Key Facts
- Per Capita Real GDP
- $32,774 Rank: 38/50 (2007)
- Population
- 2,736,420 Rank: 34/50 (2008)
- Per Capita Personal Income
- $29,108 Rank: 47/50 (2006)
- Unemployment Rate
- 3.00% Rank: 5/50 (2008)
- Business Tax Climate Index
- Rank: 17/50 (2008)
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Utah: Introduction
The western state of Utah shares its borders with Arizona to the south and Nevada to the west. The state contains a diverse mix of terrain that ranges from mountainous landscape to basins, canyons, and valleys. The majority of the state has a dry desert climate, however, some regions contain valleys covered by dense pine forests. The most widely known geographic feature of Utah is the Great Salt Lake. While the surface area of the lake can change greatly with a small rise in water level, it is approximately 75 miles long and about 35 miles wide. The reason that the Great Salt Lake is salty is because it has no outlet. The salt concentration is much higher than the ocean and is inhabitable to fish and most other marine animals.
Salt Lake City, Utah was also the host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. This brought a lasting boost to the state’s tourism industry from the media coverage and new facilities. The ski industry has had record-setting years since 2002, and numerous World Cups, US Championships, and Olympic trials have also been hosted or secured following the Olympics.
Utah’s economy is extremely diverse in comparison to the other mountain states. Manufacturing, financial enterprises, government, and the service industry all play a fairly equal role in Utah’s income. Agriculture does not play as significant of a role but it should be noted that nearly 80% of farm income is earned through the sale of livestock and livestock products. The mining industry is also important to the state economy, particularly in the extraction of copper. Utah is the second largest producer of copper in the United States.
