Portal:Utah/Selected article/12

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Salt Lake City, Utah is the state capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Utah. According to 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city's population is 178,097. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, which encompasses the Salt Lake Valley and includes the city and fifteen other municipalities. The city's name is often shortened to Salt Lake or referred to by its initials, S.L.C.

The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area spans Salt Lake County and two additional counties, Summit and Tooele, and had a total estimated population of 1,034,484 in 2005. These counties are situated in a greater urban area called the Wasatch Front, home to just over 2 million residents.

Originally named Great Salt Lake City after nearby Great Salt Lake, it was founded in 1847 by a group of Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young who fled hostility in the East. Salt Lake City is among the oldest cities in the region and is the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS or Mormon Church). Mining and railroads initially brought economic growth, and the city became nicknamed the Crossroads of the West. In the 21st century the city has developed a strong tourism industry; it served as host to the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area is the industrial banking center of the United States, the center of business along the rapidly-growing Wasatch Front, and the gateway to several national parks, ski resorts, and resort towns, perhaps most famously Park City.