Explore a destination located in Montana, United States
Montana, which is located in the U.S., is the fourth largest state of the 50, though it is among the least populous. It was the 41st state to join the Union on November 8th, 1889, and is nicknamed the "Treasure State".[3] Montana is primarily made up of forests, mountains, lakes, and cities. It is bordered by South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, and Wyoming. The climate of Montana ranges throughout the year with the temperature varying from 12 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. December is often the coldest month of the year, while July is the warmest. The wet season in Montana lasts around two months, while the dry season lasts around 10. June typically has the rainiest days while February has the least.[6] Some of Montana's attractions include the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, the State Capitol located in Helena, the Museum of Rockies, the Big Sky Resort, and Glacier National Park. Museum of the Rockies has more than 10 T-Rex Fossil specimens.[4]
Montana is the 4th largest state in the United State of America, behind Alaska, Texas, and California. It is also the 43rd most populous. Montana became a state on November 8, 1889, becoming the 41st state to join the United States of America. Montana is nicknamed the "Treasure State", along with the "Big Sky Country." Montana is the first state in the U.S. that elected a woman to be in Congress. The woman they elected was named Jeanette Rankin, who was elected in 1916 and reelected in 1940. A fun fact about Montana is that it holds one of the world's largest dinosaur fossils collections. The Museum of the Rockies, a museum located within Montana, has 13 T-Rex specimens.[3]
Montana is home to eight national parks. There are approximately 3,903,740 visitors to these national parks every year. Some of the national parks within Montana include Big Hole, Bighorn Canyon, the Fort Union Trading Post, Grant-Kohrs Ranch, the Ice Age Floods, the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Nez Perce, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park.[5]
The area that is now Glacier National Park has signs of life dating more than 10,000 years ago, including multiple Native American tribes living in the area. When explorers came, some of these tribes included the Blackfeet, Salish, and Kootenai. Most of the first explorers that came to the area came in search of beavers, along with other pelts. Eventually, people settled the area and began using its resources.[10] Glacier became a national park on May 11, 1920, as America's 10th national park.[11] Today, Glacier National Park is a place where tourists can go hiking, camping, biking, fishing, boating, cross-country skiing, river camping, and more. There are currently 734 miles of trails that people can go hiking on. Additionally, there are 13 campgrounds and more than a thousand individual campsites to choose from. A popular attraction within Glacier National Park is the Going-to-the-Sun Road.[10]
Besides the national parks, Montana has a variety of attractions that are available for tourists and travelers. Some of these are the Big Sky Resort, the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, the Museum of Rockies, the World Museum of Mining, the State Capitol located in Helena, and the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.[4]
Montana is one of the fifty states in the United States of America. It is bordered by the states of Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The eastern side of the state is primarily flat with forests and cities, while the western side has mountain ranges. The state has an abundance of greenery throughout. Also within the state are multiple lakes. Cities within Montana include Bozeman, Billings, Miles City, Great Falls, Missoula, and Butte.[12]
The weather in Montana ranges throughout the year with short, warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Over the course of a year, the temperature usually varies from 12 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures rarely fall below -8 degrees Fahrenheit or rise above 94 degrees Fahrenheit. December is typically the coldest month of the year with an average temperature of 21 degrees Fahrenheit, while the warmest month of the year is July, with an average of 68 degrees Fahrenheit.[6]
In Montana, the wetter season lasts two months, while the dryer season lasts ten months. The month with the wettest days in Montana is June, which has an average of 9.4 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. The month with the fewest wet days is February, at an average of 2.5 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. During wet days, it is typical for the precipitation to be either rain or snow. Snow is expected from November 27 to February 25. The month that receives the most amount of snow is typically December.[6]
Plants that grow well in Montana are common yarrows, harebells, great blanket flowers, prairie smoke, bearberries, rocky mountain junipers, trembling aspen, red baneberries, and bride's bonnets. Mammals that live in the area include mule deer, white-tailed deer, wapitis, moose, American black bears, pronghorn, brown bears, red foxes, yellow-bellied marmots, snowshoe hares, coyotes, prairie dogs, common raccoons, and mountain lions.[7]
The first inhabitants of the land that is current-day Montana were the Native Americans, specifically the Blackfeet, Crows, Cheyenne, Assiniboine, Gros Ventres, Kootenai, Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and the Kalispel. Different tribes lived in other areas of the state. The first explorers to come to the site came during the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. Soon after the expedition passed through, fur trappers and traders came. The trappers brought disease to the area, along with alcohol and a new economic system. Fur trading was practically over by the 1840s because the beaver population was dwindling, as was the popularity of the beaver hat. Roman Catholic missionaries also came to Montana and established Saint Mary's Mission in the Bitterroot Valley. Saint Mary's Mission is believed to be the first settlement in Montana. The missionaries built a sawmill and promoted agriculture.[1]
In the 1860s, many people came to the area because of the discovery of gold. prospectors often started boomtowns that grew drastically in a short amount of time, and then quickly declined quickly after the gold was gone. Due to this rise in population, Montana became a territory in 1864.[1]
In the 1880s, railroads crossed Montana. The territory became a state in 1889. The city of Butte became popular when silver and copper were discovered. Many mining companies were established in the area, one of the biggest ones being the Anaconda Copper Company.[1]
Montana had an abundance of grasslands, and many farmers took advantage of it. Ranches were also built on these grasslands. Wheat farming became popular for a time until a drought hit the area. The drop in market prices in World War I made it difficult for many farmers, and many of them had to abandon Montana.[1]
Montana's population is around 1,085,407 currently. The last recorded racial composition of Montana was documented in 2010 with 89.4% of the population White, 6.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 0.4% Black. It was also recorded that 2.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.[2]
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