- Alternate meanings: See Montana (disambiguation)
Montana is a western state of the United States. The name of Montana probably comes from the Spanish word "montaña" which means "mountain". Montana has the largest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states. Montana was the first state to elect a woman to the U.S. Congress, Jeannette Rankin. Montana is also home to the shortest river in the world, the Roe River. Its U.S. postal abbreviation is MT.
USS Montana was named in honor of this state.
History
Montana became a United States territory (Montana Territory) on May 26, 1864 and the 41st state on November 8, 1889.
Montana was the scene of the Native Americans' last effort to keep their land. For instance, the last stand of U.S. Army Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer was fought in Montana near the present day town of Hardin. Montana was also the location of the final battles of the Nez Perce Wars.
Cattle ranching has long been central to Montana's history and economy. The Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge Valley is maintained as a link to the ranching style of the late 19th century. It is operated by the National Park Service, but is also a 1900-acre (7.7 km²) working ranch.
Law and government
See: List of Montana Governors
The capital of Montana is Helena and its current Governor is Brian Schweitzer (Democrat) who was sworn in on January 3, 2005. Its two U.S. senators are Max Baucus (Democrat) and Conrad Burns (Republican).
Several Indian reservations are located in Montana: Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Crow Indian Reservation, Rocky Boys Indian Reservation, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Geography
See List of Montana counties
Montana is bordered on the north by the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, on the east by North Dakota and South Dakota, on the south by Wyoming, and on the southwest and west by Idaho. The state is the fourth largest in the United States. Western Montana is a land of tall, rugged mountains; while eastern Montana is a land of broad plains.
Montana's land area is 145,552 square miles (376,978 km²) [1] (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/30000.html).
The Missouri, Milk, Flathead and Yellowstone rivers are the major rivers in the state. See List of Montana rivers. The shortest river in the world is the Roe River in Montana.
Montana contains Glacier National Park and portions of Yellowstone National Park. Other sites include the Little Bighorn National Monument, Bighorn Canyon National Recreational Area, Big Hole National Battlefield, and the National Bison Range. There are also a number of national forests and National Wildlife Refuges. The national government administers 36,000,000 acres (146,000 km²). 275,000 acres (1100 km²) are administered as state parks and forests.
Topography
The surface of the state is highly diversified. In the west it is extremely mountainous. The Bitter Root Mountains from the western boundary line, and east of this the main chain of the Rocky Mountains cross the state. Between these ranges is a great basin, forming one-fifth of the entire area. East of the Rocky Mountains is a rolling tableland, traversed by several large rivers. In the south near the Yellowstone River the mountains reach an altitude of 10,000 feet and the peaks are perpetually covered with snow. Besides the prominent mountain ranges there are many spurs, detached ridges, and smooth, sloping buttes. The mountains are intersected by numerous valleys and canyons, through which flow most beautiful rivers. The highest point in the state, Emigrant Peak, is 10,969 feet high, and Mount Powell is 10,500 feet high.
The principle river systems in Montana are the Clark Fork of the Columbia, the Missouri, and the Yellowstone. The Clark Fork rises in the Rocky Mountains near Butte, and after flowing west turns north and forms portion of the Idaho boundary. The Missouri river, formed by the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers crosses the northeastern part of the state and enters North Dakota. The Yellowstone, a tributary of the Missouri, rises in the Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, flows northeast across the state through grand canyons and gorges, and enters the Missouri, a few miles east of the North Dakota boundary.
Economy
Montana's 1999 total state gross product was $20 billion, 48th in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income for 2000 was $22,569, placing it 46th in the nation. Its agricultural outputs are cattle, wheat, barley, sugar beets, hay, and hogs. Its industrial outputs are mining, lumber and wood products, food processing, and tourism.
Demographics
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As of 2003, the population of Montana is 917,621. The racial makeup of the state is:
- 89.5% White, non-Hispanic
- 0.3% Black
- 6.2% American Indian/Alaskan native
- 2.0% Hispanic, of any race
- 0.5% Asian
- 1.7% Mixed race
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08000.html), Census 2000.
The five largest ancestry groups in Montana are: German (27%), Irish (14.8%), English (12.7%), Norwegian (10.6%), American (5.1%).
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Religion
The religious affiliations of the citizens of Montana are:
- 55% Protestant
- 27% Roman Catholic
- 3% Other Christian
- 0% Other religions
- 11% Non-religious
The three largest Protestant denominations in Montana are: Lutheran (12% of the total state population), Methodist (9%), Baptist (4%).
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Important cities and towns
Montana's largest city is Billings.
The major cities and towns in Montana are:
Education
Colleges and universities
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- Salish Kootenai College
- University of Great Falls
- University of Montana System
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Professional sports teams
The Minor League baseball teams are:
Ski areas
Montana has several ski areas including:
- Big Mountain near Whitefish
- Big Sky near West Yellowstone
- Bridger Bowl near Bozeman
- Turner near Libby
- Blacktail near Lakeside
- Discovery near Butte
- Moonlight Basin near West Yellowstone
Miscellaneous information
Major highways
Further reading
- Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.
- Dancing at the Rascal Fair, Ivan Doig
- English Creek, Ivan Doig
- A River Runs Through It, Norman MacLean
- Young Men and Fire, Norman MacLean
- Tough Trip Through Paradise
- The Story of Mary MacLane, Mary MacLane
External links
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