Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Highland, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Lehi, Payson, and American Fork. Utah Lake is a natural shallow fresh water lake in its center. All rivers in the valley flow into Utah Lake, which itself empties into the Jordan River to the north. That river flows into the Salt Lake Valley through the Jordan Narrows, a gap in the Traverse Mountains.

Novell and WordPerfect were instrumental in making the Utah Valley a focus for high-technology software development. Today this area has many small companies whose employees have previously worked at Novell. Also located there are Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University.

Most inhabitants of Utah Valley are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which operates temples in Provo and American Fork.

The population of this area in 1970, 1980 and 1994 were 125,005, 204,102, and 277,179, respectively. A July 1, 2009 estimate by the United States Census Bureau placed Utah Valley's population at 555,551.

External links

Official county government site

Utah Valley Exchange

Population statistics

Category:Valleys of Utah Category:Wasatch Front Category:Landforms of Utah County, Utah

de:Utah Valley es:Valle de Utah

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

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

+ Senator Bennett results
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+ 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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width	100px
name	Utah Valley University
motto	"Engage"
established	1941
type	Public
president	Matthew S. Holland
city	Orem
state	Utah
country	USA
coor
undergrad	32,670
campus	Suburban
colors	Green & Gold (Yellow), with White trim
mascot	Wolverines
website	www.uvu.edu
logo	}}

Utah Valley University or UVU, is a publicly-funded university in located in Orem, Utah. With a current enrollment of 32,670 students as of 2011, Utah Valley University is now the largest public university in the State of Utah. UVU is a teaching institution which provides opportunity, promotes student success, and meets regional educational needs. The university currently offers approximately 58 bachelor degrees, 66 associate degrees, 21 certificate/diploma programs, and 3 high-demand master degrees in education, business and nursing. In the most recent fall 2010 semester the school had 32,670 students attending.

The university’s Wasatch Campus in Heber City, Utah, also offers bachelor degrees in business management and secondary education, as well as associate degrees in accounting, behavioral science, business management, elementary education and general education.

Utah Valley University is a teaching institution that prepares students through a combination of academic and hands-on learning, a process dubbed "engaged learning" at UVU. The institution was awarded the Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation in 2008.

Previously called Utah Valley State College (UVSC), the school attained university status in July 2008, changing to Utah Valley University. Matthew S. Holland, appointed as the first president of UVU, officially began his duties on June 1, 2009.

History

UVU was founded in the fall of 1941, when the Utah State Vocational Office consolidated federal work program classes into one campus in Provo. At this time, the school was known as the Central Utah Vocational School. Growth brought numerous changes to UVU over the following decades, and the school was renamed several times to reflect its changing role. In 1963, the name was changed from Central Utah Vocational School to Utah Trade Technical Institute. In 1967, the school became Utah Technical College at Provo, and was given the authority to confer associate degrees for the first time. In 1977, the institution began moving to its present location beside the I-15 in Orem. In 1987, it became Utah Valley Community College.

It wasn't until 1993 that the school was named Utah Valley State College and began awarding four-year degrees. The Utah legislature approved renaming it as a university in February 2007 (effective July 1, 2008), allowing it to begin offering master's degrees, although the school continues to place particular emphasis on its two- and four-year degree programs.

On July 1, 2008, the institution was awarded university status and changed its name to Utah Valley University to reflect the shift.

UVU is Utah's second-largest public university, and the largest employer in Orem with over 1,400 full-time faculty and staff, and over 3,200 part-time faculty and staff.

When it was a community college, the school had approximately 8,000 students enrolled, growing by approximately 3,000 students a year. Currently there are 32,670 students enrolled for Fall semester 2010 at UVU.

Academics

Accreditation and admissions

UVU was accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools in 1969, and had its accreditation renewed in 1984, 1995, and 2005. Vocational accreditation was granted in 1976, and renewed in 1990 and 1995 by the Utah State Office of Vocational Education. In December 2006, the UVU School of Business received accreditation from the AACSB.

UVU is an open enrollment university and despite the University's size and growth it looks as though administration will keep enrollment open for the time being.

About 88% of UVU students come from Utah but an increasing number of students are coming from different countries and states. In 2009, UVU students represented all 50 states and 67 countries.

Faculty

Faculty include Scott Carrier, an author and radio producer whose stories have been featured on "This American Life", and Jay DeSart, who created an election forecast model cited by ''The Wall Street Journal'' in predicting Barack Obama’s presidential win.

Rankings and awards

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UVU has chosen not to participate in ''U.S. News & World Report'' college and university rankings. Since 2001, UVU student teams have placed first or second overall in the national SkillsUSA competition. Each year, students from UVU place well in national Phi Beta Lambda and Delta Epsilon Chi business competitions. At the 2008 national Phi Beta Lambda conference in Atlanta, Georgia, UVU students were awarded twelve top-ten finishes.

Campus

UVU's main campus is located in Orem with satellite campuses in Heber City, Spanish Fork, North Orem, Provo airport, and Lehi. UVU's main campus encompasses and includes 48 buildings. Each building has been built using the same style of unfinished concrete with all ten of the major buildings on campus connected by concourses. UVU has beautiful grounds including two reflecting ponds on the west side of campus, a stream running through the east part of campus, and a multi-dimensional fountain in the middle of campus.

UVU is home to the Utah Community Credit Union Center, formerly the David O. McKay Events Center which built in 1996 with a capacity to seat 8,500 people. The events center is governed by a board consisting of representatives from UVU, Utah County and Orem City. It not only holds campus activities and sporting events but also community events such as major concerts, trade shows and expos, high school sports tournaments, family shows, graduations, and banquets. It is not only the headquarters of the UVU athletics department but also the NBA’s Development League Utah Flash. It is also home to UVU’s renowned culinary arts program, including Greg’s Restaurant. On average, the Events Center hosts 150-170 events per year. As many as 360,000 people patronize the Events Center on an annual basis. The new library or UVU's Digital Learning Center is often referred to as the "jewel" of campus being the newest addition to campus.

Digital Learning Center

In September 2006, the school began construction of a new Digital Learning Center to replace the Losee Resource Center (library). The "DLC" is and is located northeast of the Liberal Arts building. It opened on July 1, 2008. UVU President William A. Sederburg hired Cooper, Roberts, Simonsen and Associates and Layton Construction as the design/build team for the new Digital Learning Center, with acclaimed New York architect Jacob Alspector as lead architect. “We chose the design we’re going with because it was an exceptional design that still kept a lot of the same features of our current campus. So it looks like it’s supposed to be there yet it stands out,” said Jim Michaelis, associate vice president of Facilities Planning. The $48 million project includes networked computers, computer labs, a computer reference area (Information Commons), media center, 31 study rooms, and wireless internet throughout the building.

The library is the “greenest” state-owned building in Utah, and won two 2008 awards from Intermountain Construction magazine for its energy efficiency.

Organization

The university is part of the Utah System of Higher Education. The primary colleges and schools at the university are:

College of Humanities & Social Sciences

College of Science and Health

College of Technology and Computing

School of Public Services

School of the Arts

School of Education

University College

Woodbury School of Business

Other academic support programs include Distance Education, Extended Studies, Summer, concurrent, Community and Continuing Education, and Honors.

Performing arts

Dance

UVU is home to one of the largest public collegiate ballroom dance programs in the United States. Over the last several years, the Ballroom Dance Company has grown into a premiere performance troupe. The company has over 130 members divided into four teams; one touring team, one reserve and two back up teams. The backup teams provide the students with the training and performance skills necessary to meet the demands of the touring team. The UVU Ballroom Dance Company has received numerous awards, honors, and accolades as they have performed and competed throughout the United States and abroad including recently winning the first ever College Dance Championship on ABC's TV series Dancing With The Stars. The team is currently directed by Scott Asbell with Tara Boyd as the head choreographer.

Athletics

The school mascot is the Wolverine, and the colors are green and gold.

The school competes in most major sports at various levels. The school's NCAA sports are men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's cross country, baseball, wrestling, softball, women's soccer, and women's volleyball. The school also fields several club teams including men's ice hockey (which competes in the ACHA), men's soccer, men's volleyball, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's rugby.

The Wolverines play their home basketball games in the 8,500-seat Utah Community Credit Union Center. The men's basketball team finished the 2008-09 season with a 17-11 record, which capped off its 26th winning season in a row. The UCCU Center is also home to the Utah Flash of the NBA D-League and the Utah Valley Thunder of the American Indoor Football Association.

The baseball team plays at Brent Brown Ballpark, a 2,500-seat facility (3,000 additional fans can sit on a grass berm that wraps around third base and left field, bringing total capacity to 5,500) that opened on March 25, 2005. Brent Brown Ballpark is also the home of the Orem Owlz, a minor-league affiliate of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, that competes in the Pioneer Baseball League.

The school's club hockey team, which competes in ACHA Division 2, plays its home games at the Peaks Ice Arena, a 2002 Winter Olympics hockey venue.

The athletic program is in NCAA Division I. After numerous years of playing as an independent team, the Wolverines are now affiliated with the Great West Conference, which began its inaugural all-sports season in 2008-09.

The UVU student section is called the Mighty Athletic Wolverine League, or ''MAWL'', a name created by student and executive vice president Justin Davies.

Media

The school has an independent, student-run weekly newspaper called the UVU Review. The newspaper began publishing under the name on June 30, 2008, the day before the university transition became official. UVU Review's Editor-in-Chief was Jack Waters for the 2008-09 year, followed by Jennie Nicholls-Smith in 2009-10. The 2010-2011 staff is headed by David Self Newlin.

Fire Academy

The school is one of few Utah universities which provides free training to Utah fire agencies. In August 2009, the university unveiled a Mobile Command Center, acquired by federal grants. The Utah Valley University Fire Academy Mobile Command Training Center cost an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 and provides both students and firefighters with realistic fire training.

Alumni

A.J. Cook - Actress Criminal Minds

Ricky Allman - Internationally renowned painter

Mitch Jones - Major League Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Kam Mickolio - Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks

Ronnie Price - basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA

Michael McDonald - former basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA

Travis Hansen- former basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA

Gregg Hale - former guitarist for the band Spiritualized

Christina Lowe, Miss Utah 2010, A Miss America Semifinalist

Noelle Pikus Pace - World Cup gold medalist in Skeleton (tobogganing)

Matthew S. Petersen - Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and former Republican chief counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Chelsie Hightower - Professional dancer on hit TV series ''Dancing with the Stars'' and ''So You Think You Can Dance''

Wesley Silcox - World champion bull rider

References

"UVSC celebrates first 'unofficial' university grads"; Salt Lake Tribute,http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5767536

External links

Official athletics website

United Basketball Conference

Utah System of Higher Education

UVU Review (student newspaper) website

UVU Institutional Research and Information

Category:American Association of State Colleges and Universities Category:Mormon studies Category:Universities and colleges in Utah Category:Educational institutions established in 1941 Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Category:Universities and colleges in Utah County, Utah

de:Utah Valley University no:Utah Valley State College

Cary Nelson (1946), professor of English and Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is the current president of the American Association of University Professors and a prominent scholar-activist.

Biography

He received his Ph.D in English from University of Rochester 1970 and is a 1967 graduate of Antioch College. His scholarship of the 1970s and 80s worked to expand the canon of modern American poetry, and since the 1990s he has increasingly focused on issues in higher education. In the words of Alan Wald, "With the appearance of ''Manifesto of a Tenured Radical'' in 1997, Cary became the national exemplar of the committed scholar who conceived of the advance of his own career in the context of the amelioration of the rank-and-file of the academic community; more specifically, graduate students, part-time employees, and campus workers." Nelson has also played an important role in promoting cultural studies in the American academy, and in 1981 he founded the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory.

Nelson was elected to a two-year term as president of the AAUP in April 2006. For the previous six years, he had been the second vice president of the AAUP. In April 2006 he was arrested, along with over 50 others (including Jane Buck, the outgoing president of the AAUP), as part of a unionization effort by New York University's graduate teaching assistants.

Nelson has been an outspoken critic of the corporatization of university education in general and has also been involved in various local interventions; he has recently been involved in the widespread academic response to the so-called "Five Year Plan" for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida.

He is the author of twenty five books, including ''Manifesto of a Tenured Radical'' and ''Revolutionary Memory: Recovering the Poetry of the American Left.'' His academic focus is on modern American poetry.

Bibliography

''The Incarnate Word: Literature as Verbal Space''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1973. (285 pp.)

''Our Last First Poets: Vision and History in ContemporaryAmerican Poetry''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1981. (220 pp., paperback edition: 1984). (Spanish translation: Cary Nelson, ''Poetas Norteamericanos de Hoy'' (Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ediciones Corregidor, 1984)

''Repression and Recovery: Modern American Poetry and The Politics of Cultural Memory, 1910-1945''. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989. (336 pp., Selected as a Choice Academic Book of the Year.) (paperback: 1991)

''Shouts from the Wall: Posters and Photographs Brought Back from the Spanish Civil War by American Volunteers''. Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives / Distributed by the University of Illinois Press, 1996. (80 pp., 8.5 by 11 inches; publication supported by grants from the Puffin Foundation and the Charles Lawence Keith and Clara Miller Foundation)

''Manifesto of a Tenured Radical''. New York: New York University Press, 1997. (243 pp.)

''Academic Keywords: A Devil's Dictionary for Higher Education''. (with Stephen Watt) New York and London: Routledge, 1999. (350 pp.)

''Revolutionary Memory: Recovering the Poetry of the American Left''. New York and London: Routledge, 2001. (270 pp.) (paperback: 2003).

''Office Hours: Activism and Change in the Academy''. (with Stephen Watt) New York and London: Routledge, 2004 (230 pp.).

''No University Is an Island: Saving Academic Freedom''. New York University Press, 2010. ISBN 9780814758595

External links

Cary Nelson's Home Page

Nelson, Cary Category:American academics of English literature Nelson, Cary Nelson, Cary Category:Living people Category:Antioch College alumni Category:University of Rochester alumni