Utah . . . State 45
Utah's official flag was adopted in 1913. The flag has a deep blue field with the state seal in the center, surrounded by yellow fringe. The state seal was designed by Harry Emmett Edwards in 1896. In the center of the flag is a bald eagle above a beehive which symbolizes hard work and is surrounded by sego lilies which represent peace and two US flags. The word "INDUSTRY" and the dates 1847 and 1896 appear on the flag. 1847 is the year that Brigham Young led a group of his Mormon followers to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah in order to find religious freedom and establish a new base for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Utah was the 45th state in the USA; it became a state in 1896. Utah lies in the western United States and is bordered by Arizona on south and Colorado to the east. To the northeast and north by Wyoming and Idaho and to the west is Nevada. The state's southeastern corner is called the four corners because it is the only point where four states meet.
Utah was first settled in 1847 when a group of 148 Mormons settled at the foot of the Wastch Mountains. A man named Brigham Young led them and soon the Mormons worked to change the desert land into fertile cropland, built highways, started schools, etc.
The Mormon colony spread and by 1850 there were already 11,000 and the development was all directed by the Mormon church. Still today the Mormons make up 70% of the population and a very popular university, Brigham Young. Because of this the state is nicknamed the Land of the Saints.
Utah has a very dry continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Utah has very low humidity and lots of sunshine. The statewide average high temperature in July is near 80 degrees and in January an average of 30 degrees. The upper elevations experience severe cold winter conditions. Annual precipitation varies from less than five inches in Utah's Great Salt Lake desert to more than 50 inches in the northern mountain ranges. Snow frequently accumulates to depths of 10 feet or more at many Wasatch Mountain ski resorts. Because of the lack of rainfall, most of the agricultural sites and farmland have to be irrigated. Many reservoirs have been built since the 1850’s to collect water and distribute it. A lot of the state is only cactus, desert and bushes.
Utah’s main manufacturing is computer equipment, software, and the production of transportation equipment, guided missiles, and space vehicles. The state is all very rich in minerals and it is the chief source of lead, gold, silver, and zinc.
Economy:
Utah Agriculture: Cattle, dairy products,
hay, turkeys.
Utah Industry: Machinery, aerospace, mining, food processing, electric equipment, tourism.
Utah is a popular vacation spot for skiing Salt Lake City was chosen to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. It also has five national parks which many campers and hikers come to Utah in the summer.
Utah has 29 Counties:
Beaver
Box Elder Cache Carbon Daggett
Davis Duchesne Emery Garfield
Grand Iron Juab Kane Millard
Morgan Piute Rich Salt Lake
San Juan Sanpete Sevier Summit
Tooele Uintah Utah Wasatch Washington
Wayne Weber
