Montana is known for its natural beauty and wildlife. If you
drive across Montana, you will see mountains, foothills (hills at
the edge of a mountain range), badlands (an area created by
erosion of rocks and hills with little vegetation), and prairies
(flat grasslands). It is hard to believe one state can contain so
many different landscapes.

Fast Facts
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the United States. It contains
147,042 square miles. Only Alaska, Texas, and California have more
land. However, compared to most states, not very many people
live here. In 2020, a little more than one million people lived in
Montana. That sounds like a big number, but it isn’t when you
compare it with other places. For example, New York City has
about 8.3 million people all living in 302 square miles.
Montana is in the northwestern region of the United States. It
borders three Canadian provinces on the north. To the west, it
borders Idaho. To the south, it borders Wyoming, and to the east
it borders North and South Dakota.

The Continental Divide
The Continental Divide (a mountain ridge that separates
North America) runs through Montana. On the west side of the
Continental Divide, rivers drain into the Pacific Ocean. On the
east side of the divide, rivers drain into the Atlantic Ocean.
Montana is home to Triple Divide Peak. That’s where the
Continental Divide and the Northern Divide meet. (The
Northern Divide separates waters that flow north from waters
that flow south. Waters north of the Northern Divide flow into
the Arctic Ocean.) A raindrop that falls on Triple Divide Peak, in
Glacier National Park, can flow into either the Pacific, Atlantic, or
Arctic Oceans.

Montana’s Three Regions
Montana has three distinct (separate) regions with very different
climates (typical weather conditions) and natural resources
(things found in nature and used by people). Because each region’s
geography is different, each region’s history is also different.
Western Montana
Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater body west of the
Great Lakes.
Western Montana has tall mountains, winding rivers, and thick
forests. Western Montana sees more rain than any other part of
the state. Between the mountains are wide, fertile (good for
growing things) valleys. Western Montana’s mountains are rich
in gold, silver, and copper.