About Montana "Big Sky Country"
� Montana is the fourth-largest State, after Alaska, Texas and California, covering 147,046 square miles. Almost a quarter of Montana is national forest or public lands, with almost 5 million acres protected as wilderness areas. Elk, deer, antelopes, wolves and bears are some of the 500 species of wildlife that can be seen in Montana.
� Topography: Mountains throughout the western one-third of the state and beautiful rolling plains throughout the eastern two-thirds. Montana's Highest Point is Granite Peak; 12,799 feet (10th highest in the nation). Montana's Lowest Point is Kootenai River; 1800 feet.
� Nickname: Treasure State & Big Sky Country
� State bird: Western Meadowlark
� State flower: Bitterroot
� Capital: Helena
� Date of admission to the Union: November 8 1889
� Population: 926,865 (official estimate 2004)
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| Montana's Location | | Montana is located in the United States and its Border States are Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming . |
| Montana's Main Cities | | Helena, Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Butte, Livingston, Great Falls, Three Forks, Glasgow, Havre, Kalispell, Miles City |
| Montana's Climate | | Summer days are usually in the 70's and warm enough for light summer clothing. Winters are usually cold and rarely have extended cold spells. |
| Montana's Square Miles | | 147,046 square miles |
| Montana's Population |
926,865 residents in 2004
16,500 of state residents are foreign-born
44th most popular state in the U.S.
4th largest State, after Alaska, Texas and California 2004 Montana Census Population:
89.5% White
6.2% Native American
2.0% Hispanic
0.5% Asian
0.3% Black
1.7% Mixed race
Male: 449,480 (49.8%); Female: 452,715 (50.2%)
Total Population (2004 est.)= 926,865
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| Montana's Major Attractions | � Just north of Missoula, the National Bison Range was established in 1908 to protect the animal from extinction. Today, the bison number around 450 in this high plains refuge.
� The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is home to many endangered bears, big horn sheep, mountain goats, moose and grey wolves. The park has two parts: the Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta (Canada) and the Glacier National Park in Montana. Hiking is popular here, with over 750 miles of trails to follow, many offering back-country camping opportunities. There are also special trails for cyclists and horses, and many of the larger lakes have tour boat services. Anyone entering the park is asked to take park rangers� warnings and advice about encounters with bears very seriously.
� Other popular recreation areas include the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, the huge Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge and Yellowstone National Park, which is shared with Idaho and Wyoming, and is the oldest national park in the world, dating back to 1872. |
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