Higher Education  

Utah has 9 colleges and universities, as well as 12 two-year and community colleges. The University of Utah at Salt Lake City is the state's largest public institution. Other public institutions are Utah State University, in Logan; Weber State, in Ogden; Southern Utah University, in Cedar City, and Utah Valley State College, in Orem. Private institutions include Brigham Young University, in Provo; Westminster College, in Salt Lake City; and the College of Eastern Utah, in Price.

Geography

Covering an area of 219,888 square kilometers, Utah can be divided into three main regions: the Basin and Range Region, the Rocky Mountains, and the Colorado Plateau. In the western part of the state, the Basin and Range Region consists of dry, flat land as well as short mountain ranges. Within this region are the Great Salt Lake, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and several deserts. North-central Utah is dominated by the Wasatch Range and the Uinta Range, both of which are parts of the Rocky Mountains. Nearly half of the state lies within the Colorado Plateau, a scenic area whose broad uplands and canyons are characterized by brilliantly colored rocks. Utah's major rivers are the Colorado, the Green, the Jordan, the Sevier, the Virgin, and the Raft. Important cities include Salt Lake City (capital). Provo, Sandy, Orem, and Ogden. The population of the state is over 2 million.

Climate

The climate of Utah is generally sunny, warm, and dry. At Salt Lake City, in north-central Utah, temperatures range from an average of -2° C in January to 25° C in July. Cedar City, in the southwestern corner of the state, averages -1.5° C in January and 23° C in July. Average annual precipitation (rain and snowfall) is 38 cm at Salt Lake City, less than 13 cm in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau regions, and 127 cm on the Wasatch and Uinta ranges.

Cultural Profile

Utah's museums include the Salt Lake Art Center, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Natural History, and the Mormon-owned Museum of Church History and Art, all in Salt Lake City; the B. F. Larsen Gallery and the Monte L. Bean Life Sciences Museum, both at Brigham Young University in Provo; the Springville Museum of Art, in Springville; the Utah Prehistoric Museum, in Price, and the State Natural History Museum, in Vernal.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony Orchestra are Utah's most famous musical groups. Dance groups in the state include Ballet West, Brigham Young University's International Folk Dancers, Virginia Tanner's Children's Dance Theatre, and the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. Shakespeare festivals are held annually at Cedar City and Park City. Many dramatic performances are featured at the University of Utah and other college campuses in the state.

Recreation

Utah has five national parks (Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Zion National Park), forty-eight state parks, six national monuments, and two national recreation areas. Other interesting places to visit include the Mormon Temple, in St. George; the Great Sale Lake, west of Salt Lake City; the Bonneville Salt Flats; Drive Through the Ages Geological Area, north of Vernal; and Golden Spike National Historic Site, at Promontory.

Interesting Facts

In 1869, America's first transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Summit in Utah. Salt Lake City will be the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Famous Utahns include Maude Adams (actress), Hal Ashby (motion picture director and producer), Nolan Bushnell (computer programmer and executive), Bernard De Voto (historian), John W. Marriot (restaurant and hotel executive), Merlin Olsen (athlete and actor), Donny and Marie Osmond (singers and entertainers), and Loretta Young (actress).