Montana Summary

Montana’s popular name, “The Treasure State,” was given with good reason. \r\nWhen gold was discovered in 1862, the state’s yield was the biggest in the country; there were also huge deposits of silver and copper. Montana’s economy still revolves around the gold and silver industries, as well as zinc, phosphate, oil, and ranching. However, to many thousands of tourists who visit Montana each year, the state is known as “Big Sky Country.” Here the sky dominates the horizon, and miles of wilderness lie in a vast unpopulated expanse.

Bordered by Canada in the United States’ northwestern corner, Montana is a place of undulating prairies, high craggy mountains, and glacial lakes. The rushing waters of the Yellowstone and upper Missouri Rivers are associated with the legend of Lewis and Clark, who first explored the region in 1805. But it is the mountain rivers, the Gallatin and Madison, that entice anglers and outdoor enthusiasts who hike many wilderness trails and cast hooks into trout-laden streams. Montana’s contrasting landscape provides refuge for a diversity of wildlife, including mountain lions, grizzly bears, moose, elk, and wolves. Golden eagles and hawks often swoop over the region’s wilderness. Wildlife-watching is becoming increasingly popular, with the National Bison Range and the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range offering total sanctuary. This expansive vision extends to its population as well, with only 902,195 people living in 145,556 square miles of land.

The settlement of Montana came at a price. The state’s history is marked by bloody conflicts with the Cheyenne and Sioux Native Americans — with the ghostly battlefields of the Rosebud and the Little Bighorn scarring the land. The region’s alpine beauty is the paramount attraction for visitors. In particular, there is Glacier National Park and Paradise Valley, which traverses the mountainous corridor of the Gallatin and Absaroka Ranges to Yellowstone Country. What the state lacks in population is made up for in sheer wild splendor.