Added: 04/11/2006 |
Montana -- a Most Scenic Mountain States DestinationThe Mountain states form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States. The division consists of eight states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The word "Mountain" refers to the Rocky Mountains, which run north-south throughout the division, and also to Mountain Standard Time. Since the late 1960s, the Mountain states have moved to challenge the Southern states for the distinction of being the nation's most politically Republican geographical entity.
The Republican monopoly on the Mountain states eased in 2004. Democrats gained control of the state legislatures in Montana and Colorado, won back a House and Senate seat in Colorado and the governorship in Montana. In Utah, Democrats came within 10% points of the governorship and won the state's second top ranking post as the Mayor of Salt Lake County. New Mexico has become more Democratic than the rest of the area recently, having voted for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Democrats have felt the Mountain States, especially Colorado, Montana, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico are a place where their party can grow in the future. Democratic Party growth is also helped by the region's fast-increasing Hispanic population, already a significant political factor in several of the Mountain States. Most of the territory found within the Mountain States is placed in a moral region, labeled as Marlboro Country, with the division's eastern and southern areas being slotted between southern California and Mexico.
One of the Mountain states, Montana is the home for tall Rocky Mountains. These mountains have provided Montana its name - a derivation of the Spanish Montana "mountain". The Rocky Mountains, which are fundamental to the state's topography, have yielded a fortune of gold and silver since the first substantial deposits were discovered in the early 1860's.
Today, the mountains attract people for their natural splendor. Glacier National Park is a destination for many, with majestic peaks shaped by massive glacial ice. And Montana's Yellowstone National Park delights visitors with incredible scenery, waterfalls, geysers, and lakes. There are vast stretches of natural beauty in Montana and it is wealthy in forestry and agriculture. Montana has buffalo, and in the National Bison Range, on the Flathead Reservation, buffalo roam a 20,000-acre national wildlife refuge. Great Falls is a distinctive landmark that has become a tourist attraction.
One of the more popular nicknames for Montana, "The Treasure State" legend was featured on standard license plates from 1950 to 1966. Montana is referred to as the "Treasure State" because of its rich mineral reserves. Mining has been an economic cornerstone of the state and the state's motto "Oro y Plata," Spanish for gold and silver, refers to two of the minerals that gave rise to the nickname.
From Montana hostels to Montana natural wonders, the state is a unique place to visit.
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