Utah’s Geography

1. Utah’s Geography Chapter 1

2. Introduction • To study the history of Utah, we must look at its geographical features first before we study its people. • With Utah having so many mountains such as King’s Peak, (13,528 feet above sea level) Utah is higher above sea level than most states. • Utah is the 2nd driest state in the U.S. (next to Nevada)

3. Location • Location is the exact or relative position of a place on the earth. Exact location is your home address or saying Salt Lake City is 41 degrees north latitude. Relative location is a place is nearby or connected to another place such as Rocky Mountain is near the freeway system or Provo is south of Logan.

4. Human Characteristics • A place is the physical and human characteristics of a certain location. • Adapting to a place is what humans had to do in order to survive. The Ute’s arrived in Utah and began hunting. When the Mormons arrived, the first thing they did was establish an irrigation system to plant crops. Today, manufacturing systems are established to provide jobs for the people in Utah.

5. Movement • Movement is moving people, products, and natural resources. Examples of movement include Mormon pioneers who came to Utah to start a new life, or Bear Lake raspberries being sold in southern Utah, or computer products being shipped out of Provo to China. • Utah has many minerals in large quantity that is being moved outside of our state such as copper, silver, gold, and salt.

6. Regions • A region is a large or small area of common characteristics. • Utah has 3 land regions covering the state: the Great Basin, the Rocky Mountains, and the Colorado Plateau. • A basin is a wide, bowl-shaped area. Rabbitbrush, snakeweed, and sagebrush are common in the Great Basin.

12. Landforms • A mountain is a very high land formation. The mountains are the most important source of water for Utah people, plants, and animals. • A plateau is a broad, flat area of high land. This covers most of Utah and is known for its famous scenery.

13. Climate • Climate is the long-term seasonal pattern of heat and cold, wet and dry conditions. Several factors affect our climate: • Latitude: the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees • Altitude: how high above sea level a place is • Location from the Pacific Ocean

14. Weather • Tall California mountains block rain clouds coming from the Pacific Ocean. Most of the rain or snow in Utah falls on the western side of the mountains. • Utah has 4 seasons—summer, fall, winter, and spring. Most of Utah’s people live in the steppeclimate which occurs between the deserts and the highlands.

16. Watershed • Watershed is the area where water drains from a mountainside or plateau. Utah has 2 drainage regions: The Bonneville Drainage Region and the Colorado River Drainage Region. A drainage region is where the run-off waters flows from the mountains or plateaus.

18. Indigenous • Plant life is an important part of Utah’s natural world. Some plants are indigenous which means occurring naturally in a particular region. • Utah plants change according to the elevation in our state. Plants in the deserts and grasslands include sagebrush, Creosote Bush, and the Joshua tree. Plant life changes with a change in altitude.

20. Animals • Utah has a variety of animals roaming throughout the state. Some animals are domesticated and others are wild.

21. Buffalo • Since human intervention, some animals have struggled to remain populated. The Bison (buffalo) once roamed the Great Plains in the millions were hunted and killed at a high rate. With the help of the government, the buffalo is still with us today and roaming Antelope Island and the Henry Mountains.