Montana

Alternate meanings: See Montana (disambiguation)

Montana is a western state of the United States and its U.S. postal abbreviation is MT. The name of Montana probably came 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 United States Congress, Jeannette Rankin. Montana is also home to the shortest river in the world, the Roe River.

USS Montana was named in honor of this state.

History

Montana became a United States territory (Montana Territory) on May 26, 1864 and the 41^st state on November 8, 1889.

Montana was the scene of the Native Americans' last effort to keep their land. The last stand of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer was fought in Montana, as were the final battles of the Nez Perce Wars.

Law and government

See: List of Montana Governors

The capital of Montana is Helena and its current Governor is Judy Martz (Republican). Its two U.S. senators are Max Baucus (Democrat) and Conrad Burns (Republican).

Several Indian reservations are located in Montana: Fort Peck 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 (approx. 376,978 km2) [1] .

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.

Economy

Montana's 1999 total state gross product was $20 billion, 48^th in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income for 2000 was $22,569, placing it 46^th 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

Montana's population in 2001 was estimated at 904,433

Important cities and towns

Montana's largest city is Billings.

The major cities and towns in Montana are:

Education

Colleges and universities

Professional sports teams

The Minor League baseball teams are:

• Missoula Osprey
• Great Falls White Sox
• Helena Brewers
• Billings Mustangs

Miscellaneous information

• Official state flower: Bitterroot
• Official state tree: Ponderosa Pine
• Official state animal: Grizzly Bear
• Official state bird: Western Meadowlark
• Official state fish: Blackspotted Cutthroat Trout
• Shortest river in the world: The Roe River
• Montana is also the place where in the sci-fi show 'Star Trek', the historical First Contact between the Humans and the Vulcans was made. Mankind's first contact with an alien race.

Major highways

• Interstate 15
• Interstate 90
• Interstate 94
• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 12
• U.S. Highway 93

Further reading

• Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.

External links

• State of Montana web site
• Rocky Mountain Development Council
• Montana Pictures