Montana . . . State 41
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 November 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.
Montana 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.
Montana 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
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