The state of Montana is located in the Western United States. Montana was the forty-first state in the U.S.A, joining the Union on November 8,1889. It is the fourth largest state in the country but has only the forty-fourth largest population. The state capital is Helena and the largest populated area is Billings. Montana's bordering states are Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming and the bordering country is Canada. The major rivers are Yellowstone River, Missouri River and Clark Fork River and the two major lakes are Flathead Lake and Fort Peck Lake. The residents of Montana are called Montanans. Each year, millions of tourists flock to the site of the 'Battle of Little Bighorn' located in 'Glacier National Park'.
The state name Montana is derived from the Spanish word for ‘mountainous’. The state has many nicknames including the 'Treasure State', 'Land of Shining Mountains', 'Big Sky Country' and 'The Last Best Place'. The reason the state was nicknamed 'Treasure State' is because it refers to the importance of mining in Montana. Montana's state bird is Western Meadowlark and the state flower is the Bitterroot. The official state flag, which was adopted in 1905, has a deep blue background with the state name, 'Montana' written in yellow print on the top center of the flag. In the center of the flag is the state seal, which illustrates the breathtaking landscape of Montana including the Rocky Mountains, cliffs, a waterfall and river beneath a golden sky with white clouds and white sunrays. A plow represents agriculture and a pick and shovel represent mining. On the bottom of this illustration is a pink ribbon, which states Montana's state motto, 'Oro y plata' which means 'Gold and Silver', referring to the mining in the state.
Prior to European arrival, many Native Americans including the Blackfeet and Pend d'Oreille, inhabited the land. The land came under the American rule in 1803 following the Louisiana Purchase. Subsequently, the Lewis and Clark Expedition explored the land and later on, in the 1950's gold and silver was found in the state.
The first permanent white settlement in Montana was founded by Jesuit Missionaries. It didn't take long before the Salish Indians found out about these men and began to develop an interest for them. The Salish Indians sent emissaries to Missouri to request some Missionaries to come to their land and teach them about the Christian religion. Joseph Rosati, the Bishop of St. Louis, promised to send Missionaries as soon as funds became available. Finally in 1841, Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet arrived in western Montana and developed a settlement known as St. Mary’s Mission.
In 1865 the Congress authorized the establishment of Fort Shaw, which was completed in 1867. The post, which was named after Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, was built of adobe and lumber by the 13th Infantry. It consisted of a hospital, barracks for officers and a trading post. When the military port was close, the government established Fort Shaw as a school to provide industrial training to young Native Americans. This school was opened in the year 1892.
The major industries in Montana consist of wheat farming, cattle ranching, oil, lumber, coal, tourism, and the mining of gold, silver, copper and coal. The state's primary agricultural crops include honey, sheep ranching, oats, cattle, rye and seed potatoes. Montana is also a relative hub of beer micro brewing, ranking third in the nation in number of craft breweries per capita.
The climate in Montana is pretty varied throughout the state. The Eastern part of the state has a semi-arid continental climate. This portion of the state also features plains and badlands, broken by hills and isolated mountain ranges. The west side of Montana however, is quite mountainous and has numerous large valleys. The Continental divide runs through the western half of the state and has a great influence on the climate. It restricts the flow of warmer air from the Pacific from moving east, and cooler, drier continental moving west. On the west of the divide the climate features milder winters, cooler summers, less wind, a longer growing season and valley fog and lows clouds in the winter. Snowfall is quite common throughout the year in Montana with the exception of the months of July and August. As the climate in Montana begins and continues to become warmer, the glaciers in Glacier National Park continue to recede and are predicted to melt away completely in a few decades.
Montana is home to 967,000 residents. The center of population of Montana is located in Meagher County, in the city of White Sulphur Springs. The people in the state are affiliated with different religions. The most observed are the Christian and Protestant, however the population also includes Baptists and Presbyterians.
Some of the many featured tourist attractions in Montana are Steer Montana, Northwest Jitters Hypertour, Statues for the Proletariat and Custer's Last Stand. There are also many natural attractions white draw tourists to the state, including Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Glacier National Park and the state's national parks. The state also features many exciting outdoor activities for the young and old. These consist of the Big Sky Angler, Hawley Mountain Ranch, Montana River Guides, Pangaea River Rafting-L.L.C., hunting and fishing.
Source:
Wikipedia
doctor answering service, answering service business, answering message service
