The name Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña, which in turn comes from the Latin word montanea, meaning 'mountain' or more broadly 'mountainous country.' Montaña del Norte was the name given by early Spanish explorers to the entire mountainous region of the west. Montana's fastest-growing sector is tourism, with 12.6 million tourists (as of 2019) visiting the state each year. The health care, service, and government sectors are also significant to the state's economy.

Other significant economic resources include oil, gas, coal, mining, and lumber. Its economy is primarily based on agriculture, including ranching and cereal grain farming. Montana has no official nickname but several unofficial ones, most notably 'Big Sky Country', 'The Treasure State', 'Land of the Shining Mountains', and ' The Last Best Place'. The state has a reputation for a libertarian bent in popular opinion and policy. The western half of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges, while the eastern half is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands, with smaller mountain ranges found throughout the state. Its state capital is Helena, while the largest city is Billings. It is the fourth-largest state by area, the eighth-least populous state, and the third-least densely populated state. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan to the north.

Montana ( / m ɒ n ˈ t æ n ə/ ( listen)) is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States.

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