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UtahCapital: Salt Lake City State abbreviation/Postal code: Utah/UT Governor: Gary Herbert, R (to Jan. 2010) Lieut. Governor: Greg Bell, R (to Jan. 2010) Senators: Robert F. Bennett, R (to Jan. 2011); Orrin G. Hatch, R (to Jan. 2013) U.S. Representatives: 3 Historical biographies of Congressional members Organized as territory: Sept. 9, 1850 Entered Union (rank): Jan. 4, 1896 (45) Present constitution adopted: 1896 Motto: Industry State symbols: | flower | sego lily (1911) | | tree | blue spruce (1933) | | bird | California gull (1955) | | emblem | beehive (1959) | | song | “Utah, We Love Thee” (1953) | | gem | topaz | | animal | Rocky Mountain elk (1971) | | insect | honeybee (1983) | | grass | Indian rice grass (1990) | | fossil | allosaurus (1988) | | cooking pot | dutch oven (1997) | | fish | Bonneville cutthroat trout (1997) | | fruit | cherry (1997) | | mineral | copper | | rock | coal (1991) |
Nickname: Beehive State Origin of name: From the Ute tribe, meaning “people of the mountains” 10 largest cities (2005 est.): Salt Lake City, 178,097; Provo, 113,459; West Valley City, 113,300; West Jordan, 91,444; Orem, 89,713; Sandy, 89,664; Ogden, 78,309; St. George, 64,201; Layton, 61,782; Taylorsville, 58,009 Land area: 82,144 sq mi. (212,753 sq km) Geographic center: In Sanpete Co., 3 mi. N. of Manti Number of counties: 29 Largest county by population and area: Salt Lake, 948,172 (2005); San Juan, 7,821 sq mi. National parks: 5 National monuments: 6 State parks/forests: 40 Residents: Utahan, Utahn 2005 resident population est.: 2,469,585 2000 resident census population (rank): 2,233,169 (34). Male: 1,119,031 (50.1%); Female: 1,114,138 (49.9%). White: 1,992,975 (89.2%); Black: 17,657 (0.8%); American Indian: 29,684 (1.3%); Asian: 37,108 (1.7%); Other race: 93,405 (4.2%); Two or more races: 47,195 (2.1%); Hispanic/Latino: 201,559 (9.0%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 67.8; 65 and over: 8.5; median age: 27.1. See additional census data Area codes Tourism office |
The region was first explored for Spain by Franciscan friars Escalante and Dominguez in 1776. In 1824 the famous American frontiersman Jim Bridger discovered the Great Salt Lake. Fleeing religious persecution in the East and Midwest, the Mormons arrived in 1847 and began to build Salt Lake City. The U.S. acquired the Utah region in the treaty ending the Mexican War in 1848, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed with the driving of a golden spike at Promontory Summit in 1869. Mormon difficulties with the federal government about polygamy did not end until the Mormon Church renounced the practice in 1890, six years before Utah became a state. Rich in natural resources, Utah has long been a leading producer of copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc, and molybdenum. Oil has also become a major product. Utah shares rich oil shale deposits with Colorado and Wyoming. Utah also has large deposits of low sulphur coal. The state's top agricultural commodities include cattle and calves, dairy products, hay, greenhouse and nursery products, and hogs. Utah's traditional industries of agriculture and mining are complemented by increased tourism and growing aerospace, biomedical, and computer-related businesses. Utah is a great vacationland with 11,000 mi of fishing streams and 147,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs. Among the many tourist attractions are Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks; Cedar Breaks, Dinosaur, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge, Timpanogos Cave, and Grand Staircase (Escalante) National Monuments; the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City; and Monument Valley. Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. See more on Utah:
Encyclopedia: Utah
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Encyclopedia: Economy
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National Public Radio Stations Selected famous natives and residents:
- Frank Borzage film director and producer;
- Avard Fairbanks sculptor;
- J. Willard Marriott restaurant and hotel chain founder;
- Peter Skene Ogden fur trader and trapper;
- Ivy Baker Priest U.S. treasurer;
- Lee Greene Richards painter;
- Leroy Robertson composer;
- Brent Scowcroft business executive and consultant;
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. More on Utah from Infoplease:
- University of Utah - Utah, University of Utah, University of, at Salt Lake City; coeducational; state supported; opened ...
- Utah: Temperature Extremes - Utah: Temperature Extremes Month Maximum °F Year Place Minimum °F Year Place Feb. 74 1996 ...
- Utah: meaning and definitions - Utah: Definition and Pronunciation
- Utah - Map of Utah & articles on flags, geography, history, statistics, disasters, and current events.
- University of Utah - University of Utah enrollment statistics and tuition information
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