Montana

Montana

Montana is a Rocky Mountain state bordered by Canada to the north, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and Idaho to the west and south. It is the largest Rocky Mountain state and the fourth largest state in the country; only Alaska, Texas, and California are bigger.  However, Montana is the third least densely populated state in the country; only Wyoming and Alaska have fewer residents per square mile. Montana's land runs from the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide in the western part of the state to rolling plains in the eastern part of the state. Two-thirds of Montana is in the Great Plains. The state's beautiful landscape includes forests, prairies, highlands, and valleys.

Montana is the home to about 48,000 Native Americans. Their ancestors called the region the "Land of Shining Mountains" because the sun shines on its high, snow-capped mountains. The state's name is derived from the Spanish word "montaña", meaning mountain, since the state contains at least one hundred different mountain ranges. The state is sometimes called "The Big Sky Country." Billings is Montana's largest city and Great Falls is the state's second largest city.

Montana is a leading state in gold, copper, lead, zinc, platinum, and palladium mining, and has the largest coal reserves in the country. Because of the state's great abundance of minerals, especially gold and silver, it is known as the "Treasure State" and the "Bonanza State." Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are important parts of Montana's economy. Montana produces a large amount of wheat and barley. Millions of tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park.

The two largest schools, University of Montana and Montana State University have a strong athletic rivalry. This rivalry is so historic that people from all over the state travel to see the games. In recent years, the number of international students in Montana has increased at most of the universities.

List of colleges and universities in Montana

Official Website of the State of Montana

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