Utah

Utah is a western state of the United States, in the Rocky Mountains region. The name Utah is from the language of the Native American Utes. The Paiute nation also inhabit a portion of the state.

USS Utah was named in honor of this state.

History

Mormon settlers first came to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. At the time, Utah was still Mexican territory. The land became the territory of the United States upon the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848. (The Treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on March 10.

Utah's bid for statehood was accepted January 4, 1896, over forty years after the initial request. The delay was largely due to disputes between the Mormon inhabitants--who had settled in the area in 1847 and were pushing for the establishment of the state of Deseret--and the US Government which was reluctant to admit a state the size of the proposed Deseret into the union, opposed the polygamous practices of the Mormons taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and observed that the region lacked the necessary 60,000 voters required for statehood. One of the conditions to granting Utah's statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into the Utah Constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were also admitted later into the union.

Other items of historical interest: Utah native Philo Farnsworth invented the electronic television in 1927. In 2002, Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics.

Law and Government

The capital and largest city is Salt Lake City.

Geography

See List of Utah counties

It is one of the Four Corners states bordered by Idaho and Wyoming in the north, by Colorado in the east, by Arizona in the south, and by Nevada in the west.

One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain, from the Uinta Mountain[?] range in the north (the only east-west running mountain range in North America) to the beautiful desert landscapes of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

Another notable fact about Utah is that the continental meeting of the railroads happened at Promontory Point, Utah.

• Area: 219,900 square kilometers
• Physical features: Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Lake Powell[?], Flaming Gorge[?], Jordan River, Colorado River, Green River, Lake Bonneville, Wasatch Mountains[?], Uinta Mountains[?], Great Basin, National Parks, Four Corners and the Colorado Plateau[?].

Demographics

The population of Utah as of 2000 is 2,233,169.

Important Cities and Towns

Aside from the capital Salt Lake City, other major cities outside of the Salt Lake City area are Orem-Provo, Ogden, Logan and St. George.

Education

Colleges and Universities

Professional Sports Teams

External Links

• http://www.state.ut.us