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St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah on the Utah–Arizona border, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah.〔(【引用サイトリンク】accessdate=2011-06-07 )〕 It is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies in the northeastern-most part of the Mojave Desert, at the convergence of three distinct geological areas; the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin. It is northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada and south-southwest of Salt Lake City along Interstate 15. As of 2014, St. George had a population of 78,505.〔()〕 In 2005, St. George was the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, only after Greeley, Colorado. This trend continued through 2007, when growth slowed substantially due to the economic recession. However, growth has since greatly rebounded. In 2014, the St. George metropolitan area (defined as Washington County) had an estimated 151,948 residents.〔()〕 The hub of southern Utah and Utah's Dixie, a nickname given to the area when Mormon pioneers grew cotton in the warm climate, St. George is the seventh-largest city in Utah and the most populous city in the state outside of the Wasatch Front.〔(Most Populated Cities in Utah State (UT) | Localistica.com )〕 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it had the distinction in the late 2000s of having the fastest white population growth in the nation. It has been observed that the conservative social culture of the region shows, on the one hand, friction between "business-driven conservatives" and "anti-illegal immigration social conservatives," and on the other, some tensions between Mormons (by far a majority of the population) and non-Mormons. ==History== Anciently, the St. George area was inhabited by the Virgin River Anasazi and later by the Paiute tribe. The first Europeans in the area were part of the Dominguez–Escalante Expedition in 1776. St. George was founded as a cotton mission in 1861 under the direction of Apostle Erastus Snow, called by Brigham Young, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—part of a greater church effort to become self-sufficient. While the early settlers did manage to grow cotton, it was never produced at competitive market rates; consequently, cotton farming was eventually abandoned. At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Brigham Young organized the settlement of what is now Washington County, Utah. Fearing that the war would take away the cotton supply, he began plans for raising enough in this western country to supply the needs of his people. Enough favorable reports had come to him from this warm country below the rim of the Great Basin, that he was convinced cotton could be raised successfully here. At the general church conference in Salt Lake City on October 6th, 1861, about three hundred families were "called" to the Dixie mission to promote the cotton industry. Most of the people knew nothing of this expedition until their names were read from the pulpit; but in nearly every case, they responded with good will, and made ready to leave within the month’s time allotted to them. The families were selected so as to ensure the communities the right number of farmers, masons, blacksmiths, businessmen, educators, carpenters, as needed.〔''Under Dixie Sun'', 1950, Washington County Chapter, Daughters Utah Pioneers, pp 293–294. Printed by Garfield County News, Panguitch Utah.〕 The settlement was named after George A. Smith, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.〔Lynn Arave, ("St. George likely named after an LDS apostle" ), ''Deseret Morning News'', July 8, 2007.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「St. George, Utah」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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