The Utah is one of the states of the West of the the United States. It is a State where live many Mormon S. Its capital is Salt Lake City. One of the emblems of this state is a natural arch ( Delicate Arch located in the National park of the Arches ).

History

The Amerindian are present in the area since prehistory. They left Pétroglyphe S and Pictogramme S, witnesses of their last culture. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado undoubtedly crossed the south of current Utah in 1540, whereas he sought legendary the Cibola. A group of Spaniards, led by two priests, leaves Santa Fe in 1776 in the search of a road leading to the coast California. Forwarding arrives at the north of Utah Lake and meets the Amerindians. Then trappers explore the area at the beginning of the 19th century. The town of Provo is named thus in the honor of Etienne Provost which travelled in the area in 1825.

The first colonists Mormons arrived at Salt Lake City on July 24th, 1847, whereas Utah was still a Mexican territory. After the Treated of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Utah is yielded to the the United States in 1848. But it is one of the last continental States to enter the Union as a federate state (1896). One of the principal obstacles to this accession was the attachment of the Mormons of the 19th century to the Polygamie.

Geography

physical Geography

Utah is characterized by a great geological diversity: in the center the Montagnes Wasatch are, in the North-East the Uinta Mountain (of East-West orientation) includes/understands more the high summit of the state ( Kings Peak ). In the west of the Wasatch mountains is the Big lake Salted which belongs to the Large Basin ( Great Basin ). The landscapes of the south of Utah are characterized by forms eroded by the Colorado and its affluents. The west is mainly Aride; the North-East is rather mountainous with large Forêt S. Principal natural curiosities are:
  • of the lakes: Big lake Salted, Lake Utah, Lake Powell;
  • of the rivers and the Canyon S: Flaming Gorges, Jordan River, Colorado, Green River, Gooseneck State Park, San Juan River;
  • of the plates and the basins: Large Basin, Plate of Colorado;
  • of the mountains: Wasatch Mountains, Uinta Mountains
    • principal tops: Mount Nebo.

human Geography

The major part of the population is gathered in North of the state, between the Montagnes Wasatch and the Big lake Salted, since this urban surface, sometimes called Wasatch Front, and centered around Salt Lake City, counts more than 2 million residents.

Subdivisions

See also: Counties of the State d' Utah

Utah is subdivided in 29 counties.

Utah has as codes;

Natural parks

The deserts of the south of Utah occupy 5 national parks:

National monuments

The national monuments of Utah are:

Lastly, Utah has several federal parks and monuments:

  • Dead Horse Point State Park
  • Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
  • This Is The Places State Park
  • Flaming Gorge Re-creation Area
  • Glen Canyon Re-creation Area
  • Goblin Valley State Park
  • Gooseneck State Park

See also the article List of the parks of Utah.

Policy

Utah is one of the most preserving States of the United States and a fortified town of the Republican party.

The constitution of Utah goes back to 1895. In spite of presence of community polygamous important (not to be confused with the Mormons which gave up since 1890 this practice), the constitution of Utah forever legalized the Polygamie, prohibited by the federal Congress.

In 2004, by Referendum, the voters of Utah approved by 66% of the voices (82% except Salt Lake City) an constitutional amendment defining the marriage as a civil union between a man and a woman, refusing any right to any other form of union.

The federal policy in Utah

With the federal elections, Utah is incontestably one of the most marked republican bastions country.

Thus, with the presidential elections of 2004, the republican president George W. Bush obtained there 71,54% compared with 26% with the democratic candidate John Kerry, which is the most important score of the 50 American states, with a peak with 88,91% in the Comté of Rich.

No democratic candidate gained Utah since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 against Barry Goldwater.

In 1992, the democrat Bill Clinton had even arrived third with 24,65% of the voices behind the republican George Bush (43,36%) and independent the Ross Perot (27,34%).

The local policy in Utah

Logically, the local policy of Utah is largely dominated by the republicans.

Since January 2005, the governor of Utah is the republican Jon Huntsman, Jr. while the four other elected stations of the executive are also held by republicans.

The local Congress is largely dominated by the republicans. At the time of the legislature 2007 - 2008, the democratic occupy only 20 of the 75 seats of the assembly of State and 8 of the 29 seats of the Senate.

At the federal level, at the time of the legislature 2007-2008, the two senators of the State to the Congrès of the United States are the republicans Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett whereas two of the three elected officials of Utah to the Chambre of the Representatives are also republican, the democratic representative being Jim Matheson, a member of the preserving coalition of the Blue Dogs.

Culture

Religion

Religious statistics:

  • Christian - 78%

    • Mormon - 59%
    • Protestant - 13%
      • Episcopaliens - 3%
      • Baptists - 2%
      • other Protestants - 8%
    • Catholic - 6%
  • other religions - 4%
  • without religion - 18%

Utah gathers the quarter of the 5,5 American million Mormons, members of the Eglise of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days, organized in the United States in 1830 by Joseph Smith. The political life, social and cultural of this State created by the Mormon Pioneers at the 19th century, is still largely dominated by this Church, which imposes a strict morals on its members.

Sport

Utah accommodated the Winter Olympics of 2002.

See too

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