts to convene with each tribe. Deseretnews.com reports that Utah's Native American tribes are finding new ways to fund their tribes' families besides gambling, which is illegal in the state. More tribal members are rising from poverty and combating problems of unemployment and low test scores, which currently rate at the 36 percentile, below Hispanics.

Successful tribal business endeavors include Shoshone cultural preservation through songs, dances, and crafts, document translation services for the F.B.I., a Paiute computer services company with a minimum pay rate of $10.00 per hour, and Ute and Navajo oil sales. While meeting with the Paiute Nation in May 2006, Governor Huntsman stressed the importance of preventing suicide among the Native population, which is five times the national average: It's about the emerging generation and doing what's necessary for them.

European Influence

In July, 1776 the Spaniards were the first Europeans to visit Utah. Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante were Franciscan friars, or Catholic priests of the Franciscan order, who were searching for an overland route to the missions in Monterey, California. The friars believed that the Ute settlement had potential, and they promised to return. However, their promise did not materialize as later the priests encountered difficulties in traveling, short supplies, and inclement weather. A map that they had designed indicated a river where none existed, so travelers along the route who referenced it either suffered death or extreme deprivation from thirst.

Mountain Men

In the 1800s hundreds of mountain men, or fur traders traveling throughout the west established their own trails in search of beaver for pelts to be made into popular hats in famous U.S. and European cities. Kit Carson, a well known guide and Jim Beckwourth, a mountain man leader, and other traders enjoyed the independence of their occupation and delighted in the boisterous, if excessive, parties such as an Ogden gathering that Mr. Beckwourth described in 1826: Mirth, songs, dancing, shouting, trading, running, jumping, singing, racing, target shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent, were freely indulged in.

Some endured great hardships, too. Jedeiah Strong Smith was the first white man to cross Utah throughout the state, north to south and east to west. His animals were ill and exhausted after traveling, and he had to consume his sick horse to survive.

The mountain men and the Indians business flourished for about 20 years until the supply of animals diminished and the fashions changed. With no remaining economic and without having established families in the area, the mountain men left the area in the late 1840s seeking wealth elsewhere.

Some Early American Pioneers

Several groups of settlers were westward bound to California or Oregon Territory, and they passed through Utah. The Bartleson-Bidwell group of 1841 were the first American emigrants to cross Utah. They and the Donner-Reed Pary who traveled five years later, used the Miera map which presented the non-existent river. Both groups reached California but suffered great deprivations of weather and food along the way and were compelled to abandon many supplies, wagons, and animals. The Donner-Reed party was reduced from 87 to 44 of their original group of emigrants.

John C. Frémont a famous western government explorer, aided by guide Kit Carson, visited the Great Salt Lake Region in 1843-44. In 1845 he printed a correct map that identified the drainage of the Great Salt Lake as a Great Basin. Two years after the map was printed, the first group of Caucasian members and three African-American slaves used the revised map when it traveled to Utah, following the path of the Donner-Reed party trail. These Mormon pioneers would claim this western desert and mountainous area as their homeland.

Mormon Settlement

The Mormon faith began in Palymra, New York when the founder Joseph Smith, Jr., at the age of 14, reported an apparition from God and Jesus. Three years later he stated the angel Moroni appeared and revealed church teachings to him over a four year period after which he received the golden plates and a revelation from John the Baptist. Joseph Smith and a scribe, Mr. Cowdery, baptized each other as Church priests, in the Melchizedec order, and became the Church's first elders.

In 1930 Joseph Smith and five other men founded the Church of Christ, which moved to Kirtland, Ohio, near Cleveland. In 1834 the church was renamed the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The members experienced financial struggles, verbal opposition, and hostility from neighbors, which climaxed in a massacre of 17 Saints in 1838 at Haun's Mill, Far West, Missouri in Caldwell County, an area reserved for Church members after they were expelled from Jackson County.

Brigham Young, the President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, emerged as the new LDS leader. He led the first group of Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. During the next 22 years, more than 70,000 Latter Day Saints pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah.

Salt Lake City was considered the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth" of Mormon settlements. The church grew rapidly, and many from the eastern United States and other nations settled in Utah. Church leaders assigned groups to settle throughout the West. With such religious expansion efforts and land irrigation, settlements grew quickly along Utah's Wasatch front (Salt Lake City). Then it expanded to the Bountiful and Weber Valley, and continued to Provo and Utah Valley in areas that Jim Bridger had advised Young that crops would not grow because of persistent frost.

Settlement spread to western states, Canada, and Mexico and included Las Vegas, Nevada, San Bernadino, California, and Carson Valley, Nevada. Prominent early LDS towns in Utah were St. George, Logan, and Manti (where the first temples in Utah were built), Fillmore (the territorial capital between 1850 and 1856), Nephi, Levan, Spanish Fork, Springville, Provo Bench (renamed Orem), and many others. Young named this new Mormon pioneer territory Deseret which means "honeybee." This symbol appears on the Utah state flag, and it is the source of the state motto, "Industry."

In 1847 when the first LDS pioneers arrived, Utah was under Mexican jurisdiction. The Mormons were Little or no Mexican settlement was found and no government influenced the area. At first, Mormons traded with the Indians, and relations were not strained. However, the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, on February 2, 1848 denoted U.S. victory in the Mexican-American War. The United States Senate ratified this treaty on March 10. The Utah Territory was created with the Compromise of 1850, and Fillmore was designated the territorial capital. In 1856, Salt Lake City assumed that role which it has held to this day.

The LDS practice of polygamy or plural marriage intensified disputes between the Mormon inhabitants and the US Government and the American public, who condemned this practice and considered LDS members to be un-American and rebellious. The Mormons wanted to admit the State of Deseret into the Union. Its original size extended west to east from San Diego to the summit of the Rocky Mountains and north to south from the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming to Arizona's Gila River in the south and included parts of present day Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. However, Utah was later reduced to its present size.

In 1857, news of a false LDS rebellion spread; the federal government dispatched troops for the "Utah expedition" to crush the alleged revolt and replace the territorial governor, Brigham Young, with Alfred Cumming. Thus began the Utah War.

Federal troops approached Salt Lake in northern Utah, and frightened Mormon settlers and Paiutes aligned in southern Utah to attack and kill 120 immigrants from Arkansas in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The strife between LDS leaders and the federal government created from this slaughter endured for decades. Only one person, John D. Lee, was convicted of the murders and was executed at the massacre site.

Before Albert Sidney Johnston led troops into the territory, Brigham Young directed all Salt Lake City residents to evacuate to Utah Valley. Young dispatched a force, the Nauvoo Legion, to delay the government's advance by burning federal wagons and supplies. However, the troops arrived, and Young officially relinquished control to Cumming. Young exerted influence behind the scenes. Several governors appointed to Utah by President Buchanan resigned; each one stated that Utah's territorial government refused to cooperate with them.

Bonneville Salt Flats

The American Civil War diverted much tooop attention to its bloody battlefields between 1861 to 1865. However, Patrick E. Connor arrived with a regiment of California volunteers in 1862. Connor established Fort Douglas three miles (5 km) east of Salt Lake City. To increase non-Mormon settlement in the area, he encouraged his people to search for mineral deposits. Minerals were discovered in Tooele County, and, when the news spread, miners dashed to the territory searching for quick profits.

In the 1870s and 1880s, laws were passed to punish polygamists to jail sentences, often far from home. In the 1890 Manifesto, the LDS Church banned polygamy. The writers of the State Constitution expressly prohibited its practice in the document as it did with other areas applying for statehood later. Utah reapplied and became a state on January 4, 1896 and was the last state admitted to the Union in the Nineteenth Century.

Alpine Loop near Sundance in the fall.

Snowbird ski resort

Important Events in the 1800s

Salt Lake City was the site of the last link of the First Transcontinental Telegraph, completed in October of 1861. President Abraham Lincoln and Brigham Young were among the first officials to send a message via the new invention.

Bonneville Salt Flats

On May 10, 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake. The railroad brought additional people to the territory where several influential business people made fortunes. Ogden became the main city for transferring stock, passengers, and freight once the railroad was completed. New industries arose including woolen mills, canneries, livestock yards, flour mills, breweries, iron works, banks, hotels, telephone, telegraph, and power companies. In 1879, Ogden inventor John M. Browning patented the single shot rifle and 100 other gun styles. The town of Corrine, founded in 1869 and named after a daughter of General J. A. Williamson, became famous for freighting and banking. This town strove to become the commercial center of the Intermountain West. Between 1869 to 1878 Corinne contained 257 businesses relating to freight transport and banking.

Utah granted full voting rights to women in 1870, 26 years before becoming a state. Among all U.S. states, only Wyoming granted suffrage to women earlier. [41] However, in 1887 Congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker Act to curtail excessive Mormon influence in the territorial government. One of the Act's provisions was to repeal suffrage; full suffrage returned when Utah was admitted to the Union in 1896.

The Constitution of Utah was enacted in 1895. Besides outlawing polygamy, it reestablished the territorial practice of women's suffrage. Utah's Constitution has been amended many times since its inception.

1900s to present

In the early 1900s Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park became national landmarks. Utah attained renown for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged western scenes; most Americans came to recognize such natural landmarks as Delicate Arch and "the Mittens" of Monument Valley. During the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, the Interstate highway system was constructed.

Beginning in 1939, the Alta Ski Area was established, and Utah became famous throughout the world for its high quality snow and skiing, which many consider the best in the world, especially in the Wasatch Range. Salt Lake City was selected to host the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995, which helped its economy grow. The popularity of these ski resorts has increased, and many of the Olympic venues along the Wasatch Front are still used for sporting events. To better serve the tourists within and from outside Utah, the TRAX light-rail system was developed in Salt Lake Valley and the city wide freeway system was updated.

During the late 20th century, the state grew quickly, especially the suburbs in the 1970s. Sandy was one of the fastest growing cities in the country at that time. Today, many areas of Utah continue to experience amazing growth. Northern Davis, southern and western Salt Lake, Summit, eastern Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, and Washington counties are among the rapidly growing areas. The twenty-first century growth phenomenon repeats the political struggle of earlier eras in the areas of transportation and urbanization as Utah's diverse residents strive to deal with commercial development versus agricultural and wilderness issues.

Utah and Hawaii are the only two states to outlaw all forms of gaming. Utah Territory had outlawed gambling in January 1850, and the institution has never been permitted since statehood. Utah is an alcoholic beverage control state. Since 1935, the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has regulated the sale of alcohol. People aged 21 and older may purchase wine and spiritous liquors only in Utah state liquor stores upon presenting proof of official photo identification. Local laws may prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays. The largest size of heavy (full strength) beer dispensed in Utah is 1 liter.

Law and government

State Capital

Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city of the Beehive State. It is also the county seat for Salt Lake County, and it is located between the Grand Canyon and Zion national parks. It home to the University of Utah and the Mormon Tabernacle, which was established in 1892. It is located near famous ski resorts, and the city is a regional business headquarters.

State Politics

As with most U.S. states, Utah's government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

The top executives of Utah are the governor and the lieutenant governor, who are elected on the same ticket and they can serve a maximum of two four-year terms.

The Utah State Legislature consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. State senators serve four year terms and representatives, two year terms. The Utah Legislature meets each year in January for an annual forty-five day session.

The Utah Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Utah. Five justices, whom the governor initally appoints, serve on this court. Voters must elect them for subsequent terms. Other lower court justices and judges follow this same procedure. The Utah Court of Appeals [42] handles cases from the trial courts. Trial level courts are the district courts and justice courts.

The Republican Party prevails in the state's leadership. Governors usually assume a centrist position on social issues and favor free economic trade. State senators and representatives generally pass socially conservative policies which governors often veto such as SB 155.

Utah residents are also more liberal than their legislators on issues such as legal recognition for same-sex couples and joint custody for a non-biological parent of a child, About 80% of Utah's Legislature are LDS members although church membership accounts for 62% of the population.

In general, Utah is one of the most conservative states in the Union. Both parties pray in public meetings and schools, and their members speak openly of their relationship with God or their religious beliefs. The parties agree that "marriage as a union between one man and one woman." Some add we must "understand the differences in a spirit of civility, hope, and mutual respect." Both agree that every abortion is a "tragedy"; some note it should be limited to "instances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, cases of fetal deformities, or endangerment to the life or health of the mother."

Salt Lake County is generally the most conservative and Republican. The Democrats favor the economic policies of free trade. Salt Lake City has not voted for a Republican mayor since the 1970s.

Politically liberal areas which comprise one million of the state's two and a half million residents, include Carbon County, Grand County, Salt Lake County, and Summit County. Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County now have Democratic Party mayors who hold liberal viewpoints.

Federal Politics

Utah's relationship with the federal government has been controversial due to its support of polygamy, which the Mormons renounced in 1890 to join the Union six years later. Mining and other industries brought peple with different viewpoints. [43] These strained tensions between Mormons and non-LDS "gentiles" played a large part in Utah's historical (Liberal Party vs. People's Party).

The Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City.

The Scott Matheson Courthouse is the seat of the Utah Supreme Court

Both of Utah's U.S. Senators, Orrin Hatch and Robert Foster Bennett, are Republican. Two more Republicans, Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, as well as one member of the Democratic Party, Jim Matheson, represent Utah in the United States House of Representatives.

Most of Utah's citizens and politicians of both parties are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church is officially neutral regarding political affiliations and candidates. However, Utahns, especially LDS members, generally elect Republicans.

In the 1970s, then-Apostle Ezra Taft Benson was quoted by the Associated Press that it would be difficult for a faithful Latter-day Saint to be a liberal Democrat. Although the LDS Church has officially repudiated such statements, Democratic candidates—including LDS Democrats—believe that Republicans capitalize on the perception that the Republican Party is doctrinally superior. David Magleby, dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Brigham Young University, a lifelong Democrat and political analyst, asserts that the Republican Party holds more conservative positions than the LDS Church: local conservative Democrat platforms better match LDS doctrine. To elaborate, the Republican Party of Utah opposes all abortions under any conditions while the LDS Church and Utah Democrats allow exceptions for rape, incest, and endangerment to the mother's life. Similarly, the state GOP has disagreed with the LDS Church position opposing concealed firearms in places of worship.

The LDS Church has been concerned by the perception of political bias in the wake of Massachusetts Republican Mitt Romney's prospective presidential campaign. In 1998 the Church expressed concern that Utahns perceived the Republican Party as an LDS institution and, the LDS authorized lifelong Democrat and Seventy, Marlin Jensen, to promote LDS bipartisanship.

The state has not voted for a Democrat for President since 1964, and Republican presidential nominees achieve one of their highest margins of victory here. Utah was the Republicans' best state in the 1976, elections. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush won every county in Utah and attained the largest margin of victory in the country. He won the state's 5 electoral votes by a margin of 46 percentage points with 71.5% of the vote cast. In the 1996 Presidential elections the Republican candidate received a smaller 54% of the vote while the Democrat earned 34%.

Economy

Bryce Canyon National Park is a major tourist attraction

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported the gross state product of Utah in 2004 was $82.6 billion and the per capita personal income was $26,606 in 2004.

According to the 2007 State New Economy Index, Utah ranks as the top state in the Nation for Economic Dynamism, determined by

"The degree to which state economies are knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, information technology-driven and innovation-based."

Utah collects personal income tax within 6 income brackets. The state sales tax has a base rate of 5.75%; cities and counties levying additional local sales taxes. Property taxes are assessed and collected locally. Utah does not charge intangible property taxes and it does not apply an inheritance tax.

Natural Resources

Major industries in Utah include mining, cattle ranching, salt production, and government services.

The late 19th century marked the beginning of the state's mining boom which attracted large numbers of immigrants of diverse faiths with job opportunities. One example of mining success is the Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the world's largest open pit mines). Since Utah Territory days, mining has played a major role in Utah's economy. Historical mining towns include Mercur in Tooele County, Silver Reef in Washington County, Eureka in Juab County, and Park City in Summit County, which, like other such towns in the American West, experienced typical boom and bust cycles.

During the Cold War era, uranium was mined in the east. Today mining still plays a major role in the state's economy. Minerals excavated in Utah include copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, zinc, lead, and beryllium. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are fossil fuels found in Utah. [44]

File:KMinepic.jpg

Bingham Canyon Mine southwest of Salt Lake City.

Tourism

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. In Moab mountain biking is a popular sport. Research, information technology development, and service based industries are important economic activities along the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo corridor. Utah is also noted for its ski resorts, near Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Provo, and Cedar City (Brian Head).

The Beehive State hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. The ski resorts in the northern Wasatch Range, the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Great Salt Lake, the five national parks in the south, such as Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyon, and cultural attractions such as Temple Square, Sundance Film Festival, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival include the most visited. To obtain more information on Utah parks, outdoor recreation, lodging, and additional attractions, please visit the official tourism site for the state of Utah: www.utah.comImage:Grandjunctionalpineloop 087.jpg [import] Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon between Orem and Heber City.

Transportation

Utah has a total of five interstate routes: I-15, I-70, I-80 (which runs across the Nation from New Jersey to San Francisco, CA), I-84, and I-215. The state's four U.S. routes are US6, US40, US89, and US191.

Utah street addresses appear in the Lyman plan of two separately written numbers and compass indicators, for example: 689 North (the street address) 435 West (the street name). Richard Lyman, a local civil engineer, applied Brigham Young's idea to lay out Salt Lake City streets according to their proximity to the Temple. Most other municipalities also arranged their streets from a central point except for the cities of Ogden, Park City, Eureka, Helper, Kenilworth, Copperton, which were established by miners.

Interstate 15 is Utah's main interstate highway. It continues east into the state from Arizona, heads north to Idaho and serves the cities of St. George, Orem, Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. Breaking from Interstate 80 at Echo, Interstate 84 heads northwest through the mountains and turns onto the Wasatch Front, merging with I-15 at Roy, staying merged until Tremonton. I-84 then continues northwest into Idaho near Snowville. I-80 enters from Nevada at Wendover and heads east through Salt Lake City, briefly merging with I-15 before it ascends into the mountains and weaves through canyons and across plateaus into Wyoming, just before it reaches Evanston. Interstate 70 commences at Cove Fort. It heads east through mostly uninhabited areas, providing access to many of southern Utah's recreation areas before it enters Colorado. The stretch of I-70 between Salina and Green River is the longest stretch of interstate in the Nation without any services.

The TRAX light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley consists of two lines. One provides access from downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy, and the other line extends to the University of Utah east of downtown. The Utah Transit Authority, or UTA, operates a bus system which extends across the Wasatch Front and into Tooele, and which provides winter service to the ski resorts above Salt Lake City. Several bus companies carry passengers to the ski resorts in winter, and local bus services also serve Logan, St. George and Cedar City. The Legacy Highway is a controversial freeway that plans to eventually run down the entire length of the Wasatch Front. Construction on the first portion, or Legacy Parkway, in southern Davis County, started in spring 2006. A commuter rail line, FrontRunner, is being built between Salt Lake City and Pleasant View, north of Ogden, and will be completed by 2008. Eventually, FrontRunner is expected to span the Wasatch Front from Brigham City in the north to Payson in the south. For more information about the UTA, visit the website, http://www.rideuta.com. http://www.go-utah.com/Utah-Transit-Authority/ sponsored by Go-Utah.com, provides additional information on how to reach the ski resorts via UTA public transit.

Education

Utah has recently enacted a universal school voucher program.

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 (Utah Valley University effective July 2008) 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

Demographics

File:Utah population map.png

Utah Population Density Map

The center of population of Utah is located in Utah County in the city of Lehi [45]. As of 2005, Utah's estimated population stands at 2,469,585, which marks an increase of 48,877, or 2.0%, from that of the previous year, and an increase of 236,387, or 10.6%, since the year 2000. This total reflects a natural increase since the last census of 186,411 people—254,433 births minus 68,022 deaths. The number indicates an increase due to a net migration of 16,173 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States produced a net increase of 49,995 people; migration to other states brought a net loss of 33,822 people.

Much of the population lives in cities and towns along the Wasatch Front, a metropolitan region that runs north-south with the Wasatch Mountains rising on the eastern side. The rest of the state is mostly rural or wilderness. Most residents are members of the Mormon faith, and Utah has a higher percentage of people sharing a single religious denomination than any other state.

File:Utah Counties.png

Utah county boundaries

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).

The St. George metropolitan area is currently the second fastest growing in the country, following the Las Vegas metropolitan area, while the Heber metropolitan area is also the second-fastest growing in the country (behind Palm Coast, Florida). Growth is not limited to urban centers: the rural agricultural areas of Juab and Millard counties have also experienced rapid growth. The top counties from which residents moved to Juab county from 2005 to 2006 included Utah, 3.9%; Salt Lake, 0.65%; Sanpete, 0.38%; and Washington, 0.38%. In neighboring Millard County, the county population in 2005 registered as 12,284, 25% of which were urban, and 75%, rural. The percentage of taxpayers which relocated to Millard from other counties during 2005 and 2006 included Utah, 1.23%; Salt Lake, .066%; and Washington, 0.66%.

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 largest ancestry groups in the state are:

• 29.0% English
• 11.5% German
• 6.8% American (Most are of British heritage)
• 6.5% Danish
• 5.9% Irish
• 4.4% Scottish

Most Utahns are of Northern European descent. Among the European immigrants who settled in Utah from 1850 to 1950, the highest percentage within the state were British followed by second ranking Scandinavians who comprised 34% of foreign born Utahns in 1900 and 16% of the total population. Anglo-Utahns form the major group in every county except San Juan County, which has a large Navajo Indian population. Chinese have the most Asians. Other Asian ethnicities include Japanese-Americans, Koreans, Indians and Pakistanis. Tongans form the most populous Pacific Islander group; most of them are Mormon converts from the South Pacific under LDS missionary work programs starting in 1844. Hispanics are rapidly growing in the state, especially in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Orem/Provo area. These include recent immigrants from Latin America, namely, Mexico, Central America and South America. The mountain states, which include Utah, indicate an increase of 274% or 403,293 Mexican workers between 1990 to 2000 and 550,290 in the year of 2000.

Utah's African-American population is relatively small and includes many newcomers, generally middle-class professionals from California. Two small African-American communities are in southern Salt Lake City and in Ogden near Hill Air Force Base. African-American organizations in Salt Lake City include a Black Educator Alliance and a Minority Worker Training Program. At the University of Utah, there is a Women's Resource Center, Ethnic Studies Department, and a Center for Ethnic Student Affairs.

Prior to the 1960s, Utahns of African-American descent frequently experienced racial discrimination through refusal of service at restaurants and other public facilities and reduced employment opportunities. Visiting African-American celebrities, such as entertainers Harry Belafonte, Paul Robeson, Ella Fitzgerald; diplomat Ralph Bunche, American Ambassador to the United Nations; and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell and his wife, actress Hazel Scott, were denied access to restaurants and hotels solely because of their race. Even Bishop Osmonde Walker of the A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopalian) Church was likewise prohibited from registering at the Newhouse Hotel in 1954. Additionally, African-Americans were denied access to recreational facilities and relegated to balconies in the theaters.

Ruby Rice broke the color barrier in education when she became the first African-American teacher at the Intermountain Indian School in 1950. In 1954, the first African-American was hired to teach in a public school in the Ogden district. Fortunately, today all Utah residents and visitors finally enjoy access to the same opportunities and receive equal treatment.

Religion

File:100 0297.jpg

The Great Salt Lake

Red Canyon

A majority of the state's residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church. As of 2004, the percentage of Utahns included in those counted as members of The LDS Church comprised 62.4% of the state's population,. This figure represents less than 50% of the population living in urban areas and over 90% of the rural dwellers. By the time of the 1980 Census, the Mormon population statewide still hovered near 70 percent according to a 2007 Washington Post report, in Utah County, the rate was 90% percent. Only in four rural counties (Daggett, San Juan, Carbon, and Grand) are Mormons a minority. In two of those, less than 50% percent of the people are members of any church. By the 1990s, the figures changed due to the rapid growth in Wasatch Front suburbs, including Washington County. However, rural Utah continues to be either largely LDS or without religious affiliation. The only other state in the Nation in which a majority of the population belongs to a single religious body is Rhode Island. The number of Catholics in Utah is increasing due to recent immigrant growth from Mexico, and other Latin American sources, added to the earlier Catholic migrations from Italy, Austria, Germany and Ireland. A consistent number of Protestant mainline denominations, such as Baptists, Lutherans and Methodists, grouped together comprise approximately 15.7% of Utah's population. The Salt Lake Tribune has projected that as early as 2030, Latter-day Saints may lose their majority status throughout the state, not only in Salt Lake City.

The religion known as Mormonism has historically exerted a strong regional influence contributing to the state's conservative attitude towards alcohol consumption and gambling. Also, LDS conservative beliefs have contributed to the state's high birth rate (which is 25% higher than the national average and is the highest of any American state.). Before the 1890 Manifesto, the Church's teachings of plural marriage had led to confrontation with the U.S. federal government in the Utah War.

The Mormons in Utah tend to hold conservative views regarding most political issues. The majority of Utahns are registered Republicans. However, Utah Mormons have demonstrated their moderate viewpoints in certain social/moral issues. One example includes author Amital Etzioni who writes about the Third Way and the importance of a communitarian society, which should achieve a balance between state, market, and community and other practical issues. Early Mormon settlers in the 19th century registered more members as Democrats, which was common among Midwestern farmers of that era, and most Utah Mormon pioneers were born in the Midwest. The LDS founders practiced socialism according to their tradition of social welfare and family values, community, and assistance. The LDS church taught its members to "look out for each other" and possessed a generous attitude in the realm of theology. A Washington Post article cites how young LDS missionaries reach out to the African-American community, which was often ignored in the past. Like the early United States Founding Fathers, they supported the higher group needs first, building their public facilities or churches, schools, irrigation projects and other community buildings before their private ones, such as their own homes.

(The statistics below indicate self identified religious affilations of adults who live in Utah. Please note that these numbers do not include children, thus creating the disparity with the percentage identified above.)

• Latter-day Saints - 62%
• 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%

These totals are rounded. Additional religious groups include Pentecostal, Judaism, Church of Christ, Non-denominational, United Church of Christ, Jehovah's Witness, Assemblies of God, Buddhist, Church of God, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which each represent less than .5% of the population.

Age and Sex

Utah ranks number one in total birth rate within the United States, and it has the youngest population of any state.

The age distribution in Utah is:

• 9.4% under age 5
• 32.2% under age 18
• 59.3% ages 18 through 64
• 8.5% 65 or older

The gender composition of Utah is:

• 49.9% female
• 50.1% male

Miscellaneous Topics

Important cities and towns

File:092102 03.jpg

Salt Lake City

Provo

Sandy

File:09-17-04i.jpg

Park City

St. George

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; and in southwestern Utah, locally known as "Dixie," which has nearly 150,000 residents.

The 2000 Census notes that Utah was the fourth fastest growing state (at 29.6%) in the United States between 1990 and 2000. St. George, in the southwest, is the second-fastest growing metropolitan in the United States, trailing Greeley, Colorado.

The state's two fastest growing counties are: Summit (at 91.6%, ranking it 8th in the country) and Washington (at 86.1%, ranking it 12th). The cities (defined as having at least 9,000 residents in 2000) that saw the greatest increases between 1990 and 2000 included: Draper (248%), South Jordan (141%), Lehi (125%), Riverton (122%), and Syracuse (102%). Between 1990 and 2000 the five fastest-growing cities of any size were Cedar Hills (302%), Draper (248%), Woodland Hills (213%), Ivins (173%), and South Jordan (141%). According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the five fastest-growing cities of any size between 2000 and 2005 were Herriman (637%), Saratoga Springs (548%), Eagle Mountain (380%), Cedar Hills (152%), and Syracuse (91%).

Utah Rank	City	Population (2005) within city limits	Land Area (sq. 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

Sports

The Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association play in the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. Utah is 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:

File:Utah Jazz logo.png

The Utah Jazz NBA team based in Salt Lake City.

• 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 EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City

See also List of professional sports teams in Utah

Miscellaneous

Panoramic view of the salt flats of the Great Salt Lake Desert.

• 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, Pineview Reservoir, East Canyon, and Rockport reservoirs. The mountains are popular for camping, rock-climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.
• 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 Promontory Point. Boosters are tested periodically at a proving grounds in the Wasatch Range.
• According to a study based on prescription claims from one mail-order pharmaceutical provider, Utah (as of 2000) ranked first in antidepressant and narcotic painkiller use, and was in the top three for prescriptions for thyroid medications, anticonvulsants and anti-rheumatics. Utah once ranked first in personal bankruptcies per capita in the United States; however, as of 2005, this is no longer true. The state ranks 47th in teen pregnancy and even some of these teens are married, a common practice in the state). Utah ranks last in percentage of births out of wedlock, last in the number of abortions per capita, and last in percentage of teen pregnancies that are terminated in abortion. Statistics relating to pregnancies and abortions may be artificially low from teenagers leaving the state to obtain abortions elsewhere due to parental notification requirements. Utah has the lowest child poverty rate in the country despite its young demographics.
• According to Internal Revenue Service tax returns, Utahns rank first among all U.S. states in the proportion of income given to charity by the wealthy.
• Jell-O is the official snack food of Utah; this choice has given Utah the term of the Jello Belt.

• Mexican President Vicente Fox made his first visit to the U.S. May 23, 2006. His initial stop was in Salt Lake City, Utah; later he visited California and Washington states. Except for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, it is unusual for a foreign head of state to visit Utah. However, the growing presence of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the state and a desire to promote Mexican economic improvement and trade with the United States inspired his visit to the Beehive State. Referring to the presence of his countrymen in Utah, President Fox reports, The future of North America must guarantee great competitiveness, greater regional security, greater availability of energy, greater trade exchanges and, naturally, a greater well-being for all of its inhabitants. Regarding economy and Mexican-US trade, he remarked, “We need to continue to strengthen the economic, educational and cultural ties between ourselves. We fully support the businessmen in Utah and Mexico that are present with us today. Furthermore, the LDS Church has grown in Mexico, with 1,043,718 members as of December 31, 2005,, although only about 200,000 profess to be LDS

• The popular subculture, Straight Edge, is an anti-drug/anti-alcohol punk music band which started in Washington, D.C. during the 1980s. Originally named Minor Threat the leader, Ian MacKaye, renamed the group Straight Edge after one of their first songs. The band expressed its desire to practice a correct, safe lifestyle that is straight like a ruler's edge. The songs, written in simple, direct punk style, portray the group's alternative message of the dangers and emptiness of today's youth who, succumbing to peer pressure, consume illegal drugs, tobacco, and excessive alcohol and practice violence and lascivious behavior. This group has grown among youth in many nations. Large numbers of Utahns, primarily in Salt Lake City and Provo, have joined since the 1990s. While the group's basic ideals were formed to inspire correct behavior, a recent ABC report notes that some of its members have allowed a self centered and self-righteous vigilante style to mix with their beliefs. The story warns Utahns to be careful of those members who promote their beliefs with violent tactics.

Famous Utahns

• Roseanne Barr - Comedian, actress, writer, talk-show hostess.
• Shawn Bradley - Former NBA player.
• John Moses Browning - Designer of popular firearms including the M2 .50 caliber machine gun and the Colt Model 1911 .45 semi-automatic handgun.
• Butch Cassidy - Outlaw.
• Gary Coleman - Actor who relocated to Utah after the movie Church Ball was filmed.[46]
• Andre Dyson - NFL player
• Kevin Dyson - NFL player
• Marriner Eccles - Banker, economist, and Chairman of the Federal Reserve during Roosevelt and Truman administrations.
• Philo Farnsworth - Inventor of the electronic television.
• John D. Fitzgerald - Author of The Great Brain series of children's books.
• Brandon Flowers - Lead singer of The Killers (He was born in Las Vegas and raised in Nephi, Utah.)
• Jake Garn - Former U.S. Senator and one-time astronaut.
• John Gilbert - Silent-film actor.
• John D. Lee- Early Mormon Church leader. The only man convicted in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
• Orrin Hatch - U.S. Senator
• Jon Huntsman, Sr. - Business person, philanthropist.
• Jewel - Musician, author.
• Chad Lewis - NFL player
• Maddox - Internet satirist and author of The Best Page In The Universe and The Alphabet of Manliness.
• John Willard Marriott - Founder of a worldwide hotel business Marriott International, Inc..
• Bert McCracken - Lead singer of The Used, he wss raised in Utah and moved out of state at age 18.
• Larry H. Miller - Business person, philanthropist.
• Merlin Olsen - Former National Football League player and actor.
• Donny Osmond - Singer, actor, former talk-show host.
• Marie Osmond - Singer, actress, business person.
• The Osmonds - Show business family and former pop-music group.
• Neil Papiano - Internationally prominent Los Angeles lawyer
• Kim Peek - The world renowned savant The title character of "Rain Man" was modeled after him.
• Robert Redford - Actor, director, movie producer, environmentalist, philanthropist
• Cael Sanderson - Four-time NCAA champion wrestler, 2004 Olympic Gold Medal winner, and current wrestling coach of his alma-mater, Iowa State. He grew up in Heber City.
• Brent Scowcroft - National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush.
• SheDaisy - Country music group. All 3 members were born in Utah.
• Branden Steineckert - Drummer of Rancid and ex-drummer of The Used. He was born in Idaho, but raised in Utah from an early age and currently lives in the state.
• Mack Swain - Vaudeville performer and silent-film actor.
• The band The Used was formed in Utah; all current members were born there.
• Mike Weir - Professional golfer.
• Scott Wolf - Actor.
• James Woods - Born in Vernal, Utah. A well renowned actor, appearing in several major motion pictures, including Casino and in many high profile videogames, including Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
• Loretta Young - Actress
• Mahonri Young - Sculptor and artist.
• Steve Young - Hall of Fame quarterback for San Francisco 49ers, won NFL's Most Valuable Player award 1992 and 1994, direct descendant of Brigham Young.
• David Zabriskie cyclist, stage winner in all three grand tours, yellow jersey holder, national TT champion

• Of notable interest: the band, Utah Saints. is not from Utah, but from Leeds, England.

Branding

The state of Utah relies heavily on tourist income from travelers who take advantage of the state's ski resorts and natural beauty. As such, Utah has sought a slogan with which to "brand" itself as a worldwide attraction. Famous Utah slogans include "The Greatest Snow on Earth," popular since 1962 and official since 1975. Nearly half of the state's license plates display it. In 2001, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt approved the slogan, "Utah! Where Ideas Connect"; from March 10, 2006, the Utah Travel Council and the office of Governor Jon Huntsman announced that the new state slogan "Life Elevated".

In entertainment

Utah provides the settings or the filming locations for many books, films, and television series.

Books

• Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191, takes place in the United States in which the South won the Civil War and it mentions Utah several times. The story reports how the state's Mormon population rebels against the U.S. Federal Government to create the Nation of Deseret. This scenario results in battles in and around Salt Lake City, Provo, and other locations.
• In Around the World in Eighty Days, the characters travel through Utah by train.
• The children's series The Great Brain is set in a fictional town modeled after Price, Utah.
• Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang takes place in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The characters' ultimate goal is to destroy the Glen Canyon Dam.

Film

• SLC Punk! takes place in Salt Lake City.
• Broken Arrow was filmed in Moab.
• Some scenes in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed in Moab.
• Scenes from Dumb and Dumber were filmed in Utah.
• High School Musical was shot at the East High School.
• Footloose was shot in Payson and Lehi.
• Three O'Clock High was shot at Ogden High School.
• Con Air
• Drive Me Crazywas shot at Ogden High School.
• Carnival of Souls
• The Cheyenne Social Club
• Harry in Your Pocket
• Head, (The Monkees)
• The World's Fastest Indian
• Jeremiah Johnson
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• The Eiger Sanction
• The Electric Horseman
• The Car
• The House of Seven Corpses
• Airport 1975
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Easy Rider
• Electra Glide in Blue
• How the West Was Won
• Stagecoach (film)
• The Trial of Billy Jack
• Windtalkers
• National Lampoon's Vacation
• Rio Grande, (John Wayne, John Ford)
• Mission: Impossible
• Octopussy
• Thelma & Louise filmed in Moab, near Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point Park
• The Sandlot was filmed in Ogden.
• Galaxy Quest
• Some parts of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End were shot at the Salt Flats.
• The scenes involving the Charlotte in National Treasure were shot in Utah.
• Utah was driven through and mentioned in "Anywhere but Here"
• Mobsters and Mormons

Television

• In the Doctor Who episode "Dalek," Utah was the base of operations for the fictional character Henry van Statten.
• In Prison Break, D.B. Cooper buried his money under a silo in the Utah desert, near Tooele. In much of the first half of the second season, the characters attempt to reach Utah and recover the money.
• In the series The Visitor, the main character's spaceship was shot down and crash-landed in the mountains east of Salt Lake City.
• Everwood was filmed in Ogden and South Salt Lake.
• Regular production for Touched by an Angel was based in Salt Lake City.
• Big Love, an HBO television drama about a polygamous family, is set in Utah.

See also

Utah Portal

Utah Portal

• Moab Jeep Safari
• Mormon Corridor
• Mormon Miracle Pageant
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
• Music of Utah
• Scouting in Utah
• Sundance Film Festival
• Utah Highway Patrol
• Utah Jazz
• Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City
• Utah Symphony Orchestra, which performs in Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City

External links

• Utah History to go
• Utah History for kids
• State of Utah official Web site
• Beehive Report - Utah news sources.
• Utah Office of Tourism
• Wilderness Utah- Hiking and Backpacking in Utah
• Utah State Chamber of Commerce
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Utah
• Utah QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau
• Mountain Bike Trails in Utah
• Full text of the Utah state constitution
• Utah State Facts
• Utah Ski and Snowboard Areas on SnowGuide.org
• Envision Ogden — Northern Utah Outdoor Recreation guide
• UtahSearch - Links to Utah official sites

	State of Utah Salt Lake City (capital)
Topics	Cities | Counties | Flag | Flower | Governors | Portal | Song
Regions	Cache Valley | Colorado Plateau | Dixie | Great Basin | Great Salt Lake | Great Salt Lake Desert | Mojave Desert | Monument Valley | San Rafael Swell | Uinta Mountains | Wasatch Back | Wasatch Front | Wasatch Range
Largest Cities	American Fork | Bountiful | Cedar City | Clearfield | Cottonwood Heights | Draper | Holladay | Kaysville | Layton | Lehi | Logan | Midvale | Murray | Ogden | Orem | Pleasant Grove | Provo | Riverton | Roy | St. George | Salt Lake City | Sandy | South Jordan | South Salt Lake | Spanish Fork | Springville | Taylorsville | Tooele | West Jordan | West Valley City
Counties	Beaver | Box Elder | Cache | Carbon | Daggett | Davis | Duchesne | Emery | Garfield | Grand | Iron | Juab | Kane | Millard | Morgan | Piute | Rich | Salt Lake | San Juan | Sanpete | Sevier | Summit | Tooele | Uintah | Utah | Wasatch | Washington | Wayne | Weber
Attractions	Arches National Park | Bonneville Salt Flats | Bryce Canyon National Park | Canyonlands National Park | Capitol Reef National Park | Great Salt Lake | Ski Areas | Sundance Film Festival | Temple Square | Utah Shakespearean Festival | Zion National Park

Political divisions of the United States

States Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Federal district District of Columbia Insular areas American Samoa | Baker Island | Guam | Howland Island | Jarvis Island | Johnston Atoll | Kingman Reef | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Northern Mariana Islands | Palmyra Atoll | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Wake Island

Credits

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• Utah  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Utah"

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