The state known as Utah began when Brigham Young led a group
of Mormon pilgrims seeking freedom from religious persecution
into the Great Salt Lake Valley, where they established a
settlement in 1847. The state gets its name from the Ute, an
Indian tribe who lived there before the pioneers arrived. The
golden spike completing the first transcontinental railroad line
was driven at Promontory, Utah, in 1869, leading to a further
influx of settlers. Utah was admitted as the 45th state in 1896.
The capital, Salt Lake City, is also the world headquarters for
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Mormons make
up 70 percent of the population. The sego lily is the state
flower of the "Beehive State."
State Flower: Sego lily
State Motto: Industry
State Nickname: Beehive State
State Bird: California gull
Land area: 82,168 sq mi. - Length: 350 miles - Width: 270 miles
10 largest cities (1999 est.):
Salt Lake City, 171,151;
Provo, 110,690;
West Valley City, 102,718;
Sandy, 101,853;
Orem, 82,965;
Ogden, 68,210;
West Jordan, 65,139;
Layton, 56,469;
Taylorsville, 55,939;
St. George, 47,994; - Persons per square mile (1999): 25.9
