Capital: Salt Lake City
State Abbreviation/Postal Code: Utah/UT
Governor: Gary Herbert, R (to Jan. 2011)
Senators: Robert F. Bennett, R (to Jan. 2011) Orrin G. Hatch, R (to Jan. 2013)
U.S. Representatives: 3
Treasurer: Richard Ellis, R (to Jan. 2013)
Atty. General: Mark Shurtleff, R (to Jan. 2013)
Organized as territory: Sept 9, 1850
Entered Union (rank): Jan. 4, 1896 (45)
Present constitution adopted: 1896
Motto: Industry
State Symbols:
flower: sego lily (1911)
tree: blue spruce (1933)
bird: California gull (1955)
emblem: beehive (1959)
song: "Utah, We Love Thee" (1953)
gem: topaz
animal: Rocky Mountain elk (1971)
insect: honeybee (1983)
grass: Indian rice grass (1990)
fossil: allosaurus (1988)
cooking pot: dutch oven (1997)
fish: Bonneville cutthroat trout (1997)
fruit: cherry (1997)
mineral: copper
rock: coal (1991)
Nickname: Beehive State
Origin of name: From the Ute tribe, meaning" people of the mountains."
10 largest cities (2003 est.): Salt Lake City, 179,894; West Valley City, 111,687; Provo, 105,410; Sandy, 89,319; Orem, 87,599; West Jordan, 84,701; Ogden, 78,293; Layton, 60,769; Taylorsville, 58,701; St. George, 56,382
Land Area: 82,144 sq. mi. (212,735 sq km)
Geographic center: In San Pete Co., 3 mi. N. of Manti
Number of counties: 29
Largest county by population and area: Salt Lake, 935,295 (2004); San Juan, 7,821 sq mi.
National Parks: 5
National Monuments: 6
State parks/forests: 45 (64,097 ac.)
Residents: Utahan, Utahn
2004 resident population est.: 2,389,039
2000 resident census population (rank): 2,233,169 (34) Male: 1,119,031 (50.1%) Female: 1,114,138 (49.9%) White: 1,992,975 (89.2%); Black: 17,657 (0.8%); American Indian: 29,684 (1.3%); Asian: 37,108 (1.7%); Other race: 93,405 (4.2%); Two or more races: 47,195 (2.1%); Hispanic/Latino: 201,559 (9.0%) 2000 percent population 18 and over: 67.8; 65 and over: 8.5; median age: 27.1.