Portal:Utah

Coordinates: 39°18′N 111°36′W / 39.3°N 111.6°W / 39.3; -111.6
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The Utah Portal

Location of Utah
The flag of Utah

Utah (/ˈjuːtɑː/ YOO-tah, /ˈjuːtɔː/ YOO-taw; Navajo: Áshįįh Biiʼtó Hahoodzo) is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It borders Colorado to its east, Wyoming to its northeast, Idaho to its north, Arizona to its south, and Nevada to its west. Utah also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast. Of the fifty U.S. states, Utah is the 13th-largest by area; with a population over three million, it is the 30th-most-populous and 11th-least-densely populated. Urban development is mostly concentrated in two areas: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which is home to roughly two-thirds of the population and includes the capital city, Salt Lake City; and Washington County in the southwest, with more than 180,000 residents. Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin.

Utah has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups such as the ancient Puebloans, Navajo, and Ute. The Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in the mid-16th century, though the region's difficult geography and harsh climate made it a peripheral part of New Spain and later Mexico. Even while it was Mexican territory, many of Utah's earliest settlers were American, particularly Mormons fleeing marginalization and persecution from the United States via the Mormon Trail. Following the Mexican–American War in 1848, the region was annexed by the U.S., becoming part of the Utah Territory, which included what is now Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah's admission as a state; only after the outlawing of polygamy was it admitted in 1896 as the 45th.

People from Utah are known as Utahns. Slightly over half of all Utahns are Mormons, the vast majority of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City; Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church. A 2023 paper challenged this perception (claiming only 42% of Utahns are Mormons) however most statistics still show a majority of Utah residents belong to the LDS church; estimates from the LDS church suggests 60.68% of Utah's population belongs to the church whilst some sources put the number as high as 68%. The paper replied that membership count done by the LDS Church is too high for several reasons. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular. (Full article...)

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Map of the United States with Utah highlighted

Utah is a state located in the Western United States. , there are 253 municipalities in the U.S. state of Utah. A municipality is called a town if the population is under 1,000 people, and a city if the population is over 1,000 people. Incorporation means that a municipal charter has been adopted by the affected population following a referendum. In the Constitution of Utah, cities and towns are granted "the authority to exercise all powers relating to municipal affairs, and to adopt and enforce within its limits, local police, sanitary and similar regulations not in conflict with the general law" They also have the power to raise and collect taxes, to provide and maintain local public services, acquire by eminent domain any property needed to make local improvements, and to raise money by bonds.

The area had been occupied by different Native American groups dating to about 10,000 years before present. Europeans entered the region the 1500s with the expedition of Garci-Lopez de Cardenas, as recorded by Francisco de Coronado, and in subsequent decades other Europeans had a scattered presence as mountain men or explorers but there were no large or permanent settlments. Utah was colonized by the Spanish Empire as part of the Province of Las Californias, and later Alta California. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Utah was under Mexican control until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 ceded the territory to the United States of America. The Spanish and Mexican legacy of the state is present in many place names, particularly in the southern portion of Utah. In July 22, 1847, the first party of Latter-day Saint pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, where they founded Salt Lake City. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 Mormon pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah. Initial colonization along the Wasatch Front was mostly made by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with little direct involvement from LDS leadership. Outside the Wasatch Front, many settlements were directed, planned, organized, and dispatched by leaders of the Church. Settlements were also founded by the railroads, mining companies and non-LDS settlers. Many settlements were named after leaders, history or from scriptures of the LDS Church. Natural features of the region, including rivers, mountains, lakes and flora, are also commonly used for names. (Full article...)
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State of Deseret
State of Deseret
Credit: User:Decumanus
The boundaries of the provisional State of Deseret as proposed in 1849 are shown in orange. The area of the Utah Territory as organized in 1859 is shaded in red.

April selected anniversaries

  • April 14, 1983 - a landslide leads to the destruction of Thistle, Utah.
  • April 15, 1948 - Utah's first television station, W6SIX, begins broadcasting.

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Ross Carl "Rocky" Anderson (born September 9, 1951) is an American attorney, writer, activist, and civil and human rights advocate. He served two terms as the 33rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah from 2000 to 2008.

Prior to serving as Mayor, Anderson practiced law for 21 years in Salt Lake City, during which he was the 1996 Democratic nominee for Congress in Utah’s Second Congressional District. Following his terms as mayor, Anderson founded and served as the Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights and returned to his legal practice, frequently bringing legal challenges to government programs. Anderson also served as the 2012 presidential nominee for his newly created Justice Party, receiving 43,000 votes out of more than 129 million votes cast. Anderson ran again for Mayor of Salt Lake City in the 2023 mayoral election, but he lost to incumbent Erin Mendenhall 58% to 34%. (Full article...)

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The Utah Territory (September 9, 1850 - January 4, 1896) during the American Civil War was far from the main operational theaters of war, but still played a role in the disposition of the United States Army, drawing manpower away from the volunteer forces and providing its share of administrative headaches for the Lincoln Administration. Although no battles were fought in the territory, the withdrawal of Union forces at the beginning of the war allowed the Native American tribes to start raiding the trails passing through Utah. As a result, units from California and Utah were assigned to protect against these raids. Mineral deposits found in Utah by California soldiers encouraged the immigration of non-Mormon settlers into Utah. (Full article...)
Brent Scowcroft (center) with Dick Cheney and William Webster
Brent Scowcroft (center) with Dick Cheney and William Webster

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Bryce Canyon Amphitheater
Bryce Canyon Amphitheater
Credit: Jon Zander (User:Digon3)
Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

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39°18′N 111°36′W / 39.3°N 111.6°W / 39.3; -111.6