According to itypetravel.com, the first people came to the area that is now Montana at least 12,600 years ago. Thousands of years later, Indian tribes lived on this land, including the Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, and Calispele. This land remained largely unexplored by outsiders until Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, accompanied by the Native American guide Sacagawea, passed through the region in 1805 on their famous expedition through the American West. Over 50 years later, settlers found gold and people quickly moved to Montana in search of their fortune. Through population growth and mining, the land was turned into a U.S. territory in 1864. In 1889 it became a state.
But the Native American tribes living on the land felt that the settlers were encroaching on their way of life. In 1876, the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho banded together to take back their land, defeating the US Army at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Despite this victory, the Indians were ultimately defeated and the settlers continued to fortify their position. Earth. However, many tribes of Native Americans still live in Montana, including the Blackfeet, Crows, and Cheyenne. The name Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña, which roughly means “mountainous”. This is because there are so many mountains in the state – at least 300 peaks over 9,600 feet high! Gold and silver deposits were mined in the mountains of Montana as early as the 1800s, earning the state the nickname the State Treasure.
Geography of Montana
Montana borders Canada to the north, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming and Idaho to the south, and Idaho to the west. The state is known for having two very different geographic regions. See Montana cities. The Rocky Mountain region covers the western two-fifths of the state. Here is the Glacier National Park, which has 7,000 year old glaciers. The region is also home to Granite Peak, the highest point in the state. The Great Plains region extends across the eastern three-fifths of Montana. This grassy area is dotted with hills, river valleys and grain fields. Here you can see the badlands of the Great Plains, a mostly barren area with colorful and oddly shaped rock formations.
Wildlife of Montana
The wildlife of Montana is very diverse. Grizzlies and black bears, bighorn sheep, gray wolves and bison live in its mountains. Animals that live on the plains include the pronghorn, coyotes, and badgers. Bald eagles, golden eagles, red-winged blackbirds and mountain bluebirds soar throughout the Montana skies. Check the ground for reptiles such as alligator lizards, skinks and venomous vipers. Amphibians such as choir frogs, giant salamanders, and newts also call Montana home. Plant life changes dramatically when moving from mountains to plains. The Rocky Mountains have forests of spruce, spruce, and pine. The state’s flowers include the Woods rose, the twin flower, and a yellow daisy-like bloom called arnica. On the plains, most of the plants are grasses and shrubs, such as the plains thorny and rubber rabbit brush.
