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