Utah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Utah (IPA: [ˈjutɑː]) is a U.S. state located in the western United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 88% of Utah's 2,500,000 people, known as "Utahns," live in an urban concentration with Salt Lake City as the center, known as the Wasatch Front. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most urbanized in the U.S.[3] The name "Utah" is derived from the Ute Indian language, meaning "people of the mountains"[13].
Utah is known for its geological diversity ranging from snowcapped mountains to well-watered river valleys to rugged, stony deserts. Meanwhile, Utah is also known for being one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union, with approximately 62%[4] of its inhabitants claiming membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which greatly influences Utahn culture and daily life.
The state is a center of transportation, information technology and research, government services and mining as well as a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. Utah has a long tradition of resourcefulness and hard work, as reflected in its state motto, Industry. St. George, Utah was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000-2005 with Utah being the sixth fastest growing state overall in 2006.[14]
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[edit] Geography
- See also: List of Utah counties
Utah is generally rocky with three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau. Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys.
Utah is one of the Four Corners states, and is bordered by Idaho and Wyoming in the north; by Colorado in the east; at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast (at the Four Corners Monument); by Arizona in the south; and by Nevada in the west. It covers an area of 84,899 square miles (219,887 km²).
One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the center of the state is the Wasatch Range, which rises to heights of about 12,000 feet (3,650 m) above sea level. Portions of these mountains receive more than 500 inches (12.7 m) of snow each year and are home to world-renowned ski resorts, made popular by the light, fluffy snow, which is considered good for skiing. In the northeastern section of the state, running east to west, are the Uinta Mountains, which rise to heights of 13,000 feet (3,950 m) or more. The highest point in the state, Kings Peak, at an elevation of 13,528 feet (4,123 m),[1] lies within the Uinta Mountains.
At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the Wasatch Front, a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. The major cities of Ogden, Salt Lake City, Layton, West Valley City, Sandy, West Jordan, Orem, and Provo are located within this region, which stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at the south end. Approximately 75% of the population of the state lies in this corridor, and urban sprawl continues to expand along the edges of these valleys.
Western Utah is mostly arid desert with a basin and range geology. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain punctuate the landscape. However, the Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat as a result of once forming the lake bed of Lake Bonneville. Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, Rush Lake and Little Salt Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake,[5] which once covered most of the eastern Great Basin. West of the Great Salt Lake, stretching to the Nevada border, lies the Great Salt Lake Desert, the most arid area in Utah.[citation needed]
Much of the scenic southern landscape is sandstone, more specifically Kayenta sandstone and Navajo sandstone. The Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through the sandstone, creating some of the most striking and wild terrain in the world. Wind and rain have also sculpted the soft sandstone over millions of years. Canyons, gullies, arches, pinnacles, buttes, bluffs, and mesas are the common sight throughout south-central and southeast Utah. This terrain is accentuated in protected parks such as Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion national parks, Cedar Breaks, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Hovenweep, and Natural Bridges national monuments, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (site of the popular tourist destination, Lake Powell), Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley state parks, and Monument Valley, a popular photographic and filming site.
Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as Dixie because early settlers were able to grow limited amounts of cotton there. Beaverdam Wash in far southwestern Utah is the lowest point in the state, at an elevation of 2,000 feet (610 m).[1] The northernmost portion of the Mojave Desert is also located in this area. Dixie is quickly becoming a popular recreational and retirement destination, and the population is growing rapidly. Just north of Dixie is the state's highest ski resort, Brian Head.
Eastern Utah is a high elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins. Economies are dominated by mining, oil and natural gas-drilling, ranching, and recreation. Much of eastern Utah is part of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The Navajo Nation also extends into southeastern Utah. The most popular destination within eastern Utah is Dinosaur National Monument.
Like most of the west and southwest states, the federal government owns much of the land in Utah. Over seventy percent of the land is either BLM land, Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest, park, U.S. National Monument, National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area.
[edit] Climate
Most of Utah is arid and high in elevation. Most of eastern and southern Utah receive 12 inches (300 mm) or less of precipitation per year, while many mountain areas receive more than 40 inches (1 m) per year, with some areas receiving up to 60 in (1.5 m). Much of western Utah receives less than 10 inches (25 cm), while the Wasatch Front receives approximately 15 inches (38 cm). The Great Salt Lake Desert is especially dry, receiving less than 5 inches (13 cm) annually. Snowfall is common in winter everywhere except the southern border and the Great Salt Lake Desert. St. George averages about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of snow per year, while Salt Lake City receives almost 60 inches (1.5 m) annually (amplified by the lake effect from the Great Salt Lake). Many mountain areas receive in excess of 350 inches (9 m) of snow in a year, while portions of the Wasatch Range receive up to 500 inches (12.7 m). Snowfall is common from late November through March in the lower elevations and from October through May in the mountains. The mountains often remain snow-covered into July. Fog and haze often caused by temperature inversions are common in the valleys and basins during winter, especially the Uinta Basin, just south of the Uinta Mountains.
During summer and fall, most of the precipitation is received from the storms coming from the south and consists of short, sporadic, and intense thunderstorms that can cause wildfires and flash floods. Most precipitation during the rest of the year is received from the Pacific Ocean. Spring is the wettest season across the north while late summer and early fall are the wettest times in the south and winter is the wettest season in most of the mountain areas.
Temperatures during the winter across much of Utah are below freezing. High temperatures average between 25 °F (-4 °C) and 50 °F (10 °C) across the state. Days below 0 °F (-18 °C) can be expected in many areas at least once a year, but they are usually short in duration and not terribly severe. Mountains to the north and east of the state serve as barriers to Arctic air. In the summer, high temperatures average between 85 °F (29 °C) and 100 °F (38 °C). Days over 100 °F (38 °C) can be expected in most areas below 5,000 feet (1,500 m) at least once per year and are the norm in the southern valleys. The record high temperature in Utah was 117 °F (47 °C), recorded at St. George on July 5, 1985,[citation needed] and the record low was -69 °F (-56 °C), recorded at Peter's Sink in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah on February 1, 1985.[6]
Utah, like most of the western United States, has very few days of thunderstorms annually. On average there are less than 40 days of thunderstorm activity on a yearly basis, although there can be brief intense thunderstorms when they do occur. Tornadoes are uncommon in Utah with an average of two striking the state annually.[7]
[edit] History
[edit] Early history
Native Americans have lived in what is now Utah for several thousand years; most archeological evidence dates such habitation about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Some left petroglyphs and pictographs which exist throughout the state.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado may have crossed into what is now southern Utah in 1540, when he was seeking the legendary Cíbola.
A group led by two Catholic priests—sometimes called the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition—left Santa Fe in 1776, hoping to find a route to the California coast. The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents.
Fur trappers—including Jim Bridger—explored some regions of Utah in the early 1800s. The city of Provo was named for one such man, Étienne Provost, a French person operating out of Santa Fe under Mexican license, who visited the area in 1825.
[edit] Mormon settlement
Following the assassination of Mormonism's founding prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., in Carthage, Illinois, in 1844, the more than 11,000[8] or so Latter-Day Saints (as they called themselves) remaining in Nauvoo, IL struggled in confusion and hostility with neighbors until Brigham Young, the President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, emerged as their new leader. Brigham Young and the first band of Mormon pioneers came to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah.[9]
For the first few years, Brigham Young and the thousands of early settlers of Salt Lake City struggled to survive. The barren desert land was deemed by the Mormons as desirable only because no one else would want it and they could practice their religion in peace - something they had not been afforded while the church migrated from one state to another, followed by persecution, during the first 20 years since the founding of the church in 1830.
It is not widely known that Utah was the source of much of the settlement of the West. From the beginning, Salt Lake City was seen as only the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth"[10] of Mormon settlements. Fed by a constant supply of church converts coming from the East and around the world, Church leaders often assigned groups of church members to establish settlements throughout the West. Beginning with settlements along Utah's Wasatch front (Salt Lake City, then Bountiful and Weber Valley, then Provo and Utah Valley), irrigation enabled the establishment of fairly large pioneer populations in an area that Jim Bridger had advised Young would be inhospitable for the cultivation of crops because of frost.[11] Throughout the remainder of the 1800s, Mormon pioneers called by Brigham Young would leave Salt Lake City and establish hundreds of other settlements in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, California, Canada, and Mexico - including such notable places as Las Vegas, Nevada, Franklin, Idaho (the first white settlement in Idaho), San Bernadino, California, Star Valley, Wyoming, and Carson Valley, Nevada. Prominent settlements in Utah included St. George, Logan, and Manti (where settlers raised the three first temples in Utah, each built many years before the larger and better known temple built in Salt Lake City was completed in 1892), as well as Parowan, Ceder City, Bluff, Moab, Vernal, Fillmore (which served as the territorial capital between 1850 and 1856), Nephi, Spanish Fork, Springville, Provo Bench (now Orem), Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi, Sandy, Murray, Jordan, Centerville, Farmington, Huntsville, Kaysville, Grantsville, Tooele, Roy, Brigham City, and many other smaller towns and settlements. At the time, Young had an expansionist's view of the territory he and the Mormon pioneers were settling, calling it Deseret - which church founder Smith had taught meant "honeybee" - hence the beehive which can still be found on the Utah flag, and the state's motto, "Industry."[12]
In 1847 when the first pioneers arrived, Utah was still Mexican territory. As a consequence of the Mexican-American War, 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. In 1850, the Utah Territory was created with the Compromise of 1850, and Fillmore was designated the capital. In 1856, Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital.
Disputes between the Mormon inhabitants and the US Government intensified due to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' practice of plural marriage among its members. The Mormons were pushing for the establishment of the State of Deseret. The U.S. Government, which was reluctant to admit a state the size of the proposed Deseret into the union, opposed the polygamous practices of the Mormons.
After news of their polygamous practices spread, the members of the LDS Church were quickly viewed as un-American and rebellious. In 1857, after news of a false rebellion spread, the government sent troops on the "Utah expedition" to quell the supposed rebellion and to replace Brigham Young as territorial governor with Alfred Cumming. The resulting conflict is known as the Utah War.
As troops approached Salt Lake in northern Utah, nervous Mormon settlers and Paiutes attacked and killed 120 immigrants from Arkansas in southern Utah. The attack became known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The massacre became a point of contention between LDS leaders and the federal government for decades. Only one person, John D. Lee, was ever convicted of the murders, and he was executed at the massacre site.
Before troops led by Albert Sidney Johnston entered the territory, Brigham Young ordered all residents of Salt Lake City to evacuate southward to Utah Valley and sent out a force, known as the Nauvoo Legion, to delay the government's advance. Although wagons and supplies were burned, eventually the troops arrived, and Young surrendered official control to Cumming, although most subsequent commentators claim that Young retained true power in the territory. A steady stream of governors appointed by the president quit the position, often citing the unresponsiveness of their supposed territorial government. By agreement with Young, Johnston established Fort Floyd 40 miles away from Salt Lake City, to the southwest.
Salt Lake City was the last link of the First Transcontinental Telegraph, completed in October of 1861. Brigham Young was among the first to send a message, along with Abraham Lincoln and other officials.
Because of the American Civil War, federal troops were pulled out of Utah Territory, leaving the territory in LDS hands until Patrick E. Connor arrived with a regiment of California volunteers in 1862. Connor established Fort Douglas just three miles (5 km) east of Salt Lake City and encouraged his people to discover mineral deposits to bring more non-Mormons into the state. Minerals were discovered in Tooele County, and miners began to flock to the territory.
Beginning in 1865, Utah's Black Hawk War developed into the deadliest conflict in the territory's history. Chief Antonga Black Hawk died in 1870, but fights continued to break out until additional federal troops were sent in to suppress the Ghost Dance of 1872. The war is unique among Indian Wars because it was a three-way conflict, with mounted Timpanogos Utes led by Antonguer Black Hawk exploited by federal and LDS authorities.
On May 10, 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake. The railroad brought increasing numbers of people into the state, and several influential businesspeople made fortunes in the territory.
During the 1870s and 1880s, laws were passed to punish polygamists, and in the 1890 Manifesto, the LDS Church banned polygamy. When Utah applied for statehood again, it was accepted. One of the conditions for granting Utah statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into the state constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were admitted into the Union later. Statehood was officially granted on January 4, 1896.
[edit] 1900s to present
Beginning in the early 1900s, with the establishment of such national parks as Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, Utah began to become known for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged scenes, and such natural landmarks as Delicate Arch and "the Mittens" of Monument Valley are instantly recognizable to most national residents. During the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, with the construction of the Interstate highway system, accessibility to the southern scenic areas was made easier.
Beginning in 1939, with the establishment of Alta Ski Area, Utah has become world-renowned for its skiing. The dry, powdery snow of the Wasatch Range is considered some of the best skiing in the world. Salt Lake City won the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995, and this has served as a great boost to the economy. The ski resorts have increased in popularity, and many of the Olympic venues scattered across the Wasatch Front continue to be used for sporting events. This also spurred the development of the light-rail system in the Salt Lake Valley, known as TRAX, and the re-construction of the freeway system around the city.
During the late 20th century, the state grew quickly. In the 1970s, growth was phenomenal in the suburbs. Sandy was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country at that time. Today, many areas of Utah are seeing phenomenal growth. Northern Davis, southern and western Salt Lake, Summit, eastern Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, and Washington counties are all growing very quickly. Transportation and urbanization are major issues in politics as development consumes agricultural land and wilderness areas.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 11,380 |
|
|
| 1860 | 40,273 | 253.9% | |
| 1870 | 86,336 | 114.4% | |
| 1880 | 143,963 | 66.7% | |
| 1890 | 210,779 | 46.4% | |
| 1900 | 276,749 | 31.3% | |
| 1910 | 373,351 | 34.9% | |
| 1920 | 449,396 | 20.4% | |
| 1930 | 507,847 | 13.0% | |
| 1940 | 550,310 | 8.4% | |
| 1950 | 688,862 | 25.2% | |
| 1960 | 890,627 | 29.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,059,273 | 18.9% | |
| 1980 | 1,461,037 | 37.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,722,850 | 17.9% | |
| 2000 | 2,233,169 | 29.6% | |
The center of population of Utah is located in Utah County in the city of Lehi [15]. As of 2005, Utah has an estimated population of 2,469,585, which is an increase of 48,877, or 2.0%, from the prior year and an increase of 236,387, or 10.6%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 186,411 people (that is 254,433 births minus 68,022 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 16,173 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 49,995 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 33,822 people.
Much of the population lives in cities and towns along the Wasatch Front, a metropolitan region that runs north-south with the Wasatch Mountains rising on the eastern side. The rest of the state is mostly rural or wilderness. Utah has a higher percentage of people sharing a single religious denomination than any other state.
Utah contains 5 metropolitan areas (Logan, Ogden-Clearfield, Salt Lake City, Provo-Orem, and St. George), and 5 micropolitan areas (Brigham City, Heber, Vernal, Price, and Cedar City).
The St. George metropolitan area is currently the second-fastest growing in the country after the Las Vegas metropolitan area, while the Heber micropolitan area is also the second-fastest growing in the country (behind Palm Coast, Florida).[13] Rural agricultural areas of Juab and Millard counties have seen rapid-growth in population as well.[citation needed]
[edit] Race and ancestry
| Demographics of Utah (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native - NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 95.20% | 1.14% | 1.84% | 2.20% | 0.97% |
| 2000 (Hispanic only) | 8.62% | 0.16% | 0.26% | 0.08% | 0.05% |
| 2005 (total population) | 95.01% | 1.32% | 1.69% | 2.40% | 0.95% |
| 2005 (Hispanic only) | 10.39% | 0.23% | 0.26% | 0.10% | 0.05% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | 10.37% | 28.78% | 2.04% | 21.00% | 8.53% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only) | 8.09% | 23.37% | 0.78% | 20.69% | 8.43% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only) | 33.30% | 61.74% | 9.53% | 28.88% | 10.45% |
The largest ancestry groups in the state are:
- 29.0% English
- 11.5% German
- 6.8% American (Mostly British Descent)
- 6.5% Danish
- 5.9% Irish
- 4.4% Scottish
Most Utahns are of Northern European descent.[14] The state has the largest percentage of residents who claim British ancestry and the largest percentage of residents of Danish ancestry in the nation[citation needed]. Anglo-Utahns are the largest group in every county except for San Juan County, which has a large Navajo Indian population. Chinese form the largest Asian group followed by other Asian groups (i.e. Japanese-Americans, Koreans, Indians and Pakistanis), and Tongans form the largest Pacific Islander group, the majority are Mormons converted in the south Pacific under LDS missionary work programs.[citation needed] Hispanics are rapidly growing in the state, especially in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Orem/Provo area from recent immigration from Latin America, mostly from Mexico but some Central American and South American groups.[citation needed] Despite its relatively scarce black population, Utah does have African-Americans and a sizable proportion of new Utah residents are blacks, usually made up of middle-class professionals from California, while there's a small black community in southern Salt Lake city and Ogden near Hill Air Force Base.[citation needed]
[edit] Religion
A majority of the state's residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes called the Mormons or the LDS Church. As of 2004, the percentage of Utahns that are counted as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is 62.4% of the state's population,[4] which represent less than 50% of the population in urban areas and over 90% in rural areas.[citation needed] The only other state in the nation in which a majority of the population belongs to a single religious body is Rhode Island. There is a large and increasing number of Catholics in Utah as a result of immigration from Mexico, along with previous waves of Catholics from Italy, Austria, Germany and Ireland. Utah always had a non-Mormon Christian minority, mostly made up of Protestants like Baptists, Lutherans and Methodists, about one-quarter of Utah's population. [citations needed] The Salt Lake Tribune has projected that Latter-day Saints may no longer be a majority in the state, not just the case in Salt Lake City, as early as 2030.[4]
The religion known as Mormonism has historically had a strong regional influence and has contributed to the state's restrictive attitude towards alcohol and gambling, while also contributing to its high birth rate (25% higher than the national average; the highest for a state in the U.S.).[15] Before the 1890 Manifesto, the Church's teachings of plural marriage had led to confrontation with the U.S. federal government in the Utah War.[16] The Mormons in Utah tend to have conservative views when it comes to most political issues and the majority of Utahns are registered Republicans. But the state's Mormons have shown they are moderate in certain social/moral issues[citation needed] and the early Mormon settlers in the 19th century had more registered Democrats, a common trait in farmers in the Midwestern US where most Mormons briefly lived at the time. Historically, the founders of the LDS church considered the importance of socialism in the Mormons' tradition of social welfare provided by the church and Mormon values in family, community and assistance, or "looking out for each other" would placed them in the liberal category in terms of theology.[citation needed]
The self identified religious affiliations of adults (note that numbers below do not include children, thus the disparity with the percentage identified above) living in Utah are:[17]
- Latter-day Saints - 57%
- Roman Catholics - 6%
- Episcopalians - 3%
- Baptists - 2%
- Other Christians - 3%
- Evangelicals - 1%
- Presbyterians - 1%
- Lutherans - 1%
- Methodists - 1%
- Non-religious - 17%
- Refused to identify - 4%
- Other - 3%
- Muslim - 1%
Totals are rounded. Pentecostal, Judaism, Church of Christ, Non-denominational, United Church of Christ, Jehovah's Witness, Assemblies of God, Buddhist, Church of God, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church each represent less than .5% of the population.
[edit] Age and sex
Due to its high total birth rate (highest of any state in the U.S.), Utah has the youngest population of any state.
The age distribution in Utah is:
- 9.4% under age 5
- 32.2% under age 18
- 59.3% ages 18 through 64
- 8.5% 65 or older
The gender makeup of Utah is:
- 49.9% female
- 50.1% male
[edit] Economy
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the gross state product of Utah in 2004 was $82.6 billion. The per capita personal income was $26,606 in 2004. Major industries of Utah include: mining, cattle ranching, salt production, and government services.
According to the 2007 State New Economy Index, Utah is ranked the top state in the nation for Economic Dynamism, determined by
"The degree to which state economies are knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, information technology-driven and innovation-based."
In eastern Utah petroleum production is a major industry. [16] Near Salt Lake City, petroleum refining is done by a number of oil companies. In central Utah, coal production accounts for much of the mining activity.
Tourism is a major industry in Southern Utah, with Utah's five national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion) and many other attractions. In Moab mountain biking is a popular sport. Research, information technology development, and service based industries are important economic activities along the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo corridor. Utah is also noted for its ski resorts, near Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Provo, and Cedar City (Brian Head).
Utah collects personal income tax within 6 income brackets. The state sales tax has a base rate of 5.75%, with cities and counties levying additional local sales taxes that vary among the municipalities. Property taxes are assessed and collected locally. Utah does not charge intangible property taxes and does not impose an inheritance tax.
[edit] Tourism
Utah has a large tourism business and was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. The ski resorts in the northern Wasatch Range, the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Great Salt Lake, the five national parks in the south, such as Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyon, and cultural attractions such as Temple Square, Sundance Film Festival, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival are among the most visited.
[edit] Mining
Beginning in the late 19th century with the state's mining boom (including the Bingham Canyon Mine, among the world's largest open pit mines), companies attracted large numbers of immigrants (of diverse faiths) with job opportunities. Since the days of the Utah Territory mining has played a major role in Utah's economy. Historical mining towns include Mercur in Tooele County, Silver Reef in Washington County, Eureka in Juab County, and Park City in Summit County were characteristic of the boom and bust cycle that dominated mining towns of the American West. During the early part of the Cold War era, uranium was mined in eastern Utah. Today mining activity still plays a major role in the state's economy. Minerals mined in Utah include copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and beryllium. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas.[17]
[edit] Transportation
- Further information: List of Utah State Routes and Utah Transit Authority
Interstate 15 is the main interstate highway in the state, entering from Arizona north to Idaho and serving such cities as St. George, Orem, Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. Breaking from Interstate 80 at Echo, Interstate 84 heads northwest through the mountains and out onto the Wasatch Front, merging with I-15 at Roy and staying merged until Tremonton. I-84 then continues northwestwardly into Idaho near Snowville. I-80 enters from Nevada at Wendover and heads east through Salt Lake City, briefly merging with I-15 before climbing into the mountains and weaving through canyons and across plateaus into Wyoming, just before reaching Evanston. Interstate 70 begins at Cove Fort and heads east through mostly uninhabited areas, providing access to many of southern Utah's recreation areas before entering Colorado. The stretch of I-70 between Salina and Green River is the longest stretch of interstate in the nation without any services.
A light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley known as TRAX consists of two lines, one providing access from downtown Salt Lake City and Sandy, and the other providing access to the University of Utah east of downtown. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates a bus system stretching across the Wasatch Front and into Tooele, and also provides winter service to the ski resorts above Salt Lake City. Several bus companies provide access to the ski resorts in winter, and local bus services also serve Logan, St. George and Cedar City. The Legacy Highway is a controversial freeway that is planned to eventually run down the entire length of the Wasatch Front. The first portion, known as the Legacy Parkway, in southern Davis County, began construction in spring 2006. A commuter rail line, named FrontRunner, is under construction between Salt Lake City and Pleasant View, north of Ogden, and will be complete by 2008. FrontRunner is expected to eventually span the Wasatch Front from Brigham City in the north to Payson in the south.
[edit] Law and government
- Further information: List of Utah Governors, List of Utah State Legislatures, Utah State Senate, and Utah State House of Representatives
Utah government, like most U.S. states, is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The current governor of Utah is Jon Huntsman, Jr. The governor is elected for a four year term. The Utah State Legislature consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. State senators serve four year terms and representatives two year terms. The Utah Legislature meets each year in January for an annual forty-five day session. The Utah Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Utah. It consists of five justices, who are appointed by the governor, and then subject to retention election. The Utah Court of Appeals[18] handles cases from the trial courts. Trial level courts are the district courts and justice courts. All justices and judges, like those on the Utah Supreme Court, are subject to retention election after appointment.
[edit] Early suffrage
Utah granted full voting rights to women in 1870, 26 years before becoming a state. Among all U.S. states, only Wyoming granted suffrage to women earlier. [19] However, in 1887 the Edmunds-Tucker Act was passed by Congress in an effort to curtail excessive Mormon influence in the territorial government. One of the provisions of the Act was the repeal of suffrage; full suffrage was not returned until Utah was admitted to the Union in 1896.
[edit] Constitution
The constitution of Utah was enacted in 1895. Notably, the constitution outlawed polygamy and reestablished the territorial practice of women's suffrage. Utah's Constitution has been amended many times since its inception.[18]
[edit] Other laws
Utah is also one of only two states in the United States to outlaw all forms of gambling; the other is Hawaii. Utah is an alcoholic beverage control state. The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control regulates the sale of alcohol; wine and spiritous liquors may only be purchased at state liquor stores, and local laws may prohibit the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages on Sundays.
[edit] Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 71% 663,742 | 26% 241,199 |
| 2000 | 67% 512,168 | 26% 201,734 |
| 1996 | 54% 361,911 | 33% 221,633 |
| 1992 | 43% 322,632 | 25% 183,429 |
| 1988 | 66% 428,442 | 32% 207,343 |
Historically, politics in Utah have been controversial, such as the Federal government versus the LDS Church on the issue of polygamy. The LDS Church renounced polygamy in 1890, and in 1896, Utah gained admission to the Union. Many new people settled the area soon after the Mormon pioneers. Relations have often been strained between the LDS population and the non-LDS population.[20] These tensions played a large part in Utah's historical (Liberal Party vs. People's Party).
The current governor of Utah is Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.,[19] a member of the Republican Party. He is a proponent of a flat tax,[20] an opponent to same-sex marriage, while supporting the creation of a reciprocal beneficiary status for same-sex couples,[21] and an opponent to intelligent design being taught in the classroom.[22] He also receives high approval ratings from across the Utah political spectrum.[23]
Both of Utah's U.S. Senators, Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, are Republican. Two more Republicans, Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, as well as one member of the Democratic Party, Jim Matheson, represent Utah in the United States House of Representatives.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the religion of the majority of Utahns, and the majority of politicians in Utah from both political parties are LDS.[citation needed] While the Church maintains an official policy of neutrality in regards to political parties and candidates,[24] Utah votes predominately Republican. Self-identified Latter-day Saints are more likely to vote for Republican ticket than non-Mormons, and Utah is one of the most Republican states in the nation.[25] The connection between the LDS Church and the Republican Party of Utah is controversial.
In the 1970s, then-Apostle Ezra Taft Benson was quoted by the Associated Press that it would be difficult for a faithful Latter-day Saint to be a liberal Democrat.[26] Although the LDS Church has officially repudiated such statements on many occasions, Democratic candidates—including LDS Democrats—believe that Republicans capitalize on the perception that the Republican Party is doctrinally superior.[27] Political scientist and pollster Dan Jones explains this disparity by noting that the national Democratic Party is associated with progressive positions on gay rights and abortion that make Latter-day Saints uncomfortable.[28] The Republican Party in heavily Mormon Utah County presents itself as the superior choice for Latter-day Saints. Even though Democratic candidate are predominantly LDS, socially conservative, and pro-life, no Democrat has won in Utah county since 1994.[29] David Magleby, dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Brigham Young University, a lifelong Democrat and a political analyst, asserts that the Republican Party actually has more conservative positions than the LDS Church. Magleby argues that the locally conservative Democrats are in better accord with LDS doctrine.[30] For example, the Republican Party of Utah opposes all abortions while the LDS Church and Utah Democrats allow exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother. Similarly, the state GOP has been at odds with the LDS Church position opposing concealed firearms in places of worship.
The LDS Church itself has been troubled by the perception of political bias in the wake of Massachusetts Republican Mitt Romney's prospective presidential run.[31] In 1998 the Church expressed concern that Utahns perceived the Republican Party as an LDS institution and authorized lifelong Democrat and Seventy Marlin Jensen to promote LDS bipartisanship.[26]
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 57% 473,814 | 42% 350,841 |
| 2000 | 56% 422,357 | 43% 320,141 |
| 1996 | 75% 500,293 | 24% 155,294 |
The state's leadership is run by the Republican Party. State governors are usually centrist on social issues and favor free trade on economic policies, while the state senate and house are much more polarized with Republican members passing very socially conservative policies on party-line and partisan votes. Many of these bills have been subsequently vetoed by the governors.[citation needed]
While the people of the state are generally more tolerant of gay rights and polls indicate that a majority of residents support some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples, the state legislature is markedly more hostile.[citation needed] About 80% of Utah's Legislature are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,[32] while they account for 62% of the population.[4]
In 2006, the legislature passed legislation aimed at banning joint-custody for a non-biological parent of a child. The custody measure passed the legislature and was vetoed by the governor, a reciprocal benefits supporter.
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 69% 626,640 | 28% 258,955 |
| 1998 | 64% | 33% |
Prayers are commonplace in Utah politics, and lawmakers of both parties, whether liberal or conservative, speak of their relationship with God or their religious beliefs in ordinary conversation.[original research?]
Utah's liberal areas include Carbon County, Grand County, Salt Lake County, and Summit County. Currently, both Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County have Democratic Party mayors and are home to about one million of the state's two and a half million residents. Salt Lake City's Mayor Rocky Anderson is supports same-sex marriage and the Kyoto Treaty, while the county mayor Peter Corroon is a relative of Howard Dean and shares similar views.[citation needed] Salt Lake City has not voted for a Republican mayor since the 1970s. Salt Lake County's Democrats tend to favor the economic policies of free trade while being socially liberal, particularly with gay rights and less so with abortion.[citation needed]
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NA | NA |
| 2000 | 66% 501,925 | 32% 241,129 |
Carbon County's Democrats are generally made up of members of the large Greek, Italian,and Southeastern European communities, whose ancestors migrated in the early 1900s to work in the extensive mining industry. The views common amongst this group are heavily influenced by labor politics, particularly of the New Deal Era.[33]
Grand County's politics are heavy on environmentalism and being socially liberal. The county has a large hippie community situated in the popular tourist destination, Moab,[citation needed] in red rock country between Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.
The Democrats of Summit County are the by-product of the migration of wealthy families from California in the 1990s to the ski resort town of Park City; their views are generally supportive of the economic policies favored by unions and the social policies favored by the liberals.
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 44% 144,928 | 48% 157,287 |
| 2000 | 52% 158,787 | 47% 144,011 |
The state's most Republican areas tend to be Utah County, which is the home to Brigham Young University and Provo, and nearly all the rural counties.[21][22] These areas generally hold socially conservative views in line with that of the national Religious Right.
The state has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964. Historically, Republican presidential nominees score one of their best margins of victory here. Utah was the Republicans' best state in the 1976,[34] 1980,[35] 1984,[36] 1988,[37] 1996,[38] 2000[39] and 2004[40] elections. In 1992, Utah was the only state in the nation where Democratic candidate Bill Clinton finished behind both Republican candidate George H. W. Bush and Independent candidate Ross Perot.[41] In 2004, Republican George W. Bush won every county in the state and Utah gave him his largest margin of victory of any state. He won the state's 5 electoral votes by a margin of 46 percentage points with 71.5% of the vote. In the 1996 Presidential elections the Republican candidate received a smaller 54% of the vote while the Democrat earned 34%.[42]
[edit] Important cities and towns
- See also: Utah locations by per capita income
Salt Lake City
Utah's population is concentrated in two areas, the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, with a population of approximately 2 million; and southwestern Utah, locally known as "Dixie", with nearly 150,000 residents.
According the 2000 Census, Utah was the fourth fastest growing state (at 29.6%) in the United States between 1990 and 2000. St. George, in the southwest, is the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, trailing Las Vegas, Nevada.
The state's two fastest growing counties are: Summit (at 91.6%; ranking it 8th in the country) and Washington (at 86.1%; ranking it 12th). The cities (defined as having at least 9,000 residents in 2000) that saw the greatest increases between 1990 and 2000 were: Draper (248%), South Jordan (141%), Lehi (125%), Riverton (122%), and Syracuse (102%). Between 1990 and 2000 the five fastest-growing cities of any size were Cedar Hills (302%), Draper (248%), Woodland Hills (213%), Ivins (173%), and South Jordan (141%). According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the five fastest-growing cities of any size between 2000 and 2005 were Herriman (637%), Saratoga Springs (548%), Eagle Mountain (380%), Cedar Hills (152%), and Syracuse (91%).
| Utah Rank |
City | Population (2005) within city limits |
Land Area (sq. miles) |
Population Density per sq mi |
County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 178,097 | 109.1 | 1,632.4 | Salt Lake |
| 2 | Provo | 113,459 | 39.6 | 2,865.1 | Utah |
| 3 | West Valley City | 113,300 | 35.4 | 3,200.5 | Salt Lake |
| 4 | West Jordan | 91,444 | 30.9 | 2,959.3 | Salt Lake |
| 5 | Orem | 89,713 | 18.4 | 4,875.7 | Utah |
| 6 | Sandy | 89,664 | 22.3 | 4,020.8 | Salt Lake |
| 7 | Ogden | 78,309 | 26.6 | 2,943.9 | Weber |
| 8 | St. George | 64,201 | 64.4 | 996.9 | Washington |
| 9 | Layton | 61,782 | 20.7 | 2,984.6 | Davis |
| 10 | Taylorsville | 58,009 | 10.7 | 5,421.4 | Salt Lake |
| Combined Statistical Area | Population (2004) |
|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield comprised of: Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield Metropolitan Areas and Brigham City and Heber Micropolitan Areas (as listed below) |
1,559,230 |
| Utah Rank |
Metropolitan Area | Population (2004) |
U.S. Rank |
Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City* | 1,018,826 | 50 | Salt Lake, Tooele, Summit |
| 2 | Ogden-Clearfield* | 477,455 | 101 | Weber, Davis, Morgan |
| 3 | Provo Orem | 412,361 | 112 | Utah |
| 4 | St. George | 109,924 | 318 | Washington |
| 5 | Logan | 109,666 | 320 | Cache, Franklin (Idaho) |
- Until 2003, the Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan areas were considered as a single metropolitan area.[43]
| Utah Rank |
Micropolitan Area | Population (2004) |
U.S. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham City | 44,810 | 280 |
| 2 | Cedar City | 36,285 | 386 |
| 3 | Vernal | 26,671 | 495 |
| 4 | Price | 19,689 | 550 |
| 5 | Heber | 18,139 | 560 |
[edit] Education
Utah has recently enacted a universal school voucher program.
[edit] Colleges and universities
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[edit] Sports
The Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association play in the EnergySolutions Arena[44] in Salt Lake City. Utah is by far the least populous U.S. state to have a major professional sports league franchise, although the District of Columbia has fewer people. Other teams include:
- Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer in Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City (a soccer-specific stadium has been approved for Sandy, and ground was broken for the new stadium on August 12, 2006)[45]
- Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League in Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City
- Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League in Lindquist Field in Ogden
- Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League in Parkway Crossings in Orem
- Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL in the E Center in West Valley City
- Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League at the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City
See also List of professional sports teams in Utah
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Popular recreational destinations within the mountains besides the ski resorts include Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Bear Lake, and Jordanelle, Strawberry, Pineveiw Reservoir, East Canyon, and Rockport reservoirs. The mountains are popular camping, rock-climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking destinations.
- The USS Utah was named in honor of this state.
- The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster is built and serviced by the Thiokol division of ATK, which has its facilities in Promontory Point. Boosters are tested periodically at a proving grounds in the Wasatch Range.
- Utah (as of 2000) ranked first in antidepressant and narcotic painkiller use, and was in the top three for prescriptions for thyroid medications, anticonvulsants and anti-rheumatics.[46] While Utah once ranked first in personal bankruptcies per capita in the US, this is no longer true (as of 2005).[47] It ranks 47th in teen pregnancy (although at least some of these are married teenagers, which is not uncommon in the state), last in percentage of births out of wedlock, last in number of abortions per capita, and last in percentage of teen pregnancies terminated in abortion. Statistics relating to pregnancies and abortions may be artificially low from teenagers going out of state for abortions because of parental notification requirements.[48][49] Utah has the lowest child poverty rate in the country, despite its young demographics.[50]
- According to Internal Revenue Service tax returns, Utahns rank first among all U.S. states in the proportion of income given to charity by the wealthy.[50]
- Jell-O is the official snack food of Utah, giving rise to the term the Jello Belt.[51]
- Mexican President Vicente Fox visited Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 23, 2006, as the first stop on his trip to the United States, which also included stops in California and Washington state. It is unusual for a foreign head of state to visit Utah (except for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics). However, the growing presence of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Utah may be a reason for his visit.[citation needed] The LDS Church also has a large presence in Mexico, with 1,043,718 members as of December 31, 2005.[52]
- The popular subculture, Straight Edge, is an anti-drug/anti-alcohol rock music scene which had its origins in college students, including large numbers of Mormons, in Salt Lake City and Provo in the 1980s.[citation needed]
[edit] Famous Utahns
- Roseanne Barr - Comedian, actress, writer, talk-show host.
- Shawn Bradley - Former NBA player.
- John Moses Browning - Designer of popular firearms like the M2 .50 caliber machine gun and the Colt Model 1911 .45 semi-automatic handgun.
- Butch Cassidy - Outlaw.
- Gary Coleman - Relocated to Utah after the filming of the movie Church Ball.[23]
- Andre Dyson - NFL player
- Kevin Dyson - NFL player
- Marriner Eccles - Banker, economist, and Chairman of the Federal Reserve during Roosevelt and Truman administrations.
- Philo Farnsworth - Inventor of the electronic television.
- John D. Fitzgerald - Author of The Great Brain series of children's books.
- Brandon Flowers - Lead singer of The Killers (although born in Las Vegas he was raised in Nephi, Utah)
- Jake Garn - Former U.S. Senator and one-time astronaut.
- John Gilbert - Silent-film actor.
- Orrin Hatch - U.S. Senator
- Jon Huntsman, Sr. - Businessperson, philanthropist.
- Jewel - Musician, author.
- Chad Lewis - NFL player
- Maddox - Internet satirist and author of The Best Page In The Universe and The Alphabet of Manliness.
- John Willard Marriott - Founder of worldwide hotel business Marriott International, Inc..
- Bert McCracken - Lead singer of The Used Raised in Utah, moved away at age 18.
- Larry H. Miller - Businessperson, philanthropist.
- Merlin Olsen - Former National Football League player and actor.
- Donny Osmond - Singer, actor, former talk-show host.
- Marie Osmond - Singer, actor, businessperson.
- The Osmonds - Show-business family, former pop-music group.
- Neil Papiano - Internationally prominent Los Angeles lawyer
- Kim Peek - The world renowned savant that the title character of "Rain Man" was modeled after.
- Robert Redford - Actor, director, movie producer, environmentalist, philanthropist
- Cael Sanderson - Four-time NCAA champion wrestler, 2004 Olympic Gold Medal winner, and current wrestling coach of his alma-mater Iowa State. Grew up in Heber City.
- Brent Scowcroft - National Security Advisor to presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush.
- SheDaisy - Country music group. All 3 members born in Utah.
- Branden Steineckert - Drummer of Rancid and ex-drummer of The Used, was raised in Utah from an early age and currently lives there, but was born in Idaho.
- Mack Swain - Vaudeville performer and silent-film actor.
- The band The Used was formed in Utah, all current members were born there.
- Mike Weir - Professional golfer.
- Scott Wolf - Actor.
- James Woods - Born in Vernal, Utah. A well renowned actor, appearing in several major motion pictures, including Casino. As well as many high profile videogames, including Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
- Loretta Young - Actress
- Mahonri Young - Sculptor and artist.
- Steve Young - Hall of Fame quarterback for San Francisco 49ers, won NFL's Most Valuable Player award 1992 and 1994, direct descendant of Brigham Young.
- David Zabriskie cyclist, stage winner in all three grand tours,yellow jersey holder, national TT champion
- It is worth noting that the band Utah Saints are not from the state at all but from Leeds, England.
[edit] Branding
The state of Utah relies heavily on income from tourists and travelers taking advantage of the state's ski resorts and natural beauty, and thus the need to "brand" Utah and create an impression of the state throughout the world has led to several state slogans, the most famous of which being "The Greatest Snow on Earth," which has been in use in Utah officially since 1975 (although the slogan was in unofficial use as early as 1962) and now adorns nearly 50% of the state's license plates. In 2001, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt approved a new state slogan, "Utah! Where Ideas Connect," which lasted until March 10, 2006, when the Utah Travel Council and the office of Governor Jon Huntsman announced that "Life Elevated" would be the new state slogan.
[edit] In entertainment
Utah is the setting of or the filming location for many books, films,[53] and television series.[54] A selective list of each appears below.
[edit] Books
- Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191, which is set in a North America where the South won the Civil War, mentions Utah several times. The state's Mormon population rebels against the United States in an attempt to create the Nation of Deseret throughout the series, which results in battles in and around Salt Lake City, Provo, and other locations.
- In Around the World in Eighty Days, the characters pass through Utah by train.
- The children's series The Great Brain is set in a fictional town that is based on Price, Utah.
- Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang is set in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The characters' ultimate goal is the destruction of the Glen Canyon Dam.
[edit] Film
- SLC Punk! takes place in Salt Lake City.
- Broken Arrow was filmed in Moab.
- Some scenes in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed in Moab.
- Scenes from Dumb and Dumber were filmed in Utah.
- High School Musical was shot at East High School.
- Footloose was shot in Payson and Lehi.
- Three O'Clock High was shot at Ogden High School.
- Drive Me Crazy
- Carnival of Souls
- The Cheyenne Social Club
- Harry in Your Pocket
- Head,(The Monkees)
- The World's Fastest Indian
- Jeremiah Johnson
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- The Eiger Sanction
- The Electric Horseman
- The Car
- The House of Seven Corpses
- Airport 1975
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Easy Rider
- Electra Glide in Blue
- How the West Was Won
- Stagecoach (film)
- The Trial of Billy Jack
- Windtalkers
- Vacation Chevy Chase
- Rio Grande,(John Wayne, John Ford)
- Mission: Impossible
- Octopussy
- Thelma & Louise
- The Sandlot
- Galaxy Quest
- Some parts of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest were shot at the Salt Flats
- The scenes involving the Charlotte in National Treasure were shot in Utah.
- Driven through and mentioned in "Anywhere but Here"
[edit] Television
- In the Doctor Who episode "Dalek," Utah was the base of operations for the fictional character Henry van Statten.
- In Prison Break, D.B. Cooper buried his money under a silo in the Utah desert, somewhere near Tooele. Much of the first half of the second season involves the characters attempting to reach Utah and recovering the money.
- In the series The Visitor, the main character's spaceship was shot down and crash-landed in the mountains east of Salt Lake City.
- Everwood was filmed in Ogden and South Salt Lake.
- Regular production for Touched by an Angel was based in Salt Lake City.
- Big Love, an HBO television drama about a polygamous family, is set in Utah.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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