Utah: The Beehive State

Utah: The Beehive State — page 1
4 UTAH INTRODUCTION Utah is located in the mountain region of the west-central United States The state’s unique terrain includes snowcapped mountains sparkling lakes deep valleys barren salt flats and remote deserts Utah also has a rugged plateau region which features multicolored canyons and impressive rock formations Utah’s varied landscape makes it a great place for recreational activities The state has five national parks two national recreational areas several national monuments and 45 state parks Arches National Park in Utah has more than 2,000 arches It is the world’s most concentrated collection of these unusual rock formations In 1933 the blue spruce was chosen as the official state tree The blue spruce grows at high elevations in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains Many Utahans enjoy activities such as boating swimming fishing hiking and skiing The Colorado River which flows through southeastern Utah is used for irrigation hydroelectric power and recreation Utah entered the Union on Jan 4 1896 as the 45th state The state nickname is the Beehive State This name comes from the state’s original name Deseret a word from the Book of Mormon meaning Land of the Honeybee The beehive is a symbol of Utahans hard work and industry