Utah
U.S. state / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Utah (/ˈjuːtɑː/ YOO-tah, /ˈjuːtɔː/ ⓘ YOO-taw) is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its west by Nevada. Utah also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast. Of the fifty U.S. states, Utah is the 13th-largest by area; with a population over three million, it is the 30th-most-populous and 11th-least-densely populated. Urban development is mostly concentrated in two areas: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which is home to roughly two-thirds of the population and includes the capital city, Salt Lake City; and Washington County in the southwest, with more than 180,000 residents.[9] Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin.
Utah | |
|---|---|
| State of Utah | |
| Nicknames: "Beehive State" (official), "The Mormon State", "Deseret" | |
| Motto: Industry | |
| Anthem: "Utah...This Is the Place" | |
 Map of the United States with Utah highlighted | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Utah Territory |
| Admitted to the Union | January 4, 1896 (45th) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Salt Lake City |
| Largest county or equivalent | Salt Lake |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Salt Lake City |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Spencer Cox (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Deidre Henderson (R) |
| Legislature | State Legislature |
| • Upper house | State Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Utah Supreme Court |
| U.S. senators | Mike Lee (R) Mitt Romney (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 1: Blake Moore (R) 2: Vacant 3: John Curtis (R) 4: Burgess Owens (R) (list) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 84,899 sq mi (219,887 km2) |
| • Land | 82,144 sq mi (212,761 km2) |
| • Water | 2,755 sq mi (7,136 km2) 3.25% |
| • Rank | 13th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 350 mi (560 km) |
| • Width | 270 mi (435 km) |
| Elevation | 6,100 ft (1,860 m) |
| Highest elevation | 13,534 ft (4,120.3 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 2,180 ft (664.4 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,271,616[4] |
| • Rank | 30th |
| • Density | 36.53/sq mi (14.12/km2) |
| • Rank | 41st |
| • Median household income | $60,365[5] |
| • Income rank | 11th |
| Demonym | Utahn or Utahan[6] |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | UT |
| ISO 3166 code | US-UT |
| Traditional abbreviation | Ut. |
| Latitude | 37° N to 42° N |
| Longitude | 109°3′ W to 114°3′ W |
| Website | utah |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Emblem | Beehive[7] |
| Living insignia | |
| Bird | California gull |
| Fish | Bonneville cutthroat trout[8] |
| Flower | Sego lily |
| Grass | Indian ricegrass |
| Insect | Western honey bee |
| Mammal | Rocky Mountain Elk |
| Reptile | Gila monster |
| Tree | Quaking aspen |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Dance | Square dance |
| Dinosaur | Utahraptor |
| Firearm | Browning M1911 |
| Fossil | Allosaurus |
| Gemstone | Topaz |
| Mineral | Copper[8] |
| Rock | Coal[8] |
| Tartan | Utah State Centennial Tartan |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| State quarter | |
 Released in 2007 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
Utah has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups such as the ancient Puebloans, Navajo, and Ute. The Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in the mid-16th century, though the region's difficult geography and harsh climate made it a peripheral part of New Spain and later Mexico. Even while it was Mexican territory, many of Utah's earliest settlers were American, particularly Mormons fleeing marginalization and persecution from the United States via the Mormon Trail. Following the Mexican–American War in 1848, the region was annexed by the U.S., becoming part of the Utah Territory, which included what is now Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah's admission as a state; only after the outlawing of polygamy was it admitted in 1896 as the 45th.
People from Utah are known as Utahns.[10] Slightly over half of all Utahns are Mormons, the vast majority of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City;[11] Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church.[12] The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life,[13] though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular.
Utah has a highly diversified economy, with major sectors including transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, multi-level marketing, and tourism.[14] Utah has been one of the fastest growing states since 2000,[15] with the 2020 U.S. census confirming the fastest population growth in the nation since 2010. St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005.[16] Utah ranks among the overall best states in metrics such as healthcare, governance, education, and infrastructure.[17] It has the 14th-highest median average income and the least income inequality of any U.S. state. Over time and influenced by climate change, droughts in Utah have been increasing in frequency and severity,[18] putting a further strain on Utah's water security and impacting the state's economy.[19]
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