OFFICIAL SEAL: In the lower center are a plow and a miner’s pick and shovel; mountains appear above them on the left, the Great Falls of the Missouri River on the right, and the state motto on a banner below. The words “The Great Seal of the State of Montana” surround the whole.

FLAG: A blue field, fringed in gold on the top and bottom borders, surrounds the center portion of the official seal, with “Montana” in gold letters above the coat of arms.

MOTTO: Oro y Plata (Gold and silver).

SONG: “Montana.”

FLOWER: Bitterroot.

TREE: Ponderosa pine.

ANIMAL: Grizzly bear.

BIRD: Western meadowlark.

FISH: Black-spotted (cutthroat) trout.

GEM: Yogo sapphire and Montana agate.

FOSSIL: Duck-billed dinosaur.

GRASS: Bluebunch wheatgrass.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; State Election Day, 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November in even-numbered years; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November; Christmas Day, 25 December.

TIME: 5 AM MST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Located in the northwestern United States, Montana is the largest of the eight Rocky Mountain states and ranks fourth in size among the 50 states. The total area of Montana is 147,046 square miles (380,849 square kilometers), of which land takes up 145,388 square miles (376,555 square kilometers) and inland water 1,658 square miles (4,294 square kilometers). The state’s maximum east-west extension is 570 miles (917 kilometers). Its extreme north-south distance is 315 miles (507 kilometers). Its total boundary length is 1,947 miles (3,133 kilometers).

2 Topography

Montana has an approximate mean elevation of 3,400 feet (1,000 meters). The Rocky Mountains cover the western two-fifths of the state, with the Bitterroot Range along the Idaho border. The high, gently rolling Great Plains occupy most of central and eastern Montana. The highest point in the state is Granite Peak, at an elevation of 12,799 feet (3,904 meters). The lowest point, at 1,800 feet (549 meters), is in the northwest, where the Kootenai River leaves the state at the Idaho border. The Continental Divide passes through the western part of the state. Ft. Peck Reservoir is Montana’s largest body of inland water, covering 375 square miles (971 square kilometers). Flathead Lake is the largest natural lake. The state’s most important rivers are the Missouri and the Yellowstone.

3 Climate

The Continental Divide separates the state into two distinct climatic regions. The west generally has a milder climate than the east, where winters can be especially harsh. Montana’s maximum daytime temperature averages 27°f (-2°c) in January and 85°f (29°c) in July. The all-time low temperature in the state, -70°f (-57°c) at Rogers Pass on 20 January 1954, is also the lowest temperature ever recorded in the continental United States. The all-time high, 117°f (47°c), was set at Medicine Lake on 5 July 1937. Great Falls receives an average annual precipitation of 15 inches (38 centimeters), but much of north-central Montana is arid. About 58.5 inches (148.6 centimeters) of snow descends on Great Falls each year.

Montana Population Profile

Total population estimate in 2006:	944,632
Population change, 2000–06:	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino†:	2.2%
Population by race
One race:	98.3%
White:	90.6%
Black or African American:	0.5%
American Indian /Alaska Native:	6.0%
Asian:	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander:	0.1%
Some other race:	0.5%
Two or more races:	1.7%

Population by Age Group

Major Cities by Population
City	Population	% change 2000–05
Notes: †A person of Hispanic or Latino origin may be of any race. NA indicates that data are not available.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey and Population Estimates. www.census.gov/ (accessed March 2007).
Billings	98,721	9.9
Missoula	62,923	10.3
Great Falls	56,338	-0.6
Bozeman	33,535	21.9
Butte-Silver Bow	32,282	-4.8
Helena	27,383	6.2
Kalispell	18,480	29.9
Havre	9,390	-2.4
Anaconda-Deer Lodge	8,948	-5.0
Miles	8,162	-3.8

4 Plants and Animals

The subalpine region, in the northern Rocky Mountains, is rich in wildflowers during a short midsummer growing season. The plants of the montane zone consists largely of coniferous forests, principally alpine fir, and a variety of shrubs. The plains are characterized by an abundance of grasses, cacti, and sagebrush species. Three plant species were threatened as of April 2006: Ute ladies’-tresses, Spalding’s catchfly, and water howellia.

Game animals of the state include elk, moose, pronghorn antelope, and mountain goat. Notable among the amphibians is the axolotl. Rattlesnakes and other reptiles occur in most of the state. As of 2006, eleven species were listed as threatened or endangered, including the grizzly bear, black-footed ferret, Eskimo curlew, two species of sturgeon, the gray wolf, and the whooping crane.

5 Environmental Protection

Montana’s major environmental concerns are management of mineral and water resources and reclamation of strip-mined land. In 2003, Montana had 71 hazardous waste sites listed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s database, 14 of which were on the National Priorities List as of 2006. Only a tiny fraction of the state’s lands are wetlands. The Water Quality Bureau of the Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences is responsible for managing wetlands.

6 Population

In 2005, Montana ranked 44th in population in the United States with an estimated total of 944,632 residents. The population is projected to reach 999,489 by 2015 and 1.03 million by 2025. In 2004, Montana’s population density of 6.4 persons per square mile (2.47 persons per square kilometer) was one of the lowest in the country. In 2005, 13% of the all residents were 65 years of age and older, while 22% were 18 and younger. The median age was about 39.6 in 2004. The largest metropolitan area in 2005 was Billings, with an estimated 98,721 residents. The Missoula metropolitan area had an estimated population of 62,923.

7 Ethnic Groups

According to the 2000 census, there were approximately 56,068 Native Americans in Montana, of whom the Blackfeet and Crow are the most numerous. In 2006, American Indians accounted for 6.0% of the state’s population. In 2000, there were also 2,692 black Americans and 4,691 Asians. In 2006, blacks accounted for 0.5% of the population, while Asians accounted for 0.6%. There were 18,081 Hispanic or Latino residents in 2000, accounting for 2% of the population. In 2006, Hispanic or Latino residents accounted for 2.2% of the state’s population. In 2000, a total of 16,396 residents in Montana were foreign born. Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Mexico were the leading places of origin.

Montana Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

	Number	Percent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000: Redistricting Data. Press release issued by the Redistricting Data Office. Washington, D.C., March, 2001. A dash (—) indicates that the percent is less than 0.1.
Total population	902,195	100.0
One race	886,465	98.3
Two races	15,003	1.7
White and Black or African American	1,016	0.1
White and American Indian/Alaska Native	9,116	1.0
White and Asian	1,710	0.2
White and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	268	—
White and some other race	1,945	0.2
Black or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native	300	—
Black or African American and Asian	40	—
Black or African American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	7	—
Black or African American and some other race	50	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian	117	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	34	—
American Indian/Alaska Native and some other race	196	—
Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	91	—
Asian and some other race	95	—
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and some other race	18	—
Three or more races	727	0.1

8 Languages

English in Montana fuses Northern and Midland features, with the Northern influence declining from east to west. In 2000, the number of Montanans who spoke only English at home was 803,031, representing about 95% of the resident population five years of age or older. Other languages spoken at home, and number of speakers, included Spanish, 12,953; German, 9,416; and various Native American languages, 9,234.

9 Religions

In 2000, there were nearly an equal number of Protestants and Roman Catholics within the state. In 2004, there were about 103,351 adherents to the Roman Catholic faith. Leading Protestant denominations (with 2000 data) were the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 50,287; the United Methodist Church, 17,993; Assemblies of God, 16,385; the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 15,441 and the Southern Baptist Convention, 15,318. There were about 850 Jews and 614 Muslims in the state in 2000. In 2006, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) reported a statewide membership of 13,384 adherents.

About 493,703 people (55% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization in 2000.

10 Transportation

Montana’s first railroad, the Utah and Northern, entered the state in 1880. Today, Montana is served by two Class I railroads (the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and the Union Pacific), plus two regional railroads, and two local railroads, operating on 3,291 miles (5,326 kilometers) of track. As of 2006, Amtrak operated one long-distance route (Chicago–Seattle/Portland) through the state, which served 12 stations.

Because of its large size, small population, and difficult terrain, Montana was slow to develop a highway system. In 2004, the state had 69,452 miles (111,817 kilometers) of public roads, streets, and highways. There were about 1.031 million registered motor vehicles in that same year, including some 427,000 automobiles, around 555,000 trucks, and some 1,000 buses. There were 712,880 licensed drivers in 2004.

Montana had 241 airports, 31 heliports, 2 STOLports (Short Take-Off and Landing), and 2 seaplane bases in 2005. The leading airport is Billings-Logan International Airport, which had 395,086 passenger boardings in 2004.

11 History

Montana’s first European explorers were probably French traders and trappers from Canada who arrived during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was not until 1803, however, that the written history of Montana began. In that year, the Louisiana Purchase gave the United States most of Montana, and the Lewis and Clark expedition, dispatched by President Thomas Jefferson in 1804, added the rest. Soon afterwards, the first American trappers, traders, and settlers entered Montana.

The fur trade dominated Montana’s economy until 1858, when gold was discovered east of the present-day community of Drummond, bringing with it a temporary gold boom. In 1863, the eastern and western sectors of Montana were joined as part of Idaho Territory. On 26 May 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Organic Act, which created the Montana Territory.

The territorial period was one of rapid and profound change. By the time Montana became a state on 8 November 1889, the remnants of Montana’s Native American culture had been largely confined to federal reservations, following the surrender of the Nez Perce tribe to federal forces. As the Native American threat subsided, cattle ranchers wasted little time in putting the seemingly limitless open range to use. The “hard winter” of 1886/87, when perhaps as many as 362,000 head of cattle starved, marked the end of a cattle frontier based on the “free grass” of the open range and taught the stockmen the value of a secure winter feed supply.

Modern Times Construction of Montana’s railroad system between 1880 and 1909 breathed new life into mining as well as the livestock industry. By 1890, the Butte copper pits were producing more than 40% of the nation’s copper requirements. The struggle to gain financial control of the enormous mineral wealth of Butte Hill led to the “War of the Copper Kings,” whose victor, Anaconda Copper Mining, practically controlled the press, politics, and governmental processes of Montana until the 1940s and 1950s.

The railroads also brought an invasion of agricultural homesteaders. Montana’s population

doubled between 1900 and 1920, while the number of farms and ranches increased form 13,000 to 57,000. Drought and a sharp drop in wheat prices after World War I brought an end to the homestead boom. Conditions worsened with the drought and depression of the early 1930s. Then the New Deal—enormously popular in Montana—helped revive farming and silver mining, and financed irrigation and other public works projects.

The decades since the end of World War II have seen moderate growth in Montana’s population, economy, and social services. Although manufacturing developed slowly, the state’s fossil fuels industry grew rapidly during the national energy crisis of the 1970s. However, production of coal, crude oil, and natural gas leveled off after the crisis and even declined in the early 1980s.

In 1983 the Anaconda Copper Mining Company shut down its mining operations in Butte. Farm income declined in the late 1980s as a result of falling prices, drought, and insect damage. By the early 1990s, growth in manufacturing and construction and recovery in agriculture improved the state’s economy. Nevertheless, the state had the eighth-highest unemployment rate in the nation, 5.2% as of 1999. US Senator Max Baucus urged a special session of the state legislature to address unemployment and convened a Montana Economic Development Summit in June 2000. By September 2005, the state’s economic picture improved, with unemployment falling to 4.5%. However the number of Montana residents living below the federal poverty line remained high at 14.3% in 2004.

Tourism, air quality, and wildlife in parts of Montana were affected by forest fires. In 1988 forest fires burned for almost three months in Yellowstone National Park, and some Montana residents had to be evacuated from their homes. In 2000, Montana was again among the states afflicted by raging wildfires. By the end of July, 3.5 million acres had burned across the West. In August 2003, wildfires burned more than 400,000 acres, an area large enough to cover about half of Rhode Island.

In 1992 Montana’s delegation to the US House of Representatives was reduced from two members to one, based on the results of the 1990 Census. As of the 2004 election, the state was still represented in the US House of Representatives by a single member. In that election, Democrat

Brian Schweitzer retook the governorship, which had been held by Republicans since 1988.

12 State Government

Montana’s original constitution, dating from 1889, was revised by a 1972 constitutional convention, effective in 1973. That document had been amended 30 times by January 2005.

The state legislature consists of 50 senators, elected to staggered four-year terms, and 99 representatives, who serve for two years. Elected officers of the executive branch include the governor and lieutenant governor (who run jointly), secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, and superintendent of public instruction. Each serves a four-year term. To become law, a bill must pass both houses by a simple majority and be signed by the governor, or remain unsigned for five days, or be passed over the governor’s veto by a two-thirds vote of both houses.

In 2004, legislators received $78.60 per day during regular legislative sessions, while the governor received $93,089 per year, as of December 2004.

13 Political Parties

Since statehood, Democrats have generally dominated in contests for the US House and Senate, while Republicans led in elections for state and local offices, and in national presidential campaigns (except during the New Deal years). In 2000, Montanans gave Republican George W. Bush 58% and Democrat Al Gore 34%. In 2004, President Bush took 59% of the vote, compared to 39% for challenger John Kerry.

Democrat Brian Schweitzer became governor in 2004. Democratic challenger Jon Tester defeated incumbent senator Conrad Burns, a Republican, in the 2006 US Senate race. Democrat Max Baucus won reelection to his seat in the US Senate in 2002. The state’s sole seat in the US House was retained by a Republican in the 2006 election.

Following the 2006 midterm elections, there were 24 Republicans and 26 Democrats in the state senate, while there were 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and 1 Independent in the state house. Thirty-seven women were elected to the state legislature in 2006, or 24.7%.

In 2004 there were 638,000 registered voters in Montana. The state does not require party registration.

14 Local Government

As of 2005, Montana had 56 counties, 129 municipalities, 592 special districts, and 453 public school districts. Typically, elected county officialsconsist of three county commissioners, an attorney, a sheriff, a clerk and recorder, school superintendent, treasurer, assessor, and coroner.

15 Judicial System

Montana’s highest court, the Montana Supreme Court, consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. District courts are the courts of general jurisdiction. There are 37 district court judges. Justice of the peace courts are essentially county courts whose jurisdiction is limited to minor civil cases, misdemeanors, and traffic violations.

Montana’s violent crime (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault) rate in 2004 was 293.8 incidents per 100,000 people. The state has a death penalty, for which lethal injection is the sole method of execution. However, the state rarely enforces the death penalty. Between 1976 and 5 May 2006, only two people have been executed. As of 1 January 2006, there were four inmates on death row. There were 3,877 inmates in Montana’s state and federal prisons as of 31 December 2004.

Montana Governors: 1889–2007

1889–1893	Joseph Kemp Toole	Democrat
1893–1897	John Ezra Rickards	Republican
1897–1901	Robert Burns Smith Populist,	Democrat
1901–1908	Joseph Kemp Toole	Democrat
1908–1913	Edwin Lee Norris	Democrat
1913–1921	Sam Vernon Stewart	Democrat
1921–1925	Joseph Moore Dixon	Republican
1925–1933	John Edward Erickson	Democrat
1933–1935	Frank Henry Cooney	Democrat
1935–1937	William Elmer Holt	Democrat
1937–1941	Roy Elmer Ayers	Democrat
1941–1949	Samuel Clarence Ford	Republican
1949–1953	John Woodrow Bonner	Democrat
1953–1961	John Hugo Aronson	Republican
1961–1965	Donald Grant Nutter	Republican
1965–1969	Tim M. Babcock	Republican
1969–1973	Forest Howard Anderson	Democrat
1973–1981	Thomas Lee Judge	Democrat
1981–1989	Ted Schwinden	Democrat
1989–1993	Stan Stephens	Republican
1993–2000	Marc Francis Racicot	Republican
2000–2004	Judy Martz	Republican
2004–	Brian Schweitzer	Democrat

16 Migration

Montana’s first great migratory wave brought Indians from the east during the l7th and 18th centuries. The gold rush of the 1860s, and a land boom between 1900 and 1920 resulted in surges of white settlement. The economically troubled 1920s and 1930s produced a severe wave of outmigration that continued through the 1960s. The trend began reversing between 1970 and 1980. Between 1990 and 1998, Montana had net gains of 48,000 in domestic migration and 3,000 in international migration. In the period 2000–05, net international migration was 2,141, while net domestic migration for that same period was 18,933 people, giving the state a net gain of 21,074 people.

Montana Presidential Vote by Major Political Parties, 1948–2004

YEAR	MONTANA WINNER	DEMOCRAT	REPUBLICAN
*Won US presidential election.
** Independent candidate Ross Perot received 107,225 votes in 1992 and 55,229 votes in 1996.
1948	*Truman (D)	119,071	96,770
1952	*Eisenhower (R)	106,213	157,394
1956	*Eisenhower (R)	116,238	154,933
1960	Nixon (R)	134,891	141,841
1964	*Johnson (D)	164,246	113,032
1968	*Nixon (R)	114,117	138,835
1972	*Nixon (R)	120,197	183,976
1976	Ford (R)	149,259	173,703
1980	*Reagan (R)	118,032	206,814
1984	*Reagan (R)	146,742	232,450
1988	*Bush (R)	168,936	190,412
1992**	*Clinton (D)	154,507	144,207
1996**	Dole (R)	167,922	179,652
2000	*Bush, G. W. (R)	137,126	240,178
2004	*Bush, G. W. (R)	173,710	266,063

17 Economy

Agriculture, mining, and lumbering traditionally dominated Montana’s economy. In the early 21st century, tourism was of increasing importance. A lawsuit with the federal government over the federal lands that have supplied much of the state’s timber has placed the timber industry’s future in question. Employment in the services industries overtook manufacturing and mining during the 1990s. Business, engineering, and health services stimulated the economy, in addition to tourism.

The state economy was little affected by the national recession of 2001, and employment increased in construction, financial, and general services, and fell slightly in manufacturing, transportation, and utilities in 2002. Farming in Montana was hard-hit by drought conditions in the early 2000s. Wheat crop yields in 2002 were the lowest since 1988.

Montana’s gross state product (GSP) in 2004 was $27.482 billion, of which real estate accounted for the largest share of GSP at $3.229 billion or 11.7%. It was followed by healthcare and social assistance at 9% of GSP, and construction at 5.9% of GSP. Of the 33,801 businesses that have employees, 97.8% are small companies.

18 Income

In 2004, Montana ranked 42nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita (per person) income of $27,657, compared to the national average of $33,050. Montana’s median household income for the three-year period 2002 through 2004 was $35,201, compared to the national average of $44,473. For the same period, 14.3% of the state’s residents lived below the federal poverty level, compared to 12.4% nationwide.

19 Industry

Montana’s major manufacturing industries process raw materials from mines, forests, and farms. In 2004, the total shipment value of all products manufactured in the state totaled $6.468 billion. Of that total, wood product manufacturing accounted for the largest share at $960.445 million, followed by food manufacturing at $666.718 million, and nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing at $216.365 million.

In 2004, a total of 17,311 people were employed in Montana’s manufacturing sector. Of that total, the wood product manufacturing sector accounted for the largest portion, with 4,109 workers, followed by food manufacturing at 2,464, and miscellaneous manufacturing at 1,447.

20 Labor

In April 2006, the seasonally adjusted civilian labor force in Montana numbered 502,800, with approximately 18,300 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 3.6%, compared to the national average of 4.7% for the same period. April 2006 data for nonfarm employment showed that about 6.9% of the labor force was employed in construction; 4.5% in manufacturing; 4.5% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 5% in financial activities; 8.4% in professional and business services; 13% in leisure and hospitality services; and 20.2% in government. Data was unavailable for education and healthcare services.

In 2005, a total of 42,000 of Montana’s 391,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of a union. This represented 10.7% of those so employed, and was below the national average of 12%.

21 Agriculture

Montana’s farms numbered 28,000 in 2004. Farm income totaled almost $2.38 billion in 2005. In 2004, Montana was the nation’s third-leading wheat producer. Other major crops were barley (third in the United States), sugarbeets (sixth), and hay. Oats, potatoes, flax, and dry beans are also grown.

22 Domesticated Animals

In 2005, Montana’s farms and ranches had around 2.4 million cattle and calves, valued at $2.5 million. There were an estimated 165,000 hogs and pigs, valued at $18.2 million in 2004. During 2003, Montana farmers produced around 24.6 million pounds (11.2 million kilograms) of sheep and lambs that grossed $22.6 million in income.

23 Fishing

Montana’s designated fishing streams offer some 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) of good to excellent freshwater fishing. In 2004, the state issued 379,252 sport fishing licenses.

Montana is home to the Creston and Ennis National Fish Hatcheries as well as the Bozeman Fish Technology Center and the Bozeman Fish Health Center. Creston specializes in rainbow trout, westslope cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon, and bull trout. Ennis works as part of the National Broodstock Program, producing about 20 million rainbow trout eggs annually for research facilities, universities and federal, state and tribal hatcheries in 23 states.

24 Forestry

In 2004, a total of 23,500,000 acres (9,510,000 hectares) in Montana were classified as forest-land. There were 11 national forests, comprising 16,932,447 acres (6,852,561 hectares) in 2005. The lumbering industry produced 1.09 billion board feet in 2004.

25 Mining

The estimated value of nonfuel mineral production for Montana in 2003 was $492 million. Metallic minerals accounted for 63% of the state’s total nonfuel mineral production by value. Montana ranked 26th nationally in the value of nonfuel minerals produced.

Gold was Montana’s leading mineral by value in 2003, followed by platinum, construction sand and gravel, cement (portland and masonry), and bentonite. Montana is the only state to produce primary platinum and palladium. The state is first in the production of talc; second in benton-ite; fourth in gold, zinc and lead, and seventh in silver. According to preliminary figures, production and value in 2003 included construction sand and gravel, 18 million metric tons ($81.9 million); palladium, 14,600 kilograms ($98.3 million); and platinum, 4,100 kilograms ($86.5 million)

26 Energy and Power

In 2003, Montana generated 26.268 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, of which 64.9% came from coal-fired plants, 33.1% from hydropower, and 1.5% from petroleum-fueled plants. Total net summer generating capacity was 5.210 million kilowatts in 2003.

In 2004, the state produced an average of 68,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Proven reserves in that same year totaled 364 million barrels. Marketed natural gas production in 2004 totaled 96.762 billion cubic feet (2.74 billion cubic meters), with proven reserves of consumer-grade natural gas of 995 billion cubic feet (28.2 billion cubic meters), as of 31 December 2004. In 2004, Montana had six producing coal mines (five surface operations and one underground). In that same year, coal output totaled 39.989 million tons. Recoverable coal reserves totaled 1.14 billion tons in 2004.

27 Commerce

In 2002, Montana’s wholesale trade sector had sales totaling $7.2 billion, while the retail trade sector had sales of $10.1 billion. Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts dealers accounted for the largest portion of retail sales at $ 2.7 billion, followed by general merchandise stores at $1.6 billion, and food and beverage stores at $1.3 billion. In 2005, Montana’s foreign exports totaled $710 million.

28 Public Finance

The Montana state budget is prepared biennially by the Office of Budget and Program Planning and submitted by the governor to the legislature for amendment and approval. The fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June.

In 2004, Montana had total revenues of $5.45 billion, while total expenditures that year totaled $4.69 billion. The largest general expenditures were for education ($1.377 billion), public welfare ($762 million), and highways ($537 million). The state’s debt in 2004 totaled $3.048 billion, or $3,288.96 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

As of 1 January 2006, Montana had a seven-bracket personal income tax that ranged from 1% to 6.9%. The corporate income tax was a flat rate of 6.75%. There is no state sales and use tax, but Montana imposes excise taxes covering such products as motor fuels, and tobacco products. There are also state and local property taxes.

The state collected $1.788 billion in taxes in 2005, of which 39.9% came from individual income taxes, 25.5% from selective sales taxes, 10.4% from state property taxes, and 5.5% from corporate income taxes. The per capita (per person) tax burden in 2005 amounted to $1,910, compared to the national average of $2,192, which ranked the state 35th among the 50 states in terms of individual tax burden.

30 Health

In October 2005, the infant mortality rate was estimated at 6.7 per 1,000 live births. The overall death rate was 9.2 per 1,000 people in 2003. Major causes of death were heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and diabetes. About 20.3% of the population were smokers in 2004. Montana has one of the lowest AIDS rates in the country. In 2004, the state’s AIDS case rate was about 0.8 per 100,000 people.

Montana’s 53 community hospitals had about 4,300 beds in 2003. In 2005, Montana had 800 nurses per 100,000 population, while in 2004, there were 224 physicians per 100,000 population, and a total of 513 dentists in the state. The average expense for community hospital care was $733 per day. In 2004, about 19% of Montana’s residents were uninsured.

31 Housing

In 2004, Montana had an estimated 423,262 housing units, of which 368,530 were occupied, and 68.5% were owner-occupied. About 69.8% of all units were single-family, detached homes, while about 12.8% were mobile homes. Utility gas and electricity were the most common energy sources for heating. It was estimated that 18,156 units lacked telephone service, 1,780 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 2,143 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.45 people.

In 2004, a total of 5,000 new privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value was $119,319. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $974. Renters paid a median of $520 per month.

32 Education

In 2004, of all Montana residents age 25 and older, 91.9% were high school graduates and 5.5% had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 147,000 in fall 2003, and expected to total 141,000 by fall 2014. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in fall 2003 was 8,924. Expenditures for public education in 2003/2004 were estimated at $1.2 billion.

As of fall 2002, there were 45,111 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In 2005, Montana had 23 degree-granting institutions. The University of Montana has campuses at Missoula, Montana Tech, and Western Montana College. Montana State University encompasses the Bozeman, Billings, and Northern campuses.

33 Arts

The state capitol in Helena is home to Charles Russell’s mural Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians. Orchestras are based in Billings and Bozeman. The Equinox Theater Company is also a popular attraction in Bozeman.

The Montana Arts Council supports many programs with state and federal funds. The Montana Committee for the Humanities (MCH) was founded in 1972. In 2000, the MCH sponsored its first annual Montana Festival of the Book in downtown Missoula, bringing together writers, readers, and entertainers from across the state.

34 Libraries and Museums

In 2001, Montana had 107 public libraries, of which 28 were branches. The combined book stock of all Montana public libraries was 2.625 million volumes and their combined circulation was 4.8 million. Distinguished collections include those of the University of Montana (Missoula) and Montana State University (Bozeman).

Among the state’s 74 museums are the Montana Historical Society Museum in Helena, the World Museum of Mining in Butte, and the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning. The C. M. Russell Museum in Great Falls honors the work of Charles Russell, whose mural Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians adorns the capitol in Helena. Other fine art museums include the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, the Yellowstone Art Center at Billings, and the Missoula Museum of the Arts.

35 Communications

In 2004, of all the state’s households, 93.5% had telephone service, and as of December 2003, there were 373,947 wireless telephone service subscribers. In 2003, computers were in 59.5% of all Montana households, while 50.4% had Internet access. There were 43 major commercial radio stations (14 AM, 29 FM) in 2005, and 16 major television stations. A total of 15,300 Internet domain names were registered in Montana in 2000.

36 Press

As of 2005, Montana had eight morning dailies, three evening dailies, and seven Sunday newspapers. The leading papers and their circulations were the Billings Gazette (47,105 mornings, 52,434 Sundays), the Great Falls Tribune (33,434 mornings, 36,763 Sundays), and the Missoulian (30,466 mornings, 34,855 Sundays).

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

In 2002, about 10 million nonresident travelers spent $1.8 billion dollars on visits to the state. The tourist industry sponsors over 33,500 jobs for the state.

Many tourists seek out the former gold rush camps, ghost towns, and dude ranches. Scenic wonders include Glacier National Park in the northwest, and Yellowstone National Park, which also extends into Idaho and Wyoming. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is another popular destination.

38 Sports

Although there are no professional major league sports teams in Montana, there are minor league baseball teams in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula. The University of Montana Grizzlies and Montana State University Bobcats both compete in the Big Sky Conference. Skiing is a very popular participation sport. The state has world-class ski resorts in Big Sky. Other annual sporting events include the Seeley-Lincoln 100/200 Dog Sled Race between Seely Lake and Lincoln in January, and many rodeos statewide.

39 Famous Montanans

Prominent national officeholders from Montana include US Senator Thomas Walsh (b.Wisconsin, 1859–1933), who directed the investigation that uncovered the Teapot Dome scandal; Jeannette Rankin (1880–1973), the first woman member of Congress and the only US representative to vote against American participation in both world wars. Crazy Horse (1849?–1877) led a Sioux-Cheyenne army in battle at Little Big Horn. The town of Bozeman is named for explorer and prospector John M. Bozeman (b.Georgia, 1835–1867).

Creative artists from Montana include Alfred Bertram Guthrie Jr. (b.Indiana, 1901–1991), author of The Big Sky and the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Way West; and Charles Russell (b.Missouri, 1864–1926), Montana’s foremost painter and sculptor. Hollywood stars Gary Cooper (Frank James Cooper, 1901–1961) and Myrna Loy (1905–1993) were also from Montana.