Seven Enjoyable Facts About Montana

Home Sweet Montana!

1. The name Montana has a Spanish origin. The earliest Spanish settlers named the state “montaña” and it means mountain in Spanish. Montana is one of the nine mountainous states located in the western United States.

2. The motto of Montana is “oro y plata” and this means “gold and silver” in Spanish. This motto is taken from the gold and silver deposits in the state. Gold was first discovered in Montana in 1852.

3. Butte, Montana is called the “richest hill on planet earth”. This is because of the rich mining history of this city.

4. Montana has a very low population density. Of the state’s 56 counties, 46 counties have average populations of just 6 people or less per square mile. This is why these counties are considered “frontier counties”.

5. Montana has a large population of grizzly bears. This is probably why the grizzly bear is the state animal of Montana. An estimated 1800 grizzly bears are thought to be alive today.

6. There are more cattle than human beings in Montana. This is not surprising because the state is an important center of livestock farming.

7. The largest snowflake ever observed was seen in Fort Keogh, Montana. This snowflake had an incredible diameter of 15 inches.