 Utah
is located in the Mountain West. In the eastern portion of Utah are the
Rocky Mountains, the Wasatch Range runs through the central part of the
state and the Colorado Plateau dominates most of the southern part of
the state. The western part of Utah is dominated by the Great
Basin.
Utah is bordered on the west by Nevada,
on the north by Idaho and Wyoming,
on the east by Colorado,
on the south by Arizona and
as one of the Four-Corners states, touches New
Mexico on the southeast.
Utah is the 13th largest state in land area with almost 85,000 square miles. Around
80% of Utah's population is centered around Salt Lake City. The
concentration of people around Salt Lake city is a reflection of Utah's
geography and its history. The mountainous and desert regions tend to be
less
populated because of the difficult environment and also the lack of economic
potential. Also, historically Utah was first settled in the Salt Lake City
area. In recent decades considerable growth has occurred in southern
Utah around St George and Cedar City.
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met
on May 10, 1869 completing the nations first transcontinental railway. A
symbolic gold spike was driven into the last railway tie and sparked the
beginning of freight and passenger railway service across the west.
Currently the place is memorialized as the