 Utah
Information
Capital
City: Salt Lake City
Economy: Tourism, services, mining,
industry and agriculture.
Population: 2,129,836
Time Zone: 7 hours behind Greenwich
Mean Time (-7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the first
Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October
Utah's Flag:
On a blue field, appears the state seal. In the center
of the seal is a beehive, the state emblem, with a sego lily growing
on either side. The sego lily stands for peace. The state motto
"Industry" means steady effort. A national flag shows
that Utah supports the United States. The eagle stands for protection
in peace and war. The date 1847 represents the year that Brigham
Young led a group of people to the Salt Lake Valley to reestablish
in Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, also know
as The Mormons. The date 1896 represents the year that Utah gained
admission to the Union of the United States.
History
of Utah:
The region was first explored for Spain by Franciscan friars Escalante
and Dominguez in 1776. In 1824 the famous American frontiersman
Jim Bridger discovered the Great Salt Lake. Fleeing the religious
persecution encountered in eastern and middle-western states, the
Mormons reached the Great Salt Lake in 1847 and began to build Salt
Lake City. The U.S. acquired the Utah region in the treaty ending
the Mexican War in 1848 and the first transcontinental railroad
was completed with the driving of a golden spike at Promontory Summit
in 1869. Mormon difficulties with the federal government about polygamy
did not end until the Mormon Church renounced the practice in 1890,
six years before Utah became a state. Rich in natural resources,
Utah has long been a leading producer of copper, gold, silver, lead,
zinc, and molybdenum. Oil has also become a major product. Utah
shares rich oil shale deposits with Colorado and Wyoming. Utah also
has large deposits of low sulphur coal. Ranked eighth among the
states in number of sheep in 1989, Utah also produces large crops
of alfalfa, winter wheat, and beans. Utah's traditional industries
of agriculture and mining are complemented by increased tourism
business and growing aerospace, biomedical, and computer-related
businesses. Utah is home to computer software giant Novell. Utah
is a great vacationland with 11,000 miles of fishing streams and
147,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs. Among the many tourist attractions
are Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National
Parks; Dinosaur, Natural Bridges, and Rainbow Bridge National Monuments;
the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City; and Monument Valley. Salt
Lake City will be the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Other Utah Links:
Economic Development Corporation
of Utah
Pioneer - Utah's Online Library
Utah
Associations of Govennment
Utah League of Cities and Towns
Utah
Rural Development Council
Utah State Office of Education
Utah Travel Council
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