Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. About eighty percent of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly unpopulated, making the population the sixth most urbanized within the country The name "Utah" is derived from the name of the Ute tribe and means "people of the mountains" in the Ute language. Utah is surrounded by the state of Colorado on the east, Arizona on the south, Wyoming on the northeast, Idaho on the north and the state of Nevada on the west. It likewise touches a corner of New Mexico.
Utah is by far the most religiously homogeneous state within the country. Approximately 60 percent of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church, which very much influences Utah culture and daily life.
Utah is a center of information and technology and research, transportation, government services, mining, and a main tourist destination intended for outdoor recreation. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimates, Utah was the fastest growing state in the country as of the year 2008. St. George, Utah, was the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation from 2000-2005.
In the year 2010, the gross state product of Utah was roughly $114.5 billion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This equals about 0.78% of the countries $14.55 trillion GDP during that same year. During 2005, the per capita personal income was $24,977. Utah's key trades consist of: cattle ranching, mining, government services and salt production. based on the 2007 State New Economy Index, the state of Utah is ranked the top state in the nation for Economic Dynamism, determined by "the degree to which state economies are knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, information technology-driven and innovation-based".
Forbes ranked the state of Utah during October the year 2010, number one as the "Best States For Business." A November 2010 article in Newsweek highlighted the state of Utah and specifically the Salt Lake City area's economic outlook, calling it "the new economic Zion", and examined how the area has been able to bring in high-paying jobs and attract high-tech companies to the area during a recession.
Petroleum is a key industry in the eastern region of Utah. Petroleum refining is done by several oil companies operating near Salt Lake City. Coal production in central Utah accounts for much of the mining activity.