Utah State Guide

Utah is located in the western United States and was recognized as a 45th state of the union on January 4, 1896 ^[1]. The capital and largest city of Utah is Salt Lake City. It is also fondly known as the "Beehive state". Utah is also the 31st most densely populated of the 50 states and is the 13th largest in area.

History of Utah

Geography of Utah

The state of Utah covers a total land area of over 84,899 sq mi ^[2]. It is the thirteenth largest state in the nation. Utah is bordered on the east by Colorado, on the northeast by Wyoming, on the north by Idaho, to the south by Arizona and to the west by Nevada and in the southwest extends to New Mexico.

Topography of Utah

Utah is hemmed in the Rocky Mountain Region of the US. It is classified as a region consisting of snow-covered peaks, beautifully colored canyons and natural rock formations. The geography of the state is characterized by 3 major land areas - the Basin and Ridge Region, the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau.

Rocky Mountains: It extends from north to south through the US. In the state, 2 ranges of the Rockies stretches across the northeast region - the Uinta Range and the Wasatch Range.

Basin and Ridge Region: This is among the country's driest areas. The Basin and Ridge Region extend through the state's western part and consist of small mountains and basins. While the east and west edges have mountains. The northeastern corner of the region has Great Salt Lake and to the west and southwest of the Lake is the Great Salt Lake Desert. The extreme southwestern corner of the region encompasses "Utah's Dixie" is located in the extreme - the lowest and warmest area of the state.

Colorado Plateau: The southern and eastern regions of the state is Colorado Plateau, which is characterized by wide high country interrupted with deep canyons and valleys. High plateaus occupy the western part of the region - Fish Lake, Aquarius and Markagunt, which are over 11,000 feet above sea level.

Climate of Utah

The climate of Utah is dry, semi-arid to desert climate. The state's varied mountains feature various climates. Its geographic location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada in California resulted in dry weather. The Pacific Ocean bring in precipitation in the state. Snowfall is a common occurrence in Utah with the exception of some parts in far southern valleys.

Utah's temperatures are extreme, with very hot summers and cold winter temperatures statewide due to its elevation. The state has moderate to lesser thunderstorms. Also thunderstorms are uncommon in Utah.

Important Mountain Peaks in Utah

Utah has number of mountain peaks and all its elevation varies from one another. Some of the major mountain peaks in Utah includes:

• Kings Peak
• Mount Timpanogos
• Mount Nebo
• Mount Peale
• Mount Ellen
• Delano Peak
• Twin Peaks
• Desert Peak
• Bald Mountain
• Signal Peak
• Lone Peak
• Abajo Peak
• Thousand Lake Mountain

Forest in Utah

• Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
• Fishlake National Forest
• Manti-La Sal National Forest
• Pando Forest
• Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
• Ashley National Forest
• Petrified Forest
• Dixie National Forest

Contact Details
Utah Department of Natural Resources
1594 W North Temple, Ste 3520
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5703
801-538-5555

To know more about Utah Department of Natural Resources, Click here.

Demography of Utah

According to the US Census Bureau as on July 1, 2014, the population^[3] of Utah is 2,995,919. It reflected a hike of 8.4% since the 2010 United States Census. Utah's population center is located in  in Utah County in the Lehi city. Larger percentage of the population resides in the metropolitan region, Wasatch Front. English, Spanish, German, French, Navajo are the major languages spoken in Utah.

Utah's largest ancestry groups include:

• English
• Scandinavian
• German
• Mexican
• American
• Scottish
• Irish
• Italian
• Dutch
• French
  
  

Economy of Utah

Based on the analysis of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2012 the gross state product of Utah was 0.87% of the total United States GDP. The state's major industries include mining, salt production, cattle ranching and government services. In 2014, median household income was $59,846 ^[4]

Agriculture in Utah

• The top 5 agricultural products in terms of revenue generated are beef cattle and calves, hogs, dairy products, hay and greenhouse and nursery products.
  
  
• The largest crop grown in the state is hay.
  
  
• Other important crops include greenhouse and nursery, barley, wheat and corn crops.
  
  
• Utah's important fruit crops include cherries, apples, peaches.
  
  
• Major vegetables grown in the state are potatoes, onions and dry beans.
  
  
• Leading livestock products include beef cattle and milk.
  
  
• Other important livestock products include chicken eggs, hogs, sheep and lambs, honey, wool.

Industry in Utah

• In manufacturing activity, computer and electronic products manufacturing lead in Utah.
  
  
• The manufacturing of primary metals, aluminium, steel and copper rank second.
  
  
• Ranking third is  processed foods and beverages.
  
  
• Utah's leading mined products are copper, petroleaum and natural gas.
  
  
• Great Salt Lake produces magnesium and natural salts.
  
  
• Ranking first in service sector industries are community, business and personal services.
  
  
• Finance, real estate and insurance group are the state's second ranking service sectors.
  
  
• Ranking third is the wholesale and retail trade.

Government of Utah

The power of the Government[1] of Utah is divided into three branches the Executive Branch, The Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch. The Executive Branch of Utah consists of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the State Auditor and the State Treasurer.
Governor[2] is the head of the executive branch of the government of Utah. All the executive power of the government of Utah is vested in the hands of the Governor. The Governor presently acts as the Vice Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA). The main priorities of the Governor is to strengthen the economy of the Utah are energy, jobs, education and self-determination. The Legislative Branch of Utah consists of the House of Representative and the Senate. The Legislature of Utah meets yearly in General Session, summoning on the 4th Monday of January. The Governor may also call special sessions that may last a maximum of 30 days.
The Judiciary[5] branch of Utah applies law and regulations and also ensures justice in the state. All the Judicial decisions of the state are taken by the Supreme Court, Utah Court of Appeals, Utah District Court, Utah Justice Court and Utah Juvenile Court.

Learn more about the Government of Utah

Education in Utah

The Education Department of Utah is responsible in preparing highly qualified professional educators and administrators through field placements in quality public and private schools and exemplary campus and distance based programs.

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Some of the leading colleges and universities in Utah are-

• The Art Institute of Salt Lake City in Draper
• Brigham Young University in Provo
• Broadview University in Salt Lake City
• Certified Career Institute in Salt Lake City and Clearfield
• Davis Applied Technology College Kaysville, UT
• College of Eastern Utah in Price
• Dixie State University in St. George
• ITT Technical Institute in Murray
• Eagle Gate College in Murray and Layton
• LDS Business College in Salt Lake City
• Provo College in Provo
• Neumont University in South Jordan
• Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville
• Roseman University in South Jordan, Utah
• Snow College in Ephraim and Richfield
  
  

Transportation of Utah

The Utah Department of Transportation is one of the executive agencies which work for the Development of the state transport system. The department looks after the safety and their ultimate goal is to achieve zero injuries, zero crashes and zero fatalities. The department optimizes mobility of traffic by adding roadway capacity and incorporating traffic management strategies and innovative design. The state of Utah consist an extensive network of major roadways. Utah’s road network comprises of Interstate highways, Primary state highways and U.S. highways.

The State of Utah consists of three numbered highway systems which are the Interstate Highway System, the United States Numbered Highways system or the U.S routes and the state route system. Interstate 15 is the longest Interstate and Interstate 215 is the shortest interstate in Utah. The major interstate highways in Utah are I-15, I-70, I-80, I-84 and I-215.

Utah’s Division of Aeronautics is responsible for all UDOT transportation issues involving aviation. Utah consists of: 37 General Aviation, 4 Primary, 3 Commercial, and 3 Reliever airports. The primary airports in Utah are Salt Lake City International Airport, Provo Municipal Airport, St. George Municipal Airport and Wendover Airport.

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Heath Care in Utah

The Health Department[1] of the state of Utah is responsible in providing the best medical facility to the people of the state. The department along with state’s 12 local health departments works for the betterment of the health system of the people. This Department prevents and detect outbreaks of infectious disease, protect citizens from man-made and natural disasters, promote healthy lifestyles and safe behaviors and offers access to health care facilities for the most vulnerable populations of Utah. The main aim of the Department of Health of Utah is to make the state a place where everyone can enjoy the best health possible. Medicaid of Utah offers many programs that offer accessible, sustainable and quality health care for its members. The programs include Traditional and Non-Traditional Medicaid, Spend down Program (Medically Needy), Medicaid Long-Term Care and Waiver Programs, Autism Waiver Program, Buyout Program, Children's Health Insurance Program, Utah's Premium Partnership for Health Insurance and Primary Care Network.

Learn more about health care in Utah

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References:

1. Utah Statehood
2. Geography of Utah
3. Population of Utah
4. Utah Economy Facts