State of Utah general data
- Time zone: 7 hours less than Italy
- Capital: Salt Lake City
- Main towns: Orem, Provo, Sandy, West Jordan, West Valley City.
- Area: 229.887 km²
- Population: 3,150,000 inhabitants approximately.
- Population density: 13,7 residents / km²
- State abbreviation: UT
- Entry into the United States: It joins the United States on January 4, 1896, it is the 45th state to join the union.
According to thembaprograms.com, the state of Utah is located on the edge of the Great Basin of the American subcontinent and in the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. There are three main physical regions: the Rocky Mountains which occupy the northwestern sector of the state; the highlands region in central Utah; and the desert and mountainous region that extends through the state of Nevada. The height average of this region is 1,860m, with the highest point on the top of Mount Kings, 4,123m, and the lowest point in Beaverdam Creek, 610m. The Rocky Mountain section of Utah is made up of two mountain ranges, the Wasatch Massif and the Uinta Mountains. The Wasatch Massif, near the Wyoming border, has some mountains above 3,300m. West of this range in a fertile strip of land, the first Mormon settlers settled in the 19th century, although they later occupied the higher valleys of Cahe, Ogden, Morgan and Heber. The Uinta Mountains have even higher mountains, among them Mount Kings. The highlands region occupies the central area of the state. At the heart of this sector lies a region of undulating, heavily eroded plains, divided by the Colorado River. To the north-west is the canyon region, which is of great tourist attraction. In the western part of Utah is the desert land that is part of the Great Basin that extends into Nevada, and is a flat surface located over 1,200 m above sea level. The most important rivers in Utah are the Bear, the Weber, the Green, the Colorado, the Snake, and the Jordan. Many of them flow into inland lakes, such as Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake and Sevier Lake. The first of these lakes is the largest in the state, with an average surface area of 4,660 km², it varies substantially according to the season and due to intense evaporation. It owes its name to the large concentration of salt (20-25%). The most important artificial lake is the Powell, formed by the Glen Canyon Dam.
Flora and fauna– The vegetation of the Utah deserts consists of shrubs and various species of cacti. On the slopes of the hills there are varieties of pines and junipers, while firs and pines grow on the mountains. The most common prey animal in Utah is the deer, although some species of elk, wild horses and antelope still live in the territory. Small herds of bison can still be encountered in the Henry Mountains. Smaller animals are represented by beavers, muskrats, martens, minks, foxes and desert dogs. The Great Basin rattlesnake is one of the most dangerous animals in North America. The fish fauna is also rich: pike, catfish, carp, perch and trout; there are also numerous birds, including pheasants, geese, partridges, wild turkeys. Among the birds of prey there are various species of eagles, vultures and sparrow hawks.
The climate of this state is relatively mild, although there are great differences, while the climate of the south-western part can be defined as subtropical, the winters of the northern mountainous area are very cold. The average annual temperatures vary between 0 in the peaks of the mountains in the north-east, to 16 ° C in the south-east. Precipitation is therefore irregular between regions. Thus, while in the desert region there is an average annual rainfall of 127 mm, in the valleys and in the mountainous region there is 1,000 mm of rain per year. Snowfall is common in mountain massifs, sufficient for the operation of ski resorts.
Utah: places to visit
Tourist and Cultural Places – Utah’s most famous tourist attractions are naturalistic and include: Zion National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Center, Wasatch Mountain State Park, Lagoon Amusement Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches park, and Canyonlands National Park, as well as Pioneer Trail State Park and Hogle Zoological Gardens, major tourist sites in Salt Lake City.
Great Salt Lake — Antelope Island State Park, located in the center of the lake, is inhabited by Bighorn sheep, mule deer, bison and the American antelope that gave the park its name. The island is accessed approximately 65k northwest of Salt Lake City via a viaduct. You can camp there, swim along the coasts or take a guided tour by boat. West of Salt Lake City, towards the south shore of the lake, Great Salt Lake State Park offers a large sandy beach with a marina and viewing deck.
Zion national Park — Zion has been a national park since 1919. Near the Virgin River, a tributary of the Colorado River, a paved Scenic Drive crosses the canyon and leads, thirteen kilometers away, to the Temple of Sinawava, from where a path reaches Weeping Rock (a rocky overhang covered with plants) and Angel’s Landing. The Emerald Pools are surrounded by shady pine forests and thundering waterfalls. In the northwest of the park, a road winds its way through the lonely Kolob Canyons. Black poplars, junipers and mighty ponderosa pines grow in the gorges of Zion National Park, while ash and birch trees are also found in the valleys. Their yellow autumn foliage creates a colorful contrast to the reddish-brown rocks that often stand out on either side of the gorge and appear to touch the sky. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the tourist road and don’t scare a strenuous walk in the areas anymore inland you will encounter bighorn sheep and deer. With a little luck, you may even see pumas and coyotes in this wilderness.
Bryce Canyon — Bryce Canyon has been a national park since 1928. The Indians called it “Red Rocks that stand like a multitude of men” because according to legend, the Coyote Spirit turned evil creatures to stone.
A paved road leads to viewpoints like Sunset Point and Rainbow Point, but much more interesting is a walk along the Under-the-Rim Trail, which runs beneath the canyon’s rim. During the excursion you will notice the rock layers of different colors dating back to different geological periods, up to 60 million years ago. Frost and heat gave the rock formations their final shape, but also the falling rocks, the flow of abundant meltwater and the immense floods caused by rain. At night, lynxes, foxes and coyotes roam this wonderful nature.
Arches park — The Arches Scenic Drive will take you to the most beautiful viewpoints of the park passing in front of the Courthouse Towers, mighty rocky monoliths that seem to shine in the sunlight. Park Avenue is an interesting path littered with steep rock faces and varied stone formations. A little further on you will reach the Balanced Rock, a boulder of about 3500 tons balanced on a thin sandstone column. A rocky path leads to the Eve of the Wha-le Arch and the haunted Klondike Bluffs, while in the Windows Section of the national park you will find other stone masterpieces of nature such as the Garden of Eden and the Doublé Arch. Additional attractions are the Delicate Arch, reachable along a 3 kilometer long path that leads to heights comparable to those of a seven-storey building, and the Landscape Arch, which with its 90 meters of light is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. In Devil’s Garden you can admire over sixty stone arches along a short path that starts near the Doublé O Arch.
Park City — Popular tourist spot, established around 1860 as a silver digger camp and still retains several early 20th century buildings along Main Street. Its popularity is also due to the excellent ski facilities in the area, the scene of the 2000 Winter Olympics.
According to topschoolsoflaw.com, the most important cultural institutions in the state of Utah are the Salt Lake Art Center, the State Historical Society of Utah, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Pioneer Museum, the BF Art Gallery Larsen and the Museum of Church Art and History. Other centers of historical and cultural interest are Temple Square, Salt Lake City, one of the few temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Departments of Genealogy and History of this Church, the Beehive House, the house that lived in the Mormon leader, Brigham Young; the Springville Museum of Art and the Golden Spike National Historic Site, commemorating the union of the first transcontinental railway line in 1869.
Salt Lake City: capital of Utah
Salt Lake City capital of the state of Utah, (known as “the state of adventure”). According to countryaah.com, Salt Lake City is located 1,319m above sea level, next to the Jordan River, just 27km from the Great Salt Lake. In the Ute Indian language, the word Utah means “top of hills or mountains”. Salt Lake City is the region’s mineral and agricultural processing center. Important point of electronic production.
The city is surrounded by the Wasatch mountain ranges (3,505m) to the east and Oquirrh (2,895m) to the west. It is the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the state. It is an important commercial and industrial center, has interesting churches and a Capitol, in addition, it is the seat of the University of Utah and the world center of the Mormon Church.
What see– Aside from its spectacular geographic location, Salt Lake City is known as the spiritual base of the Mormon Church, which has its world headquarters on Temple Square in the city center. Here are the six steeples of the main Mormon Church and the famous oblong auditorium of the Mormori Tabernacle, built in 1867. The choir rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle is open to the public. West of Temple Square, the remarkable Family History Library keeps track of the family trees of Mormon families since the mid-16th century. Further east, the 1850 Beehive House has remained the same since Brigham Young, leader of the Mormons, lived there. At the entrance is the Eagle Gate, 23 m high, surmounted by an eagle weighing about two tons, with a wingspan of 6 m. To the north, the dome of the Utah State Capitol, modeled on the Capitol in Washington, which houses a series of exhibitions on the history of Utah. It has an international airport and emerges as a major center for winter tourism, receiving nearly 7 million visitors a year.
History– The origin of the city dates back to July 23, 1847, when a group of Mormon pioneers (common name given to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) first landed in the Salt Lake Valley, where they built a camp they called City Creek, these Mormons thus became the first permanent inhabitants of the valley. Gradually, they conditioned this mountainous territory and favored the initiation and development of agriculture in this sector of the valley, with the construction of a system of canals to divert the water of the river. The next day, that is, on July 24, 147 new pioneers arrived led by Brighan Young and since then, Pioneer Day is celebrated on this date and the official day of the founding of the city. Mormons came to this valley in search of a place where they could practice their religion in peace, free from persecution and hostile groups, the first time Brigham Young saw the valley with his own eyes he said the famous words: “this is the place” . At the end of that year a total of 1,700 people arrived in the valley, a year later, the valley became part of the United States (first part of Mexico). free from persecution and hostile groups, the first time Brigham Young saw the valley with his own eyes he said the famous words: “this is the place”. At the end of that year a total of 1,700 people arrived in the valley, a year later, the valley became part of the United States (first part of Mexico).
In 1849, the city of Great Salt Lake City gained some importance during the gold rush due to its location in the middle of the California route, with the arrival of gold miners, the city experienced its first major development economic. The city became the capital of Utah in 1856. The area began to develop significantly after the discovery of several silver deposits in the Bingham Canyon in 1863. Subsequently, gold, silver, copper and lead mines were opened. in other nearby canyons, and at the same time there was the official change of the name of the city, which was shortened to Salt Lake City. Construction began on the Trans-Continental Railroad in 1869, which fostered Utah’s communications and trade relations with the east and west, centered on mineral products, following the founding of the Salt Lake City Street Railroad Company in 1872. Economic prosperity led to he population increase, between 1880 and 1890, the population increased by 116% to a total of 44,800 inhabitants. This intense growth brought with it, in turn, the arrival of new problems deriving from overcrowding (epidemics), and the increase in the number of factories. The environmental deterioration took place to such an extent that the city’s environment became known as the smoke belt. ). By 1919, Utah emerged as the most active mining state in the entire country, and the Salt Lake Valley was the district with the most smelters in North America. All these facts conditioned the decline of the city but the emergence of the Civic Conditioning League favored the creation of parks, sports fields, and the Salt Palace, etc. After the 1929 Crisis, the price of minerals dropped dramatically, which triggered the downturn of the economy until 1937. At this point, the federal government invested approximately $ 160 million in this state. During the Second World War (1939-45) the economy began to recover thanks to the great demand for metals for industries and military factories.
