- Montana's seal originated in 1864, when the state was still a territory. A legislator designed a …
The state of Montana got its name from the Spanish word for “mountain.” The Rocky Mountains cover the western part of this large state. Native Americans called the region the Land of the Shining Mountains. Because of the many minerals found in Montana, the state is nicknamed the Treasure State. People flocked to the area in the 1860s to look for gold, and the state became known for its copper mines before the end of that century. The state capital is Helena. GeographyWith an area of 147,046 square miles (380,848 square kilometers), Montana is the nation's fourth largest state. Only Alaska, Texas, and California are bigger. Montana is located in the northwestern part of the United States. The state is shaped like a rectangle, but with a jagged border with Idaho in the west and southwest. Montana is bordered on the north by three Canadian provinces: Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Wyoming is to the south, and North Dakota and South Dakota form the eastern border. - Forested slopes of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana.
Although Montana's name suggests a mountainous region, high plains cover more than half of the state. Thus, Montana is considered both a Rocky Mountain state and a Great Plains state. The Rocky Mountain part of the state includes the Lewis Range, Cabinet Mountains, Mission Range, Bitterroot Range, Absaroka Range, and the Big Belt, Little Belt, and Beartooth mountains. Between the ranges are narrow, fertile valleys. Flathead Lake, the state's largest body of water, is in the mountain region. One of the country's great rivers, the Missouri, originates in the Rocky Mountain area of Montana. It eventually joins the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. Plants and animalsMontana's forests are in the mountainous part of the state. These forests are made up mostly of evergreen trees, especially Douglas fir. The state flower is the bitterroot, which is usually found on the mountain slopes and has pink or white flowers. The mountains are home to grizzly and black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, gray wolves, moose, American elk, and Rocky Mountain goats, and bighorn sheep. The plains in the eastern part of the state are covered with grassland and scattered trees. In the eastern plains and in the western mountain valleys live pronghorn antelope, mule deer, coyotes, and badgers. Near streams and lakes throughout the state are white-tailed deer, beavers, muskrats, mink, and bald eagles. The state bird is the western meadowlark. People and cultureMontana was originally home to several Native American peoples, including the Crow, Blackfoot, Sioux, Assiniboin, Cheyenne, Shoshoni, Arapaho, Flathead, and Kutenai. The area was their hunting ground, and they fought mightily to prevent settlers from entering the area. The greatest Native American military victory against United States forces in the West took place in 1876 at the battle of the Little Bighorn. United States military leader George A. Custer and all his troops were killed. By the end of the decade, however, Montana's Native Americans were overpowered and sent to live on reservations. At the end of the 20th century Native Americans made up about 6 percent of Montana's population. Many of them still lived on the state's seven reservations. The white settlers of Montana came from almost every state in the Union and from many European countries and Canada. Whites continue to make up the large majority of the state's population. In 2000 about 2 percent of the population was Hispanic. The African American and Asian communities were even smaller. CitiesBillings is Montana's largest city and an important economic center. It was established by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1882. Helena, the state capital, lies in the Rockies in the west-central part of the state. Other cities include Butte, Great Falls, and Missoula. RecreationThe tourist industry is one of Montana's largest sources of income. The chief attractions are Glacier and Yellowstone national parks. Both are known for their spectacular natural beauty. Montana also has ten national forests. Rodeos and Native American festivities draw large crowds in the summer. Other popular pastimes include skiing, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing. EducationIn 1865 the legislature of the Montana Territory established a public school system. Montana has several institutions of higher learning, most of which are state supported. Two of the largest are the Missoula campus of the University of Montana and the Bozeman campus of Montana State University. EconomyAgricultureAgriculture makes up a larger part of the economy in Montana than it does in most other states. Montana has thousands of farms and ranches, many of them quite large. Sales of livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, account for more than half of the state's agricultural income. Montana is also a leading producer of barley and wheat. IndustryMontana has large commercial forests, and the production of lumber and wood products is the state's leading manufacturing industry. Food processing is another major industry. The largest share of the state's workers, however, work in service industries. Health care is among the most important of these. Tourism is a growing industry as well. MiningCoal, petroleum, and natural gas are the most valuable mineral resources in Montana. Copper once played a major part in the state's economy, but most of the mines have been closed. HistoryEarly explorationMontana was part of the land the United States bought from France in 1803 in a deal known as the Louisiana Purchase. A few years later members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition explored and reported on the territory. For the next 50 years few people other than fur traders visited Montana. Gold discoveries in the early 1860s brought miners to the area. Cattle and sheep raising began later in the decade. In 1881 copper was discovered near Butte, giving rise to another major industry. StatehoodThe United States Congress created the Montana Territory in 1864. Montana became the nation's 41st state in 1889. Beginning around 1900 settlers known as homesteaders poured onto the plains to claim tracts of land for farming. They introduced large-scale grain farming to the area. Population growth then slowed. A drought took place, crop prices fell, and hundreds of families lost their farms. By the 1920s Montana's farm economy was struggling, and the situation was made worse by the Great Depression of the 1930s. Advances in farming and forestry and growth of the state's mineral industries eventually helped the economy to recover. Modern concernsDroughts once again hurt Montana in 1988 and 1990. The dry conditions led to fires that caused great damage. In the early 21st century Montana worked to develop its tourism industry and to encourage the development of businesses. A major issue was how to keep the economy growing while not damaging the state's beautiful natural environment. Population (2000 census), 902,195. |