Portal:Utah

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Utah portal

Utah is a western state of the United States, in the Rocky Mountain region. The name Utah is from the Southern Ute language and means "higher up." In addition to the Ute Tribe, the Paiute, Navajo, and Goshute nations also inhabit portions of the state.

Utah had a population of 2,389,039 in 2004, according to a Census Bureau estimate. About 85% of Utah's population resides in the valleys and on the western slope of the Wasatch Mountains in northern and central Utah. Residents are called Utahns. The state is generally rugged and arid, and has spectacular natural scenery. It is a popular summer and winter tourist destination. Salt Lake City, the ski resorts in the Wasatch Range, and the national parks of the south are the most popular destinations.

Utah's capital is Salt Lake City, a vibrant metropolitan city, but the small community of Fillmore, in Millard County, was designated as the original state capital when the state was admitted to the union in 1896. Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, which gave a significant boost to the state's tourist industry (especially the ski resorts).

Salt Lake City, Utah is also the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church, Portal:Latter-day Saints), of which approximately 60% of Utah residents are members. The LDS Church has a strong cultural influence on the state and helped Utah to become one of just two states where gambling is illegal.

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Selected article

The Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon or LDS Church) to Salt Lake City, Utah who used handcarts to transport their belongings. The Mormon handcart movement began in 1856 and lasted until 1860. Motivated to join their fellow Church members but lacking funds for full ox or horse teams, nearly 3,000 Mormon pioneers from England, Wales, and Scandinavia made the journey to Utah in 10 handcart companies. The trek was disastrous for two of the companies after they started their journey dangerously late and were caught by heavy snow and severe temperatures in central Wyoming. Despite a dramatic rescue effort, more than 210 of the 980 pioneers in the two companies died along the way. John Chislett, a survivor of one of these companies, wrote, "Many a father pulled his cart, with his little children on it, until the day preceding his death." (More...)

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Selected picture

Zion Canyon at sunset in Zion National Park as seen from Angels Landing
Photo credit: Diliff

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Did you know

• ...that until 1995 Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands National Park was thought to be a salt dome?

• ...that the Utah teapot (pictured) is a 3D model which has become a standard reference object in the computer graphics community?
• ...that Great Salt Lake is the fourth largest terminal lake in the world and the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere?
• ...that Pando, a clonal colony of a single male Quaking Aspen in Utah near Fish Lake and Bryce Canyon National Park, is the heaviest known organism in existence?

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State facts

• Nickname: The Beehive State
• Capital and largest city: Salt Lake City
• Governor: Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. (R)
• Total area: 219,887 km²
• Population (2005 census): 2,547,389
• Date admitted to the Union: January 4, 1896
• Senators: Orrin Hatch (R), Robert Bennett (R)
• Representatives: Rob Bishop (R), Jim Matheson (D), Chris Cannon (R)

State symbols:

• Animal: Rocky Mountain Elk
• Bird: California Seagull
• Fish: Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
• Flower: Sego Lily
• Grass: Indian ricegrass
• Insect: European Honey Bee
• Tree: Blue Spruce
• Fossil: Allosaurus
• Gemstone: Topaz
• Mineral: Copper
• Motto: Industry
• Rock: Coal
• Snackfood: green Jell-O
• Song: Utah, This is the Place

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Featured content related to Utah

Articles:

• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Geology of the Bryce Canyon area
• Zion National Park
• Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area
• Geology of the Capitol Reef area
• Mormon handcart pioneers
• Liberal Party (Utah) (former)

Lists:

• List of U.S. states by date of statehood
• List of U.S. states by elevation
• List of areas in the National Park System of the United States

Pictures:

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Selected anniversaries

• November 19, 1915 - Joe Hill, a radical songwriter, labor activist and member of the Industrial Workers of the World, is executed by firing squad for murder.

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Categories

Subcategories of Utah category:

Stubs - Assocoations - Botanical gardens - Census-designated places - Cities - Companies - Counties - Culture - Education - Geography - Geography stubs - Government - History - Images - Landmarks - Law - Media - People - People stubs - Sports - Towns - Transportation - Counties - Law - Libraries - Maps

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Wikiprojects

• WikiProject Utah
• Utah State Highways

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News

• August 29, 2006 — The American Legion's 88th convention is being held in Salt Lake City this week. United States Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld and United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speak today, with President of the United States George W. Bush scheduled to speak on Thursday.

• August 1, 2006 — Some of the largest thunderstorms in years move through Salt Lake and Utah Counties, causing at least $13.2 million in damage in Provo alone. The Millcreek area is also hard-hit. The Provo Municipal Airport sees the most damage.[1]

• July 30, 2006 — A flash flood kills two children on U.S. Highway 6 between Price and Helper.[2]

• May 23, 2006, Mexican president Vicente Fox visits Salt Lake City today and tomorrow. [3]

• April 21, 2006, Sandy, Utah — South Towne Center will expand by 100,000 square feet and become Utah's first indoor/outdoor shopping center. [4]

• March 30, 2006, Ogden — Fresenius plans to add 270 jobs and 300,000 square feet of assembly and storage space to its Ogden, Utah plant within a year. Fresenius is the world's largest maker of dialysis equipment [5].

Sources:

• KSL.com
• SLTrib.com
• DesNews.com

For more Utah-related news, visit Wikinews' Utah Portal.

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Things you can do

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Collaborators

This portal is maintained by:

• JonMoore
• Zaui
• Edward Lalone
• (insert yourself)

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Government

Utah's form of government is republican, with "the powers of government being divided into three distinct departments, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial" each department having specific functions and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution.

Executive Department

The executive powers of government are vested in the Governor who is assisted by civil officers who are appointed by the governor with the consent of the Utah State Legislature.

• Governor - Jon Huntsman, Jr.
• Lieutenant Governor - Gary R. Herbert
• Attorney General - Mark Shurtleff
• State Treasurer - Edward T. Alter
• State Auditor - Auston G. Johnson

Legislative Department

The legislative powers of government are vested in the Senate, House of Representatives and the people.

Senate

Leadership

• President - John L. Valentine (R-14)
• Majority Leader - Peter C. Knudson (R-17)
• Majority Whip - Dan R. Eastman (R-23)
• Minority Leader - Mike Dmitrich (D-27)
• Minority Whip - Gene Davis (D-3)

House of Representatives

Leadership

• Speaker of the House - Greg Curtis (R-49)
• Majority Leader - Jeff Alexander (R-62)
• Majority Whip - Stephen H. Urquhart (R-75)
• Minority Leader - Ralph Becker (D-24)
• Minority Whip - Brad King (D-69)

Judicial Department

The judicial powers of government are vested in a Supreme Court, district courts, and other courts of record. There are currently eight judicial districts in Utah with 70 full-time district judges who are responsible for handling all civil cases, criminal felonies, and certain misdemeanors. The State Supreme Court is the appellate court which reviews lower court decisions and is the court of last resort in Utah. Depending on the nature of the case federal jurisdiction can be sought and appelled up to the United States Supreme Court which is the court of last resort in the United States.

Supreme Court

• Chief Justice - Christine M. Durham
• Associate Chief Justice - Michael J. Wilkins
• Justice - Maththew B. Durrant
• Justice - Ronald E. Nehring
• Justice - Jill M. Parrish

District Courts

• District 1 - Covers the counties of Box Elder, Cache and Rich.
• District 2 - Covers the counties of Davis, Morgan, and Weber.
• District 3 - Covers the counties of Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele.
• District 4 - Covers the counties of Juab, Millard, Utah, and Wasatch.
• District 5 - Covers the counties of Beaver, Iron, and Washington.
• District 6 - Covers the counties of Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne.
• District 7 - Covers the counties of Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan.
• District 8 - Covers the counties of Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah

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Attractions

Utah has five U.S. National Parks:

• Arches National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Canyonlands National Park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Zion National Park

And seven U.S. National Monuments:

• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Rainbow Bridge National Monument
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Utah is known for its ski resorts:

• Alta Ski Area - Alta
• Beaver Mountain - Logan Canyon
• Brian Head - Brian Head
• Brighton - Big Cottonwood Canyon
• The Canyons - Park City
• Deer Valley - Park City (2002 Winter Olympic site)
• Park City Resort - Park City (2002 Winter Olympic site)
• Powder Mountain - Liberty
• Snowbasin - Huntsville (2002 Winter Olympic site)
• Snowbird - Little Cottonwood Canyon
• Solitude - Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Sundance - Sundance
• Wolf Mountain - Eden, Ut

Utah offers a large number of state parks and monuments, including:

In Northern Utah:

• Antelope Island State Park
• Bear Lake
• Deer Creek Reservoir
• Great Salt Lake
• Jordanelle Reservoir
• Utah Lake

In Central Utah:

• Fremont Indian State Park
• Goblin Valley State Park
• Green River
• Territorial Statehouse

In Southern Utah:

• Coral Pink Sand Dunes
• Dead Horse Point State Park
• Goosenecks Of The San Juan
• Kodachrome Basin State Park
• Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
• Snow Canyon

Utah also has several parks of note that are managed by counties or communities, outside the State Parks system. They include:

• This Is The Place Heritage Park

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