Utah

Utah is a western US state renowned for its spectacular red-rock deserts, national parks and the influence of the Latter-day Saint faith. Its capital and largest city is Salt Lake City. Nicknamed the Beehive State, it has one of the fastest-growing and youngest populations in the country.

Utah combines the Rocky Mountains and Wasatch Range in the north, where most people live, with the arid Great Basin to the west and the dramatic canyon country of the Colorado Plateau to the south, home to five national parks. The Great Salt Lake lies near the capital. The climate is dry.

Utah culture is strongly shaped by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with an emphasis on family and community, alongside a booming outdoor recreation scene of skiing and canyoneering. Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Settled by Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young in 1847 seeking religious refuge, Utah became the 45th state in 1896 after the LDS church ended the practice of polygamy. It grew through mining, the railroad and, later, technology.