Facts about Montana

The state's total surface area (including land and water) is 380,800 km2 (147,040 sq mi).

It is inhabited by 1.06 million people. The most populous city - Billings - has about 110 thousand inhabitants, which is more than 10% of the state's total population. Montana exceeded 1 million residents in 2012.

It is located in the northwestern region of the United States. Montana's mean elevation is 1,040 m (3,400 ft).

Helena was established as a gold camp during the Montana Gold Rush on October 30, 1864. 

Because of the gold rush, Helena became a prosperous city where many millionaires lived. Thanks to the wealthy citizens, the town developed with aesthetic Victorian architecture housing.

At present, almost 33 thousand people live in the city, making it the sixth least populated state capital.

The official name was instituted in 1863 by a bill issued by United States House Committee on Territories.

Montana was incorporated into the Union on November 8, 1889.

Most of them - 46 to be exact - are qualified as "frontier" counties. This means that they are sparsely populated areas, geographically isolated from population centers and services.

In order of population, they would be as follows: 

• Billings - 110,000
• Missoula - 75,000
• Great Falls - 58,000
• Bozeman - 50,000
• Butte - 34,000
• Helena - 33,000
• Kalispell - 25,000

Here is a list:

• State flower: Bitterroot
• State grass: Bluebunch wheatgrass
• State tree: Ponderosa Pine
• State butterfly: Mourning Cloak Butterfly
• State fish: Blackspotted Cutthroat Trout
• State reptile: Northern Alligator Lizard
• State bird: Western Meadowlark
• State mammal: Grizzly bear
• State fossil: Duck-billed dinosaur

It all started with a gold rush, but Montana is also the only producer of platinum and palladium and a significant copper, silver, and gemstones manufacturer.

There are 2.6 million beef cattle and over 18 thousand dairy cows. It is the sixth beef cattle producer among all the states.

The largest natural one is Flathead Lake, with a surface area of 510 km2 (197 sq mi). The largest man-made lake in Montana is Fort Peck Lake, formed by Fort Peck Dam at Missouri River. Fort Peck Lake has an area of 990 km2 (382 sq mi).

Part of the Hell Creek Formation, which preserves animal and plant fossils from the Late Cretaceous period, is located in Montana territory. The Montana region is famous for animal finds, while the North and South Dakota regions are rich in fossilized plants.

In 1998, Montana State University, the University of Washington, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of North Dakota, and the University of North Carolina launched a joint excavation program that resulted in numerous finds. One of the most recent successes was the discovery of a 20% complete skeleton of "Tufts-Love Rex," a Tyrannosaurus rex with a well-preserved skull.

Since then, it took ten years for a gold rush to develop. Although Montana is not as rich in gold as other states, a lot of gold has been mined in the last 160 years. Considering how big Montana is, there are still many gold sites waiting to be discovered.

It is bordered on the east by North Dakota and South Dakota, on the south by Wyoming, west and southwest by Idaho, and on the north by three Canadian provinces.

In fact, these top predators are only found in four states: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. The total Grizzly population in the United States is estimated to be over 1800.

State populations of deer, elk, and antelope are far more numerous than humans.

There are 115 mammal, 427 bird, 20 reptiles, 14 amphibian, 90 fish species in Montana.

Among others, the most popular and numerous are:

• Grizzly bear (population: 800)
• Lynx (population: 300)
• Black Bear (population: 15,000)
• Moose (population: 5,000)
• Wolverine (population: 400)
• Mountain Lion (population: 4,000)
• Bighorn Sheep (population: 5,200)
• Elk (population: 150,000)
• Mule deer (population: 335,000)
• Deer (population: 570,000)
• Coyote
• Wolf (population: 850)
• Badger
• Beaver
• Otter
• Porcupine
• Mink
• Bat

Among others, the most popular and numerous are:

• American robin
• Black-capped chickadee
• Northern flicker
• European starling
• House finch
• Bald eagle
• Peregrine falcon

Among others, the most popular and numerous are:

• Northern alligator lizard
• Common sagebrush lizard
• Greater short-horned lizard
• Pygmy short-horned lizard
• Praire rattlesnake
• Gophersnake
• Snapping turtle

Among others, the most popular and numerous are:

• Northern leopard frog
• Western toad
• Tiger salamander
• Long-toed salamander
• Woodhouse's toad

Among others, the most popular and numerous are:

• Bull trout
• Burbot
• Bluegill
• Paddlefish
• Yellow perch
• Westslope cutthroat trout

It was caught in 1968 and weighed 43,5 kg (96 lb), and was 190 cm (75 in) long.

The 3,904 m ( 12,807 ft ) high peak is located in Park County within Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

It is considered the second most difficult peak (after Denali) to climb in the United States, primarily because of its harsh weather and challenging routes. The first ascent was made on August 29, 1923 by Elers Koch, James C. Whitham and R.T. Ferguson.

There is no official list of all of them, but the United States Board on Geographic Names recognizes that many. Some of them lie entirely within Montana's territory, while others extend into neighboring areas.

Both well-known Glacier Park and Yellowstone Park are located here. A famous tourist destination is also Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. In addition, National Parks Services offers many historical sites: 

• Fort Union Trading Post
• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
• Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
• Big Hole National Battlefield
• Nez Perce National Historical Park

It is 3,767 kilometers (2,341 miles) long. It is a tributary river to the Mississippi River.

It flows from the Giant Springs near Great Falls, Montana. It is only 61 m ( 201 ft ) long at its longest continuous point. In 1989, it was listed as the shortest river in the world in the Guinness World Records.

Second place is held by Catholics (23%), and third place belongs to the non-religious (20%).

Jeannette Rankin, a politician and women's rights activist, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916 as a Republican from Montana. She was elected to the position twice, the second time in 1940.

Those are:

• Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Reservation
• Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation
• Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
• Crow Tribe of the Crow Reservation
• Fort Belknap Tribes of the Fort Belknap Reservation
• Fort Peck Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation
• Little Shell Chippewa Tribe
• Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation