Utah

Capital: Salt Lake City

State abbreviation/Postal code: Utah/UT

Nickname: Beehive State

Origin of name: Taken from the name of the Ute Indians, whose name means "people of the mountains"

Briefs on Utah :

Located in the western United States, the state of Utah is landlocked between Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Wyoming. The state is known for being the state where the Mormon Church i.e. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has its world headquarters and wherein are present several wonderful places to relish.

The capital city of the state, Salt Lake City is also hailed as the most vibrant city of the state. The city made it to the news lately by hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics.  This most populous city in the state of Utah is the seat of the Salt Lake County that encompasses the Salt Lake Valley and 15 other municipalities. The city is frequently visited for the Wasatch Mountains that run north south of the Salt Lake City. These mountains are a home to seven ski resorts and offer lifetime skiing, hiking and rock climbing opportunities.

To the east of Kamas, Utah is the gateway to the Mirror Lake Highway and the Uinta Mountains. These are one of the two east-west mountain ranges in the United States of America. The Uinta range is famous for being the highest peak in the state that is also a home to Utah’s biggest wilderness area. The numerous small lakes in the region make it a wonderful site to enjoy with family and friends.

Besides these you can also visit the Great Basin and the West Desert. The Notch Peak in the House Range, the Great Town of Frisco, or the Pony Express Trial are different experiences altogether. These quiet places are perfect to bask in unparalleled solitude.

The southern half of the state Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers a chance to relish a variety of thrilling water and other sports. For instance in the park you can do fishing, swimming, backcountry hiking, four wheel drive trips and much more.

The Utah city of Springdale is popular for providing an access to the Zion National Park, which is a bedazzling cliff and canyon landscape and wilderness that even includes world’s largest arches, Kolob Arch that measures 310 feet. The park is a home to some rare species of mule deer, golden eagles and mountain lions etc.

The state of Utah has a rich history too. For several thousand years the region was a home to the Native Americans who did different types of work here. In 1540 the state was visited by the Spanish conquistador, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. In 1800 some fur trappers such as Jim Bridger explored the Utah territory.  In 1825 the Etienne Provost visited the area and also founded the city of Provo, named after him. On 24the July 1847 the state was inhabited by first Mormon settlers. These people had come to the Salt Lake Valley.

After the Mexican American war the United States acquired control of the Utah territory while initially the state was under the governance of Mexico. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo handed over the control of the Utah territory to the United States government.

In 1850 the Utah territory was created with the Compromise of 1850 and Fillmore was established as the capital of the state. It was in 1856 that the capital of Utah was changed to the Salt Lake City.           

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