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The Land
Not only do Montana and Wyoming share borders, they also share many of the same char-
acteristics when it comes to the geographic and cultural lay of the land. While both are
well known for their spectacular mountains, rivers, and valleys, the eastern part of both
states is remote, rural, and based on agriculture. Both states have Native American reser-
vations and the stories that go with them—many of the West's greatest battles took place
here—and they share many of the same industries: agriculture, mining, oil and gas, tour-
ism, and forestry. Although Montana and Wyoming have many similarities, it's their subtle
differences that make them stand out on their own.
GEOGRAPHY
Montana is the fourth-largest state in area, with just over 147,000 square miles of land, but
ranks near the bottom in population—44th, to be exact, with an estimated 1,005,141 people
as of July 2012. To the north is Canada, with Montana sharing borders with Saskatchewan,
Alberta, and British Columbia, while Wyoming is to the south. The western and southwest-
ern part of the state is bordered by Idaho, and North and South Dakota flank its eastern edge.
Montana is bisected by the Continental Divide, which runs diagonally from the northwest
to the south-central part of the state. The big peaks and expansive valleys dominating the
landscape of western Montana, from Yellowstone to Glacier National Parks, inspired the
state's name, which comes from the Spanish word for mountains. Central Montana acts as
a transition to the flatter part of the state, with the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers flowing
out of the mountains and into the wide-open spaces that make up remote eastern Montana
and the northern plains. Eye-catching badlands, buttes, terraces, and old grain silos domin-
ate the horizon here, a stark contrast to the coniferous forests found farther west. Granite
Peak in the Beartooth Mountains is the highest point in the state at 12,799 feet.
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