Montana State Facts, Symbols and History

Montana Fast Facts

Capital: Helena (popularity). 28,726 (2008 est.)

Montana population: 1,005,141 ( 2012 est.) (44th)

The Montana Quarter is the first anniversary quarter, released in 2007, honors Montana. This is the 41st coin in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program.Montana, called “The Great Sky Country”, was admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889, becoming our Nation’s 41st State. The quarter features a bison skull above a Montana landscape labeled “Big Sky Country”. Another inscription is “Montana” and “1889”.The bison skull is sacred to many Indian tribes in Montana. This is a strong symbol and can be seen across the state on schools, companies and license plates. The skull represents Montana’s rich native traditions. Montana has become a destination for fur hunters escorted by gold scouts. Cattle ranchers also settled in Montana. “Big Sky Country” is a reminder to the people of Montana of its open lands and pioneering ways.

Language: English, others

Largest Cities: (by population) Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Silver Butte Bow, Bozeman, Helena

Name: The name Montana is from the Latin word “montaanus” meaning mountainous.

Statehood: November 8, 1889 (41st state)

Symbols of Montana

• Animal: Grizzly Bear
• Bird: Western Meadowlark
• Flag of Montana
• Flower: Bitterroot
• Motto: “Oro y plate” (Gold and Silver)
• Nicknames: (most used) Treasure State; Big Sky Country
• Song: Montana
• State seal
• Wood: yellow pine

Montana is a state in the northwestern United States, the 41st state to join the union. The capital is the city of Helena, the largest city is Billings. Population 1,015,1650 (2013 data). See cities and towns in Montana.

The official nickname is the Treasure State.

Montana is bordered to the north by the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, to the east by North Dakota, to the south by Wyoming, and to the west by Idaho. The total area of the state is 381,156 km2, of which 377,295 km2 is land (in this indicator, Montana ranks fourth in the country).

For a long time, the territory of the state was inhabited by the Indians of the tribes: Cheyenne, Crow, Blackfoot, Assiniboine, Groventry, Sioux, etc. The French appeared in this area in 1742. In the middle of the XIX century, the area was explored during the expeditions of Lewis and Clark. Fur traders and missionaries founded a number of settlements in the early 19th century. The development of Montana was accompanied by battles with Indian tribes. The most famous took place in 1876 and became known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883 led to a dramatic increase in population. The territory of Montana became part of the United States on May 26, 1864, and Montana was granted statehood on November 8, 1889. The name of the territory, and then the state, apparently comes from the Spanish word montana (mountain).

• AbbreviationFinder: Demonstrates how the two-letter acronym of MT stands for Montana and a list of frequently used abbreviations related to the state of Montana.

Climate of Montana

Due to its vast territory and varied topography, Montana’s climate is quite varied. Average daily temperatures range from -2°C in January to 29.2°C in July. The highest temperature in the state was recorded on July 5, 1937, at 47°C. The lowest temperature (also the lowest in the entire continental United States) was recorded on January 20, 1954, at -57°C. The town of Loma in Shuto County is known for having the record-breaking 24-hour temperature change. So during January 15, 1972, the temperature here increased from -48 ° C to 9 ° C. The average rainfall for the state is about 380 mm, but there are strong differences between different areas. The mountain ranges in the west of the state provide a rain shadow for the eastern plains. In the town of Heron (west of Sanders County) in the far west of Montana, 881 mm of precipitation falls annually, however, in the town of Lounpain (east of Sanders County) on the east side of the ridge, the rainfall is already only 291 mm. In some mountainous areas, the annual rainfall can reach 2500-2700 mm.

Protected areas

The state is home to Glacier National Park and part of Yellowstone National Park, as well as Makoshika National Park, a dinosaur graveyard.

Attractions

On the territory of Montana in the city of Anaconda is a chimney 178 meters high, considered one of the tallest brick structures in the world. In 1968, the remains of a 12,700-year-old Anzik-1 boy and hundreds of Clovis tools were discovered near Wilsol, Montana. Genetic studies have shown that the Y-chromosome of the boy Anzick-1 (Anzick-1) belongs to the haplogroup.