Montana: The Treasure State

Montana: The Treasure State book cover — ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica DISCOVER AMERICA Montana The Treasure State CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO

Montana: The Treasure State — page 1 — 4 MONTANA INTRODUCTION When explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first entered Montana they were awestruck by the large open plains and the number of animals roaming the land Today much of the Montana landscape that Lewis and Clark crossed remains unchanged From river canyons and mountain meadows to the Great Plains Montana has kept much of its natural beauty intact Wild forests rugged mountain terrain and rivers abundant in fish are just some of the reasons Montana is often referred to as the Last Best Place The lack of big cities with noise pollution and crowds also fosters this view In fact there are fewer people in the whole state of Montana than there are in many cities in the United States Skyscrapers are scarce and many people live on ranches or farms Montana has earned a reputation as one of the few remaining retreats from the hectic pace of big-city life Cattle drives provide the opportunity to relive Montana’s frontier past There are more than 22 million acres of forest in Montana Montana was nicknamed the Treasure State for its wealth of mineral resources The name Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña which means mountain Montana is the fourth largest state in the nation with an area of 147,046 square miles Only Alaska Texas and California are larger Miles City bears the nickname the Cowboy Capital of the World The state motto is Oro y Plata which means gold and silver in Spanish

Montana: The Treasure State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 Montana has approximately 70,000 miles of roads Idaho Wyoming North Dakota and South Dakota all border Montana Three Canadian provinces Alberta British Columbia and Saskatchewan border the state to the north Montana is easily reached in the modern era of interstate highways and airplanes Still people traveling by automobile are often shocked at the size of the state The highways seem endless stretching as far as the eye can see The state’s road conditions can change in a flash it can be dry one moment and icy the next In the winter interstates sometimes close due to heavy snow The state bird is the western meadowlark Air travel is available throughout the state International airports are located in Billings Glacier Park Glasgow Great Falls and Missoula Montana Location Map Montana’s state flower the bitterroot can live for a year without water The first operational Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ICBM site was located in the Malmstrom Air Force base outside Great Falls Granite Peak is Montana’s highest mountain at 12,799 feet Some adventurous climbers use the Froze-to Death Plateau route This route is known for its many storms Scale Capital Helena Interstate highways Mi 0 100 50 0 80 160 Km Population 902,195 Size 147,046 square miles Highest peak Granite Peak 12,799 feet

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