Did You Know….

• On November 8th 1889, Montana was the 41st state to join the union.
• Nicknames include: Big Sky Country, The Treasure State, The Last Best Place.
• The name comes from the Spanish word mountain.
• The town of Ekalaka was named for the daughter of the famous Sioux Chief, Sitting Bull.
• The state’s motto Oro y Plata means gold & silver.
• The highest Point is Granite Peak at 12,799 feet.
• The lowest Point is the Kootenai River at the Idaho border at 1,820 feet.
• The bitterroot is the official state flower.
• The western meadowlark is the official state bird.
• The state’s official animal is the grizzly bear.
• Montana has the largest migratory elk herd in the nation.
• Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states.
• North of Missoula is the largest population of nesting common loons in the western United States.
• No state has as many different species of mammals Elk, deer and antelope outnumber humans.
• The Montana Yogo Sapphire is the only North American gem included in the Crown Jewels of England.
• In 1888 Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world.
• Montana is the only state with a triple divide allowing water to flow into the Pacific, Atlantic, and Hudson Bay.
• This phenomenon occurs at Triple Divide Peak.
• Glacier National Park has 250 lakes.
• Flathead Lake contains over 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline. It is considered the largest natural freshwater lake in the west.
• Flathead Lake is 27 miles long and 15 miles wide.
• Wild Horse is the largest island on Flathead Lake.