Montana is bordered by Canada on the north, North and South Dakota on the east, Wyoming and Idaho to the south and Idaho in the west.
For thousands of year, Native Americans lived in the the area we now know as Montana. Native American tribes included the Crow, the Cheyenne, and Blackfeet, to name but a few.
The land remained largely unexplored by outsiders until the Lewis and clark expedition passed through the region in 1805. More than 50 years later, settlers found gold, and people quickly came to Montana in search of their own fortune. As people of European descent continued to move into the Montana area, the land was made a U.S. territory in 1864.
In 1876 the Lakota, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes formed an alliance in an attempt to take back their land. They won a famous battle by defeating the U.S. Army at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but the Native Americans were ultimately defeated, and settlers continued to build on the land.
In 1889 Montana became the 41st a state, and tody many Native American tribes still live in Montana, including the Blackfeet, Crow, and Cheyenne.
The Montana Economy
The economy of Montana is primarily based on agriculture, including ranching and farming. Other significant economic resources include oil, gas, coal, and mining. Tourism also plays an important role in the Montana economy.
Notable Cities and Towns in Montana
- Billings is the largest city in Montana.
- Missoula is the second-largest city in Montana.
- The capital of Montana is Helena.
- Bozeman, Montana is home to the American Cojmputer and robotics Museum
Fact #1: Montana is known for having two very different geographic regions. The Rocky Mountain region covers the western two-fifths of the state. It’s home to Glacier National Park, which contains 7,000-year-old glaciers. The Great Plains region spreads across the eastern three-fifths of Montana. This grassy terrain has hills, rivers, valleys, and farmland.
Fact #2: The name “Montana” comes from the Spanish word for “mountain.”
Fact #3: Montana is the fourth largest state in the U.S. in size but the the 44th largest by population.
Fact #4: Montana is the only state with river systems that empty into the Hudson Bay in Canada, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Fact #5: In 1872, the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act was signed into law. And with the stoke of a pen, the world’s first national park was born. Yellowstone National Park is located in southern Montana. This amazing jewel of the national park system also stretches into Wyoming and Idaho.
Just for fun, see if you can answer these questions.
What is the capital of Montana Billings or Helena?
Helena.
Is the largest city in Montana Helena, Billings, or Bozeman?
It’s Billings.
Which mountain range is located in Western Montana? Is it the rocky Mountains, the Smokey Mountains, or the Green Mountains?
The Rocky Mountains.
What country is located on Montana's northern border?
Canada.
If you have time, you can write a story of your own.
Here are a couple of story ideas you can choose from.
Idea #1: You can write a brief story about some of the cool things you learned about Montana.
Or
Idea #2: What do you think it would be like to own a cattle ranch in Montana? Do you think you would like being a cowboy or cowgirl? What do you think your life would be like?
To help you write a great story, we have some helpful hints and timely tips.
Check out “10 Tips for Writing Better Essays.”
Here's a riddle for you:
Where does a boat go when it gets sick?
To the dock.
For fun-to-read books about a girl detective who homeschools on a train... check out The Mystery Ryders, a series from the creators of the Homeschool Express.
