| Montana
. .
Montana's official flag was
adopted in 1905. The flag has
a deep blue field with "Montana"
written in yellow, with the
state seal below. The seal pictures
a beautiful Montana landscape:
the Rocky Mountains, cliffs,
a waterfall, and river beneath
a golden sky with white clouds
and white sun rays. A plow represents
agriculture; a pick and shovel
represent mining. A ribbon below
the scene states Montana's motto,
"Oro y plata" which
means "Gold and Silver"
in Spanish.
Montana became a state on Nov
8, 1889 as the 41st state. The
capital city is Helena and largest
city is Billings. The bordering
states are North Dakota, South
Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho. Also
the Canadian Provinces of British
Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Montana is the northernmost
of the Rocky Mountain states
and is home to over 40 mountain
ranges and the incomparable
Glacier National Park. This
enormous state with vast open
plains is called the Big Sky
Country. Montana is known as
"Big Sky Country"
because of its vast size and
rolling plains. This open space,
fresh air, rolling plains, mountains,
streams and rivers makes Montana
an outdoors paradise. There
is camping, hiking, fishing,
picnicking in Montana's National
Parks, Indian Reservations,
National Forests, State Parks,
or National Wildlife Refuges.
It is a great place to watch
cowboys in action at the rodeo
or the cattle drives.
Montana is known for changing
weather conditions and often
experience unseasonal cold or
warm conditions at any time
of the year. Winter weather
runs early November through
March. Winters are usually very
cold but temperatures can range
from 45 degrees above zero to
45 below zero. High temperature
averages generally run from
20 to 35 degrees, with mostly
sunny skies. Average summer
highs approach 70 degrees southeast
and east, with somewhat cooler
conditions in the higher mountain
elevations. Average annual rainfall
is near 20 inches, while rainfall
in the higher elevations of
the Rockies exceeds 80 inches,
and snowfall is usually heavy.
Agriculture: Cattle, wheat,
barley, oats, sugar beets, hay,
hogs. Wheat is Montana’s
leading crop in terms of sales
and cattle and calves play an
important role in Montana’s
farm economy.
Industry: Mining, lumber and
wood products, food processing,
tourism.
Montana has 56 counties:
Beaverhead
Big Horn Blaine
Broadwater Carbon
Carter Cascade Chouteau
Custer Daniels
Dawson Deer
Lodge Fallon
Fergus Flathead
Gallatin Garfield Glacier
Golden Valley Granite
Hill Jefferson
Judith Basin Lake Lewis
and Clark Liberty
Lincoln McCone Madison
Meagher Mineral Missoula
Musselshell
Park Petroleum
Phillips Pondera
Powder River
Powell Prairie
Ravalli Richland
Roosevelt Rosebud
Sanders Sheridan Silver
Bow Stillwater
Sweet Grass Teton
Toole Treasure Valley
Wheatland Wibaux
Yellowstone Yellowstone
National Park
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state - Montana