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Utah is a state located in the western United States. Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city. As of 2005, the state’s population was 2,547,389. It was the fourth-fastest growing state in the country between 1990 and 2000. Approximately 80% of Utah's population, or just over 2,000,000, live along the Wasatch Front. Utah's population is highly concentrated and is the seventh most urbanized in the U.S. 88% of the population lives in what the Census Bureau defines as urban. Vast expanses of the state are relatively uninhabitated. The state is generally rocky and arid, and has internationally famous natural scenery. It is a popular tourist destination and was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. Temple Square in Salt Lake City, the ski resorts in the Wasatch Range, the national parks in the south, such as Arches, Zion and Bryce Canyon, and the Sundance Film Festival are among the most visited areas or events. Approximately 60% of state residents are adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The religion has historically had a strong regional influence and has contributed the state's restrictive attitude towards alcohol and gambling, and the highest birth rate in the nation by far. Previous to 1890, the Church's teachings of polygamy had led to confrontation with the U.S. federal government in the Utah War. Beginning in the late 19th century with the state's mining boom, including what is now the world's largest open pit mine, companies attracted large numbers of immigrants (of diverse faiths) with job opportunities. The new immigrants often found themselves at odds with the state's LDS population. As a result these tensions have played a large part in Utah's history (Liberal Party vs. People's Party) and continue to do so as the state further diversifies. Utah is one of the Four Corners states, and is bordered by: Idaho (at 42°N) and Wyoming (at 41°N and 111°W) in the north, by Colorado (at 109°W) in the east, at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast (at the Four Corners Monument), by Arizona (at 37°N) in the south, and by Nevada (at 114°W) in the west. It covers an area of 84,899 square miles (219,887km²). One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the center of the state is the Wasatch Range, which rises to heights of about 12,000 feet (3,650 meters) above sea level. Portions of these mountains receive more than 500 inches (1,250 cm) of snow a year and are home to world-renowned ski resorts, made popular by the light, fluffy snow which is considered good for skiing. In the northeastern section of the state, running east to west, are the Uinta Mountains, which rise to heights of 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) or more. The highest point in the state, Kings Peak, at an elevation of 13,526 feet (4,123 meters), lies within the Uinta Mountains. Popular recreational destinations within the mountains besides the ski resorts include Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Bear Lake, and Jordanelle, Strawberry, East Canyon, and Rockport reservoirs. The mountains are popular camping, rock-climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and hiking destinations. At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the Wasatch Front, a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. The major cities of Ogden, Salt Lake City, Layton, West Valley City, Sandy, West Jordan, Orem, and Provo are located within this region, which stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Spanish Fork at the south end. Approximately 75% of the population of the state lies in this corridor, and urban sprawl continues to expand along the edges of these valleys.
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