Utah, mountainous state in the western United States; 219,902 km², 2.8 million population (2010), of which 86% are white. Nickname: The Beehive State. Utah’s history is linked to the Mormons who, under the leadership of Brigham Young, colonized the area near the capital Salt Lake City in 1847. After the cedar subdivision of Mexico in 1848, Utah became a territory of the Union and was incorporated as the 45th state of the United States in 1896. most of the residents are members of the Mormon Church, whose influence shapes business as well as culture, politics and education.

• COUNTRYAAH.COM: Lists all counties and parishes of Utah in alphabetical order. Covers county profile and biggest counties by population in the state of Utah.

Although birth rates and population growth have long been among the highest in the country, most of Utah is sparsely populated. Almost ⁴/₅ of the residents are concentrated in urban areas Salt Lake City- Ogden and Provo -Orem, both of which border the Great Basin along highway I-15 between Idaho and Arizona. The rest are distributed in small towns, e.g. Elsinore with descendants of Danish immigrants.

While agriculture and mining used to be the mainstays, the economy has become more broad-spectrum since World War II. Of great importance are the aerospace industry, the pharmaceutical and food industries as well as a rapidly growing computer industry. Agriculture occupies almost half of the area, of which the majority in the form of grazing areas (cattle, sheep) and irrigation farms with fodder crops, cereals and vegetables. Main mining products are oil, gas and coal as well as uranium, copper and alloy metals (beryllium, molybdenum), which are mainly mined in Bingham Canyon.

• AbbreviationFinder: Provides a list of all acronyms in alphabetic order for Utah. Also includes state overview, population statistics as well as cities and towns belong to Utah.

Apart from the plateau Great Basin to the west with Lakes Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake, the landscape is part of the Rocky Mountains. This applies, for example, to the Wasatch Range, which near Ogden and Salt Lake City houses some of the country’s most coveted ski resorts, and the Uinta Mountains to the NE with the highest point, Kings Peak (4126 m); furthermore, the Colorado Plateau, whose erosive landscapes can be experienced in Glen Canyon and the Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and National Parks. The parks belong to the federal state, which incl. military test areas, forests and Indian reservations (navajo, ute) manage 62% of the area. The climate is affected by the altitude differences, but is generally dry and sunny with hot summers and cold winters. Main river is Colorado River with dam lake Lake Powell on the border with Arizona.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park occupies an area of 979 km2 in the US state of Utah. The area was declared a national monument in 1937 and then elevated to a national park in 1971. A number of interesting formations can be seen here, which were created by the action of natural influences, especially erosion. Erosion has uncovered fifteen sandstone layers whose ages range from 65 to 270 million years. Each of the individual layers has specific properties and color. The range of colors then inspired members of the Navajo Indian tribe to name the area “Land of the Sleeping Rainbow”. The name Capitol Reef is derived from the typical white domed Navajo sandstone domes found here, which resemble the Capitol Buildings found in every US state capital.

In the park you can see not only these domes, but also canyons, cliffs, vaults, arches and natural towers. Forces have been acting on the geological plates here for millions of years, and this is how a massive stone ridge reaching a height of up to 2,500 meters above sea level was subsequently formed. Thanks to this natural spectacle, it is visited by around half a million visitors a year. The most visited part of the park is around Hwy24, where the Visitor Center is also located.

The Fremont River flows through the park, along which orchards were planted in the 18th century by Mormon settlers trying to colonize this part of the country. The orchards consist of about 3,000 fruit trees, including apple, pear, plum and peach trees. If you are interested, you can pick as much fruit as you like here for your own use, but you are not allowed to export it – you would have to pay for it. Long before these religious people, the Anasazi, Navaho and Ute Indian tribes lived here, leaving behind only a few relatively well-preserved petroglyphs. There is a campsite right in the orchards where you can spend the night.

One main paved road, about 40 km long, runs through the territory of the park. In addition, the area is crossed by more than 200 km of unpaved trails, which, however, are intended only for stronger off-road vehicles. After a long and dusty road, you can reach, for example, an area called Cathedral Valley, where there are rock towers resembling cathedrals. Due to its poor accessibility, the place is protected from tourist crowds. The place came into the consciousness of people only after the 2nd World War, when a lost military plane was searched for in this area.