| Capital city | Helena |
| Population | 1,085,407 (2020) |
| Surface | 381,156 km² |
| Governor | Greg Gianforte (R) |
| Member of the US since | 1889 |
Montana is one of the fifty states of the United States. The state is located in the northwest of the country. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, and neighboring Canada to the north. The abbreviation for Montana is MO. Its nickname is The Treasure State, which means The Treasure State. Montana has just over 1 million inhabitants. This makes it one of the least populated states in the country. It is the second largest state in terms of area after Alaska, Texas and California. Thepopulation density is very low as a result. The capital of Montana is Helena. Montana was originally inhabited by the Indians. It was part of the Oregon Territory, but it eventually became its own territory. Many conflicts have taken place in the state between the Indians (the Sioux) and the settlers. This was partly due to the construction of a railway through the state. Montana became a state in 1889, joining the country as the 41st state. Originally, Montana was known for its agriculture and mining. After the crisis of the 1930s, much mining has ceased in the state. As a result, there was also a lot of poverty. Montana is still one of the poorer states in the country. The state is known for its vast nature reserves. Montana is a swing state today, but often goes to the Republican Party with a slim majority. Because of this, Montana is also sometimes seen as a “red state”.
Largest Cities in Montana
| Name | Inhabitants | County | |
| 1. | billings | 117.116 | Yellowstone County |
| 2. | Missoula | 73.489 | Missoula County |
| 3. | Great Falls | 60.442 | Cascade County |
| 4. | Angry man | 53,293 | Gallatin County |
| 5. | butte | 34,494 | Silver Bow County |
| 6. | Helena | 32,091 | Lewis and Clark County |
| 7. | Kalisspell | 24.558 | Flathead County |
| 8. | Belgrade | 10.460 | Gallatin County |
| 9. | Anaconda | 9,421 | Deer Lodge County |
| 10. | Havre | 9,362 | Hill County |
Climate
Population
General
Montana has just over 1 million inhabitants. 88% of the population is made up of white Americans, 7% Native Americans, 4% Latinos, 1% Asian Americans, and 0.6% African Americans. Most residents have ancestry from Germany, Scandinavia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Finland or Eastern Europe. In addition, Montana has several indigenous peoples such as the Sioux, the Crow, and the Northern Cheyenne.
Language
The official language of Montana is English. This language is used in education and politics. Most residents also only speak English, so it is widely used in daily life. 1.5% of the population has Spanish as their mother tongue. These are mainly Latinos who speak Spanish at home, but can also speak English. 1% of the population has German as their mother tongue. Until World War I, Montana had a large German-speaking population, and there were even German-language schools in the state. During the First World War, these schools were closed and English was taught. Today, few people speak German as their mother tongue. Smaller languages are Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian, Japanese and Russian.
Religion
Just over three quarters of the population is Christian. Of these, 47% are Protestant, 23% Catholic, 5% Mormon and 2% Jehovah’s Witness. 20% of the inhabitants have no religion. Lesser religions include Judaism and Buddhism.
Politics
State politics
Montana’s Parliament Building
Montana is headed by a governor. The current governor of the state is Greg Gianforte of the Republican Party. The governor is elected by direct elections every four years. A governor can only be re-elected once (i.e. serve a maximum of eight years). The governor is aided by a lieutenant governor, who replaces him in illness, death, impeachment and resignation. Unlike in other states, the lieutenant governor is not the president of the Senate. The Constitution of Montana is very special. It states that a referendum must be held every 20 years on whether a new constitution should be drawn up. Until now, people have always voted against this. In addition, there is a parliament; the Montana Legislature. It consists of two rooms:
- The House of Representatives; consisting of 100 members who are elected every two years. Only one delegate can be re-elected.
- The Senate; consisting of 50 members who are elected every four years. A senator can only be re-elected once.
The Republican Party has a majority in both chambers. The remaining seats are filled by the Democratic Party.
Administrative division
How many counties in Montana? Montana is divided into 56 counties. Below you see a map of these counties.
National politics
Montana is a traditional swing state. This means that the state can go to both Democrats and Republicans in presidential elections. Since 1952, the state has been won by the Democrats only twice, in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson and in 1992 by Bill Clinton. All other times, the Republicans won Montana. Montana is therefore a swing state that leans more towards the Republicans. Still, Republicans often win by a small majority. During presidential elections, Montana is therefore seen as a swing state, because the percentage is so low. In the United States Congress, Montana is represented by one representative and two senators. The delegate is Matt Rosendale on behalf of the Republican Party. The two senators for Montana are Steve Daines of the Republican Party and Jon Tester of the Democratic Party.
