Everything about Montana totally explained
Montana is a
state in the
Pacific Northwest and
Great Plains regions of the
United States of America.
Montana, along with
North Dakota, is the most remote state outside of Alaska: fewer than 3% of America's population is within a day's drive, as opposed to 50% in
Ohio. The central and western thirds of the state have numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named) of the northern
Rocky Mountains; thus the state's name, derived from the
Spanish word
montaña 'mountain.' The state nickname is the "Treasure State." Other nicknames include "Land of Shining Mountains", "Big Sky Country", and the slogan "the last best place". The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in
population, and therefore has the third lowest
population density in the United States. The economy is primarily based on
agriculture and significant
lumber and
mineral extraction.
Tourism is also important to the economy, with millions of visitors a year to
Glacier National Park, the
Battle of Little Bighorn site, and three of the five entrances to
Yellowstone National Park.
Geography
With a land area of 145,552 square miles (376,978 km²) the state of Montana is the fourth largest in the United States (after
Alaska,
Texas, and
California).
To the north, Montana and Canada share a 545 mile (877 km)
border. The state borders the
Canadian provinces of
British Columbia,
Alberta, and
Saskatchewan, more provinces than any other state. To the east, the state borders
North Dakota and
South Dakota. To the south is
Wyoming and to the west and southwest is
Idaho.
The topography of the state is diverse, but roughly defined by the
Continental Divide, which runs on an approximate diagonal through the state from northwest to south-central, splitting it into two distinct eastern and western regions. Montana is well known for its mountainous western region, part of the northern
Rocky Mountains. However, about 60% of the state is actually prairie, part of the northern
Great Plains. Nonetheless, even east of the
Continental Divide and the
Rocky Mountain Front, there are a number of isolated "Island Ranges" that dot the prairie landscape.
The
Bitterroot Mountains divide the state from Idaho to the west with the southern third of the range blending into the Continental Divide. Mountain ranges between the Bitterroots and the top of the Continental Divide include the Cabinet Mountains, the Missions, the Garnet, Sapphire, Flint Creek, and Pintlar ranges.
The northern section of the Divide, where the mountains give way rapidly to prairie, is known collectively as the
Rocky Mountain Front and is most pronounced in the
Lewis Range located primarily in
Glacier National Park. Due to the configuration of mountain ranges in Glacier National Park, the
Northern Divide (which begins in Alaska's
Seward Peninsula) crosses this region and turns east in Montana at
Triple Divide Peak. Thus, the Waterton, Belly, and Saint Mary rivers flow north into Alberta, Canada, joining the
Saskatchewan River and ultimately emptying into
Hudson Bay.
East of the Divide, several parallel ranges march across the southern half of the state, including the Gravelly Range, the Tobacco Roots, the Madison Range,
Gallatin Range, Big Belt Mountains,
Bridger Mountains,
Absaroka Mountains, and the
Beartooth Mountains. The Beartooth Plateau is the largest continuous land mass over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the lower 48 states and contains the highest point in the state,
Granite Peak, 12,799 feet (3,901 m) high.
Between the mountain ranges are many scenic valleys, rich in agricultural resources and rivers, and possessing multiple opportunities for tourism and recreation. Among the best-known areas are the
Flathead Valley,
Bitterroot Valley, Big Hole Valley, and
Gallatin Valley.
East and north of this transition zone are expansive sparsely populated
Northern Plains, with rolling tableland prairies, "island" mountain ranges, and scenic
badlands extending into the Dakotas, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Wyoming. The isolated island ranges east of the Divide include the Castle Mountains,
Crazy Mountains, Little Belt Mountains, Snowy Mountains,
Sweet Grass Hills, Bull Mountains. The Pryor Mountains South of Billings and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka, the Long Pines and Short Pines.
The area east of the divide in the north-central portion of the state is known for the dramatic
Missouri Breaks and other significant rock formations. Three stately
buttes south of
Great Falls are familiar landmarks. These buttes, Square Butte, Shaw Butte, and Crown Butte, are made of
igneous rock, which is dense and has withstood weathering for many years. The underlying surface consists of
shale. Many areas around these buttes are covered with clay surface soils. These soils have been derived from the weathering of the
Colorado Formation. Farther east, areas such as
Makoshika State Park near Glendive, and
Medicine Rocks State Park near Ekalaka also highlight some of the most scenic badlands regions in the state.
Montana also contains a number of rivers, many of which are known for "blue-ribbon" trout fishing, but which also provide most of the water needed by residents of the state, as well as being a source of
hydropower. Montana is the only state in the union whose rivers form parts of three major North American watersheds: The
Pacific Ocean, the
Gulf of Mexico, and
Hudson Bay which are divided atop
Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park.
West of the divide, the
Clark Fork of the Columbia (not to be confused with the
Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River) rises in the Rocky Mountains near Butte and flows northwest to
Missoula. There it's joined by the
Blackfoot River and
Bitterroot River and further downstream by the
Flathead River before entering
Idaho near
Lake Pend Oreille, becoming part of the
Columbia River, which flows to the
Pacific Ocean. The Clark Fork discharges the greatest volume of water of any river exiting the state. The
Flathead River and Kootenai River also drain major portions of the western half of the state.
East of the divide, the
Missouri River, formed by the confluence of the
Jefferson,
Madison, and
Gallatin rivers, crosses the central part of the state, flows through the
Missouri breaks and enters
North Dakota. The
Yellowstone River rises in Yellowstone Park in
Wyoming, flows north to Livingston, Montana, where it then turns east and flows across the state until it joins the Missouri River a few miles east of the North Dakota boundary. The Yellowstone River is the longest undammed, free-flowing river in North America. Other major Montana tributaries of the Missouri include the
Milk,
Marias, Tongue, and Musselshell Rivers. Montana also claims the disputed title of possessing the "world's shortest river," the
Roe River, just outside
Great Falls, Montana. These rivers ultimately join the
Mississippi River and flow into the
Gulf of Mexico.
Water is of critical importance to the state for both agriculture and hydropower. In addition to its rivers, the state is home to
Flathead Lake, the largest natural fresh-water lake in the United States west of the
Great Lakes. Man-made
reservoirs dot Montana's rivers, the largest of which is
Fort Peck Reservoir, on the Missouri river, contained by the largest earth-filled dam in the world.
Vegetation of the state includes
ponderosa pine,
lodgepole pine,
larch,
fir,
spruce,
aspen,
birch,
red cedar,
ash,
alder, rocky mountain
maple and
cottonwood trees. Forests cover approximately 25% of the state. Flowers native to Montana include
asters,
bitterroots,
daisies,
lupins,
poppies,
primroses,
columbine,
lilies,
orchids and
dryads. Several species of
sagebrush and
cactus and many species of
grasses are common. Many species of
mushrooms and
lichens are also found in the state.
Montana contains
Glacier National Park and portions of
Yellowstone National Park, including three of the Park's five entrances. Other federally recognized sites include the
Little Bighorn National Monument,
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area,
Big Hole National Battlefield,
Lewis and Clark Caverns, and the
National Bison Range. Montana has eight
National Forests and over 20
National Wildlife Refuges. The Federal government administers 36,000,000 acres (146,000 km²). 275,000 acres (1,100 km²) are administered as
state parks and forests.
.
Areas managed by the
National Park Service include:
Several Indian reservations are located in Montana:
Fort Peck Indian Reservation,
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation,
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation,
Crow Indian Reservation,
Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation,
Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and the
Flathead Indian Reservation.
Climate
Montana is a large state with considerable variation in geography, and so the climate is equally varied. The western half is mountainous, interrupted by numerous large valleys. Eastern Montana is plains, badlands, broken by hills and isolated mountain ranges, and has a
continental climate The
Continental Divide runs north-south through the western mountainous half, and has a large effect on the climate. It restricts the flow of warmer air from the Pacific from moving east, and cooler, drier continental moving west. West of the divide the climate is described as modified northern
Pacific coast climate, with milder winters, cooler summers, less wind, and a longer growing season. In the winter Valley fog and low clouds often form in the valleys west of the divide, but this is rarely seen in the east.
Average daytime temperatures vary from 28 degrees in January to 84.5 degrees in July. The variation in geography leads to great variation in temperature. Hot weather occurs in the eastern plains on occasion; the highest observed being 117° at
Glendive on July 20, 1893, and Medicine Lake on July 5, 1937. Throughout the state summer nights are generally cool and pleasant. Temperatures decrease with altitude, and hot weather is unknown above Snowfall isn't unknown any month of the year in the central part of Montana, but is quite rare in July and August.
The coldest temperature on record for Montana is the coldest temperature for the entire continental U.S. On January 20, 1954 -70 °F was recorded at a gold mining camp near Rogers Pass. Temperatures vary greatly on such cold nights, and
Helena, to the southeast had a low of only -36 °F. Winter cold spells last a week or so. They are the result of
cold continental air coming south from
Canada. The front is often well defined, causing a large temperature drop in a 24 hour period. Conversely, air flow from the southwest results in "
Chinooks". These steady 25-50mph (or more) winds can suddenly warm parts of Montana, especially areas just to east of the mountains, where temperatures sometimes rise into the 50's and 60's.
Average annual precipitation is, but great variations are seen. The mountain ranges block the moist Pacific air, holding moisture in the western valleys, and creating rain shadows to the east. Heron in the west receives the most precipitation, 34.70 inches. On the east side of a mountain range the valleys are much drier; Lonepine averages 11.45, and
Deer Lodge 11.00 inches of precipitation. The mountains themselves can get over, for example the
Grinnell Glacier in
Glacier National Park gets 105 inches. Perhaps the driest is an area southwest of Belfry that averaged only over a 16 year period. Most of the larger cities get 30 to of snow each year. Mountain ranges themselves can accumulate of snow during a winter. Heavy snowstorms can occur as early as September or as Late as May, but most snow falls from November to March.
The climate has become warmer in Montana and continues to do so. The glaciers in
Glacier National Park have receded and are predicted to melt away completely in a few decades. Many Montana cities set heat records during July 2007, the hottest month ever recorded in Montana. Winters are warmer, too, and have fewer cold spells. Previously these cold spells had killed off
bark beetles which are now attacking the forests of Western Montana. The combination of warmer weather, attack by beetles, and mismanagement during past years has led to a substantial increase in the severity of
forest fires in Montana.
History
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the state of Montana. Groups included the
Crow in the south-central area, the
Cheyenne in the southeast, the
Blackfeet,
Assiniboine and
Gros Ventres in the central and north-central area and the
Kootenai and
Salish in the west. The smaller
Pend d'Oreille and
Kalispel tribes lived near
Flathead Lake and the western mountains, respectively.
Montana east of the
continental divide was part of the
Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Subsequent to the
Lewis and Clark Expedition and after the finding of gold and copper (see the
Copper Kings) in the state in the late 1850s, Montana became a
United States territory (
Montana Territory) on
May 26,
1864, and the 41st state on
November 8,
1889.
Fort Shaw (
Montana Territory) was established in Spring 1867. It is located west of
Great Falls in the Sun River Valley and was one of three posts authorized to be built by Congress in 1865. The other two posts in the
Montana Territory were Camp Cooke on the
Judith River and Fort C.F. Smith on the
Bozeman Trail in south central Montana Territory. Fort Shaw, named after Colonel
Robert Gould Shaw, who commanded the
54th Massachusetts, one of the first all
African-American regiments, during the
American Civil War, was built of adobe and lumber by the 13th Infantry. The fort had a parade ground that was 400 ft² (120 m²), and consisted of barracks for officers, a
hospital, and a trading post, and could house up to 450 soldiers. Completed in 1868, it was used by military personnel until 1891.
After the close of the military post, the government established Fort Shaw as a school to provide industrial training to young Native Americans. The Fort Shaw Indian Industrial School was opened on
April 30,
1892. The school had at one time 17 faculty members, 11 Indian assistants and 300 students. The school made use of over 20 of the buildings built by the Army.
The revised
Homestead Act of the early 1900s greatly affected the settlement of Montana. This act expanded the land that was provided by the
Homestead Act of 1862 from to . When the latter act was signed by President
William Howard Taft, it also reduced the time necessary to prove up from five years to three years and permitted five months' absence from the claim each year.
In 1908, the Sun River Irrigation Project, west of
Great Falls was opened up for homesteading. Under this
Reclamation Act, a person could obtain 40 acres (16 ha). Most of the people who came to file on these
homesteads were young couples who were eager to live near mountains where hunting and fishing were good. Many of these homesteaders came from the
Midwest and
Minnesota.
Montana was the scene of the Native Americans' last effort to keep their land, and the
last stand of
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel
George Armstrong Custer was fought 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 1,900 acre (7.7 km²) working ranch.
Demographics
As of 2006, Montana has an estimated population of 997,670, which is an increase of 8,750, or 0.9%, from the prior year and an increase of 33,475, or 3.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 13,674 people (that is 58,001 births minus 44,327 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 21,074 people into the state.
Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 2,141 people, and
migration within the country produced a net increase of 18,933 people. 16,500 of state residents are foreign-born, accounting for 1.8% of the total population.
According to the
2000 U.S. Census, 1.52% of the population aged 5 and over speak
Spanish at home, while 1.11% speak
German.
The
center of population of Montana is located in
Meagher County, in the city of
White Sulphur Springs.
While
German ancestry is the largest reported
European-American ancestry in most of Montana, residents of
Scandinavian ancestry are prevalent in some of the farming-dominated northern and eastern prairie regions. There are also several predominantly
Native American counties, mostly around each of the seven Indian reservations. The historically mining-oriented communities of western Montana such as
Butte have a wider range of ethnic groups, particularly people of
Eastern European and
Irish ancestry, as well as people who originally emigrated from
British mining regions such as
Cornwall. Montana is second only to
South Dakota in U.S.
Hutterite population with several colonies spread across the state. Many of Montana's historic logging communities originally attracted people of
Scandinavian and
Scots-Irish descent. Montana's
Hispanic population is particularly concentrated around the
Billings area in south-central Montana, and the highest density of
African-Americans is located in
Great Falls.
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Montana
Christian – 82%
Other Religions – <1%
Non-Religious – 18%
Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis
estimates that Montana's total state product in 2003 was $26 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $25,406, 47th in the nation. However, this number is rapidly increasing. According to the Missoulian, the economy has grown rapidly since 2003; in 2005, Montana ranked 39th in the nation with an average per capita personal income of $29,387.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture--wheat, barley, sugar beets, oats, rye, seed potatoes, honey, cherries, cattle and sheep ranching -- and significant lumber and mineral extraction (gold, coal, silver, talc, and vermiculite). Tourism is also important to the economy with millions of visitors a year to Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, the Missouri River headwaters, the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn and three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park.
Montana's personal income tax contains 7 brackets, with rates ranging from 1% to 6.9%. Montana has no sales tax. In Montana, household goods are exempt from property taxes. However, property taxes are assessed on livestock, farm machinery, heavy equipment, automobiles, trucks, and business equipment. The amount of property tax owed isn't determined solely by the property's value. The property's value is multiplied by a tax rate, set by the Montana Legislature, to determine its taxable value. The taxable value is then multiplied by the mill levy established by various taxing jurisdictions -- city and county government, school districts and others.
Transportation
Railroads have been an important method of transportation in Montana since the 1880s. Historically, the state was traversed by the main lines of three east-west transcontinental routes: the Milwaukee Road, the Great Northern, and the Northern Pacific. Today, the BNSF Railway is the state's largest railroad, its main transcontinental route incorporating the former Great Northern main line across the state. Montana RailLink, a privately-held Class II railroad, operates former Northern Pacific trackage in western Montana.
In addition, Amtrak's Empire Builder train runs through the north of the state, stopping in the following towns: Libby, Whitefish, West Glacier, Essex, East Glacier Park, Browning, Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, Malta, Glasgow, and Wolf Point.
Montana's three largest commercial airports serve Bozeman, Billings, and Missoula; smaller airports in Kalispell, Helena, and Butte also serve multiple commercial carriers. Eight smaller communities have airports designated for commercial service under the Essential Air Service program.
Historically, the primary east-west highway route across Montana was U.S. Route 10, which connected the major cities in the southern half of the state. Still the state's most important east-west travel corridor, the route is today served by Interstate 90 and Interstate 94. U.S. Routes 2 and 12 and Montana Highway 200 also traverse the entire state from east to west.
Montana's only north-south Interstate Highway is Interstate 15. Other major north-south highways include U.S. Routes 87, 89, 93 and 191.
Law and government
The current Governor is Brian Schweitzer (Democrat) who was sworn in on January 3, 2005. Its two U.S. senators are Max Baucus (Democrat) and Jon Tester (Democrat). Montana's congressional representative is Denny Rehberg (Republican).
The state was the first to elect a female member of Congress (Jeannette Rankin) and was one of the first states to give women voting rights (see suffrage). Despite its sizable American Indian population, Montana is one of the most states — nearly 90% of its residents are of European descent, with a large number of immigrants of German, Irish, Welsh, Cornish, Italian, Slovak and Scandinavian heritage arriving in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A significant portion of Chinese (Cantonese) immigrants also came and left an indelible mark on the state, especially in the mining cities of Helena, Butte, and Anaconda.
Politics
Historically, Montana is a Swing state of cross-ticket voters with a tradition of sending "conservatives to Helena (the state capital) and liberals to Washington." However, there have also been long-term shifts of party control. During the 1970s, the state was dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election, when Montana elected a Republican governor and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since the 1940s. This shift continued with the reapportionment of the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both houses of the state legislature, consolidating a party dominance that lasted until 2004. The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992, Bill Clinton's first election.
In recent years, Montana has been classified as a Republican-leaning state, and the state supported President George W. Bush by a wide margin in 2000 and 2004. However, since the 2000 reapportionment plan went into effect in 2004 the state currently has a Democratic governor (Brian Schweitzer), elected in 2004. In the 2006 midterm elections, Democratic candidate Jon Tester narrowly defeated (by only 3000 votes) incumbent Republican Senator Conrad Burns (External Link),one of several crucial races that allowed the Democratic Party to win the majority in the U.S. Senate. Montana's lone US Representative, Republican Denny Rehberg, easily won reelection. The state Senate is (as of 2007) controlled by the Democrats and the State House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans.
On April 17th, 2007, Montana became the first state to pass legislation against the federal government's Real ID Act. Gov. Schweitzer signed a bill banning the Montana Motor Vehicle Division from enforcing the new regulations. (External Link)
Montana is an Alcoholic beverage control state.
Important cities and towns
Some of the major towns in Montana are:
Anaconda
Belgrade
Columbia Falls
Cut Bank
Deer Lodge
Dillon
Fort Benton
Glasgow
Glendive
Hamilton
Hardin
Laurel
Lewistown
Livingston
Polson
Shelby
Sidney
Three Forks
Counties
The State of Montana has 56 counties.
Montana Counties Ranked By 2005 Population>
| Rank |
County |
Population |
|
Rank |
County |
Population |
| 1 |
Yellowstone County |
136,691 |
29 |
Powell County |
6,999 |
| 2 |
Missoula County |
100,086 |
30 |
Blaine County |
6,629 |
| 3 |
Flathead County |
83,172 |
31 |
Teton County |
6,240 |
| 4 |
Cascade County |
79,569 |
32 |
Pondera County |
6,087 |
| 5 |
Gallatin County |
78,210 |
33 |
Chouteau County |
5,463 |
| 6 |
Lewis and Clark County |
58,449 |
34 |
Toole County |
5,031 |
| 7 |
Ravalli County |
39,940 |
35 |
Broadwater County |
4,517 |
| 8 |
Silver Bow County |
32,982 |
36 |
Musselshell County |
4,497 |
| 9 |
Lake County |
28,297 |
37 |
Phillips County |
4,179 |
| 10 |
Lincoln County |
19,193 |
38 |
Mineral County |
4,014 |
| 11 |
Hill County |
16,304 |
39 |
Sweet Grass County |
3,672 |
| 12 |
Park County |
15,968 |
40 |
Sheridan County |
3,524 |
| 13 |
Glacier County |
13,552 |
41 |
Granite County |
2,965 |
| 14 |
Big Horn County |
13,149 |
42 |
Fallon County |
2,717 |
| 15 |
Fergus County |
11,551 |
43 |
Judith Basin County |
2,198 |
| 16 |
Custer County |
11,267 |
44 |
Wheatland County |
2,037 |
| 17 |
Jefferson County |
11,170 |
45 |
Liberty County |
2,003 |
| 18 |
Sanders County |
11,057 |
46 |
Meagher County |
1,999 |
| 19 |
Roosevelt County |
10,524 |
47 |
Daniels County |
1,836 |
| 20 |
Carbon County |
9,902 |
48 |
McCone County |
1,805 |
| 21 |
Rosebud County |
9,212 |
49 |
Powder River County |
1,705 |
| 22 |
Richland County |
9,096 |
50 |
Carter County |
1,320 |
| 23 |
Deer Lodge County |
8,948 |
51 |
Garfield County |
1,199 |
| 24 |
Beaverhead County |
8,773 |
52 |
Golden Valley County |
1,159 |
| 25 |
Dawson County |
8,688 |
53 |
Prairie County |
1,105 |
| 26 |
Stillwater County |
8,493 |
54 |
Wibaux County |
951 |
| 27 |
Madison County |
7,274 |
55 |
Treasure County |
689 |
| 28 |
Valley County |
7,143 |
56 |
Petroleum County |
470 |
Education
Colleges and universities
Sports
Professional sports
There are no major league sports franchises in Montana, due to the state's relatively small and dispersed population, but a number of minor league teams play in the state. Baseball is the minor-league sport with the longest heritage in the state, and Montana is currently home to four Minor League baseball teams, all members of the Pioneer Baseball League:
Missoula Osprey
Great Falls White Sox
Helena Brewers
Billings Mustangs
The Billings Outlaws are a professional indoor football team affiliated with the United Indoor Football league.
There are five junior hockey teams in Montana, all affiliated with the Northern Pacific Hockey League:
Billings Bulls
Bozeman Icedogs
Butte Roughriders
Helena Bighorns
Missoula Maulers
Collegiate and amateur sports
All of Montana's four-year colleges and universities field a variety of intercollegiate sports teams. The two largest schools, the University of Montana and Montana State University, are members of the Big Sky Conference and have enjoyed a strong athletic rivalry since the early twentieth century. Most of the smaller four-year schools in the state belong to the Pioneer Conference.
Football and basketball are the two most popular sports at the high school level. Montana is one of the few states where the smallest high schools participate in six-man football leagues.
Numerous other sports are played at the club and amateur level, including softball, rugby, and soccer.
Miscellaneous topics
The planned battleship USS Montana was named in honor of the state. However, the battleship was never completed, making Montana the only one of the 48 states during World War II not to have a battleship named after it. Additionally, Alaska and Hawaii have both had nuclear submarines named after them. As such Montana is the only state in the union without a modern naval ship named in its honor. However, in August 2007 Senator Jon Tester made a request to the Navy that a submarine be christened USS Montana.
The Hell Creek Formation is a major source of dinosaur fossils. Paleontologist Jack Horner, of the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, brought this formation to the world's attention with several major finds. For example, Jane was discovered in 2001 in Hell Creek and is the world's most complete juvenile tyrannosaurus rex.
In 1902, a group of female students from the Fort Shaw Indian Industrial School began playing basketball and traveled throughout Montana, defeating high school teams and some college teams. In 1904, the girls' basketball team traveled by train to the St. Louis World's Fair. Over a period of five months, the team was challenged by numerous other basketball teams and won every contest, returning to Fort Shaw with the "world champion" trophy. On May 1, 2004, a monument in honor of the basketball team was unveiled at the entrance of the present-day Fort Shaw Elementary School.
In the movie '', Montana is the location of the fictitious first contact between humans and an alien race, the Vulcans. Star Trek producer Brannon Braga is originally from Bozeman, Montana. However, no Montana locations were used in the shooting of the film.
Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states.
Montana's triple divide allows water to flow into three oceans: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Mexico), and the Arctic Ocean (Hudson Bay). This phenomenon occurs at Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park.
In 1888, Helena (the current state capital) had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world.
State symbols
State flower: Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva), since 1895
State tree: Ponderosa Pine, since 1949
State animal: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), since 1862
State bird: Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), since 1931
State fish: Blackspotted Cutthroat Trout, since 1977
State Song: "Montana", since 1945
State Ballad: "Montana Melody", since 1983
State Gemstones: Yogo Sapphire & Agate
State Fossil: Maiasaur ("Duck-billed Dinosaur") (Maiasaura peeblesorum), since 1985
State Butterfly: Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), since 2001
State Grass: Bluebunch wheatgrass, since 1973
State Motto: "Oro y Plata" (Spanish: Gold and Silver)
Ski areas
Montana has several ski areas including:
Bear Paw Ski Bowl near Havre, Montana
Big Mountain near Whitefish
Big Sky Resort near Big Sky, Montana
Blacktail near Lakeside
Bridger Bowl Ski Area near Bozeman
Discovery Basin near Philipsburg
Great Divide near Helena, Montana
Lost Trail near Darby, Montana
Lookout Pass near St. Regis, Montana
Maverick Mountain near Dillon, Montana
Snowbowl Ski Area near Missoula
Moonlight Basin near Big Sky, Montana
Red Lodge Mountain near Red Lodge
Showdown Ski Area near White Sulphur Springs, Montana
Turner Mountain Ski Resort near Libby
Teton Pass Ski Area near ChoteauFurther Information
Get more info on 'Montana'.
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