Utah is bordered by Idaho and Wyoming (North), Colorado (East), Arizona (South), and Nevada (West).The total area is 84,916 square miles. The population in 1990 was 1,722,850. The Capital is Salt Lake City and statehood was granted on January 4, 1896 as the 45th state. The highest point is Kings Peak, 13,528 ft and the lowest point is Beaverdam Creek, 2,000 ft. The states nickname is the Beehive State. The state bird is the seagull, state flower is the sego lily and the state tree is the Blue Spruce.
The Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains runs north to south through the center of largely arid Utah, with the Colorado Plateau to the east and the Great Basin to the west. The Great Salt Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats are the remnants of Pleistocene-era Lake Bonneville. The generally dry climate is characterized by abundant sunshine and high temperatures in the southwestern desert, in contrast to the cooler weather and lower temperatures of the high plateaus and mountains. Often spectacularly scenic, Utah is the site of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Zion National Parks; and several national monuments. Over 60% of the land is controlled by the federal government. Mormons constitute over two thirds of the population, of which more than 85% lives in urban areas, including those of Salt Lake City, Utah's largest city, Provo, and Ogden.

Mining is major industry with an significant workforce being directly or indirectly involved. Utah extracts significant quantities of copper, oil, gold, magnesium, molybdenum, beryllium, coal, asphalt, silver, lead, tin, and other minerals. The major crops, which are heavily dependent on irrigation, are hay, wheat, apples, barley, alfalfa seed, and corn, however the bulk of agricultural income is derived from cattle and dairy products. Utah is a center of aerospace and military-related industries and also produces nonelectrical machinery, processed foods, transportation equipment, and computer-related items. Tourism is also an important industry

The remains of cliff-dwellers are preserved at Capitol Reef National Park. The Ute, Paiute, Goshiute, and Navaho inhabited the region when Spanish missionaries arrived (1776). The area became United States terrory in 1848, and wagon trains on the Oregon Trail began traveling through the area. In 1847 Mormons under the leadership of Brigham Young began to settle Utah. Their subsequent petitions for statehood were denied because of the Mormon practice of polygamy. This dispute escalated (1857) into the Utah War, which briefly pitted settlers against Unitied States Army troops. In 1890 the church repudiated polygamy, and statehood was subsequently granted. Mining accelerated after the discovery of new mineral deposits in the early 20th century. The extension of the Colorado River Project and other water projects combined with the growth of defense-related and high-technology industries since World War II have gradually provided Utah with a diversified economy.