Located in the Western United States, Utah is one of the Four Corner states, along with Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. More than half of the approximately 3.3 million inhabitants are Mormons. In fact, Utah is the only U.S. state in which the majority of the population belongs to a single religious community. The Native Americans of Utah from pre-colonial times include the Pueblo Native Americans, the Fremont, Najavo and Ute. Spanish explorers reached the area in 1540. As part of the province of Alta California, Utah came under Mexican control when Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821. The discovery of the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, led to the establishment of several trading posts by fur trappers from Canada and the Eastern United States beginning in the 1830s.

As a result of the Mexican–American War, the area of Utah was ceded to the U.S. in 1848. The Mormon pioneers proposed the founding of the the state of Deseret. It contained almost all of present-day Utah, Nevada and Arizona, as well as parts of neighboring states. However, the U.S. did not recognize the state and created the Territory of Utah in 1850. The name "Deseret" is derived from the Book of Mormon and means "honey bee". As a tribute to the early Mormon settlers, a beehive is still depicted in the seal of Utah today. It represents hard work and progress. In 1896, Utah was admitted to the Union as the 45^th state. Its motto is "Industry."

One of the most visited attractions in the state is the Dinosaur National Monument in the Uinta Mountains near Vernal. The impressive landscapes in Utah's national parks, such as Arches National Park or Zion National Park, are also very popular with tourists. The Delicate Arch is a natural landmark in Arches National Park north of Moab and also appears on Utah license plates. With over 2,000 of the unique formations, the national park has the highest density of stone arches in the world.

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