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MONTANA41st State of the UNION

Motto: Oro y plata

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From the Spanish word “montaña”

Montana entered the union in 1889

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It was first explored by the French in the 1740’s.It was acquired by the United States in 1803, as a part of the

Louisiana Purchase.

Mining was the most important activity: copper, zinc, lead, silver, coal,…

Wheat, barley, rye, oats, potatoes,…. are grown on Montana’s plains.

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State symbols

• Flower - bitterroot (1895)• Tree - ponderosa pine (1949)• Stones - sapphire and agate (1969)• Bird - Western meadowlark (1981)• Song - “Montana” (1945)

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Nickname: Treasure State

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MAIN CITIES:

• BILLINGS: 104,170 inhabitants• MISSOULA: 95,802• GREAT FALLS: 58,505• BOZEMAN: 37,280• BUTTE-SILVER BOW: 34,200• HELENA: 28,190

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Capital: HelenaIt is a commercial, trading, and shipping centre in a ranching and mining area.

It was founded in 1864 after the discovery of gold in Last Chance Gulch (now Helena's main street) and grew rapidly.

The city is surrounded by scenic mountains and is the headquarters of Helena National Forest.

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Gary Cooper• Gary Cooper (1901–61) was an American film actor born in Helena as

Frank James Cooper. His first important starring role was in A Farewell to Arms (1933).

• Films followed such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Pride of the Yankees (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), and Saratoga Trunk (1944).

• He was known as the shy man of the West.• He won Oscars for his performances in Sergeant York (1941) and High

Noon (1952), in which his portrayal of the strong, silent sheriff became emblematic of the Western hero.

• His later films include Vera Cruz (1954), Friendly Persuasion (1956), and They Came to Cordura (1959).

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• Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park in the world. It extends into Montana and Idaho.

• It is on a plateau sorrounded by moyuntains.• The area is a huge craterlike volcanic basin (caldera), responsible

for several massive eruptions, the most recent occurred around 600,000 years ago. The plateau is mostly formed from once-molten lava.