Montana: Big Sky Country Quiz | Montana

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Montana comes from the Spanish for "mountain" or mountainous." About how much of Montana is covered by mountains?

Answer: 40%

The western part of Montana is very mountainous, but the eastern part of the state is covered by the Great Plains. Montana owes its name to Congressman James Ashley, who served as chairman of the Committee on Territories. Ashley later served as Territorial Governor of Montana from 1869 to 1870. Colorado is actually more mountainous than Montana.

2. In terms of area, where does Montana rank among the fifty states?

Answer: 4th largest

The area of Montana is 147,042 square miles. This is larger than many countries - including Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy! If Montana were a country, it would be the 62nd largest in the world by area.

3. Montana has a significant Native American population. Are there any Indian reservations in Montana?

Answer: Yes

There are seven reservations in Montana, shared by 11 different tribes. In 2012, Native Americans in Montana numbered around 66,000, accounting for over 6% of the state's population.

4. As its name implies, there are a lot of mountains in Montana. There are 77 named mountain ranges and a staggering 2991 named mountains. Which one is Montana's highest mountain?

Answer: Granite Peak

These are all mountains in Montana, but Granite Peak is the highest, at 12,807 ft. (3904m). It is located in Park County, about 10 miles north of the Wyoming border. It was not climbed until 1923. Although there are thousands of mountains in Montana, none rank among the 50 tallest in the United States.

5. Which of these important rivers flows through Montana?

Answer: Missouri River

The Missouri River actually begins in Montana! It is formed by the confluence of three smaller rivers: the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin, near Three Forks in southwestern Montana. The Missouri River is the longest in North America.

6. Butte is Montana's fifth largest city. For many years it produced a large percentage of the copper mined in the United States. Although immigrants from dozens of countries settled there, a disproportionate number of its early settlers came from which country?

Answer: Ireland

According to the 2010 census, Butte remained "the most Irish city in America," with 23.6% of its population having Irish ancestry. This was even higher than Boston, with 18.9% at the time.

7. One of Montana's many nicknames is "The Treasure State", due to the large amounts of gold and silver that were mined there. But Yogo Gulch, in the Little Belt Mountains, is famous for producing another type of treasure, a gemstone that has long been identified with Montana. What gem is this?

Answer: Sapphire

Montana is famous for its sapphires, and the finest come from Yogo Gulch. Most Montana sapphires are a natural blue color and do not need to be heated like sapphires from Asia in order to bring out their beautiful blue color. Sapphire and agate are Montana's official state gemstones.

8. There is another famous river in Montana sometimes called the Greasy Grass River, or the the Great Horn River. Its name comes from a famous battle between Native Americans and the U.S. Seventh Cavalry on June 25-26, 1876. What is the more common name for this river?

Answer: The Little Bighorn

The Battle of the Little Bighorn, sometimes called Custer's Last Stand, was the greatest military defeat suffered by U.S. forces during the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer foolishly divided his command into three parts; Custer and all the men under his immediate command were killed; the other contingents, under Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen, were able to beat off attacks on their positions until reinforcements arrived.

The Seventh Calvary lost 258 killed and 51 wounded out of 647 engaged; three civilians and several Crow scouts attached to the command were also killed or wounded.

In many ways, the Battle of the Little Bighorn was a pyrrhic victory for the Native Americans; within a year most had been forced to return to their reservations or flee to Canada.

9. A major source of dinosaur fossils takes its name from a small creek near Jordan, Montana. What is this geological deposit called?

Answer: Hell Creek Formation

The Hell Creek Formation is largely in Montana, but also extends into Wyoming and North and South Dakota. It has yielded a wide range of fossils, but is most famous for its dinosaur fossils. Some of the best preserved specimens of Tyrannosaurus Rex have been found in Montana.

10. Helena is the capital of Montana, but it is not the state's largest city. Which city, the county seat of Yellowstone County, has claimed that distinction?

Answer: Billings

Billings is located in south central Montana. In 2012, it had a population of 106,954, making it the only city in Montana with a population of over 100,000 at the time. Billings was founded in 1882 as a railhead for the Northern Pacific Railroad, and named after the railroad's president, Frederick H. Billings. By 1910, its population had grown to over 10,000. Unlike many American cities, Billings has continued to experience steady population growth.

Source: Author daver852

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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Montana: Big Sky Country Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz about Montana, one of the largest but least populated of the fifty states.

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