ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica DISCOVER AMERICA Utah The Beehive State CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO
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
INTRODUCTION 5 Utah’s location in the west is about halfway between Canada and Mexico Its neighbors include Colorado to the east Wyoming to the northeast and New Mexico to the southeast Nevada lies to the west Idaho is to the north and Arizona is to the south Utah has one international airport the Salt Lake City International Airport About 50 public and military airports serve the state Visitors to Utah can take advantage of the bus services that connect the state’s main cities Utah also offers road travelers more than 40,000 miles of public highways Salt Lake City International Airport serves more than 15 million passengers every year Utah Location Map The state flag consists of a shield on a blue background At the center of the shield is a beehive surrounded by white lilies The shield also includes an eagle and U S flags symbolizing the state’s loyalty to the nation The flag was adopted in 1913 The state capital is Salt Lake City The state motto is Industry Capital Salt Lake City Interstate highways Scale 20 0 0 32 40 64 Mi Km Population 2,233,169 Size 84,900 square miles Highest peak Kings Peak 13,528 feet
