Montana, one of the Mountain states, ranks fourth in size but is among the ten least populous of all the U.S. states. The name Montana comes from the Spanish word montana, meaning "mountainous region." Among the state's nicknames are "Treasure State," "Big Sky Country," and the Indian designation, "Land of the Shining Mountains."

This one will find you breathless with her beauty! She covers over 380,847 sq. km (that's 147,046 sq. miles) and has elevations of over 3,901 m (12,799 ft), at Granite Peak; to the lowest--549 m (1,800 ft), at the Kootenai River.

If you are looking for somewhere to be alone with nature...this is your state! Population (1993 est.): 839,000; rank: 44th; density: 2.23 persons per sq km (5.8 per sq mi). However, with the variety of things to do and places to go, your entire family will be pleased you choose Montana for a visit or to live.

The Indian population in 1990 numbered 47,679, most of whom lived on seven reservations--the Crow and Northern Cheyenne in the southern plains; the Sioux at Fort Peck; the Assiniboin and Gros Ventres at Fort Belknap; the Chippewa-Cree at Rocky Boy; the Blackfoot in the northern plains; and the Flathead in the Rocky Mountains.