| Montana is the fourth largest state in the United States of America by size. Its total area is 147,165 square miles with a population figure of 967,440 according to an estimate in 2008. As a result of this disparity in area and population, the state ranks third in the list of states with lowest population density. Montana lies in the north-western part of the US with Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta to its north. No state shares its borderline with more Canadian provinces than Montana. The state is bounded by North Dakota and South Dakota to the east and to the west and southwest by Idaho. Wyoming is at the south of Montana. There are numerous mountain ranges of the Rocky Mountains in the western part of Montana. Granite Peak is the highest point with a height of 12,799 feet while Kootenai River is the lowest with a depth of 1,800 feet. The state is known by several nicknames, such as "Treasure State", "Land of Shining Mountains", "The Last Best Place" and "Big Sky County". Ranching, wheat farming, lumber, hard rock mining and tourism are the mainstay of the economy. Billings is the largest city while Helena is the capital. |
