Montana, the Treasure State, is located in the northern United States. The US state, which is rich in natural resources, is home to parts of the Rocky Mountains in the west.
In the north of the United States, you can discover Montana, a US state that is home to around a million people. According to Acronymmonster, the geography of Montana is shaped by the Rocky Mountains, which run through the west of the state. Therefore Montana belongs to the northern “Mountain States” of the USA, the name of the state is derived from the Spanish name montaña (which in turn has its roots in Latin) and means something like “mountainous country”. Montana covers an area of almost 380,000 km². The typical nickname of the region is Treasure State (due to the many natural resources), but Big Sky Country and Land of the Shining Mountains are also common.
Montana – the story of the Treasure State
Before the European settlers, what is now Montana was settled by the North American natives – including the Crows, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Gros Ventres and Assiniboine. In 1803 Montana was part of the so-called Louisiana Purchase, in which central land sections of today’s USA passed from France to the United States. In the middle of the 19th century, Montana flourished due to the flourishing fur trade. In the 1960s, large gold deposits were discovered locally, which led to so-called “boomtowns”. This resulted in the Montana Territory in the second half of the 19th century. Finally, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Enlarged Homestead Act influxed thousands of farmers. The economy of the northern state has always been shaped by the rich deposits of resources and natural resources – including gold, copper, precious stones, clay and gravel. Today it is mainly oil, natural gas and coal.
Montana – cities and sights
The capital of Montana is Helena in the heart of the state with around 30,000 residents. However, Helena is only the sixth largest city in Montana, while Billings comes first with around 105,000 residents. Instead of megacities, the northern state is shaped by the mountainous landscapes of the Rocky Mountains – which are prominently drawn through the 4,100 km² Glacier National Park.
Largest Counties in Montana by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Montana are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Beaverhead County | 14,356 km2 |
| 2 | Phillips County | 13,313 km2 |
| 3 | Flathead County | 13,206 km2 |
| 4 | Rosebud County | 12,981 km2 |
| 5 | Big Horn County | 12,937 km2 |
| 6 | Valley County | 12,745 km2 |
| 7 | Garfield County | 12,090 km2 |
| 8 | Fergus County | 11,238 km2 |
| 9 | Blaine County | 10,945 km2 |
| 10 | Chouteau County | 10,290 km2 |
| 11 | Custer County | 9,798 km2 |
| 12 | Lincoln County | 9,358 km2 |
| 13 | Madison County | 9,290 km2 |
| 14 | Lewis and Clark County | 8,964 km2 |
| 15 | Carter County | 8,651 km2 |
| 16 | Powder River County | 8,539 km2 |
| 17 | Glacier County | 7,757 km2 |
| 18 | Hill County | 7,501 km2 |
| 19 | Sanders County | 7,154 km2 |
| 20 | Cascade County | 6,988 km2 |
| 21 | Park County | 6,879 km2 |
| 22 | McCone County | 6,845 km2 |
| 23 | Yellowstone County | 6,825 km2 |
| 24 | Missoula County | 6,729 km2 |
| 25 | Gallatin County | 6,493 km2 |
| 26 | Ravalli County | 6,200 km2 |
| 27 | Meagher County | 6,195 km2 |
| 28 | Dawson County | 6,146 km2 |
| 29 | Roosevelt County | 6,102 km2 |
| 30 | Powell County | 6,024 km2 |
| 31 | Teton County | 5,887 km2 |
| 32 | Richland County | 5,398 km2 |
| 33 | Carbon County | 5,304 km2 |
| 34 | Toole County | 4,949 km2 |
| 35 | Judith Basin County | 4,843 km2 |
| 36 | Musselshell County | 4,836 km2 |
| 37 | Sweet Grass County | 4,804 km2 |
| 38 | Stillwater County | 4,649 km2 |
| 39 | Prairie County | 4,499 km2 |
| 40 | Granite County | 4,475 km2 |
| 41 | Sheridan County | 4,343 km2 |
| 42 | Jefferson County | 4,292 km2 |
| 43 | Petroleum County | 4,284 km2 |
| 44 | Pondera County | 4,209 km2 |
| 45 | Fallon County | 4,196 km2 |
| 46 | Lake County | 3,869 km2 |
| 47 | Liberty County | 3,704 km2 |
| 48 | Daniels County | 3,693 km2 |
| 49 | Wheatland County | 3,686 km2 |
| 50 | Mineral County | 3,160 km2 |
| 51 | Broadwater County | 3,087 km2 |
| 52 | Golden Valley County | 3,043 km2 |
| 53 | Treasure County | 2,536 km2 |
| 54 | Wibaux County | 2,302 km2 |
| 55 | Deer Lodge County | 1,909 km2 |
| 56 | Silver Bow County | 1,860 km2 |