Centrally located in the Rocky Mountain region, midway between Canada and Mexico, Utah is bordered by Wyoming on the northeast, Colorado on the east, Arizona on the south, Nevada on the west, and Idaho on the north. Utah is the 11th largest state and the 3d highest, with an average elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). Except for a projection of Wyoming into its northeastern corner, Utah would be rectangular in shape, measuring 440 km (275 mi) from east to west and 555 km (345 mi) from north to south. Settled by Mormon pioneers fleeing persecution in Illinois, Utah now has a population that is more than two-thirds Mormon. The state derives its name from the Ute Indians, who live in the Uinta Basin southeast of the capital, Salt Lake City. LAND AND RESOURCES The spine of the \TRocky Mountains\t runs down the middle of Utah, with the \TColorado Plateau\t to the east and the \TGreat Basin\t to the west. The part of the Rockies keeping to the main north-south axis is called the \TWasatch Range\t. The Uinta Mountains, extending more than 160 km (100 mi) just below the Utah-Wyoming border, represent the longest east-west-trending range in the United States; Utah's highest point, Kings Peak, at 4,123 m (13,528 ft), lies within this range. During its geologic history the Colorado Plateau gradually uplifted, causing the Colorado River and its tributaries to cut deep canyons and expose rock layers varying in color from white to orange, pink, and red. The Great Basin--the third largest region of interior drainage in the world--encompasses steep mountain ranges separated by broad desert flats. Soils Utah's soils range from the red and gray desert soils in the valleys to the alpine soils of the mountains. Most fertile are the alluvials and brown steppe--chestnut and chernozem loams formed along the bases of mountains. At higher elevations, gray brown podzolic soils and podzols underlie the forests. Rivers and Lakes Eastern Utah drains into the \TColorado River\t and its branches; major tributaries of the Colorado include the \TGreen River\t and the San Juan. Streams in the western part of the state--such as the Jordan, Bear, Provo, Sevier, and Weber--flow into the Great Basin. The Virgin River in southwestern Utah empties into Lake Mead. In the extreme northwestern corner of the state, the Raft River drains into the Snake River. In prehistoric times, Lake Bonneville, an inland sea, covered a large part of western Utah. Utah's most famous body of water, the \TGreat Salt Lake\t--the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi and the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere--is a remnant of Lake Bonneville, as are the \TBonneville Salt Flats\t. Utah Lake, the state's largest natural freshwater lake, is dwarfed by the artificial Lake Powell--300 km (185 mi) from end to end, with an irregular shoreline. Climate Utah is the second driest state in the nation, with an average annual precipitation of 330 mm (13 in). Whereas the Great Salt Lake Desert receives only 127 mm (5 in) of precipitation per year, however, part of the Wasatch Range receives about 1,020 mm (40 in). During the summer, average temperatures range between 18 deg C (65 deg F) and 28 deg C (83 deg F). Salt Lake City, for instance, has an average temperature in July of 25 deg C (77 deg F). In winter, temperatures fall below freezing, except in the southeastern corner of the state, where Saint George has an average January temperature of 4 deg C (39 deg F). Vegetation and Animal Life The vegetation of Utah's low-lying deserts includes the Joshua tree, creosote bush, mesquite, and several varieties of subtropical cacti. In the foothills pinon pine and gnarled juniper appear, and mountain flora include the blue spruce--the state tree--as well as the ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, Englemann spruce, and alpine fir. The nation's oldest trees, bristlecone pines, grow near the timberline, with some specimens dating back 3,000 years. The most common deciduous tree, the so-called quaking aspen, forms large stands at elevations well above 2,130 m (7,000 ft). Although elk and a few moose inhabit the northern mountains, and pronghorn antelope and wild mustangs roam the western desert valleys, Utah's most prevalent big-game animal is the mule deer. Small buffalo herds can still be found in the Henry Mountains in the southeast and on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, but desert bighorn sheep are limited to Zion and Canyonlands national parks. Cougars occupy the high mountain country. Smaller animals include the fur-bearing beaver, mink, marten, weasel, muskrat, badger, fox, and ringtail cat. The Great Basin rattlesnake is one of the most venomous creatures in North America. The state's lakes and streams contain bass, catfish, Utah sucker, carp, yellow perch, and rainbow, brook, and brown trout. A unique subspecies, the Utah cutthroat trout, is found only in the Deep Creek Mountains of western Utah. Located in the middle of the Pacific flyway, Utah hosts hundreds of species of migratory birds. Game birds include the Hungarian and chukar partridge, ring-necked pheasant, sage grouse, and wild turkey; birds of prey include the bald and golden eagle, vultures, and several varieties of hawks. The sea gull earned its status as the state bird when in 1848 flocks of them devoured the millions of crickets that threatened to destroy the Mormon pioneers' first crops. Resources More than 200 commercially usable minerals are present in Utah. About 30% of the total land area is forested. Utah's streams yield 22 trillion liters (5.8 trillion gal) of water per year, of which only a third comes from the state's own watersheds. Underground reservoirs, largely untapped, contain at least 89 trillion liters (24 trillion gal), located in water-bearing aquifers within 150 m (500 ft) of the surface. The Central Utah Project comprises six water development plans; the Bonneville unit, for instance, involves building ten new reservoirs, enlarging two existing ones, and adding 225 km (140 mi) of aqueducts, tunnels, and canals. PEOPLE During the 20th century, Utah's population has doubled almost every 40 years--from 276,749 in 1900, to 507,847 in 1930 and 1,059,273 in 1970. Between 1970 and 1980 the population increased by almost 40%, and from 1980 to 1990 the population growth rate was about 18%. The most densely populated area, the Wasatch front, contains three of the state's largest cities--\TSalt Lake City\t, \TOgden\t (53 km/33 mi to the north), and \TProvo\t (61 km/38 mi to the south). Their metropolitan populations account for much of Utah's population. Utah has among the highest birthrates and one of the lowest death rates in the country. Its infant mortality rate is lower than the national average, and the life expectancy of a state resident consistently runs above the national average. Because of the state's high birthrate, Utah residents tend to be younger than the U. S. population as a whole. Hispanic Americans constitute the largest ethnic minority in Utah. Utah also has small black and American Indian populations. Most Indians belong to the \TUte\t, \TNavajo\t, \TPaiute\t, and \TShoshoni\t tribes. About 70% of the state's inhabitants are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (see \TMormonism\t). Education One of the first acts of the Mormon settlers was to establish the University of Deseret in the parlor of an adobe cabin in Salt Lake City in 1850. This, the first public university west of the Mississippi, changed its name to the University of Utah in 1892. Today the state system includes three other 4-year institutions of higher education (see \TUtah, state universities and colleges of\t). Utah's best-known private institution of higher learning, Mormon-supported \TBrigham Young University\t, was established at Provo in 1875. Currently the state has the highest proportion in the nation of students attending college. Culture Salt Lake City's much-traveled Mormon Tabernacle Choir is world famous. Salt Lake City's new Bicentennial Arts Complex houses the internationally recognized Utah Symphony; the Ballet West, considered one of the best classical ballet companies in the nation; the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre and the Ririe-Woodbury Company, both noted for modern dance; and the Salt Lake Art Center. The Museums of Fine Arts and of Natural History on the University of Utah campus house the state's principal collections. Historical Sites and Recreational Areas The Golden Spike National Historic Site at Promontory, Utah, commemorates the joining on May 10, 1869, of the Union Pacific Railroad from the east and the Central Pacific from the west to complete the nation's first transcontinental railroad. The restored Beehive House, built in 1855 in Salt Lake City, was the home of Brigham Young; and on the capital's Temple Square stand the Salt Lake City Tabernacle and the Mormon Temple. Each year several million tourists visit Utah. They are attracted by \TBryce Canyon National Park\t and Zion National Park as well as Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef national parks, various national monuments, and Utah's many state parks. Communications Of the state's daily newspapers, the two largest are in Salt Lake City--the Tribune, a morning paper, and the Deseret News, an evening daily. Other dailies include the Ogden Standard-Examiner and the Provo Daily Herald, both evening papers. Radio broadcasting is provided by a number of AM and FM stations. The commercial television stations are supplemented by educational channels serving local areas. KSL Radio began broadcasting in 1922, making it one of the oldest stations in the country. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY Service industries account for about 75% of Utah's gross state product, and government in particular wields an important economic influence in the state. About 70% of Utah's lands are under federal control, and many civilian workers are on federal payrolls. Others are employed by the military or defense industries. Agriculture Of every 40 ha (100 acres) of land in Utah, only about 1.6 ha (4 acres) are suitable for cultivation. During the period of pioneering nearly everyone was engaged in farming. Recently, because of mechanization and improved farm management, only about 5% of Utah's labor force worked in the agricultural sector. Livestock provides about 75% of the state's agricultural income, with beef cattle ranking first in value, followed by dairy products, turkeys and hay. The most important crops are hay, wheat, and cherries. Other crops include alfalfa seed, apples, barley, onions, potatoes, sugar beets, and greenhouse products. Many fruits and vegetables are grown in north central Utah. Forestry About half of Utah's forestland is part of the national forest system. The national forests cover significant areas of Utah, but most of the land is not available for commercial timber enterprise. Among the trees that are harvested are the ponderosa pine, white fir, Douglas fir, Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and aspen. The Dixie National Forest has large ponderosa pine stands. Panguitch, a town in southern Utah, is a sawmilling center. Mining Mineral production in Utah contributes about 3% to the state's gross product. Fuels account for the majority of Utah's mineral output, and petroleum is the state's leading mineral. Petroleum production was begun in 1948, and today major petroleum-producing areas are found in Duchesne, San Juan, and Uintah counties. Utah's second most valuable mineral is coal. Large and mostly undeveloped coal reserves are located in the Kaiparowits Plateau. Carbon, Emery, and Sevier counties are leading coal-producing areas. Utah also has reserves of natural gas. In 1980 there were additional natural-gas finds in northeastern Utah. The most valuable nonfuel mineral found in the state is copper, and Utah ranks among the leading U. S. states in copper production. The mineral is taken mainly from a huge open-pit mine in Bingham Canyon in the Oquirrh Mountains southwest of Salt Lake City. Bingham Canyon also has rich deposits of gold, molybdenum, silver, lead, and zinc. The iron mines of Iron County have been worked since 1851, but it was the need for steel during World War II that expanded the iron mining operations into one of the largest in the western United States. Phosphate from the Uinta Mountains and potash from the Moab and Wendover regions are used for fertilizer. Utah is a leading producer of beryllium and Gilsonite and has significant reserves of uranium. Besides the sodium chloride obtained from evaporating beds along the southern and eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake, several minerals in solution are extracted from lake brines, including magnesium, chlorine, magnesium chloride, potassium sulfate, sodium sulfate, lithium, bromine, and boron. Manufacturing Utah's manufacturing is centered in the Salt Lake City area and in Cache, Utah, and Weber counties. Major state industries produce nonelectrical machinery (office machinery and construction and mining equipment); transportation equipment (aircraft equipment and systems for missiles and spacecraft); and food products. Other manufactures include electrical machinery and equipment; printing and publishing; petroleum and coal products; fabricated metals; chemical products; stone, clay, and glass products; and textiles. Transportation Utah is advantageously located on three interstate highways. I-15 crosses the state from north to south, and I-80 and I-70 cross from east to west. Railroad service is provided by several rail freight lines. Major railroads are the Union Pacific and the Denver and Rio Grande Western. Amtrak provides passenger service. Utah's busiest airport is the Salt Lake City International Airport annually; every western city is within a 2-hour flight of Salt Lake City. Energy Most of Utah's electrical power comes from coal-fired steam units, but hydroelectric units produce some electricity. The coal-powered steam units are located in Emery and Uintah counties; hydroelectricity comes from facilities at Flaming Gorge and Glen Canyon. Most electricity is supplied by the privately owned Utah Power and Light Company. Natural gas and oil are also energy sources in Utah. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Utah's constitution, written and proclaimed in 1895 shortly before statehood was granted on Jan. 4, 1896, included the provision--unusual at that time--that women were allowed to vote. The state's governor serves a 4-year term and may be reelected indefinitely; the legislature consists of the senate, whose 29 members (one from each county) serve 4-year terms, and the house of representatives, whose 75 members serve 2-year terms. Utah's highest court is the supreme court; it has 5 justices who serve 10-year terms. Other courts in the state are district courts, circuit courts, juvenile courts, and justice of the peace courts. Utah voters tend to be politically conservative and generally have voted Republican in presidential elections. HISTORY Prehistoric humans arrived in the Great Basin more than 10,000 years ago, practicing a hunting and gathering economy. The earliest \TAnasazi\t, known as the Basket Makers, developed their culture on the Colorado Plateau over 2,000 years ago; they were followed by the \TPueblo\t Indian tribes, whose cliff dwellings and granaries can still be seen in southeastern Utah. More recent arrivals were the Ute, Paiute, Goshiute, and Navajo Indians, who inhabited the state when the first white settlers arrived. Early European Explorers In 1776 two Franciscan missionaries, Silvestre Velez de \TEscalante\t and Francisco Atanasis Dominguez, led an expedition into the "Northern Mystery" in order to establish a road from Santa Fe to the Spanish missions in California. By the mid-1820s, fur trappers and traders, including William Henry \TAshley\t, James \TBridger\t, and Jedediah Strong \TSmith\t, had arrived; two other traders, Peter Skene Ogden and Etienne Provost, have given their names to Utah's second and third largest cities, Ogden and Provo. In 1843-44, John C. \TFremont\t, of the U.S. Army Topographical Engineers, conducted the first scientific survey of the Great Basin. Also during the 1840s several parties of settlers traversed northern Utah on their way to California. The Bartleson-Bidwell party of emigrants made their journey in 1841, crossing the Great Basin on the famous Overland Trail. In 1846 the ill-fated \TDonner party\t blazed the first trail through Emigration Canyon--the same route followed a year later by the Mormon pioneers. The Mormons The next chapter in Utah's history began at Carthage, Ill., on June 27, 1844, when Joseph \TSmith\t, the founder of Mormonism, and his brother Hyrum were taken from jail and shot by a hostile mob. Persecution of Smith's followers--called Mormons--continued, and in the spring of 1847 most of them headed west, led by Brigham \TYoung\t. The first pioneers entered the Great Salt Lake valley in July 1847, and other companies arrived soon after. When the Mormons came to Utah, it still belonged to Mexico. A year later, at the conclusion of the Mexican War, it became part of the United States, and in 1849 the Mormons established the State of Deseret (a name from the Book of Mormon meaning "honeybee" and signifying industriousness) and requested admission to the Union. Congress, however, refused to recognize Deseret--which stretched from Oregon to Mexico and as far west as the Sierra Nevada--and instead created the Territory of Utah, covering a much smaller area, with Brigham Young as governor. Soon conflicts broke out between the Indians, especially the Ute, and the new settlers. Intermittent fighting continued until 1867, when the Ute settled on a reservation. Before long, antagonisms developed between Utah and the federal government, which opposed the Mormon practice of polygamy. During the Utah War (1857-58), President James Buchanan sent troops to Utah, along with a new governor. During this period of tension and resentment, a party of Mormons led by John Doyle \TLee\t attacked a group of non-Mormons traveling through the territory in the so-called \TMountain Meadows Massacre\t (September 1857). The territory continued to make requests for statehood, but Congress always refused, until 1896, six years after the Mormons renounced their practice of polygamy. Industrialization The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 brought new settlers--many of them non-Mormon--and a boom in both agriculture and industry. Silver, gold, lead, and zinc were discovered, and large-scale copper production began in 1907. Soon several new irrigation projects, notably that on Strawberry River (1913), brought thousands of hectares of additional land under cultivation. The two world wars stimulated mining and manufacturing, and by the early 1960s, Utah was no longer primarily an agricultural state. Hydroelectric projects such as those at Flaming Gorge and Glen Canyon dams (1964) also encouraged industrial growth and urbanization. During the 1980s service industries and tourism expanded, broadening Utah's economic base. Robert Starr Waite Bibliography: Arrington, L. J., and Alexander, T. G., A Dependent Commonwealth: Utah's Economy from Statehood to the Great Depression (1974); Ellsworth, S. George, Utah's Heritage (1972); Emenhiser, Jedon A., Utah's Governments (1964); Federal Writers' Project, Utah: A Guide to the State (1941; repr. 1971); Larson, Gustave O., The Americanization of Utah for Statehood (1971); Long, E. B., The Saints and the Union: Utah Territory during the Civil War (1981); Morgan, D., State of Deseret (1987); Papanikolas, Helen Z., ed., The People of Utah (1976); Peterson, Charles S., Utah: A Bicentennial History (1977); Poll, R. D., and Alexander, T. G., eds., Utah's History (1978); Stout, W. D., History of Utah, 3 vols. (1967-71); Wilson, Ted, Utah's Wasatch Front (1987).