Official name	Ogden, Utah
Native name
Settlement type	City
Motto
Map caption	Location of Ogden, Utah
Image map1	Map of USA UT.svg
Mapsize1	200px
Map caption1	Location of Utah in the United States
Pushpin map
Pushpin label position
Pushpin mapsize
Coordinates region	US-UT
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Utah
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Weber
Subdivision name4
Government type	Council-Mayor
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Matthew R. Godfrey
Leader title1
Established title	Settled
Established date	1844
Established title2	Incorporated
Established date2	February 6, 1851
Established title3
Named for	Peter Skene Ogden
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2	69.0
Area land km2	69.0
Area water km2	0.0
Area total dunam
Area total sq mi	26.6
Area land sq mi	26.6
Area water sq mi	0.0
Area blank1 sq mi
Population as of	2010
Population total	82,825
Population density km2	1,934.78
Population density sq mi	3,113.72
Population metro	547,184
Population urban	2,238,697
Population csa	1,743,364
Population density blank1 sq mi
Timezone	MST
Utc offset	-7
Timezone dst	MDT
Utc offset dst	-6
Coordinates display	1
Elevation footnotes
Elevation m	1,310
Elevation ft	4,300
Area code	385, 801
Twin1	Hof
Twin1 country	Germany
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	49-55980
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	1444049
Website	http://ogdencity.com/
Footnotes	}}

Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census Bureau Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a convenient location for manufacturing and commerce. Ogden is also known for its many historic buildings, proximity to the Wasatch Mountains, and as the location of Weber State University.

Ogden is a principal city of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Weber, Morgan, and Davis counties. The 2010 count by the U.S Census Bureau placed the Metro population at 547,184. In 2010 Forbes rated Ogden the 6th best place to raise a family.

History

Originally named Fort Buenaventura, the city of Ogden was the first permanent settlement by people of European descent in the region that is now Utah. It was established by the trapper Miles Goodyear in 1846 about a mile west of where downtown Ogden is currently located. In November 1847, Fort Buenaventura was purchased by the Mormon settlers for $1,950. The settlement was then called Brownsville, after Captain James Brown, but was later named Ogden for a brigade leader of the Hudson's Bay Company, Peter Skene Ogden, who had trapped in the Weber Valley a generation earlier. The site of the original Fort Buenaventura is now a Weber County park.

Ogden is the closest sizable city to the Golden Spike location at Promontory Summit, Utah, where the First Transcontinental Railroad was joined in 1869. Ogden was known as a major passenger railroad junction owing to its location along major east-west and north-south routes. Railroad passengers traveling west to San Francisco from the eastern United States typically passed through Ogden (and not through the larger Salt Lake City to the south). Ogden, however, is no longer served by Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, and passengers desiring to travel from Ogden by rail must travel via FrontRunner commuter rail to Salt Lake City.

Keeney House was a historic hotel

In 1972, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completed construction of and dedicated the Ogden Utah Temple in Ogden. The temple was built to serve the large LDS population in the area. In 2010, the LDS Church announced a major renovation of the Ogden Temple and the adjacent Tabernacle. The work, which began in April 2011, includes completely changing the dated 70's exterior, removing the steeple from the Tabernacle so as to make the Temple's steeple a main focus, as well as a new underground parking garage and new gardens.

Because Ogden has historically been the second largest city in Utah, it is home to a large number of historic buildings. However, by the 1980s, several Salt Lake City suburbs and Provo had surpassed Ogden in population.

The Defense Depot Ogden Utah operated from 1941 to 1997 in Ogden. Some of its 1,128 acres (4.6 km²) has since been converted into a commercial and industrial park called the Business Depot Ogden.

Geography

Ogden is located at (41.2196, -111.9712), at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. It lies approximately 10 miles (15 km) east of the Great Salt Lake and 40 miles (60 km) north of Salt Lake City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.6 square miles (69.0 km²), all of its land. Elevations in the city range from about to above sea level. The Ogden and Weber Rivers, which originate in the mountains to the east, flow through the city and meet at a confluence just west of the city limits. Pineview Dam is located in the Ogden River Canyon east of Ogden. The reservoir behind the dam provides over 110,000 acre-feet (140,000,000 m³) of water storage and water recreation for the area.

Prominent mountain peaks near Ogden include Mount Ogden to the east and Ben Lomond to the north.

Climate

Ogden experiences a hot summer continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dsa''). Summers are hot and dry, with highs frequently reaching 95 °F (35 °C), with a few days per year reaching 100 °F (38 °C). Rain is provided in the form of infrequent thunderstorms during summer, usually between mid-July and mid-September during the height of monsoon season. The Pacific storm season usually lasts from about October through May, with precipitation reaching its peak in spring. Snow usually first occurs in late October or early November, with the last occurring sometime in April. Winters are cool and snowy, with highs averaging 37 °F (3 °C) in January. Snowfall averages about , with approximately of precipitation annually.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 82,825 people, 30,338 households, and 24,947 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,113.72 people per square mile (1,934.78/km²). There were 32,482 housing units at an average density of 1,221.13 per square mile (758.78/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.24% White, 2.2% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 15.87% from other races, and 3.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.11% of the population.

There were 30,338 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 14.6% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,047, and the median income for a family was $38,950. Males had a median income of $29,006 versus $22,132 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,632. About 12.6% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Ogden is governed under the mayor-council form of government, in which the full-time mayor serves as executive while the seven-member part-time council serves as the legislative branch. All of these elected officials serve four-year terms, with elections occurring in odd-numbered years and terms beginning in January of even-numbered years.

The current mayor is Matthew Godfrey, who first took office in January 2000 and was reelected in 2003 and 2007. As of January 2010, the city council members are Caitlin Gochnour, Chair, Susie Van Hooser, Vice Chair, Amy Wicks, Bart Blair, Brandon Stephenson, Doug Stephens, and Neil Garner. Four of the council members represent the city's four municipal wards, while the other three (Blair, Van Hooser, and Wicks) are elected at-large by voters from the entire city.

Although municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, Ogden has developed two opposing political factions in recent years. One faction includes Mayor Godfrey, and is generally supported by the Chamber of Commerce and the local association of realtors. The other faction includes a majority of the city council, with support from Ogden's firefighters' union and many Weber State University faculty. The Godfrey-aligned faction has generally favored large government-assisted economic development projects such as The Junction, the Ogden River Project, a proposed tram or gondola on Mt. Ogden, and proposed real estate developments in Ogden's foothills. The other faction has advocated for less government spending on such projects and for preservation of the foothills and mountains in a more natural state.

Education

Weber State University

Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College

Ogden City School District

Stevens–Henager College

Ogden High School (Utah)

Economy

As the principal city of the 3rd largest MSA in Utah, Ogden serves as a regional economic hub for northern Utah. Local government, including Ogden City, Weber County, and the local school districts, are all located in Ogden. The Internal Revenue Service has a large presence in Ogden and is the city's largest employer with over 5,000 employees. Other large employers include IHC owned McKay Dee Hospital, Weber State University, and Convergys.

The Business Depot Ogden, formerly an army depot, was restructured to be a 1,000 plus acre business park, and is home to numerous companies.

Notable Headquarters

FJ Management Inc. - Oil company.

Marketstar - Sales and marketing company. Autoliv North America - Automotive safety equipment. Bank of Utah - Banking services.

Transportation

Interstates 15 and 84 serve the city. I-84 runs east-west through the southern suburbs, merging with I-15 near Riverdale. I-15 runs north-south near the city's western edge and provides connections to the rest of the Wasatch Front and beyond. Ogden is served directly by exits 341, 342, 343, and 344. US-89 enters the city from the south, running through the city as Washington Boulevard, which serves as the main street of Ogden. It then continues north to Brigham City. State Route 39 runs east-west through the city as 12th Street, and continues eastward through Ogden Canyon providing access to Pineview Reservoir and the mountain and ski resort town of Huntsville.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates 4 bus routes directly between Salt Lake City and Ogden, as well as numerous others that serve Weber and northern Davis Counties that connect into either the Ogden Intermodal Hub on the west edge of town or to Weber State University. It's also the source of the two routes that serve Brigham City, the northernmost extension of UTA's bus system. It also has a Greyhound bus stop along a line that runs north-south along I-15. The FrontRunner commuter rail is now open and runs between Salt Lake City and Pleasant View, just north of Ogden, and includes a stop at the Ogden Intermodal Hub. This line opened for service on April 26, 2008.

Amtrak service is provided with a bus connection running to/from Salt Lake City. Amtrak trains do not serve Ogden directly.

Ogden-Hinckley Airport, Utah's busiest municipal airport, is located in the southwest portion of the city.

Sites of interest

Bigelow-Ben Lomond Hotel

DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts

Dee Events Center

Eccles Avenue Historic District

Historic 25th Street

The Ice Sheet Curling venue during the 2002 Winter Olympics

Jefferson Avenue Historic District

The Junction Retail and residential complex

Ogden City Municipal Building

Ogden High School

Ogden Nature Center

Ogden Utah Temple

Ott Planetarium

Peery's Egyptian Theatre

Snowbasin Ski Area Alpine Skiing venue during the 2002 Winter Olympics

Saint Joseph Catholic Schools

Union Station

Ogden Forest Service Building

Weber State University

Treehouse Children's Museum

Sports and recreation

The mountains and rivers near Ogden offer diverse opportunities for outdoor recreation.

An extensive trail system, immediately adjacent to the city's eastern edge, gives residents and visitors immediate access to the foothills of the Wasatch Range. The foothill trails are used for hiking, running, mountain biking, and sometimes snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Steeper trails climb eastward into the mountains, and many other mountain trails originate within a few miles of the city. A system of paved urban trails runs along the banks of the Ogden and Weber Rivers.

The quartzite cliffs above Ogden's foothills provide a variety of rock climbing routes. An extensive boulder field in the foothills is one of the most popular bouldering sites in the state. On the mountains east of Ogden are three downhill ski areas: Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Wolf Mountain. Popular sites for cross-country skiing include Snowbasin and Weber County's North Fork Park.

Kayaking is a popular sport on portions of the Ogden and Weber Rivers. A developed kayak park lies on the Weber River in the western portion of the city. The reservoirs near Ogden are used for a wide variety of water sports.

Ogden is also home to the minor league baseball team Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League, the minor-league soccer team Ogden Outlaws of the Premier Development League and the Ogden Knights of the American Indoor Football Association.

Ogden Stadium houses the annual "Hot Rocking 4th", a motorsports event.

There are several golf courses located in the city of Ogden.

Weber State University fields several intercollegiate athletic teams that attract spectators from among local residents. The university is especially known for its basketball team.

Ogden is a satellite venue of the Sundance Film Festival. A local film festival, now called the Foursite Film Festival, has been held annually since 2004. Other events of interest include a downtown farmer's market, the Ogden Arts Festival, the Harvest Moon Festival, Ogden Winterfest and the Ogden marathon.

Renown

Two ships in the United States Navy have been named after the City of Ogden. The first, USS Ogden (PF-39), in 1943 and the second, USS Ogden (LPD-5), in 1964.

Ogden was the site of the infamous Hi-Fi Murders in 1974.

Flying J, the largest retailer of diesel fuel in North America, has its corporate headquarters in Ogden.

Birthplace of

Hal Ashby, Academy Award winning film director

Rodney Bagley, co-inventor of the catalytic converter

Solon Borglum, Sculptor

Fawn M. Brodie, Historian

John Moses Browning, Inventor and firearms designer

Val A. Browning, Industrialist, philanthropist, and gun innovator

Tom Chambers, Basketball player

Bernard DeVoto, Historian

Byron Foulger, Actor

Kent James, Singer-songwriter

J. Willard Marriott, Hotel magnate

Herbert B. Maw, Politician, Utah's 8th Governor

K. Gunn McKay, Politician, US House of Representatives

Wataru Misaka, Basketball player

Red Nichols, Jazz Musician / Big Band Leader

"The Osmonds": George, Jr. (Virl), Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, Entertainers

Janice Kapp Perry, Songwriter

Brent Scowcroft, Politician, Former United States National Security Advisor

Ken St. Andre, Game designer

E. Parry Thomas, Banker

Olene S. Walker, Politician, Utah's 15th Governor

Gedde Watanabe, Actor

Byron Scott, Basketball player and coach

Tanoka Beard, Basketball player

Colby Bockwoldt, Football player

Court McGee, Fighter

Filming location of

Some episodes of ''Touched by an Angel''

''Everwood'' (mostly filmed in downtown Ogden)

''Blind Dating''

''Firestarter 2: Rekindled''

''Drive Me Crazy''

''Con Air''

''The Sandlot''

''Three O'Clock High'' (mostly filmed at Ogden High School)

''Fletch''

''Dumb and Dumber''

Documentary short ''King of O-Town: Joe McQueen''

''The Stand''

''Air Bud''

Tiffany's music video for "I Think We're Alone Now"

LL Cool J's music video for "Doin' It"

''This Boy's Life''

''Harmful Intent''

''Scorned and Swindled''

''Don't Look Under the Bed''

''National Lampoon's Bag Boy''

''Disney Channels "Return to Halloween Town"

''Frozen (2010 American film)'' (Filmed at Snowbasin Ski Resort)

See also

Amalgamated Sugar Company

Conoco Inc.

Defense Depot Ogden Utah

Hi-Fi Murders

International Armoring Corporation

McKay-Dee Hospital Center

''Ogden Standard-Examiner''

''Victim: The Other Side of Murder''

References

External links

Ogden City web site

Category:Cities in Utah Category:Populated places in Weber County, Utah Category:Wasatch Front Category:County seats in Utah Category:Populated places established in 1844 Category:Ogden–Clearfield metropolitan area

bg:Огдън ca:Ogden (Utah) da:Ogden (Utah) de:Ogden (Utah) es:Ogden (Utah) fr:Ogden (Utah) ko:오그던 (유타 주) it:Ogden (Utah) ht:Ogden, Utah hu:Ogden nl:Ogden (Utah) pl:Ogden (Utah) pt:Ogden (Utah) ru:Огден (Юта) simple:Ogden, Utah sv:Ogden vo:Ogden (Utah) zh:奥格登 (犹他州)

Utah ( or ) is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most urbanized in the U.S. The name "Utah" is derived from the name of the Ute tribe and means "people of the mountains" in the Ute language. Utah is bordered by Arizona on the south, Colorado on the east, Wyoming on the northeast, Idaho on the north and Nevada on the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico.

Utah is the most religiously homogeneous state in the Union. Approximately 60% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life.

The state is a center of transportation, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates, Utah was the fastest growing state in the United States as of 2008. St. George, Utah, was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000–2005.

History

Early history

Thousands of years before the arrival of European explorers, the Anasazi and the Fremont tribes lived in what is now known as Utah. These Native American tribes are subgroups of the Ute-Aztec Native American ethnicity, and were sedentary. The Anasazi built their homes through excavations in mountains, and the Fremont built houses of straw before disappearing from the region around the 15th century. Another group of Native Americans, the Navajo, settled in the region around the 18th century. In the mid-18th century, other Uto-Aztecan tribes, including the Goshute, the Paiute, the Shoshone and the Ute people, also settled in the region. These five groups were present when the first European explorers arrived.

The southern Utah region was explored by the Spanish in 1540, led by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, while looking for 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 coast of California. The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents. The Spanish made further explorations in the region, but were not interested in colonizing the area because of its desert nature. In 1821, the year Mexico achieved its independence from Spain, the region of Utah became part of Mexico, as part of Alta California.

Trappers and fur traders explored some areas of Utah in the early 19th century. The city of Provo, Utah was named for one of those men, Étienne Provost, who visited the area in 1825. The city of Ogden, Utah was named after Peter Skene Ogden, a Canadian explorer who traded furs in the Weber Valley. In late 1824, Jim Bridger became the first white person to sight the Great Salt Lake. Due to the high salinity of its waters, Bridger thought he had found the Pacific Ocean; he subsequently found that this body of water was nothing but a giant salt lake. After the discovery of the lake, hundreds of traders and trappers established trading posts in the region. In the 1830s, thousands of people traveling from the East toward the U.S. West began to make stops in the region of the Great Salt Lake.

The Mormon settlement

Following the Death of Joseph Smith, Jr., in Carthage, Illinois, in 1844, the more than 11,000 Latter Day Saints remaining in Nauvoo, IL struggled in conflict with neighbors until Brigham Young, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emerged as the leader of the largest portion. (See Succession crisis.)

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.

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 as a place they could practice their religion without interference.

Utah was the source of many pioneer settlements located elsewhere in the West. Salt Lake City was the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth" of Mormon settlements. Fed by a continuing 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, Bountiful and Weber Valley, and 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. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century, 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 in Las Vegas, Nevada; Franklin, Idaho (the first white settlement in Idaho); San Bernardino, California; Star Valley, Wyoming; and Carson Valley, Nevada.

Prominent settlements in Utah included St. George, Logan, and Manti (where settlers raised the first three temples in Utah, each built many years before the larger and better known temple built in Salt Lake City was completed in 1893), as well as Parowan, Cedar City, Bluff, Moab, Vernal, Fillmore (which served as the territorial capital between 1850 and 1856), Nephi, Levan, 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. Young had an expansionist's view of the territory that he and the Mormon pioneers were settling, calling it Deseret – which according to the Book of Mormon was supposed to have translated into "honeybee" – hence the beehive which can still be found on the Utah flag, and the state's motto, "Industry."

Utah was Mexican territory when the first pioneers arrived in 1847. Early in the Mexican-American War in late 1846, the United States had captured New Mexico and California, and the whole Southwest became U.S. territory upon the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on March 11. The Utah Territory was created with the Compromise of 1850, and Fillmore was designated the capital. It was given the name Utah after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital in 1856.

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, or polygamy, among its members. The Mormons were pushing for the establishment of the State of Deseret. The U.S. Government, which had been reluctant to admit a state the size of the proposed Deseret into the union, opposed the polygamous practices of the Mormons.

Members of the LDS Church were viewed as un-American and rebellious when news of their polygamous practices spread. In 1857, particularly heinous accusations of abdication of government and general immorality by former associate justice William W. Drummond, among others, caused the administration of James Buchanan to send a secret military "expedition" to Utah. When the supposed rebellion should be quelled, Alfred Cumming would take the place of Brigham Young as territorial governor. The resulting conflict is known as the Utah War.

As troops approached Salt Lake City in northern Utah, nervous Mormon settlers attacked and killed 120 immigrants from Arkansas and Missouri in southern Utah. The slaughtered Fancher-Baker party was enroute to California. 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 in 1858, 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 traditions of their supposed territorial government. By agreement with Young, Johnston established Camp Floyd, away from Salt Lake City, to the southwest.

Salt Lake City was the last link of the First Transcontinental Telegraph, completed in October 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 in 1861. This was a boon to the local economy as the army sold everything in camp for pennies on the dollar before marching back east to join the war. The territory was then left in LDS hands until Patrick E. Connor arrived with a regiment of California volunteers in 1862. Connor established Fort Douglas just 3 miles (5 km) east of Salt Lake City and encouraged his people to discover mineral deposits to bring more non-Mormons into the territory. 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 Antonga 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.

1900s to present

Beginning in the early 20th century, with the establishment of such national parks as Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, Utah became 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 (thus the license plate, "the Greatest Snow on Earth"). Salt Lake City won the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games 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.

In 1957, Utah created the Utah State Parks Commission with just four parks. Today, Utah State Parks manages 43 parks and several undeveloped areas totaling over 95,000 acres of land and more than one million surface acres of water. Utah's state parks are scattered throughout Utah; from Bear Lake State Park at the Utah/Idaho border to Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum deep in the Four Corners region, and everywhere in between. Utah State Parks is also home to the state's off highway vehicle office, state boating office and the trails program.

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 County, 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.

Geography

Utah is a rugged and geographically diverse state that is located at the convergence of 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 in the north, Wyoming in the north and east; by Colorado in the east; at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast; by Arizona in the south; and by Nevada in the west. It covers an area of . The state is one of only three U.S. states (with Colorado and Wyoming) that have only lines of latitude and longitude for boundaries. One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the northern center of the state is the Wasatch Range, which rises to heights of about above sea level. Utah is home to world-renowned ski resorts, made popular by the light, fluffy snow and easy accessibility. 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 13,528 feet (4,123 m), 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. It stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at the south end. Approximately 75 percent of the population of the state lies in this corridor, and population growth is rapid.

Western Utah is mostly arid desert with a basin and range topography. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain punctuate the landscape. The Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat as a result of once forming the bed of ancient Lake Bonneville. Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, and Rush Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake, which once covered most of the eastern Great Basin. West of the Great Salt Lake, stretching to the Nevada border, lies the arid Great Salt Lake Desert. One exception to this aridity is Snake Valley, which is (relatively) lush due to large springs and wetlands fed from groundwater derived from snow melt in the Snake Range, Deep Creek Range, and other tall mountains to the west of Snake Valley. Great Basin National Park is just over the Nevada state line in the southern Snake Range. One of western Utah's most famous attractions is Notch Peak, the tallest limestone cliff in North America, located west of Delta. Much of the scenic southern and southeastern landscape (specifically the Colorado Plateau region) is sandstone, specifically Kayenta sandstone and Navajo sandstone. The Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through the sandstone, creating some of the world's most striking and wild terrain (the area around the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers was the last to be mapped in the lower 48 United States). 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 the central feature of protected state and federal 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. The Navajo Nation also extends into southeastern Utah. Southeastern Utah is also punctuated by the remote La Sal, Abajo, and Henry mountain ranges.

Eastern (northern quarter) Utah is a high-elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins, particularly the Tavaputs Plateau and San Rafael Swell, which remain mostly inaccessible, and the Uinta Basin, where the majority of eastern Utah's population lives. Economies are dominated by mining, oil shale, oil, and natural gas-drilling, ranching, and recreation. Much of eastern Utah is part of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The most popular destination within northeastern Utah is Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal.

Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as Utah's Dixie because early settlers were able to grow some cotton there. Beaverdam Wash in far southwestern Utah is the lowest point in the state, at 2,000 feet (610 m). 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. Although the Wasatch Mountains end at Mount Nebo near Nephi, a complex series of mountain ranges extends south from the southern end of the range down the spine of Utah. Just north of Dixie and east of Cedar City is the state's highest ski resort, Brian Head.

Like most of the western and southwestern states, the federal government owns much of the land in Utah. Over 70 percent of the land is either BLM land, Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest, U.S. National Park, U.S. National Monument, National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area.

Climate

Utah features a dry, semi-arid to arid climate, although its many mountains feature a large variety of climates, with the highest points in the Uinta Mountains being above the timberline. The dry weather is a result of the state's location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada in California. The eastern half of the state lies in the rain shadow of the Wasatch Mountains. The primary source of precipitation for the state is the Pacific Ocean, with the state usually lying in the path of large Pacific storms from October to May. In summer, the state, especially southern and eastern Utah, lies in the path of monsoon moisture from the Gulf of California. Most of the lowland areas receive less than of precipitation annually, although the I-15 corridor, including the densely-populated Wasatch Front, receive approximately . The Great Salt Lake Desert is the driest area of the state, with less than . Snowfall is common in all but the far southern valleys. Although St. George only receives about per year, Salt Lake City sees about , enhanced by the lake-effect snow from the Great Salt Lake, which increases snowfall totals to the south, southeast, and east of the lake. Some areas of the Wasatch Range in the path of the lake-effect receive up to per year. The consistently dry, fluffy snow led Utah's ski industry to adopt the slogan "the Greatest Snow on Earth" in the 1980s. In the winter, temperature inversions are a common phenomenon across Utah's low basins and valleys, leading to thick haze and fog that can sometimes last for weeks at a time, especially in the Uintah Basin. Although at other times of year its air quality is good, winter inversions give Salt Lake City some of the worst wintertime pollution in the country.

Utah's temperatures are extreme, with cold temperatures in winter due to its elevation, and very hot summers statewide (with the exception of mountain areas and high mountain valleys). Utah is usually protected from major blasts of cold air by mountains lying north and east of the state, although major Arctic blasts can occasionally reach the state. Average January high temperatures range from around in some northern valleys to almost in St. George. Temperatures dropping below should be expected on occasion in most areas of the state most years, although some areas see it often (for example, the town of Randolph averages about 50 days per year with temperatures dropping that low). In July, average highs range from about to . However, the low humidity and high elevation typically leads to large temperature variations, leading to cool nights most summer days. The record high temperature in Utah was , recorded south of St. George on July 4, 2007, and the record low was , recorded at Peter Sinks in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah on February 1, 1985. However, the record low for an inhabited location is at Woodruff on December 12, 1932.

Utah, like most of the western United States, has few days of thunderstorms. On average there are fewer than 40 days of thunderstorm activity during the year, although these storms can be briefly intense when they do occur. They are most likely to occur during monsoon season from about mid-July through mid-September, especially in southern and eastern Utah. Dry lightning strikes and the general dry weather often spark wildfires in summer, while intense thunderstorms can lead to flash flooding, especially in the rugged terrain of southern Utah. Although spring is the wettest season in northern Utah, late summer is the wettest period for much of southern and eastern Utah. Tornadoes are uncommon in Utah, with an average of two striking the state yearly, rarely higher than EF1 intensity. One exception of note, however, was the unprecedented F2 Salt Lake City Tornado that moved directly across downtown Salt Lake City on August 11, 1999, killing 1 person, injuring 60 others, and causing approximately $170 million in damage. The only other reported tornado fatality in Utah's history was a 7-year old girl who was killed while camping in Summit County on July 6, 1884. The last tornado of above (E)F0 intensity occurred on September 8, 2002, when an F2 tornado hit Manti. On August 11, 1993, an F3 tornado hit the Uinta Mountains north of Duchesne at an elevation of , causing some damage to a Boy Scouts campsite. This is the strongest tornado ever recorded in Utah.

Demographics

The center of population of Utah is located in Utah County in the city of Lehi. As of April 1, 2010 the 2010 Census indicated that Utah had a population of 2,763,885. In 2008, the US Census Bureau determined Utah was the fastest growing state in the country.

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. Growth outside the Wasatch Front is also increasing. 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).

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).

Race and ancestry

Data from 2010 Census

At the 2010 Census, 80.4% of the population was non-Hispanic White, 0.9% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 1% non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native, 2% non-Hispanic Asian, 0.9% non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race (non-Hispanic) and 1.8% of two or more races (non-Hispanic). 13.0% of Utah's population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race).

Data from other years

The largest ancestry groups in the state are:

27.7% English

14.9% Scandinavian: (5.9% Danish, 4.3% Swedish, & 2.4% Norwegian)

12.4% German

7.0% American

6.1% Irish

4.7% Scottish

2.9% Italian

2.2% French

2.2% Welsh

1.4% Scotch Irish

1.3% Swiss

Most Utahns are of Northern European descent.

Religion

A majority of the state's residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As of 2007, 60.7% of Utahns are counted as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although only 41.6% of them are active members. Mormons now make up about 34%–41% of Salt Lake City, while rural areas tend to be overwhelmingly Mormon. Though the LDS Church officially maintains a policy of neutrality in regards to political parties, the church's doctrine has a strong regional influence on politics. Another doctrine effect can be seen in Utah's high birth rate (25 percent higher than the national average; the highest for a state in the U.S.). The Mormons in Utah tend to have conservative views when it comes to most political issues and the majority of voter-age Utahns are unaffiliated voters (60%) who vote overwhelmingly Republican. John McCain polled 62.5% in the 2008 Presidential Election while 70.9% of Utahns opted for George W. Bush in 2004. In 2000 the Religious Congregations and Membership Study reported that the three largest denominational groups in Utah are Mormon, Catholic, and Evangelical Protestant. The LDS church has the highest number of adherents in Utah (at 1,493,612 members), followed by the Catholic Church with 97,085 members reported and the Southern Baptist Convention, reporting 13,258 adherents. According to a report produced by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life the self-identified religious affiliations of Utahns over the age of 18 as of 2008 are:

Latter Day Saint movement 58% (labeled as Mormon on survey)

Unaffiliated 16%

Catholic 10%

Evangelicals 7%

Mainline Protestants 6%

Black Protestant Churches 1%

No Answer 1%

Other Faiths 1%

Buddhism <0.5%

Eastern Orthodox <0.5%

Hinduism <0.5%

Islam <0.5%

Jehovah's Witnesses <0.5%

Judaism <0.5%

Non denominational <0.5%

Other World Religions <0.5%

Margin of error +/- 6%

Age and gender

Utah has a high total birth rate, and the youngest population of any U.S. state. It is also one of the few non-Southern states that have more males than females.

In 2000, 49.9% female and 50.1% male constituted the gender makeup of Utah.

Economy

According to the University of Utah, the gross state product of Utah in 2005 was $92 billion, or 0.74% of the total United States GDP of $12.4 trillion for the same year. The per capita personal income was $24,977 in 2005. 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 October 2010, Utah was ranked number one in Forbes' list of "Best States For Business". A November 2010 article in ''Newsweek'' highlighted Utah and particularly the Salt Lake City area's economic outlook, calling it "the new economic Zion", and examined how the area has been able to bring in high-paying jobs and attract high-tech corporations to the area during a recession.

, the state's unemployment rate was 6.8%.

In eastern Utah petroleum production is a major industry. 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.

Utah collects personal income tax; since 2008 the tax has been a flat 5 percent for all taxpayers. The state sales tax has a base rate of 6.45 percent, 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.

Tourism

Tourism is a major industry in Utah and is well known for its year-round outdoor and recreational activities among other attractions. With five national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion), Utah has the third most national parks of any state after Alaska and California. In addition, Utah features seven national monuments, two national recreation areas, six national forests, and numerous state parks and monuments.

The Moab area, in the southeastern part of the state, is known for its challenging mountain biking trails, including Slickrock. Moab also hosts the famous Moab Jeep Safari semiannually.

Utah is well known for its winter activities and has seen an increase in tourism since the 2002 Winter Olympics. Park City is home to the United States Ski Team. Utah's ski resorts are primarily located in northern Utah near Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, and Provo. In 2010, for a fourth year in a row, Deer Valley, in Park City, has been ranked the top ski resort in North America by more than 20,000 readers of Ski Magazine, which has a circulation of over 1.6 million subscribers. In addition to having prime snow conditions and world-class amenities, Northern Utah's ski resorts are well liked among tourists for their convenience and proximity to a large city and international airport, as well as the close proximity to other ski resorts, allowing skiers the ability to ski at multiple locations in one day. This is in contrast to most other states with large ski industries, where resorts are more often located in remote locations, away from large cities, and more spread apart. The 2009 Ski Magazine reader survey concluded that six out of the top ten resorts deemed most "accessible" and six out of the top ten with the best snow conditions were located in Utah. In Southern Utah, Brian Head Ski Resort is located in the mountains near Cedar City. Former Olympic venues including Utah Olympic Park and Utah Olympic Oval are still in operation for training and competition and allows the public to participate in numerous activities including ski jumping, bobsleigh, and speed skating.

Utah features many cultural attractions such as Temple Square, the Sundance Film Festival, the Red Rock Film Festival, the DOCUTAH Film Festival, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Temple Square is ranked as the 16th most visited tourist attraction in the United States by Forbes Magazine, with over five million annual visitors.

Other attractions include Monument Valley, the Great Salt Lake, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and Lake Powell.

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 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, Park City in Summit County and numerous coal mining camps throughout Carbon County such as Castle Gate, Spring Canyon, and Hiawatha. These settlements 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, molybdenum, zinc, lead, and beryllium. Fossil fuels including coal, petroleum, and natural gas continue to play a major role in Utah's economy, especially in the eastern part of the state in counties such as Carbon, Emery, Grand, and Uintah.

Transportation

I-15 and I-80 are the main interstate highways in the state, where they intersect and briefly merge near downtown Salt Lake City. I-15 traverses the state north-to-south, entering from Arizona near St. George, paralleling the Wasatch Front, and crossing into Idaho near Portage. I-80 spans northern Utah east-to-west, entering from Nevada at Wendover, crossing the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City, and entering Wyoming near Evanston. I-84 West enters from Idaho near Snowville (from Boise) and merges with I-15 from Tremonton to Ogden, then heads southeast through the Wasatch Mountains before terminating at I-80 near Echo Junction.

I-70 splits from I-15 at Cove Fort in central Utah and heads east through mountains and rugged desert terrain, providing quick access to the many national parks and national monuments of southern Utah, and has been noted for its beauty. The 103 mile (163 km) stretch from Salina to Green River is the longest stretch of interstate in the country without services and, when completed in 1970, was the longest stretch of entirely new highway constructed in the U.S. since the Alaska Highway was completed in 1943.

TRAX, a light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley, consists of three lines. The Sandy line begins in the suburb of Sandy and ends in Downtown Salt Lake City. The Mid-Jordan line begins in the Daybreak Community, a southwestern valley suburb, and ends at the University of Utah. The West Valley Line begins in West Valley ending in Downtown Salt Lake City. The system is undergoing an expansion that will see the completion of 2 additional lines by 2014. The line to the Salt Lake International Airport is especially anticipated. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA), which operates TRAX, also operates a bus system that stretches across the Wasatch Front and west into Tooele, and provides winter service to the ski resorts east of Salt Lake City. Several bus companies provide access to the ski resorts in winter, and local bus companies also serve Logan, St. George, and Cedar City. A commuter rail line known as FrontRunner operates between Salt Lake City and Pleasant View, and is undergoing an expansion south to Provo. Amtrak's California Zephyr, with one train in each direction daily, runs east-west through Utah with stops in Green River, Helper, Provo, and Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City International Airport is the only international airport in the state and serves as a hub of Delta Air Lines. The airport has consistently ranked first in on-time departures and had the fewest cancellations among U.S. airports. The airport has non-stop service to over 100 destinations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as to Paris and Tokyo. Canyonlands Field (near Moab), Cedar City Regional Airport, Provo Municipal Airport, St. George Municipal Airport, and Vernal Regional Airport all provide limited commercial air service. An entirely new regional airport at St. George opened on January 12, 2011, replacing the old airport that existed on top of a plateau and had no room for expansion. SkyWest Airlines is also headquartered in St. George and maintains a hub at Salt Lake City. Frontier Airlines recently began daily non-stop service from Provo to the airline's hub in Denver. The service has so far been successful.

Law and government

name	Utah
bird	California Gull
butterfly
fish	Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
flower	Sego Lily
grass	Indian ricegrass
insect	European Honey Bee
mammal	Rocky Mountain Elk
tree	Blue Spruce
dance	Square Dance
dinosaur	Allosaurus
firearm	M1911 pistol
gemstone	Topaz
mineral	Copper
staterock	Coal
ships	USS ''Utah'' (BB-31)
slogan	"Life Elevated"
soil
song	''Utah, This is the Place''
sport
tartan	Utah State Tartan
route marker	Utah SR blank.svg
quarter	2007 UT Proof Rev.png
quarterreleasedate	2007 }}

Utah government, like most U.S. states, is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The current governor of Utah is Gary Herbert, who was sworn in on August 11, 2009. 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 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.

Counties

Utah is divided into political jurisdictions designated as ''counties''. As of 1918 there were 29 counties in the state, ranging from to . County seatBeaver, UtahBrigham City, UtahLogan, UtahPrice, UtahManila, UtahFarmington, UtahDuchesne, UtahCastle Dale, UtahPanguitch, UtahMoab, UtahParowan, UtahNephi, UtahKanab, UtahFillmore, UtahMorgan, UtahJunction, UtahRandolph, UtahSalt Lake CityMonticello, UtahManti, UtahRichfield, UtahCoalville, UtahTooele, UtahVernal, UtahProvo, UtahHeber, UtahSt. George, UtahLoa, UtahOgden, Utah

Utah counties
County name	|	Year founded	2010 U.S. Census	Percent of total	Area
Beaver County, Utah	Beaver	Beaver||	1856	6,162	0.23 %		3.05 %
Box Elder County, Utah	Box Elder	Brigham City||	1856	49,975	1.79 %		7.93 %
Cache County, Utah	Cache	Logan||	1856	112,656	4.12 %		1.38 %
Carbon County, Utah	Carbon	Price||	1894	21,403	0.71 %		1.75 %
Daggett County, Utah	Daggett	Manila||	1918	938	0.03 %		0.85 %
Davis County, Utah	Davis	Farmington||	1852	306,479	10.79 %		0.75 %
Duchesne County, Utah	Duchesne	Duchesne||	1915	18,607	0.62 %		3.84 %
Emery County, Utah	Emery	Castle Dale||	1880	10976	0.38 %	4,462	5.26 %
Garfield County, Utah	Garfield	Panguitch||	1882	4,658	0.17 %	5,208	6.13 %
Grand County, Utah	Grand	Moab||	1890	9,589	0.35 %	3,694	4.35 %
Iron County, Utah	Iron	Parowan||	1852	46,163	1.63 %	3,302	3.89 %
Juab County, Utah	Juab	Nephi||	1852	10,246	0.36 %	3,406	4.01 %
Kane County, Utah	Kane	Kanab||	1864	6,577	0.24 %	4,108	4.84 %
Millard County, Utah	Millard	Fillmore||	1852	12,503	0.44 %	6,828	8.04 %
Morgan County, Utah	Morgan	Morgan||	1862	8,669	0.32 %	611	0.72 %
Piute County, Utah	Piute	Junction||	1865	1,404	0.05 %	766	0.90 %
Rich County, Utah	Rich	Randolph||	1868	2,205	0.08 %	1,086	1.28 %
Salt Lake County, Utah	Salt Lake	|	1852	1,029,655	37.37 %	808	0.95 %
San Juan County, Utah	San Juan	Monticello||	1880	14,746	0.55 %	7,933	9.34 %
Sanpete County, Utah	Sanpete	Manti||	1852	27,822	0.93 %	1,603	1.89 %
Sevier County, Utah	Sevier	Richfield||	1865	20,802	0.73 %	1,918	2.26 %
Summit County, Utah	Summit	Coalville||	1854	36,324	1.32 %	1,882	2.22 %
Tooele County, Utah	Tooele	Tooele||	1852	58,218	2.08 %	7,287	8.58 %
Uintah County, Utah	Uintah	Vernal||	1880	32,588	1.09 %	4,499	5.30 %
Utah County, Utah	Utah	Provo||	1852	516,564	19.40 %	2,141	5.30 %
Wasatch County, Utah	Wasatch	Heber||	1862	23,530	0.77 %	1,209	1.42 %
Washington County, Utah	Washington	St. George||	1852	138,115	5.03 %	2,430	2.86 %
Wayne County, Utah	Wayne	Loa||	1892	2,509	0.09 %	2,589	2.90 %
Weber County, Utah	Weber	Ogden||	1852	231,236	8.31 %	659	0.78 %

Total Counties: 29

Total 2010 population: 2,763,885 Total state area:

Women's rights

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. However, in 1872 the initial 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 women's suffrage; full suffrage was not returned until Utah was admitted to the Union in 1896.

Utah is one of the 15 states that have not ratified the U.S. Equal Rights Amendment.

Constitution

The constitution of Utah was enacted in 1895. Notably, the constitution outlawed polygamy, as requested by Congress when Utah had applied for statehood, and reestablished the territorial practice of women's suffrage. Utah's Constitution has been amended many times since its inception.

Other laws

Utah is also one of only 2 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 spirituous liquors may only be purchased at state liquor stores, and local laws may prohibit the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages on Sundays. The state bans the sale of fruity alcoholic drinks at grocery stores and convenience stores. The law states that such drinks must now have new state-approved labels on the front of the products that contain capitalized letters in bold type telling consumers the drinks contain alcohol and at what percentage.

Politics

+ Presidential election results
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In the late 19th century, the federal government took issue with polygamy in the LDS Church. The LDS Church discontinued plural marriage 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. These tensions have played a large part in Utah's history (Liberal Party vs. People's Party).

Both of Utah's U.S. Senators, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, are Republican. Two more Republicans, Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, as well as one member of the Democratic Party, Jim Matheson, represent Utah in the United States House of Representatives. After Jon Huntsman, Jr., resigned to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Herbert was sworn in as governor on August 11, 2009.

The LDS Church maintains an official policy of neutrality with regard to political parties and candidates.

Utah votes predominately Republican. Self-identified Latter-day Saints are more likely to vote for the Republican ticket than non-Mormons, and Utah is one of the most Republican states in the nation.

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. 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. Political scientist and pollster Dan Jones explains this disparity by noting that the national Democratic Party is associated with liberal positions on gay rights and abortion, both of which the LDS Church is against. The Republican Party in heavily Mormon Utah County presents itself as the superior choice for Latter-day Saints. Even though Utah Democratic candidates are predominantly LDS, socially conservative, and pro-life, no Democrat has won in Utah County since 1994. 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. For example, the Republican Party of Utah opposes almost all abortions while Utah Democrats take a more liberal approach, although more conservative than their national counterparts. On Second Amendment issues, the state GOP has been at odds with the LDS Church position opposing concealed firearms in places of worship and in public spaces.

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.

Utah is much more conservative than the United States as a whole, particularly on social issues. Compared to other Republican-dominated states in the Mountain West such as Wyoming, Utah politics have a more moralistic and less libertarian character according to David Magleby.

+ Governor elections results
! Year	Republican Party (United States)>Republican	Democratic Party (United States)>Democratic

+ Salt Lake County Mayor
! Year	Republican Party (United States)>Republican	Democratic Party (United States)>Democratic

+ Senator Bennett results
! Year	Republican Party (United States)>Republican	Democratic Party (United States)>Democratic

+ Senator Hatch results
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About 80% of Utah's Legislature are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while they account for 61 percent of the population. Since becoming a state in 1896, Utah has had only two non-Mormon governors.

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.

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 20th century 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.

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.

The state's most Republican areas tend to be Utah County, which is the home to Brigham Young University in the city of Provo, and nearly all the rural counties. 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, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, and 2004 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. 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 five 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%.

Important cities and towns

Utah's population is concentrated in two areas, the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, with a population of over 2 million; and southwestern Utah, locally known as "Dixie", with nearly 150,000 residents.

According the 2010 Census, Utah was the second-fastest growing state (at 23.8 percent) in the United States between 2000 and 2010 (behind Nevada). St. George, in the southwest, is the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, trailing Greeley, Colorado.

The three fastest-growing counties from 2000 to 2010 were Wasatch County (54.7%), Washington County (52.9%), and Tooele County (42.9%). However, Utah County added the most people (148,028). Between 2000 and 2010, Saratoga Springs (1,673%), Herriman (1,330%), Eagle Mountain (893%), Cedar Hills (217%), South Willard (168%), Nibley (166%), Syracuse (159%), West Haven (158%), Lehi (149%), Washington (129%), and Stansbury Park (116%) all at least doubled in population. West Jordan (35,376), Lehi (28,379), St. George (23,234), South Jordan (20,981), West Valley City (20,584), and Herriman (20,262) all added at least 20,000 people.

186,440 align=left>West Valley City, Utah align=left>Provo, Utah align=left>West Jordan, Utah align=left>Orem, Utah align=left>Sandy, Utah align=left>Ogden, Utah align=left>St. George, Utah align=left>Layton, Utah align=left>Taylorsville, Utah

Utah<	Rank !! style="text-align:center;"	City !! Population(2010) withincity limits !! Landarea !! Populationdensity (/mi²)!! Populationdensity (/km²) !! County
1	Salt Lake City	|		1,666.1	630	Salt Lake County>Salt Lake
2	West Valley City ||	129,480	<		3,076.3	1236	Salt Lake County>Salt Lake
3	Provo ||	112,488	<		2,653.2	1106	Utah County
4	West Jordan ||	103,712	<		2,211.3	1143	Salt Lake County>Salt Lake
6	Orem ||	88,328	<		4,572.6	1881	Utah County
5	Sandy ||	87,461	<		3,960.5	1551	Salt Lake County>Salt Lake
7	Ogden ||	82,825	<		2,899.2	1137	Weber County, Utah>Weber
8	St. George ||	72,897	<		771.2	385	Washington County, Utah>Washington
9	Layton ||	67,311	<		2,823.9	1153	Davis County, Utah>Davis
10	Taylorsville ||	58,652		5,376.1	2094	Salt Lake County>Salt Lake

style="text-align:center;"	Combined statistical area !! Population(2007)
Salt Lake City-Provo, Utah	Provo-Orem-Ogden-Clearfieldcomprises:''Salt Lake City'' , ''Provo-Orem'' and ''Ogden-Clearfield'' Metropolitan Areas and''Brigham City'' and ''Heber'' Micropolitan Areas (as listed below)	2,210,816

1,115,692 align=left>Provo, Utah align=left align=left align=left align=left>[[Cedar City, Utah

Utah<	Rank !! style="text-align:center;"	Metropolitan area !! Population(2008) !! Counties
1	align=left	| Salt Lake, Tooele, Summit
2	Provo-Orem ||	540,820	Utah County, Utah>Utah
3	Ogden-Clearfield* ||	531,488	Weber County, Utah>Weber, [[Davis County, Utah
4	St. George ||	137,589	Washington County, Utah>Washington
5	Logan ||	125,070
Utah<	Rank !! style="text-align:center;"	Micropolitan area !! Population(2008)
1	align=left	49,015
2	Cedar City">Cache County, Utah

Until 2003, the Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan areas were considered as a single metropolitan area.

align=left>[[Cedar City, Utah align=left align=left align=left

Utah<	Rank !! style="text-align:center;"	Micropolitan area !! Population(2008)
1	align=left	49,015
2	Cedar City || 44,540
3	Vernal, Utah	Vernal |>29,885
4	Heber, Utah	Heber |>21,066
5	Price, Utah	Price |>19,549

Colleges and universities

The Art Institute of Salt Lake City in Draper

Brigham Young University in Provo (satellite campus in Salt Lake City)

Certified Career Institute in Salt Lake City and Clearfield

College of Eastern Utah in Price (Now part of the Utah State University system)

Dixie State College of Utah (formerly Dixie College) in St. George

Eagle Gate College in Murray and Layton

ITT Technical Institute in Murray

LDS Business College in Salt Lake City

Neumont University in South Jordan

Provo College in Provo

Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville

Snow College in Ephraim and Richfield

Southern Utah University (formerly Southern Utah State College) in Cedar City

Stevens-Henager College at various locations statewide

University of Phoenix at various locations statewide

University of Utah in Salt Lake City

Utah State University in Logan (satellite campuses at various state locations)

Utah Valley University (formerly Utah Valley State College) in Orem

Weber State University in Ogden

Western Governors University an online university, begun by former Utah Governor, Michael O. Leavitt

Westminster College in Salt Lake City

Sports

The Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association play at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. Utah is the least populous U.S. state to have a major professional sports league franchise. The team moved to the city from New Orleans in 1979 and has been one of the most consistently successful teams in the league (although they have yet to win a championship). Since 2007, Orem has been host to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League as well. Salt Lake City was previously host to the Utah Stars, who competed in the ABA from 1970–1976 and won 1 championship. Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer was founded in 2005 and plays at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy (they won a championship in 2009), and the Utah Blaze, who began play in the original AFL in 2006 that folded before the 2009 season, then returned to play when the league was re-founded in 2010. They compete at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

Utah also has several minor league baseball teams, the most prominent of which are the Salt Lake Bees, who play at Spring Mobile Ballpark in Salt Lake City and are part of the Pacific Coast League, which competes at the AAA level, meaning they are one notch below Major League Baseball. The Ogden Raptors (who play at Lindquist Field) and the Orem Owlz (who play at Brent Brown Ballpark) compete in the Pioneer League, which is a rookie league (the fifth and lowest level of the "affiliated minor leagues"—i.e., leagues that are part of Major League Baseball's official development system). The St. George RoadRunners play in the independent Golden Baseball League. Utah also has one minor league hockey team, the Utah Grizzlies, who play at the Maverik Center and compete in the ECHL (which is generally considered the third tier of U.S. hockey).

Utah has six universities that compete in Division I of the NCAA. Three of the schools have football programs that participate in the top-level Football Bowl Subdivision: Utah in the Pacific-12 Conference, Utah State in the Western Athletic Conference, and BYU as an independent. Two more schools participate in FCS football: Weber State in the Big Sky Conference and Southern Utah (SUU) in the Great West Conference for football and The Summit League in other sports. Southern Utah will become an all-sports member of the Big Sky Conference in 2012. Utah Valley, which has no football program, is a full member of the Great West Conference.

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, Pineview Reservoir, East Canyon, and Rockport reservoirs. The mountains are popular camping, rock-climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking destinations.

The USS ''Utah'', sunk at Pearl Harbor, was named in honor of Utah, in addition to the dinosaur Utahraptor.

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.

According to a study based on prescription claims from one mail-order pharmaceutical provider, 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. While Utah once ranked first in personal bankruptcies per capita in the US, this is no longer true (as of 2005). It ranks 47th in teenage pregnancy, 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. Utah has the lowest child poverty rate in the country, despite its young demographics. A 2009 study published in the ''Journal of Economic Perspectives'' found that Utah was the largest consumer of paid internet pornography per capita in the United States. The study found that pornography subscriptions are more prevalent in states where surveys indicate conservative positions on religion, gender roles, and sexuality. 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. This is due to the standard 10% of all earnings that Mormons give to the LDS church. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Utah has the highest rate of volunteerism. On average, Utah's 792,000 volunteers dedicated 146.9 million hours of service per year (between 2005 and 2007). The estimated economic contribution of the volunteer hours served is $2.9 billion annually. Jell-O is the official snack food of Utah, and Utah is in the center of the "Jell-O Belt", which refers to the Mormon Corridor. 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). The LDS Church also has a large presence in Mexico, with 1,082,427 members as of 2008, although only about 205,000 professed to be LDS in the 2000 census of Mexico.

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 percent 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.

In entertainment

Utah is the setting of or the filming location for many books, films, television series, music videos, and video games. A selective list of each appears below.

Books

Harry Turtledove's ''Southern Victory Series'', 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.

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.

Much of Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s post-apocalyptic novel ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' is set near or directly within Utah. The "hero" of the first part of the novel, the novice Brother Francis Gerard, is from Utah.

In the second of four books based on the video game Doom much of the story takes place in Salt Lake City.

Jack Kerouac's semi-autobiographical novel ''On the Road'' (arguably the most defining work of the post-WWII Beat Generation) describes traveling through Utah as part of a number of spontaneous road trips taken by the book's main characters. Additionally, the character of Dean Moriarty (like his real life counterpart Neal Cassady) was born in Salt Lake City. While many of the names and details of Kerouac's experiences are changed, the characters and road trips in the novel are based heavily on road trips taken by Kerouac and his friends across mid-20th century America.

Will Hobbs' 1999 young adult novel, ''The Maze'', takes place in Canyonlands National Park in Southern Utah.

Film

''See Category:Films shot in Utah''

Television

The series ''Donny & Marie'' show, and ''The Osmond Family Show'' were primarily filmed at the former Osmond Studios, in Orem.

In the ''Doctor Who'' episode "Dalek", Utah was the base of operations for the 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 Park City, Ogden and South Salt Lake.

Regular production for ''Touched by an Angel'' was based in Salt Lake City.

The CBS series ''Promised Land'' was filmed in a closed set in Salt Lake City.

''Big Love'', an HBO television drama about a polygamous family, is set in Sandy.

In an episode of ''The Simpsons'', Bart and his girlfriend drive to Utah to get married, because of the marriage laws. In another episode, the Simpsons attend the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.

In an episode of the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Drake and Josh'', after accidentally killing his sister's rare Cuban hamster, Josh Peck's character packs to move to Utah because "Nothing bad ever happens in Utah."

''The Stand'', a TV mini-series, was filmed at multiple locations in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. The scene where the deaf character (Nick) meets the slow-witted character (Tom Cullen) was filmed on Main Street in Midvale

''Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert'' was filmed in Salt Lake City at EnergySolutions Arena on October 26 and 27, 2007.

''Top Gear'' Series 12, episode 2 features hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May driving to Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in a Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, a Dodge Challenger SRT-8 and a Cadillac CTS-V.

In the ''Futurama'' episode "Mars University", the Professor mentions Utah while describing the colonization of Mars: "In those days Mars was a dreary, uninhabitable wasteland, much like Utah. But unlike Utah, Mars was eventually made liveable..."

The TLC reality series ''Sister Wives'', which made its debut in 2010, documents the life of a polygamous family in Lehi.

Music videos

Jon Bon Jovi – "Blaze of Glory" was shot in or around Moab.

Metallica – "King Nothing" and parts of "I Disappear" were filmed in Monument Valley.

The Killers – "Human" was shot in Goblin Valley.

The Offspring – "Gotta Get Away" was filmed at the Fairgrounds Coliseum.

Tiffany - "I Think We're Alone Now" was filmed at the Ogden Mall.

LL Cool J - "Doin' It" was filmed in Ogden.

Video games

''Splinter Cell: Conviction's'' Insurgency Pack features a level that takes place at a fictional experiental pharmaceutical company in Salt Lake City.

''Resistance 2'' features a level in Bryce Canyon.

''Amped 3'' features a level at the Snowbird Ski Resort.

''Downhill Domination'' has six bike racing courses in Moab and in Salt Lake City.

''Shaun White Snowboarding'' features Park City Mountain Resort.

''Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun'' features a level in Provo (NOD campaign).

''EA Sports BIG's Freekstyle'' game has a level called "Monumental Motoplex" in Monument Valley.

''Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open'' features a level in Moab.

''Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus'' features a level in a fictional Utah town called "Mesa City".

''Fallout: New Vegas'' features a downloadable add-on, titled Honest Hearts, which takes place in Utah's Zion National Park.

See also

Great Basin

Great Salt Lake

List of National Register of Historic Places in Utah

List of people from Utah

Rocky Mountains

U.S. state

References

External links

General

Government

State of Utah official Web site

Energy Data & Statistics for Utah

Military

Utah Army National Guard

Utah Air National Guard

Maps and Demographics

Utah State Facts

USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Utah

Utah QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau

Tourism and Recreation

Utah Office of Tourism (requires Flash)

Official Utah Travel website

Official Utah State Parks website

Utah Traffic and Road Conditions

Other

Utah State Chamber of Commerce

Utah Business Directory

==Related information==

Category:States of the United States Category:Former Spanish colonies Category:States and territories established in 1896

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name	Police officer
official names
activity sector	Law enforcement
competencies	Physical fitness, sense of justice
formation	Secondary or tertiary education
employment field	Public areas
related occupation	gendarmerie, military police, security guard, bodyguard
average salary	$55,000–$100,000 }}

A police officer (also known as a policeman or policewoman, and constable in some forces, particularly in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations) is a warranted employee of a police force. In the United States "officer" is the formal name of the lowest police rank; in many other countries "officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank, and the lowest rank is often "constable". Police officers are generally charged with the apprehension of criminals and the prevention and detection of crime, and the maintenance of public order. Police officers may be sworn to an oath, and have the power to arrest people and detain them for a limited time, along with other duties and powers.

Some police officers may also be trained in special duties, such as counter-terrorism, surveillance, child protection, VIP protection, and investigation techniques into major crime, including fraud, rape, murder and drug trafficking.

Duties and functions

Responsibilities of a police officer are varied, and may differ greatly from within one political context to another. Typical duties relate to keeping the peace, law enforcement, protection of persons and property, and the investigation of crimes. Officers are expected to respond to a variety of situations that may arise while they are on duty. Rules and guidelines dictate how an officer should behave within the community, and in many contexts restrictions are placed on what the uniformed officer wears. In some countries, rules and procedures dictate that a police officer is obliged to intervene in a criminal incident, even if they are off-duty. Police officers in nearly all countries retain their lawful powers, while off duty.

In the community

In the majority of Western legal systems, the major role of the police is to maintain order, keeping the peace through surveillance of the public, and the subsequent reporting and apprehension of suspected violators of the law. They also function to discourage crimes through high-visibility policing, and most police forces have an investigative capability. Police have the legal authority to arrest, usually granted by magistrates. Police officers also respond to emergency calls, along with routine community policing.

Police are often used as an emergency service and may provide a public safety function at large gatherings, as well as in emergencies, disasters, search and rescue situations, and Road Traffic Collisions. To provide a prompt response in emergencies, the police often coordinate their operations with fire and emergency medical services. In some countries, individuals serve jointly as police officers as well as firefighters (creating the role of Fire Police) or paramedics. In many countries, there is a common emergency service number that allows the police, firefighters, or medical services to be summoned to an emergency. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom have outlined command procedures, for the use in major emergencies or disorder. The Gold Silver Bronze command structure is a system set up to improve communications between ground based officers and the control room, typically, Bronze Commander would be a senior officer on the ground, coordinating the efforts in the center of the emergency, Silver Commanders would be positioned in an 'Incident Control Room' erected to improve better communications at the scene, and a Gold Commander who would be in the Control Room.

Police are also responsible for reprimanding minor offenders by issuing citations which typically may result in the imposition of fines, particularly for violations of traffic law. Traffic enforcement is often and effectively accomplished by police officers on motorcycles—called ''motor officers,'' these officers refer to the motorcycles they ride on duty as simply ''motors.'' Police are also trained to assist persons in distress, such as motorists whose car has broken down and people experiencing a medical emergency. Police are typically trained in basic ffirst aid such as CPR.

In addition, some park rangers are commissioned as law enforcement officers and carry out a law-enforcement role within national parks and other back-country wilderness and recreational areas, whereas Military police perform law enforcement functions within the military.

Entry and promotion qualifications

In most countries, candidates for the police force must have completed some formal education. Increasing numbers of people are joining the police force who possess tertiary education and in response to this many police forces have developed a "fast-track" scheme whereby those with university degrees spend two to three years as a Constable before receiving promotion to higher ranks, such as Sergeants or Inspectors. (Officers who work within investigative divisions or plainclothes are not necessarily of a higher rank but merely have different duties.) Police officers are also recruited from those with experience in the military or security services. In the United States state laws may codify state-wide qualification standards regarding age, education, criminal record, and training but in other places requirements are set by local police agencies. Each local Police agency has different requirements.

Promotion is not automatic and usually requires the candidate to pass some kind of examination, interview board or other selection procedure. Although promotion normally includes an increase in salary, it also brings with it an increase in responsibility and for most, an increase in administrative paperwork. There is no stigma attached to this, as experienced line patrol officers are highly regarded.

Dependent upon each agency, but generally after completing two years of service, officers may also apply for specialist positions, such as detective, police dog handler, mounted police officer, motorcycle officer, water police officer, or firearms officer (in countries where police are not routinely armed).

In some countries such as in Singapore, police ranks may also be supplemented through conscription, similar to national service in the military. Qualifications may thus be relaxed or enhanced depending on the target mix of conscripts. In Singapore, for example, conscripts face tougher physical requirements in areas such as eyesight, but are less stringent with minimum academic qualification requirements. Some police officers join as volunteers, who again may do so via differing qualification requirements.

Police pay

In some societies, police officers are paid relatively well compared to other occupations; their pay depends on what rank they are with in their police force and how many years service they have.

Occupational hazards

Line of duty deaths

Line of duty deaths are deaths which occur while an officer is conducting his or her appointed duties. Despite the increased risk of being a victim of a homicide, automobile accidents are the most common cause of officer deaths. Officers are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents because of their large amount of time spent conducting vehicle patrols, or directing traffic, as well as their work outside their vehicles alongside or on the roadway, or in dangerous pursuits. Officers killed by suspects make up a smaller proportion of deaths. In the U.S. in 2005, 156 line of duty deaths were recorded of which 44% were from assaults on officers, 35% vehicle related (only 3% during vehicular pursuits) and the rest from other causes: heart attacks during arrests/foot pursuits, diseases contracted from suspects' body fluids or, more rarely, emergency blood transfusions, accidental gun discharges, falls, and drownings.

Police officers who die in the line of duty, especially those who die from the actions of suspects, are often given elaborate funerals, attended by large numbers of fellow officers. Their families may also be entitled to special pensions. Fallen officers are often remembered in public memorials, such as the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in the U.S., the National Police Memorial in the U.K. and the Scottish Police Memorial, at the Scottish Police College.

In the United Kingdom, in the 10 years from April 2000 there were 143 line of duty deaths: 54 in road accidents travelling to or from duty, 46 in road accidents on duty, 23 from natural causes on duty, 15 from criminal acts, and 5 in other accidents. (In the United Kingdom, police do not normally carry firearms.)

The Singapore Police Force registered just over 100 deaths in a century up to the year 2000. There have been 28 New Zealand police officers killed by criminal act since 1890. Despite perceived dangers, policing has never been listed among the top ten most dangerous jobs in the U.S. In terms of deaths per capita, driver-sales work such as food delivery is a more dangerous profession than being a police officer, although some people say police work is more dangerous in some larger U.S. cities than in foreign military deployment ( e.g. during the Vietnam War, "early out" programs in certain cities were offered to recruits as alternatives to Vietnam deployment, but many soldiers chose Vietnam, figuring their chances of survival would be better).

Work stress

Indicators

The actual presence of stress in police work is well documented and evidenced by certain statistics. Researchers typically use suicide, divorce and alcoholism rates as three key indexes of stress in a group of people. These factors paint a compelling picture of police officers demonstrating signs of significant stress, for example:

A study in the United States, by National Surveillance of Police Suicide Study (NSOPS), showed 141 suicides in 2008 and 143 in 2009. This yields a suicide rate of 17/100,000, a figure that holds up under scrutiny and is consistent with CDC/NOMS data. The overall suicide rate in the United States was 11.3 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. There is some speculation or controversy that this official rate may understate the actual rate as it is often other police officers that report facts that lead to a cause of death determination, and death benefits, institutional image, and other factors may be incentives to misreport incident facts. It is speculated that some suicides are reported by fellow officers as accidents or as deaths in the line of duty perpetrated by unknown assailants. Also, many jurisdictions simply don't keep suicide statistics. Even though the information is incomplete, the raw numbers are highly compelling that police officers are much more likely to commit suicide than other occupations. However there is still controversy in the interpretation of these statistics. When comparisons are made within age, gender, and racial cohorts, the differences are much less dramatic. Although suicides may be notably more prevalent among police, it is not clear whether police suicides are the result of work stress or the consequence of other variables, such as the influence of a subculture of violence Police officers are much more likely to experience interpersonal relationship problems. Relationship problems are most dramatically demonstrated by the divorce rate among police officers, which is usually reported as being the second highest of all occupations. However in a 2009 study, the divorce rates of law enforcement personnel were compared with the rates for other occupations, where data was analyzed from the 2000 U.S. Census. The results of the analysis indicate that the divorce rate for law enforcement personnel is lower than that of the general population, even after controlling for demographic and other job-related variables. The propensity to domestic violence is also thought to be higher for police officers than the general population, though the statistics are very fuzzy and controversial. Police officers also seem to have relationship problems at work, typically with superiors or with political oversight, though the evidence is largely anecdotal and controversial.

Alcoholism is considered another aberrant statistic for police officers. Although the statistics are fuzzy, clinically treated alcohol addiction rates are usually calculated to be about twice as high for police officers than for the general population in the United States. In contrast, statistics documenting alcohol abuse are less precise. Rates for arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, or DUI or DWI, are somewhat higher for police officers than for other drivers, but the statistics are not widely trusted outside of the insurance industry since it is other police officers that make DUI arrests. Some departments and even some individual officers tend to hold police officers to a higher behavioral and ethical standard while others will recognize a 'blue line' behind which those within the 'brotherhood' are not held to the same standards as the rest of society. Despite the controversies in the interpretation of the statistics, it is generally considered evident that police officers are more susceptible to alcohol abuse than other occupations. The same conclusions are usually made regarding the police abuse of other substances, though the statistics are even less accurate, and even though the higher rates of substance abuse may be due in part to the more ready access to drugs and the more permissive atmosphere 'behind the blue line' rather than to occupational stresses.

Hans Selye, the foremost researcher in stress in the world, said that police work is "the most stressful occupation in America even surpassing the formidable stresses of air traffic control."

Other researchers, though, claim that police officers are more psychologically healthy than the general population. Police officers are increasingly more educated, more likely to engage in a regular program of exercise and to consume less alcohol and tobacco, and increasingly family-oriented. Healthy behavior patterns typically observed at entry training usually continue throughout the career of an officer. Even though the presence of occupation related stress seems to be well documented, it is highly controversial. Many within the law enforcement industry claim the propagation of incorrect suicide, divorce, and substance abuse statistics comes from people or organizations with political or social agendas, and that the presence of these beliefs within the industry makes it hard for health workers to help police officers in need of treatment to deal with the fear of negative consequences from police work which is necessary to enable police officers to develop a healthy expectancy of success in treatment.

Sources

Even though the presence of occupational stresses appear to be well documented, though not without controversy, the causes of workplace stress are comparatively unclear or even a matter of conjecture.

Although individual policemen and institutional public relations typically cite the risks of being killed in the line of duty as the predominant source of stress for individual policemen, there is significant controversy regarding the causes of personal workplace stress due to the fact that the actual risk of being killed is so small relative to other occupations.

It is charged that the myth of the high risks of occupational mortality connected with police work is often propagated by the law enforcement community as part of its institutional advancement and a central element in its public relations. Actual homicides of police are comparatively rare, but the reports of such incidents are typically reported in the press along with quotes by police officials or police officer family members stressing the notion that police officers 'put their lives on the line for the public' or 'risk their lives everyday', making it look like individual policemen routinely place themselves in mortal danger for low pay and little recognition, and that the view of police work as 'combat' is the source of police occupational stress indications.

Another explanation often advanced is the idea that police officers will undergo some traumatic experience in their police work that they never recover from, leading to suicide, divorce, etc. However, since the effects of such traumatic stresses is readily recognized, there are usually proactive programs in place to help individual police officers deal with the psychological effects of a traumatic event. Unfortunately, there is some evidence that such programs are actually ineffective, especially group therapies, may re-traumatize the participant, weaken coping mechanisms, and contribute to the development of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Observations where police officers and other emergency workers, such as firemen, experience the same traumatic event, it is more likely that the police officer will have difficulty dealing with the long term emotional effects of the traumatic event. On this observation, some of the academic literature suggests that along these lines the causes of occupational stress is more complex for police officers. Stress in police work is often present in other occupations, but not in an ongoing capacity. One line of thinking is that the individual stresses of police work produce a condition of chronic stress. Police officers encounter stressors in call after call which sap their emotional strength. Debilitation from this daily stress accumulates making officers more vulnerable to traumatic incidents and normal pressures of life. The weakening process is often too slow to see; neither a person nor his friends are aware of the damage being done. The effects of chronic stresses is two-fold:

First, prolonged stress causes people to regress. Their psychological growth reverses, and they become more immature. They rapidly become more childish and primitive, much like a person being sick for several days becoming more irritable and childish in its demands on other people.

Second, chronic stress numbs people's sensitivity. They can't stand to continually see human misery. They must stop feeling or they won't survive. The mind has this defense mechanism so people can continue working in horrible situations. If they kept their normal sensitivity, they would fall apart. As they become insensitive to their own suffering, they become insensitive to the suffering of others. When treated with indignity, they lose not only a sense of their own dignity but also the dignity of others. The pain of others stops bothering them, and they are no longer bothered when they hurt others.

The daily work of a police officer involves certain paradoxes and conflicts which may be difficult to deal with, the predominant examples are

Any interaction with a member of the public, whether socially or officially, such as in a traffic stop, involves a non-trivial risk of verbal abuse or physical harm. Treating a person with common respect or normal social graces requires the officer to be off guard and unprepared for an attack. Being on guard for an attack and treating every interpersonal situation with safety procedures and affirmative commands makes the police officer appear cynical, brutal, and detached, and limits his actual effectiveness with the public. Considering someone a friend or an enemy produces opposite mental states, an unnatural no-win situation engendering chronic stress.

A police department is both a professional and military organization, and these two aspects oppose each other. As a professional, he is considered to be an expert in his field and is expected to use his expertise for the good of his public. He has much discretion in how he serves the people who call upon him. However, the dangers and complexities of the work require a military structure of the organization and a military leaning in the training. Although some are actually educated, all police officers are well trained. Policies, regulations, and procedures cover every facet of police work. Everything is expected to be done by the book with substantial repercussions, including civil and criminal liability, for varying from the expectations of operating procedures. Often the facts of a situation require a course of action that does not follow procedures. If he follows procedures exactly, he knows he won't fully help the public, and the public will think he is shirking his responsibility. If the officer follows his own judgment, he is taking a risk. The community and department expect officers to use judgment, but when they do, there is a danger they will be disciplined; another unnatural no-win situation engendering chronic stress.

Police officers tend to become socially isolated. The reasons given for this isolation are varied and mostly anecdotal. One theory is that police work is not balanced. Most occupations involve a combination of good and bad results. In police work, almost everything is bad, and everybody you deal with is perceived either inherently bad or at least foolish. Another is that police officers develop a 'street wisdom' and by fiat possess a degree of authority that tends to make them perceive themselves as being morally superior to the rest of society. Whatever the reason, the public that the police deal with clearly perceive it and tend to reinforce the divide. Classically when a group of people are isolated, they become disoriented and confused. Their behavior changes drastically. Ironically an isolated class are usually the ones who are losing real world wisdom and tend to judge the world incorrectly from a very limited perspective, leading to interpersonal mistakes and more chronic stress.

A more colloquial view looks at specific sources of stress in police work. The sources of stress most often actually cited are:

The fear of killing someone in the line of duty.

Having your partner or somebody else that you feel at least partly responsible for killed in the line of duty.

Lack of support by the department or superiors.

The scheduling of work and irregular work demands resulting in a disruption of family time or family events or rituals.

The daily grind of dealing with the stupidity of the public, or the "asshole factor".

Other more academic studies have produced similar lists, but may include items that the more colloquial surveys do not reveal, such as 'exposure to neglected, battered, or dead children'

Again, the actual fear of occupational death or physical harm is not high on the list of stress sources.

There have been numerous academic studies on the specific sources of police stress, and most conclude organizational culture and workload as the key issues in officer stress. Traumatic events are usually concluded to not be of sufficient scope or prevalence to account for prevalence of suicide, divorce, and substance abuse abnormalities.

Personality theories

Some of the more esoteric, least documented or cited, and more longstanding theories for police stress symptoms involves the interaction of the specifics of police work with the personalities of individual police officers. There has been a raging debate on the fringes of psychiatry as to whether there is something about police work that causes psychiatric symptomology and personality disorders or whether there are certain personalities susceptible to disorders that are attracted to police work. There are four general possibilities:

There is something about police work, the social structure, the work atmosphere, etc., which causes stresses or presents traumas that cause personality or psychiatric disorders resulting in symptoms such as suicide, divorce, violence, substance abuse, etc. (the foundations of this possibility are outlined above)

There is one or more personality types or people with certain tendencies or proclivities who are susceptible of developing personality or psychiatric disorders, regardless of their occupation, who because of their personality or preferences are attracted to police work, and then display symptoms of stress or disorders.

There is a combination of the two.

Or there is a combination and synergistic interaction of the two.

There are personality traits that have been used to determine police applicant desirability, specifically:

openness

conscientiousness

extroversion

agreeableness

neuroticism

Personality traits considered undesirable include:

hostility

lack of impulse control

substance abuse

psychosis

paranoia

There are other personality traits that are specifically not desired for police work that are equally well documented. However, there has been relatively little academic work cited regarding the personality traits attracted to police work. The nature of personality traits of people attracted to police work tends to be a matter of conjecture and anecdotal observations. The personalities of people who are actually in police work tends to be different from that which is purported to be desired by police departments. Police officers tend to be isolated and suspicious, view expression of emotions as a weakness, and find it hard to trust and confide in others. For example, police officers are often viewed by the public to be domineering, narcissistic, authoritarian, physically oppressive, and basically the opposite of the personality traits most often cited as being desirable in a police officer. There are studies that suggest that people who take risks are attracted to police work. There is a corresponding theory that police officers actually tend to be people seeking security and stability and are attracted to the job for the steady government paycheck and government pension and adverse to the risks of business, sales, or other occupations. There is ample evidence that there is something in police work that alters personality.

The theory that there is an interaction between the personality attracted to the work and the work itself is mostly conjecture. For example, people attracted to police work are thought to crave the respect and authority that they expect with a badge, gun, uniform, and commission, but most of the people that police officers come in contact with do not respect them, and their authority is strongly regulated and limited by law, policies, and procedures, setting up a conflict resulting in chronic stress.

Abuse of power

As police officers have considerable powers and are often supported by authorities who oversee them if accused of wrongdoing, abuses are inevitable on occasion.

Systematic cases

In dictatorial, corrupt, or weak states, police officers may carry out many criminal acts for the ruling regime with impunity. Examples are the Gestapo secret police in Nazi Germany, and the role of the police in the military dictatorship in Argentina in the 1970s. Institutional racism has been found in modern police forces.

Individual cases

Individual officers, or sometimes whole units, can be corrupt or carry out various other forms of misconduct; this occasionally happens in many forces, but is particularly problematic where police pay is very low unless supplemented by bribes. Police sometimes act with unwarranted brutality when they overreact to confrontational situations, to extract a confession from a person they may or may not genuinely suspect of being guilty, or in other circumstances. Instances of racism occur, even when the police force as a whole is not found to be racist.

See also

Cops (TV series)

Fictional police officers

Field Training Officer

List of slang terms for police officers

Military police

Peace officer

Police brutality

Police rank

Police procedural

President Grover Cleveland—former Sheriff of Erie County, New York

President Theodore Roosevelt—Deputy Sheriff in the Dakota Territory, and New York City Police Commissioner

References

External links

http://www.discoverpolicing.org

Metropolitan Police history

http://www.newscotlandyard.police.uk/foi/pdfs/other_information/corporate/operational_uniform_and_equipment.pdf

http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/publications/freedom-of-information/policy.asp?id=144

http://www.gmp.police.uk/mainsite/pages/pcsouniform.htm,ts=2

http://www.policelink.com

Category:Law enforcement occupations Category:People in law enforcement Officer

bg:Полицай cs:Policista da:Politibetjent de:Polizeibeamter eo:Policisto fr:Policier io:Policistaro he:שוטר lt:Policijos tarnautojas nl:Politieagent ja:警察官 scn:Custurinu simple:Police officer sk:Policajt sl:Policist sv:Polisman i Sverige tr:Polis memuru vi:Cảnh sát

name	Mac Miller
background	solo_singer
birth name	Malcolm McCormick
birth date	January 19, 1992
birth place	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
genre	Hip hop, hipster hop, comedy hip hop, pop rap
occupation	Rapper
years active	2007 – present
label	Rostrum Records
associated acts	Wiz Khalifa, Beedie, The Ill Spoken, ID Labs, Just Blaze, Phonte
website	}}

Malcolm McCormick (born January 19, 1992), known by his stage name Mac Miller (previously Easy Mac), is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is signed to Rostrum Records.

Early life

Mac Miller was born Malcolm McCormick on January 19, 1992 and raised in the Point Breeze part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of an architect and a photographer. His father is Christian and his mother is Jewish; Miller was raised Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah. Before attending Taylor Allderdice High School, Miller attended Winchester Thurston School. In high school, Miller decided to focus on his hip-hop career, later noting, "Once I hit 15, I got real serious about it and it changed my life completely... I used to be into sports, play all the sports, go to all the high school parties. But once I found out hip-hop is almost like a job, that's all I did." Miller, also a self-taught musician, plays piano, guitar and the drums.

Career

Before his solo career, he was part of a rap group, The Ill Spoken with fellow Pittsburgh rapper, Beedie. Upon turning 18, he signed with Rostrum Records and released his mixtape debut, titled ''K.I.D.S.'' with the label in August 2010.

Mac Miller includes Big L, Lauryn Hill, The Beastie Boys, Outkast, and A Tribe Called Quest among his influences. He also has a close relationship with fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, saying "Wiz has been a big brother to me with this music thing so far. Our relationship is beyond music. He really is just my homie, whether I will be making music or not."

On November 22, 2010 his first single "Knock Knock" premiered its video on YouTube.

On March 29, 2011, he released an EP called ''On And On And Beyond''. The six-track work was produced by Rostrum Records.

On July 5, 2011, he announced the title of his first album ''Blue Slide Park'' on his YouTube channel, set for a Fall release.

Miller's most recent release was a mixtape titled ''Best Day Ever''. The mixtape features his singles "Get Up", "Wear My Hat", and the more favorites "Donald Trump", "BDE Bonus" and "All Around The World".

The video for the first single released from this mixtape, "Donald Trump", has reached 19 million views on YouTube, and Donald Trump himself, who is referenced on the song, acknowledged the video on the social networking site Twitter when it reached 16 million views stating "Who wouldn't be flattered?". The song also charted on the Billboard Hot 100 debuting at #80 and peaking at #79. This is an impressive feat considering he is not signed to a major label and the song didn't receive major radio airplay. He now has his debut album scheduled to come out soon and a tour for it called Blue Slide Park

In 2011 his first TV appearance took place in the VH1 show Single Ladies; he played a fictionalized version of himself that succeeded in selling one of his mixtapes to one of the main characters.

Discography

Albums

''Blue Slide Park'' (2011)

EPs

''On and On and Beyond'' (2011)

Mixtapes

''But My Mackin' Ain't Easy'' (2007)

''How High: The Mixtape'' (2008) (with The Ill Spoken)

''The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown'' (2009)

''The High Life'' (2009)

''K.I.D.S (Kickin' Incredibly Dope Shit)'' (2010)

''Best Day Ever'' (2011)

References

External links

Rostrum Records: Mac Miller

TreeJTV

Category:1992 births Category:American Jews Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard Category:Jewish rappers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:Rappers from Pennsylvania

de:Mac Miller fr:Mac Miller hr:Mac Miller it:Mac Miller no:Mac Miller pl:Mac Miller pt:Mac Miller ru:Мак Миллер fi:Mac Miller sv:Mac Miller

Name	Donald Trump
Birth name	Donald John Trump
Birth date	June 14, 1946
Birth place	Queens, New York City,New York, U.S.
Occupation	*Chairman and president of The Trump Organization Chairman of Trump Plaza Associates, LLC Chairman of Trump Atlantic City Associates Host of ''The Apprentice''
Years active	1968–present
Salary	$60 million (2010–11)
Networth	US$2.9 to $7.0 billion(2011)
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Fordham UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania (B.S.)
Party	Independent (2011–present)Republican (1987–99; 2009–11) Democratic (2001–09) Reform Party (1999–2000)
Spouse	Melania Trump (2005–present) Marla Maples (1993–99) Ivana Trump (1977–92)
Children	Donald Trump Jr. (b. 1977)Ivanka Trump (b. 1981)Eric Trump (b. 1984)Tiffany Trump (b. 1993)Barron Trump (b. 2006)
Residence	Trump Tower, Manhattan
Religion	Presbyterian
Signature	Donald Trump Signature.svg
Website	}}

Donald John Trump, Sr. (born June 14, 1946) is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show ''The Apprentice'' have made him a well-known celebrity who was No. 17 on the 2011 Forbes Celebrity 100 list.

Trump is the son of Fred Trump, a New York City real-estate developer. He worked for his father's firm, Elizabeth Trump & Son, while attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1968 officially joined the company. He was given control of the company in 1971 and renamed it The Trump Organization.

In 2010, Trump expressed an interest in becoming a candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election. In May 2011, he announced he would not be a candidate, but a few weeks later he said he had not completely ruled out the possibility. In December 2011, Trump was suggested as a possible Vice Presidential selection by Michele Bachmann.

Early life and education

Trump is a son of Fred Trump and his wife, Mary Anne MacLeod, who married in 1936. His mother was born on the Island of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland. Donald was one of five children. Donald's oldest brother, Fred Jr., died in 1981 at the age of 43. Trump's paternal grandparents were German immigrants. His grandfather, Frederick Trump (''née'' Freidrich Drumpf), emigrated to the United States in 1885 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1892. Frederick married Elisabeth Christ (October 10, 1880 – June 6, 1966) at Kallstadt, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, on August 26, 1902. They had three children.

Trump attended the Kew-Forest School, Forest Hills, New York, as did some of his siblings. At age 13 after having some difficulties there, his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy (NYMA), hoping to direct his energy and assertiveness in a positive manner. At NYMA, in upstate New York, Trump earned academic honors, and played varsity football in 1962, varsity soccer in 1963, and varsity baseball from 1962 to 1964 (baseball captain 1964). The baseball coach, Ted Dobias, a local celebrity for his work with area youth, awarded him the Coach's Award in 1964. Promoted to Cadet Captain-S4 (Cadet Battalion Logistics Officer) in his senior year, Trump and Cadet First Sergeant Jeff Donaldson (NYMA class of 1965; West Point 1969) formed a composite company of cadets, taught them advanced close-order drill, and marched them down Fifth Avenue on Memorial Day, 1964.

Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. In his book, ''Trump: The Art of the Deal'', Trump discusses his undergraduate career:

After I graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964, I flirted briefly with the idea of attending film school... but in the end I decided real estate was a much better business. I began by attending Fordham University... but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in... I was also very glad to get finished. I immediately moved back home and went to work full time with my father.

Personal life

Trump is popularly known as The Donald, a nickname given to him by the media after his first wife Ivana Trump, a native of the Czech Republic, referred to him as such in an interview. Trump is also known for his catchphrase, "You're fired!", made popular by his television series ''The Apprentice''. While it has been reported that Trump does not shake hands because of fear of germs, he claims this phobia is "a rumor that the enemies say", and shook hands repeatedly in public during a visit to New Hampshire in April 2011. Trump is a golfer, with a low single-figure handicap. He is a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, and also plays regularly at the other courses he owns and operates.

Christian

Trump has stated in interviews that he is a Presbyterian. In April 2011 on ''Human Events'' he said that he is "a Presbyterian within the Protestant group". In an April 2011 interview, on the 700 Club, Trump said, "I'm a Protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion." A 2010 article in ''The Daily Telegraph'' stated that Trump was Catholic. A February 2011 ''Politics Daily'' article described Trump as "apparently a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, which is a Presbyterian denomination". Andrew Cusack in 2008 stated that Donald Trump is a member of New York City's Marble Collegiate Church. Explaining that church's organizational relationships, Cusack says "the Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church is actually a denomination within a denomination" and that the Collegiate Churches are "now part of the Reformed Church of America". Marble Collegiate Church also states that it is denominationally affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, with the RCA website stating that the RCA has a local church "presbyterian form of government". Trump does not drink alcohol.

Trump married Melania Knauss, his third wife, at the Episcopal church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, in a "traditional ceremony". Their son, Barron, was baptized in that church. In September 2010, Trump expressed on Anderson Cooper's show on CNN, his "suspicions of ulterior motives at the imam running the project" known as Park51, claiming the imam was "using religion" (meaning Islam) to get a good price for the real estate. He also appeared on Fox's ''Hannity'', and said much the same. Trump was quoted by the ''New York Post'' that, while he "is a 'big believer in freedom of religion,' ... his personal opinion was that the mosque should not be built close to Ground Zero ...". After Trump offered in a letter to buy the two-building site for more than $6 million in order to end the general controversy, the lawyers for the majority stakeholder, according to the ''Post'', criticized "Trump's letter offering to buy the site as a publicity stunt".

Family

Trump's mother, Mary Anne, was born at Tong, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland in 1912. In 1930, aged 18, on holiday in New York, she met Fred Trump and stayed in New York. Born in Queens, New York, Trump has four siblings: two brothers, Fred Jr. (who is deceased) and Robert; and two sisters, Maryanne and Elizabeth. His elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is a federal appeals court judge.

In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelníčková and together they have three children: Donald Jr. (born December 31, 1977), Ivanka (born October 30, 1981), and Eric (born January 6, 1984). They were divorced in 1992. In 1993, he married Marla Maples and together they had one child, Tiffany (born October 13, 1993). They divorced on June 8, 1999. In a February 2008 interview on ABC's Nightline Trump commented on his ex-wives by saying, "I just know it's very hard for them (Ivana and Marla) to compete because I do love what I do. I really love it."

On April 26, 2004, he proposed to Melania Knauss (), a native of Slovenia. Trump and Knauss (who is 24 years Trump's junior) married on January 22, 2005, at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate. Melania gave birth to a boy named Barron William Trump, Trump's fifth child, on March 20, 2006.

Trump has four grandchildren. Three from his son Donald Jr. (Kai Madison, Donald John III and Tristan Milos) and one from his daughter Ivanka (Arabella Rose).

Business career

Successes (1968–89)

Trump began his career at his father's company, the Trump Organization, and initially concentrated on his father's preferred field of middle-class rental housing in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. One of Trump's first projects, while he was still in college, was the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, which his father had purchased for $5.7 million in 1962. Trump became intimately involved in the project, personally flying in for a few days at a time to carry out landscaping and other low-level tasks. After $500,000 investment, Trump successfully turned a 1200-unit complex with a 66 percent vacancy rate to 100 percent occupancy within two years. The Trump Organization sold Swifton Village for $6.75 million in 1972.

In 1971 Trump moved to Manhattan, where he became convinced of the economic opportunity in the city, specifically large building projects in Manhattan that would offer opportunities for earning high profits, utilizing attractive architectural design, and winning public recognition. Trump began by landing the rights to develop the old Penn Central yards on the West Side, then – with the help of a 40-year tax abatement by the financially strained New York City government, which was eager to give tax concessions in exchange for investments at a time of financial crisis – turned the bankrupt Commodore Hotel into a new Grand Hyatt.

He was also instrumental in steering the development of the Javits Convention Center on property he had an option on. The development saga of the Javits Convention Center brought Trump into contact with the New York City government when a project that he had estimated could have been completed by his company for $110 million ended up costing the state $430 million. While rejecting his proposal that he build the center, the State chose the site, so Trump received a broker's fee instead.

A similar opportunity would arise in the city's attempt to restore the Wollman Rink in Central Park, a project started in 1980 with an expected 2½-year construction schedule that was still, with $12 million spent, nowhere near completion in 1986. Trump offered to take over the job at no charge to the city, an offer that was initially rebuffed until it received much local media attention. Trump then was given the job which he completed in six months and with $750,000 of the $3 million budgeted for the project left over. Trump was also involved with the old USFL, a competitor to the NFL, as owner of the New Jersey Generals. In addition, Trump at one time acted as a financial advisor for Mike Tyson, hosting Tyson's fight against Michael Spinks in Atlantic City.

Trump renovated the Commodore Hotel and created the Grand Hyatt with the Pritzker family. He also renovated the Trump Tower in New York City and several other residential projects. He later bought the Eastern Shuttle routes, and Atlantic City casino business, including acquiring the Taj Mahal Casino in a transaction with Merv Griffin and Resorts International.

In March 1990, Trump threatened to sue Janney Montgomery Scott, a stock brokerage, whose analyst made negative comments on the financial prospects of Taj Mahal. The analyst refused to retract the statements, and the firm fired him. The firm denied being influenced by Trump's threat. Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy for the first time in November 1990. The analyst was awarded $750,000 by arbitration panel against his firm for his termination. A defamation lawsuit by the analyst against Trump for $2 million was settled out of court.

This expansion, both personal and business, led to mounting debt. Much of the news about him in the early 1990s involved his much publicized financial problems, creditor-led bailout, extramarital affair with Marla Maples (whom he later married), and the resulting divorce from his first wife, Ivana Trump.

The late 1990s saw a resurgence in his financial situation and fame. In 2001, he completed Trump World Tower, a 72-story residential tower across from the United Nations Headquarters. Also, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. Trump owns commercial space in Trump International Hotel and Tower, a 44-story mixed-use (hotel and condominium) tower on Columbus Circle. Trump currently owns several million square feet of prime Manhattan real estate, and remains a major figure in the field of real estate in the United States and a celebrity for his prominent media exposures.

Financial problems (1989–97)

By 1989, the effects of the recession left Trump unable to meet loan payments. Trump financed the construction of his third casino, the $1 billion Taj Mahal, primarily with high-interest junk bonds. Although he shored up his businesses with additional loans and postponed interest payments, by 1991 increasing debt brought Trump to business bankruptcy and the brink of personal bankruptcy. Banks and bond holders had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, but opted to restructure his debt to avoid the risk of losing more money in court. The Taj Mahal re-emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 1991, with Trump ceding 50 percent ownership in the casino to the original bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates on the debt and more time to pay it off.

On November 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel was forced to file a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection plan after being unable to make its debt payments. Under the plan, Trump agreed to give up a 49 percent stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders. In return Trump would receive more favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders, and retain his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have a role in day-to-day operations.

By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large portion of his $900 million personal debt and reduced significantly his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt. While he was forced to relinquish the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he managed to retain Trump Tower in New York City and control of his three casinos in Atlantic City. Chase Manhattan Bank, which lent Trump the money to buy the West Side yards, his biggest Manhattan parcel, forced the sale of the tract to Asian developers. According to former members of the Trump Organization, Trump did not retain any ownership of the site's real estate – the owners merely promised to give him about 30 percent of the profits once the site was completely developed or sold. Until that time, the owners of The West Side Yards gave him modest construction and management fees to oversee the development, and allowed him to put his name on the buildings that eventually rose on the yards because his well-known moniker allowed them to charge a premium for their condos.

Trump was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1995, he combined his casino holdings into the publicly held Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. Wall Street drove its stock above $35 in 1996, but by 1998 it had fallen into single digits as the company remained profitless and struggled to pay just the interest on its nearly $3 billion in debt. Under such financial pressure, the properties were unable to make the improvements necessary for keeping up with their flashier competitors.

Legal developments (2002–05)

In January 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission brought a financial-reporting case against Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., alleging that it had committed several "misleading statements in the company's third-quarter 1999 earnings release." The matter was settled with the defendant neither admitting nor denying the charge.

Finally, on October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts announced a restructuring of its debt. The plan called for Trump's individual ownership to be reduced from 56 percent to 27 percent, with bondholders receiving stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. Since then, Trump Hotels has been forced to seek voluntary bankruptcy protection to stay afloat. After the company applied for Chapter 11 Protection in November 2004, Trump relinquished his CEO position but retained a role as Chairman of the Board. In May 2005 the company re-emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.

Resurgence (1997–2007)

Trump has several projects under way, with varying levels of success in their progress. The Trump International Hotel and Tower – Honolulu seems to be a success. According to Trump, buyers paid non-refundable deposits, committing to purchase every unit on the first day they were made available. Construction of the Trump International Hotel and Tower – Chicago seems to be proceeding as planned, although 30 percent of the units remain unsold. The Trump International Hotel and Tower – Toronto has had a series of delays and a height reduction. The Trump Tower – Tampa has been quite controversial because the initial sales were so successful that all deposits were returned in order to charge a higher price. Three years after construction of this controversial development began, construction has delayed and lawsuits have been filed. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one Trump construction project was put on hold in favor of another (Trump International Hotel and Tower – Fort Lauderdale). Meanwhile, Trump Towers – Atlanta is being developed in a housing market having the nation's second-highest inventory of unsold homes. Trump was the first customer for the 2006 Cadillac DTS limosine after the President of the United States.

In its October 7, 2007 ''Forbes'' 400 issue, "Acreage Aces", ''Forbes'' valued Trump's wealth at $3.0 billion. His wealth went down and then up in the 2000s recession, but according to ''Forbes'', Trump's wealth was valued at $2.9 billion in September 2011, though Trump claimed it was much more.

Financial crisis

Sales for Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago have been lagging. Lender Deutsche Bank refused to let Trump lower the prices on the units to spur sales. Arguing that the financial crisis and resulting drop in the real estate market is due to circumstances beyond his control, Trump invoked a clause in the contract to not pay the loan. Deutsche Bank then noted in court that "Trump is no stranger to overdue debt" and that he had twice previously filed for bankruptcy regarding his casino operations. Trump then initiated a suit asserting that his image had been damaged. Both parties agreed to drop their suits, and sale of the units is nearly complete.

On February 17, 2009 Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Trump stating on February 13 that he would resign from the board. Trump Entertainment Resorts has three properties in Atlantic City. Trump's unsuccessful libel lawsuit against author Timothy L. O'Brien, for O'Brien's estimating his net worth at less than $250 million, was dismissed in 2009. In the lawsuit it was revealed that in 2005, Deutsche Bank valued Trump's net worth at $788 million, to which Trump objected.

Business ventures

Trump branding and licensing

Trump has succeeded in marketing the Trump name on a large number of products, including Trump Financial (a mortgage firm), Trump Sales and Leasing (residential sales), Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (a business education company), Trump Restaurants (Located in Trump Tower and consisting of Trump Buffet, Trump Catering, Trump Ice Cream Parlor, and Trump Bar), GoTrump (an online travel website), Donald J. Trump Signature Collection (a line of menswear, men's accessories, and watches), Donald Trump The Fragrance (2004), Trump Ice bottled water, Trump Magazine, Trump Golf, Trump Institute, Trump The Game (1989 Board Game), Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks. In addition, Trump reportedly receives $1.5 million for each one-hour presentation he does for The Learning Annex. Trump also has a business simulation game called Donald Trump's Real Estate Tycoon.

In 2011, Forbes reported that its financial experts had estimated the value of the Trump brand at $200 million. Trump disputes this valuation, saying that his brand is worth about $3 billion. Many developers pay Trump to market their properties and to be the public face for their projects. For that reason, Trump does not own many of the buildings that display his name. According to ''Forbes'', this portion of Trump's empire, actually run by his children, is by far his most valuable, having a $562 million valuation. According to ''Forbes'' there are 33 licensing projects under development including seven "condo hotels" (the seven Trump International Hotel and Tower developments).

Other ventures

Other investments include a 17.2 percent stake in Parker Adnan, Inc. (formerly AdnanCo Group), a Bermuda-based financial services holdings company. In late 2003, Trump, along with his siblings, sold their late father's real estate empire to a group of investors that included Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and LamboNuni Bank reportedly for $600 million. Donald Trump's share was $200 million, which he later used to finance Trump Casino & Resorts.

In 2006, Donald Trump bought the Menie estate on the coast north of Aberdeen, Scotland announcing that he intended to create the best golf course in the world. The project includes plans for a hotel, holiday homes, housing and two golf courses. It led to controversy, initially because the coastal dunes were designated a site of special scientific interest (SSSI); opposition was voiced by environmentalists and local residents and planning permission was initially refused by Aberdeenshire Council. In 2008 the local authority was overruled by the Scottish government, First Minister Alex Salmond citing economic benefits Trump had promised as justifying the unusual step of permitting development on an SSSI.

In 2009, Aberdeenshire Council received a request on behalf of Trump International Golf Links Scotland to approve compulsory purchase orders on a number of local homes. A protest group campaigned actively, using mass land purchase as a tactic. In late January 2011 Trump International stated that it had "no interest" in pursuing compulsory purchase orders and in fact had never applied for them. A 2011 documentary, 'You've been Trumped' by Anthony Baxter, follows the development's progress, showing Trump speaking locally about his ambitions for the project and being honoured in Aberdeen by Robert Gordon's University. It also queries the supposed economic benefits, the ecological impact and the effect on local residents.

Donald Trump has objected to plans for an offshore windfarm to be built within sight of the golf links. In 2011 he wrote to Alex Salmond expressing his view that the planned structures were ugly. He denied that he was concerned only with the view from the golf links, saying: 'It is not only for my project, it is more to preserve Scotland's beautiful coastline and natural heritage.' In 2012 Trump announced that if the windfarm were built he would abandon his plans for the hotel and housing at the golf links.

In April 2011, it was reported that Trump was in the process of negotiating a deal with New York City to reopen the historic Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park.

Beauty pageants

The Miss Universe Organization is owned by Donald Trump and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). The organization produces the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants. In December 2006, talk show host Rosie O'Donnell criticized Trump's lenience toward Miss USA, Tara Conner, who had violated pageant behavioral guidelines. This sparked a tabloid war between the two celebrities which lasted for several weeks thereafter.

Entertainment media

Donald Trump, a two-time Emmy Award-nominated personality, has made appearances as a caricatured version of himself in television series and films (e.g. ''Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,'' ''The Nanny,'' ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', ''Days of our Lives'', ''Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps''.), and as a character (''The Little Rascals''). He has been the subject of comedians, flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists.

In March 2011, Trump was the subject of a Comedy Central Roast. The special was hosted by Seth MacFarlane, and roasters included Larry King, Snoop Dogg, and Anthony Jeselnik among regular roast participants. Trump's daughter Ivanka was seen in the audience. In April 2011, Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, featuring comedian Seth Meyers. President Obama used the occasion to present several prepared jokes mocking Trump.

''The Apprentice''

In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show, ''The Apprentice'', in which a group of competitors battled for a high-level management job in one of Trump's commercial enterprises. The other contestants were successively "fired" and eliminated from the game. In 2004, Donald Trump filed a trademark application for the catchphrase "You're fired."

For the first year of the show Trump was paid $50,000 per episode (roughly $700,000 for the first season), but following the show's initial success, he is now paid a reported $3 million per episode, making him one of the highest paid TV personalities. In 2007, Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to television (''The Apprentice'').

Along with British TV producer Mark Burnett, Trump also put together ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', where well-known stars compete to win money for their charities. While Trump and Burnett co-produced the show, Trump stayed in the forefront, deciding winners and "firing" losers.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Trump is a known World Wrestling Entertainment fan and friend of WWE owner Vince McMahon. He has hosted two WrestleMania events in the Trump Plaza and has been an active participant in several of the shows. Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was host to the 1991 WBF Championship (which was owned by WWE, known at the time as the "World Wrestling Federation."). Trump was interviewed by Jesse Ventura ringside at WrestleMania XX. He also appeared at WrestleMania 23 in the corner of Bobby Lashley who competed against Umaga with WWE Chairman McMahon in his corner, in a hair versus hair match, with either Trump or McMahon having their head shaved if their competitor lost. Lashley won the match, and he and Trump both proceeded to shave McMahon bald.

On June 15, 2009, as part of a storyline, McMahon announced on ''WWE Raw'' that he had 'sold' the show to Donald Trump. Appearing on screen, Trump confirmed it and declared he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's show in the amount of USD $235,000. McMahon "bought back" Raw on June 22, 2009. His entrance theme "Money, Money" was written by Jim Johnston.

Political activity

2000s

In the 2000 election, Trump expressed a desire to run as a third-party candidate for the United States presidency, considering running nomination by the Reform Party as a business conservative, socially moderate candidate. In his 2000 tome, ''The America We Deserve'', economic policies Trump proposed include:

Institution of a once-only 14.25 percent tax on personal estates and trusts over $10 million, which he estimated would raise $5.7 trillion in revenue toward retirement of the national debt, tax cuts for the middle class, and supplementing the funding of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; and, by way of compensating this one-time tax on the wealthy, permanent abolition of the 55 percent federal inheritance tax.

Repeal of limits on campaign contributions, combined with outlawing soft money campaign contributions Regarding universal health care, Trump touted himself as "a conservative on most issues, but a liberal on this one. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset." Renegotiation of U.S. trade policies.

For 2004 and 2008, Trump speculated about running for President in the Republican party and for 2006 considered running for governor of New York as a representative of the party. In October 2007, Trump appeared on ''Larry King Live'' and delivered a strong criticism of then-United States President George W. Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. He speculated that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton could win the Republican and Democratic Presidential nominations, respectively, and voiced some support for either of them being elected President. He expressed doubt, on CNN's ''The Situation Room'' at the time, over whether a candidate for President could win the election by supporting a continued escalation of the war in Iraq.

On September 17, 2008, Trump officially endorsed John McCain for the U.S. Presidency on ''Larry King Live''. Trump again registered as a Republican in 2009 after having registered with the Democratic Party in 2001. Trump said in an interview in 2007, "I'm very much independent in that way. I go for the person, not necessarily the party. I mean, I vote for Republicans and I vote for Democrats."

Since the 1990 U.S. elections, Donald Trump has made contributions to campaigns of both Republican Party and Democratic Party candidates. These have included Republicans John McCain, Rudolph Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush and Democrats Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Charles Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Charles Rangel).

2012 politics and potential presidential candidacy

In 2010, Trump said he considered himself a potential candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election. In his primary campaign, Trump has made a February speech to a CPAC gathering, an early venue for candidates considering a presidential run, as a write-in candidate in its straw poll for the office. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Donald Trump leading among potential contenders for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. A Newsweek poll conducted February 2011 showed Trump within a few points of Obama, with many voters undecided in the November 2012 general election for President of the United States against Barack Obama. A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. A poll conducted on May 10, 2011, showed Trump tied for fifth place with Ron Paul among Republicans.

Trump's present political stances include being pro-life, against same-sex marriage, anti-gun control, advocating the repeal and replacement of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, anti-foreign aid; and supporting a fair trade policy and believing generally that the People's Republic of China should be considered more of an adversarial competitor, subjected to significant import tariffs as a response to China's currency manipulation in order to help balance the U.S. budget. He said he would impose a 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods. He also believes the U.S. should disengage in Iraq and Afghanistan. In December 2008, Trump supported a government backed rescue plan for the American auto industry where the government would provide the debtor in possession financing for a Chapter 11 restructuring.

His campaign has been reported by some media as a possible promotional tool for his reality show ''The Apprentice''. ''Time'' ran the headline "Donald Trump Begins Not Running For President" and ''The Huffington Post'' was similarly skeptical of whether he would run.

Regardless of this skepticism, Trump has quietly chosen to participate in the "Politics and Eggs" forum at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, a popular spot for presidential candidates visiting New Hampshire. This scheduled visit is important because the event is taking place in mid June 2011, supposedly after Trump had been supposed to make his decision whether to or not to run. On April 23, 2011, the New York-based TV station NY1 reported that Trump had not voted in primary elections in New York City for a span of 21 years, beginning after the city's mayoral primary in 1989, an accusation he has denied. A City election board spokeswoman confirmed the story.

On May 5, 2011, Trump announced he would not be the celebrity pace-car driver for the 2011 Indy 500 as was previously announced a month earlier by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (on April 5, 2011.) Trump stated he made the decision because of business constraints, but there had been a fan campaign for the Speedway to instead name a racing celebrity to the position and a Speedway press release stated that Trump cancelled because of his intention to run for President.

On May 16, 2011, Trump announced he would not run for president. On May 23, 2011, Trump stated that he hasn't ruled out running for president, adding: "The country is so important, so vital that we choose the right person, and at this moment, I don't see that person."

In February 2012 he endorsed Mitt Romney.

Barack Obama

Speaking to an audience in Boca Raton, Florida on April 16, 2011, Trump contended that voter reaction to George W. Bush's performance as U.S. President was the cause for the election of his successor Barack Obama, and further that Obama would probably be known as the worst president in U.S. history.

Trump has promoted conspiracy theories about Obama's citizenship status in media appearances, and been criticized for this. In an NBC-TV interview broadcast April 7, 2011, Trump said he was not satisfied that Obama had proven his citizenship.

In an April 2011 NBC interview, Trump claimed he had sent people to Hawaii to investigate Obama's citizenship, commenting "they cannot believe what they're finding." On ''Anderson Cooper 360°'' on CNN, April 25, 2011, Trump said he wanted Obama to end the issue by releasing his long-form Certificate of Live Birth (distinct from the short-form Certification of Live Birth – Hawaii's prima facie evidence of birth), adding, "I've been told very recently ... the birth certificate is missing."

The long-form of Obama's birth certificate was released by the White House on April 27, 2011. Obama said it should put the matter to rest; that the nation had more pressing problems to solve and could not afford to be "distracted by side shows and carnival barkers". Trump expressed pride at his role in the release of the long-form certificate in a press conference followup. (The following Sunday, May 1, NBC would interrupt ''The Apprentice'' for breaking news coverage following the revelation that US forces had killed Osama bin Laden: some conspiracy theorists suggested that a vindictive Obama knew of the mission's success well beforehand and had consciously delayed his official announcement so that it would take Trump off the air.) In May 2011, Public Policy Polling described the events as "one of the quickest rises and falls in the history of presidential politics", reporting:

Trump really made hay out of the 'birther' issue and as the resonance of that has declined, so has his standing. In February we found that 51 percent of Republican primary voters thought Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Now with the release of his birth certificate only 34 percent of Republican partisans fall into that camp, and Trump's only in fifth place with that now smaller group of the electorate at 9 percent.

On the ''Today Show'' on October 19, 2011, Trump stated that "I could vote for anybody over President Obama. President Obama has been a total and complete disaster."

Bibliography

Trump has authored many books including:

''Trump: The Art of the Deal'' (1987)

''Trump: Surviving at the Top'' (1990)

''Trump: The Art of Survival'' (1991)

''Trump: The Art of the Comeback'' (1997)

''Trump: How to Get Rich'' (2004)

''The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received'' (2004)

''Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life'' (2004)

''Trump: The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received'' (2005)

''Why We Want You to be Rich: Two Men – One Message'' (2006), co-written with Robert Kiyosaki.

''Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life'' (2007), co-written with Bill Zanker. (ISBN 978-0-06-154783-6)

''The America We Deserve'' (2000) (with Dave Shiflett, ISBN 1-58063-131-2)

''Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies'' (2007)

''Trump 101: The Way to Success'' (2007)

''Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success'' (2008)

''Trump Tower'' (2011) (a novel with Jeffrey Robinson, ISBN 978-1-59-315643-5)

''Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich-And Why Most Don't'' (2011), co-written with Robert Kiyosaki. (ISBN 1-612-68095-X)

References

Further reading

External links

The Trump Blog

The Trump Organization

Column archives at ''The Huffington Post''

Issue positions at Ontheissues.org

Donald Trump at The Biography Channel

It's All Donald All The Time, ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', January 22, 2007

Top 10 Donald Trump Failures, Kayla Webley, ''Time'', April 29, 2011

Category:1946 births Category:American billionaires Category:American business writers Category:American chief executives Category:American construction businesspeople Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American environmentalists Category:American game show hosts Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American Presbyterians Category:American real estate businesspeople Category:American socialites Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Businesspeople in the casino industry Category:Conspiracy theorists Category:Fordham University alumni Category:Living people Category:New York Military Academy alumni Category:New York Republicans Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Manhattan Category:People from Palm Beach, Florida Category:People from Queens Category:Trump family Category:United States Football League executives Category:Wharton School alumni

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