State of Montana Geography

Montana, derived from the Spanish word, montaña, meaning mountain country, can be divided into two general geographic areas. The eastern portion is covered by the Great Plains while the western includes the Rocky Mountain Region.

THE GREAT PLAINS OF MONTANA
The Great Plains of Montana are part of the Interior Plain of North America that stretches from Canada south to Mexico. Comprised of high, gently rolling land interrupted by hills and wide river valleys, including the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, groups of mountains spring up from these plains: the Bear Paws, Big Snowy, Judith, and Little Rocky Mountains. In the southeast, badlands swept by wind and water showcase beautiful natural stone columns of red, yellow, brown, and white.

High, gently rolling land with wide river valleys, including the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
The Rocky Mountain Region of Montana is covered by flat, grassy valleys and mountains blanketed in fir, spruce, pine, and other evergreens. The southwest valleys are from 30 to 40 miles wide while the valleys in the north are narrower. Many of the mountains are covered with snow for eight to 10 months of the year, with a few active glaciers at higher altitudes.

There are more than 50 mountain ranges in this region, including the Absaroka, Beartooth, Bridger, Gallatin, Madison, and Tobacco Root ranges. Granite Peak, Montana's highest point, rises 12,799 feet above sea level in south-central Montana.

The Montana Rocky Mountains are known for their clear, cold lakes.

THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
The Indians called the Continental Divide the "backbone of the world." The Continental Divide runs along the crests of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico, literally dividing the waters of the North American continent - west into the Pacific Ocean and east to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Indians called the Continental Divide the "backbone of the world."

Montana is known as a headwaters state because much of the water that flows to the rest of the nation comes from the mountains of Montana. Within its borders are portions of two major river drainage systems of North America. The Kootenai, Clark Fork, Blackfoot, Bitterroot and Flathead Rivers join the Columbia River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean. From its headwaters at Three Forks, the Missouri River empties into the Mississippi, flowing to the Gulf of Mexico.

Montana's two largest lakes are the Flathead (largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi) and Fort Peck, a manmade lake with over 1,500 miles of shoreline.

Fort Peck is a manmade lake with over 1,500 miles of shoreline.

MONTANA – BIG SKY COUNTRY
The eastern third of the state is plains country where the sky seems to find no limits. The central third is plains surrounding what are called "island" mountain ranges, and the western third, mountain ranges and valleys. In the southern central portion of the state is Yellowstone National Park, while the northwestern corner features Glacier National Park.

Throughout all of Montana, geographic treasures wait to be discovered.

MONTANA AT A GLANCE
Capital: Helena
Longitude: 104° 2'W to 116° 2'W
Latitude: 44° 26'N to 49°N
Total Area: 147,046 square miles
Highest Point: Granite Peak 12,799 feet above sea level
Mean Elevation: 3,400 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: 86.6 degrees - 8.1 degrees
Major Rivers: Clark Fork River, Missouri River, Yellowstone River
Major Lakes: Flathead Lake, Fort Peck Lake