Outline of Utah
Utah is a state in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. It serves as a vital link in the transportation and communications systems of the Western United States. Salt Lake City is Utah's capital and largest city. It is also the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The members of this church are called Mormons. They make up about 70 percent of Utah's population.
Most of Utah's people live in urban areas. The state's main urban areas-including Salt Lake City-lie in the north-central part of the state in an area called the Wasatch Front. This area is named for the Wasatch Range, mountains that rise just east of it.
Utah's urban areas are centers of a variety of economic activities. Service industries, such as financial institutions and medical facilities, contribute greatly to the economy. Utah manufacturing plants turn out many products, including transportation and computer equipment, and metal products. Plants in Utah also process such farm products as fruits, grain, meat, milk, poultry, and vegetables.
Utah has rich mineral deposits. Petroleum and coal are the state's leading mineral products. Most of the oil wells are in the eastern part of the state. Coal is mined in central Utah. Utah has national parks, ski resorts, and other facilities that attract tourists who contribute greatly to the economy. The state is also the home of economically important military installations.
Utah has snow-covered mountains and beautifully colored canyons. The wind and rain have formed rocks into many arches and natural bridges. Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. Water in the Great Salt Lake is saltier than ocean water. Because the water is so salty, people can easily float in the lake. Deserts cover much of Utah, but artificially created reservoirs provide irrigation water for farmland. The largest reservoirs are Lake Powell, created by Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam, and Flaming Gorge, behind Flaming Gorge Dam.
About three-fifths of Utah's people live in the Salt Lake City-Ogden metropolitan area. About one-sixth live in the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. The Flagstaff (Arizona) metropolitan area extends into Kane County in the southern part of the state. Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city of Utah. There are eight other cities in the state with populations of more than 50,000. They are, in order of size, West Valley City, Provo, Sandy, Orem, Ogden, West Jordan, Layton, and Taylorville.
Millions of tourists visit Utah every year. The state's forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and extensive parklands are excellent for boating, cycling, fishing, hiking, hunting, sightseeing, skiing, and swimming. One of Utah's most popular places to visit is the center of Mormonism-Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It includes the majestic Mormon Temple (officially the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and the Tabernacle. The Mormon Tabernacle is famous for its choir and huge organ. The Mormon Temple is not open to the general public.
Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young settled the Utah region in 1847. They called the region Deseret. This Mormon word means honey bee, and it stands for hard work and industry. Utah's nickname is the Beehive State. The Congress of the United States organized the region as a territory in 1850, and named it Utah for the Ute Indian tribe that lived there. The early white settlers fought several battles against these Indians.
