Utah

State in western USA, one of the Mountain States, bordered to the east by Colorado, to the south by Arizona, to the west by Nevada, and to the north by Wyoming; at the Four Corners in the southeast, it also touches New Mexico; area 212,752 sq km/82,144 sq mi; population (2006) 2,550,100; capital and largest city Salt Lake City. The name Utah derives from the American Indian Ute, meaning ‘high land’; its nickname symbolizes thrift and industry. Utah has a spectacular landscape of canyons, Rocky Mountain peaks, and vast deserts. It is an important transport hub for the western USA, and service industries and tourism are the state's largest employers. Products include transport equipment, processed foods, and scientific materials. Beef, milk, and hay are the main agricultural products. Salt Lake City is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons; 60% of Utah's population is Mormon (2006). Other important towns and cities include West Valley City, Provo, Sandy, Orem, and Ogden. Originally home to the Ute, Paiute, and Goshiute, the region was first claimed by Spain and, after 1821, by Mexico. From the 1840s US explorers surveyed Utah, and settlement began in 1847 when the Mormons under Brigham Young arrived in Salt Lake City. The region was ceded to the USA in 1848, and the extension of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869 opened the state to further settlement. Utah was admitted to the Union in 1896 as the 45th US state.