Introduction to Geography of Utah
Utah, one of the western states of the United States. It covers 84,904 square miles (219,902 km2) and borders Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming. Utah is a state of diverse physical features, with snowcapped mountains, high plateaus, deep canyons, verdant valleys, salt lakes, and deserts. More than two-thirds of Utah is public land owned by the federal government.
Utah is closely associated with the Mormon Church. Mormons began settling there in the late 1840's, seeking freedom to practice their religion. Ever since, they have been the largest, most powerful group in the state.
Utah's state bird is the California sea gull.Utah in briefGeneral informationStatehood: Jan. 4, 1896, the 45th state.State abbreviations: Ut. (traditional); UT (postal).State capital: Salt Lake City, Utah's capital since 1856. Fillmore served as capital from 1851 to 1856.State motto: Industry.Popular name: The Beehive State.State song: “Utah, This Is the Place." Words by Sam and Gary Francis; music by Gary Francis.Symbols of UtahState bird: Sea gull.State flower: Sego lily.State tree: Blue spruce.State flag and seal: Utah's state flag, at left, adopted in 1913, bears the state seal on a blue background. The state seal, at right, adopted in 1896, has a beehive on the shield that stands for hard work and industry. The date 1847 in the center of the seal, stands for the year the Mormons came to Utah. A bald eagle, the United States national bird, perches atop the shield. A United States flag appears on each side.Land and climateArea: 84,905 mi2 (219,902 km2), including 2,736 mi2 (7,086 km2) of inland water.Elevation: Highest--Kings Peak, 13,528 ft (4,123 m) above sea level. Lowest--Beaverdam Creek in Washington County, 2,000 ft (610 m) above sea level.Record high temperature: 117 °F (47 °C) at St. George on July 5, 1985.Record low temperature: –69 °F (–56 °C) at Peter's Sink on Feb. 1, 1985.Average July temperature: 73 °F (23 °C).Average January temperature: 25 °F (–4 °C).Average yearly precipitation: 12 in (30 cm).PeoplePopulation: 2,233,169.Rank among the states: 34th.Density: 26 per mi2 (10 per km2), U.S. average 78 per mi2 (30 per km2).Distribution: 88 percent urban, 12 percent rural.Largest cities in Utah: Salt Lake City (181,743); West Valley City (108,896); Provo (105,166); Sandy (88,418); Orem (84,324); Ogden (77,226).EconomyChief productsAgriculture: beef cattle, milk, hay, hogs, wheat. Manufacturing: computer and electronic products, processed food and beverages, transportation equipment.Mining: copper, natural gas, petroleum.GovernmentState governmentGovernor: 4-year term.State senators: 29; 4-year terms.State representatives: 75; 2-year terms.Counties: 29.Federal governmentUnited States senators: 2.United States representatives: 3.Electoral votes: 5.Sources of informationFor information about tourism, write to: Utah Travel Council, Council Hall/Capitol Hill, Salt Lake City, UT 84114. The Web site at http://www.utah.com also provides information.For information on the economy, write to: Governor’s Office of Economic Development, 324 S. State Street, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. The state's official Web site at http://www.utah.gov also provides a gateway to much information on Utah’s economy, government, and history.Physical Geography
Utah is a state in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.Land. Utah lies in three major physical regions of the United States—the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin.
The Rocky Mountain section consists of the high, rugged Wasatch Range and Uinta Mountains, in the northeastern part of the state. The Wasatch Range extends north-south, the Uintas east-west. Most of Utah's people live near the base of the Wasatch Range, and all of the state's major cities are situated here. Utah's highest mountain, Kings Peak, rises to an elevation of 13,528 feet (4,123 m) in the Uintas. The maximum elevation in the Wasatch Range is slightly more than 12,000 feet (3,658 m).
The Colorado Plateau section of Utah is a high tableland extending southward from the Wasatch and Uinta ranges, covering about half of the state. It is mostly dry, desolate land, averaging some 5,000 to 6,000 feet (1,500 to 1,800 m) above sea level. Erosion by wind and water has produced fantastically shaped rock formations, including steepsided canyons, natural arches, cliffs, and towering spires. Brilliantly colored rocks are typical of the region.
The western third of Utah is part of the Great Basin, an arid area with elevations somewhat below those of the Colorado Plateau. Deserts, salt lakes, salt flats, and short mountain ranges running generally north-south are among the region's chief features. Prominent are the Great Salt Lake, the Great Salt Lake Desert, and the Bonneville Salt Flats. There is no outward drainage from the basin.
WaterMore than half of Utah is drained by the Colorado River, which flows south-westward from Colorado to the Gulf of California. The rest of the state has few rivers other than those flowing from the Wasatch Range into the Great Basin.
The Colorado River flows diagonally across the southeastern part of the state and is joined by two principal tributaries, the Green and San Juan rivers. Smaller rivers joining the Colorado include the Dirty Devil and Escalante rivers. Many of the rivers of the Colorado Plateau flow in deep gorges, sometimes in great meandering bends.
The Bear, Weber, Ogden, Logan, and Provo are among the rivers flowing from the Wasatch Range into the Great Basin. There, at the base of the range, they provide water for cities, towns, and farmlands. They also provide water for the Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake is Utah's largest lake and the largest body of salt water in North America. Like Utah Lake, to the south, the Great Salt Lake is a remnant of prehistoric glacial Lake Bonneville. The Great Salt Lake is quite shallow and its volume of water is greatly exceeded by that of Lake Powell, which is impounded by Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River.
ClimateThe state has abundant sunshine, scant precipitation, low humidity, and a wide range of temperatures.
Except in the mountains, where cooler conditions prevail, summers are warm to hot throughout the state. Average July temperatures range from about 70° to 85° F. (21° to 29° C.), depending on location. Daytime highs often exceed 90° F. (32° C.); nights are almost always cool.
Winters vary from mild in the south to cold in the north. January temperatures average about 15° to 38° F. (-9° to 3° C.).
Winters are mildest in the extreme southwest. They are coldest in or near the mountains in the northeast.
Precipitation is scanty throughout most of the state, generally between 5 and 15 inches (130 to 380 mm) a year. The Great Salt Lake Desert receives less than 5 inches. Many mountainous areas receive up to 30 inches (760 mm) a year; some get 45 inches (1,140 mm) or more, mainly in the form of snow.
Vegetation and WildlifeUtah's state flower is the sego lily.More than 3,000 species of plants grow in Utah. Sagebrush, shad scale, and greasewood are characteristic plants throughout much of the state. Joshua trees, creosote bush, mesquite, and various cacti grow in the southwest.
Blue spruce grows at high elevations in the mountains, as do Engelmann spruce, Douglas fir, and ponderosa and lodgepole pines. The quaking aspen is found in most areas near the 7,000-foot (2,134-m) level. Gnarled juniper trees and piñon pines grow on arid mountain slopes and on high plateaus. Cottonwoods and other broad-leaved deciduous trees border many Utah streams.
Mule deer are the most abundant of the state's big game animals. Other large animals are found in relatively small numbers; they include grizzly bears, black bears, bison, moose, elk, cougars, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns. Utah also has coyotes, lynxes, bobcats, foxes, beavers, and many kinds of smaller mammals. Among the many birds found in the state are eagles, cormorants, pelicans, egrets, gulls, wild turkeys, pheasants, geese, and ducks. Utah lakes and streams abound with several kinds of trout and other freshwater fish.
Interesting facts about UtahThe Seagull Monument in Salt Lake City honors the sea gull, Utah's state bird. The sea gull saved crops in the region from an invasion of Mormon crickets in 1848. Two sculptured sea gulls stand atop the monument, which was unveiled in 1913.Great Salt Lake, a closed basin in northwestern Utah, is one of the natural wonders of the world. It is a remnant of the freshwater Lake Bonneville, which existed about 25,000 years ago. The density of salt in the Great Salt Lake reached 27 percent in the early 1960's. Some scientists believe that salt is carried into the lake from mountain streams. The waters of the lake do not drain away, but dry up, leaving the salt behind.Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway near Wendover is world-famous as the site where world land speed records have frequently been set. Vehicles there have reached speeds of more than 600 miles (960 kilometers) per hour.Rainbow Bridge National Monument, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, is the largest known natural stone bridge in the world. The bridge reaches a height of 290 feet (88 meters) and is 275 feet (84 meters) across. It is 42 feet (13 meters) thick and 33 feet (10 meters) wide at the top.Utah's state tree is the blue spruce.Economy
The Utah quarter features images that highlight the region’s role in linking the railroad systems of the United States. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads joined their rail lines at Promontory, Utah, in 1869. The transcontinental link was completed by the celebratory driving of a “golden spike,” which appears at the center of the coin.The chief sources of personal income in Utah are government (federal, state, and local), manufacturing, the service industries, and wholesale and retail trade. By the number of persons employed, the leaders are wholesale and retail trade, government, and the service industries. Tourism is one of the newest and most rapidly developing parts of the economy.
ManufacturingThe chief products manufactured in Utah are computer and electronic products, specifically communication equipment, computer microchips, and scientific instruments. Electronic equipment is produced mainly near Salt Lake City and Ogden.
The smelting and refining of metals is also of major significance. One of the largest integrated iron and steel mills in the western United States, the Geneva Works, is near Provo. Magna, near Salt Lake City, is a major copper refining center.
Other goods produced in Utah include food products, motor vehicles, and chemicals.
Minerals and MiningAlthough mining is not one of Utah's major economic activities, the state is nevertheless a significant producer of minerals. Petroleum, natural gas, coal, and copper account for the greater part of the state's total mineral production in terms of value. The state ranks high nationally in the production of copper. The giant open-pit copper mine at Bingham Canyon, near Salt Lake City, is one of the largest and most productive mines in the United States.
Utah ranks as one of the highest producers of gold, molybdenum, and silver. Other minerals produced include salt, magnesium, and gypsum.
AgricultureTerrain, climate, and soils are unfavorable to agriculture throughout much of Utah. Only about a fifth of the state's area is occupied by farms and ranches, and most of this is used for raising livestock. A small percentage of the land is used for growing crops.
Roughly four-fifths of all farm income is derived from the sale of livestock and livestock products. Beef cattle and calves, hogs, dairy products, poultry and eggs, and sheep and lambs are of greatest value. Milk is the chief dairy product; turkeys are the leading kind of poultry.
Crops are grown mostly by irrigation along the base of the Wasatch Range. Hay, wheat, and barley are among the chief crops. A variety of vegetables and fruits are also produced.
TourismScenic and historic attractions, including more than a dozen units of the National Park System, have greatly aided the growth of tourism in Utah. Most prominent of these are Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion national parks. Outdoor sports—including skiing (especially in the Wasatch Range), hunting, fishing, camping, and boating—attract thousands of tourists each year. Salt Lake City is also a popular tourist attraction.
TransportationSalt Lake City and other cities at the base of the Wasatch Range are well served by rail, road, and air transportation. Facilities elsewhere in the state are much less developed. Utah is served by four Interstate highways, two running north-south and two east-west. Three major trunk railways provide freight service. Salt Lake City's airport is a major regional center of air transportation.
The People
In 2000, Utah ranked 34th among the states in population. The population density was 27.2 persons per square mile (10.5 per km2), slightly more than one-third that of the United States as a whole. Whites made up 89.2 per cent of the population. There were about 29,700 American Indians in the state. People of Hispanic origin accounted for 9 per cent.
About three quarters of the people in Utah are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). About 5 per cent of the people are Roman Catholics. Methodists and other Protestants form smaller groups.
Annual events in UtahJanuary-AprilSundance Film Festival in Park City (January); Utah Winterfest (mid-January to mid-February); Easter Jeep Safari in Moab (April); St. George Arts Festival (April).May-AugustFriendship Cruise in Green River (May); Reenactment of the Driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory (May 10); Strawberry Days Festival in Pleasant Grove (June); The Scottish Festival in Salt Lake City (June); Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City (June); The Ute Stampede, with a professional rodeo and a carnival, in Nephi (July); Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti (July); Shakespearean Festival of the American West in Logan (July and August); Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City (July and August); Park City Arts Festival (August); Oktoberfest at Snowbird Resort southeast of Salt Lake City (August to October).September-DecemberUtah State Fair in Salt Lake City (September); Fat Tire Mountain Biking Festival in Moab (October); Festival of Lights Parades at Lake Powell (November and December); Christmas at Temple Square in Salt Lake City (December); Ballet West, The Nutcracker, Salt Lake City (December); Utah Oratorio Society, The Messiah, at Symphony Hall in Salt Lake City (Sunday before Christmas).Education
The first school in Utah was established by the Mormons shortly after they arrived in 1847. A territorial law in 1852 provided for the organization of a public, nonsectarian school system. A compulsory school attendance law was enacted in 1890. School attendance is required for all children from 6 to 18 years of age.
The state board of education is responsible for the administration of the public school system. Board members are elected for fouryear terms. They appoint the superintendent of public instruction, who heads the state office of education.
The University of Utah, at Salt Lake City, was chartered in 1850; it was then called the University of Deseret. It was rechartered under its present name in 1892. Utah State University at Logan was opened in 1890 as the Agricultural College of Utah. The present name was adopted in 1957. Both universities are state controlled and coeducational.
Brigham Young University at Provo is operated by the Mormon Church.
Government
Utah's State Capitol is in Salt Lake City, the capital since 1856.Utah is governed under a constitution adopted in 1895, effective in 1896. Executive officers are the governor, lieutenant governor, state auditor, state treasurer, and attorney general. All of these officials are elected to four-year terms.
The legislature consists of a senate of 29 members who serve four-year terms and a house of representatives with 75 members who are elected for two years. The legislature meets annually.
Judicial power rests with a supreme court of five justices, a court of appeals, district courts, and various other courts. Supreme court justices and district court judges are initially appointed by the governor and later run for retention.
Utah has 29 counties. It is represented in Congress by two senators and three representatives.
Governors of UtahNamePartyTermHeber M. Wells Republican1896-1905John C. Cutler Republican1905-1909William Spry Republican1909-1917Simon Bamberger Democratic1917-1921Charles R. Mabey Republican1921-1925George H. Dern Democratic1925-1933Henry H. Blood Democratic1933-1941Herbert B. Maw Democratic1941-1949J. Bracken Lee Republican1949-1957George D. Clyde Republican1957-1965Calvin L. Rampton Democratic1965-1977Scott M. Matheson Democratic1977-1985Norman H. Bangerter Republican1985-1993Michael O. Leavitt Republican1993-2003Olene Walker Republican2003-2005Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. Republican2005-