犹他(Utah)

美国西部一州。落矶山脉、科罗拉多高原和大盐湖沙漠构成该州大部分景观。早期为肖肖尼印第安人的南派尤特族、哥休特族及犹他族的居住地。1776年，西班牙皮毛商到达这里。1824年布里杰发现大盐湖。1847年，首批摩门教徒到大盐湖地区定居。1896年加入联邦。摩门教徒占全州人口绝大多数，因而摩门教的信仰和传统对该州生活的各方面都有深远影响。州内石油、煤矿储藏丰富，是世界最大的铍矿产地。农业和旅游业也发达。面积219,887平方公里（84,899平方哩）。首府盐湖城。人口约2,233,169（2000）。

English version：

Utah

State, (pop., 1997 est.: 2,059,000), western U.S. It covers 84,899 sq mi (219,888 sq km); its capital is Salt Lake City. Utah contains the Great Salt Lake and parts of the middle Rocky Mtns. and Uinta Mtns. The western third of the state is a broad desert-like area. About 70% of the land is owned by either the federal or the state government. The region was inhabited as early as 10,000 BC. In c. AD 400 the Pueblo Indians lived throughout Utah; they were followed by other groups, including the Shoshone, Ute, and Paiute Indians. Spanish missionaries visited there in the late 18th century. It passed to Mexico in 1821. While U.S. pioneer Jim Bridger discovered the Great Salt Lake in 1824, the area's first permanent settlers were Mormons, who were led to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in 1847 by Brigham Young. The U.S. acquired the region after the Mexican War, and in 1850 organized the Utah Territory; it was reduced to the area of the present state by 1868. A conflict between Mormon authorities and the U.S. government known as the Utah War occurred in 1857-58, and statehood was denied until the Mormons renounced polygamy. When they did, it entered the Union in 1896 as the 45th state. The Mormon Church has officially been politically neutral since the early 20th century and the influence of economic blocs has become more important. Utah has large reserves of coal and petroleum, and is the world's largest producer of beryllium. Major industries include agriculture and tourism.