Highest and Lowest
Point
Kings Peak, 13,528 ft. (Uinta Mountains, Duchesne Co.
- NE part of state)
Beaver Dam Wash, 2,350 ft. (Near St. George,
Washington Co. SW part of state)
State Name
The state of Utah is named after the Utes, an American Indian
tribe.
Land area--84,916 sq. mi.; 65% is owned by the federal
government
The Rocky Mountain elk
became the official state animal in 1971.
The California gull was selected as the state
bird of Utah by an act of the legislature in 1955.
In
1997, the Utah State Legislature approved an act relating to state affairs
in general, designating the Dutch Oven as the State Cooking
Pot.
In the 1997 Legislature, the Bonneville Cutthroat was adopted
as the state fish after having the Rainbow Trout since 1971.
By an act of
the Utah State Legislature, approved on March 18, 1911, the sego lily
was declared to be the State floral emblem.
In 1994, the
Utah State Legislature designated Square Dancing to be the state folk
dance of Utah.
The allosaurus
was designated the State Fossil in 1988. More allosaurus specimens have
been found in two of Utah's quarries than any other dinosaur.
The cherry was
designated as the official state fruit in 1997 by a House
Bill.
The Topaz
became the State Gem in 1969.
Indian
ricegrass, a native perennial bunchgrass, was officially recognized as
the Utah State Grass in 1990.
The honey bee
became the official state insect in 1983.
Coal, Utah's
state rock, was enacted by the Utah State Legislature in
1991.
The 2003 Utah
State Legislature voted to change the state song from "Utah, We Love
Thee" to "Utah, This is the Place."
The star,
Dubhe, one of the seven bright stars composing the Big Dipper of the
constellation Ursa major, is designated as the state centennial
star.
The blue
spruce was chosen by the Utah State Legislature in 1933 to be the
state tree.
The Spanish
Sweet Onion was named the state vegetable in the 2002 General Session of
the Utah State Legislature.
