The first inhabitants included the Crow,
Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Assiniboine,
Gros Ventres, Kootenai, and Salish.
Smaller groups of Pend d'Oreille and Kalispel peoples
were also present.
The state's name is derived from the Spanish word 'montaña',
which means 'mountain'".
The state is nicknamed "The Treasure State"
and "Big Sky Country".
Montana was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
It became a United States territory on May 26, 1864,
and the 41st state on Nov 8, 1889.
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.
With a land area of 145552 mi² (376978 km²)
and a state population under 1 million,
Montana has the
3rd lowest population density in the
United States.
WEATHER
Montana
is a large state with considerable variation in geography,
and so the climate is equally varied, which
leads to great variation in temperature.
At the same time, 2 places only 40 miles apart can report temperatures
with a difference of 35 ° F.
Average daytime temperatures vary from 28 ° F in January
to 85 ° F in July.
The coldest temperature on record for
Montana (-70 ° F) is also
the coldest temperature for the entire continental U.S..
The highest temperature on record is 117 ° F.
Throughout the state, summer nights are generally
cool and pleasant. Temperatures decrease with altitude.
Snowfall can happen any month of the year in the central part of
Montana, but is quite rare in July and August.
The Continental Divide runs north~south through the
western mountainous half, splitting it into 2 distinct eastern and western regions.
This 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.
Average annual precipitation is 15 inches (380 mm),
but, as with temperatures, great variations are seen.
The west receives the most precipitation (35 inches).
The east side is much drier (11 inches).
The mountains themselves can get over 100 inches (2500 mm) every year,
while other areas receive less than 7 inches over 16 years!
The larger cities get 30~50 inches (1300 mm)
of snow each year.
The mountains accumulate as much as 300 inches (7600 mm)
of snow during winter.
Heavy snowstorms can occur as early as
September or as Late as May,
but most snow falls from November to March.
In recent times, the climate has become warmer in
Montana and
continues to do so.
The glaciers in Glacier National Park
have receded and are
likely to melt away completely in a few decades.
ECONOMY
The Montana Chamber of Commerce
is the advocate of business in Montana and the
driving force in promoting a favorable business climate.
The membership consists of a growing dynamic group of businesses
interested in enhancing the economic viability of
Montana by improving the environment in which
companies conduct business.
The Chamber works closely with its members to keep them
informed, while cooperating and negotiating with local and national
affiliates and governments to develop unity and strength.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture and
significant lumber and mineral extraction.
The leading manufacturing industries include forest products,
processed foods, and refined petroleum.
In and around Montana's
mountainous western region are the large mineral deposits
for which the state is famous—copper, silver, gold, platinum,
zinc, lead, and manganese.
Montana also mines talc, vermiculite,
chromite, tungsten, molybdenum,
and palladium.
The eastern part of the state is noted for its petroleum
and natural gas, and there are also vast
coal deposits, worked largely at the most extensive
open~pit mines.
The high grass of the Great Plains once
nourished herds of buffalo and later sustained the cattle
and sheep of huge ranches in Montana.
Much of the high grass is now gone,
but the cattle and sheep remain.
Ranching has long been central to Montana's history and economy.
Periodic drought and severe
weather have turned some farming communities into ghost towns,
but agriculture, with the aid of irrigation, still provides
the largest share of Montana's income. Wheat is the most valuable
farm item, with cattle also of primary importance. Other principal
crops include barley, sugar beets, oats, rye, seed potatoes, honey, cherries, and hay.
Tourism is also important to the economy.
Every year millions of people visit Glacier National Park,
Flathead Lake, Yellowstone National Park,
Missouri River headwaters, and
the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn.
SCHOOLS
Montana
has a wealth of higher education opportunities available;
colleges and universities, community and technical colleges
as well as tribal colleges.
The Montana University System serves students through
the delivery of high quality, accessible
post~secondary educational opportunities,
while actively participating in the preservation
and advancement of Montana’s
economy and society.
The mission is to prepare students for success by
creating an environment of ideas and excellence
that nurtures intellectual, social, economic,
and cultural development.
The Montana
Higher Education Student Assistance Corporation
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping
Montana citizens with
financing their post~secondary education,
by providing capital for student loans.
It gives Montana children the chance to grow up and
reach their dreams. It helps create a well~educated workforce,
which stabilizes families, enriches communities and
makes Montana a great place to live,
work and raise families.
Montana
State also offers a Quality Educator Loan Assistance Program
for K~12 educators and licensed professionals.
For more details please contact the
Montana Department of Education.
HOSPITALITY
Montana
is a rare and special place.
Big sky, open land, majestic mountains and
friendly people combine to make
Montana
truly the 'Treasure State'.
Explore 'Big Sky' country and discover
all the treasures it has to offer.
There are numerous sites and sights you'll want to visit,
such as Glacier and Yellowstone national parks,
the Lewis & Clark Trail, wilderness areas,
historic towns,
and much more.
Montana
is filled with adventurous possibilities: rafting, hiking,
horseback riding, rock climbing,
mountain biking, you get the idea.
It's all here... barbecues in the mountains,
guided fly fishing, golf tournaments.
When it comes to business travel,
it is easy to arrange a meeting or convention
that meets your business objectives
and gives your members an experience they'll really enjoy.
Montana has
programs designed to develop and promote the state
as an attractive destination for visitors from around the world.
The goal is to work with statewide partners to create a
tourism industry that provides positive benefits for Montana's economy,
its communities, and its people.
For more details please contact
Montana State Tourism.
NEWS
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