Monika Miles

Utah is a state in the western United States. It became the 45th state admitted to the union on January 4, 1896. It is the 13th largest state by area, the 30th most populous and the 11th most densely populated state.

Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in the mountain valleys. It is a rugged and geographically diverse state that is at the convergence of three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau.

Utah features a dry semi-arid to desert climate, although its many mountains feature a large variety of climates, with the highest points in the Unita Mountains being above the timberline. The dry weather is a result of the state’s location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada in California. The eastern half of the states lies in the rain shadow of the Wasatch Mountains. The Primary Source of precipitation for the state is the Pacific Ocean, with the state usually lying in the path of the large Pacific Storms from October to May. In Summer, the state, especially southern and eastern Utah, lies in the path of the monsoon moisture from the Gulf of California.
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