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In 1865 the provisional legislature adopted a seal for public business, and that same design is used by the state today. It includes a representation of the Rocky Mountains, which are fundamental to the state's topography and to its name, a derivation of the Spanish montaña ("mountain"). The seal also depicts a river and forests, recalling Montana's vast stretches of natural beauty and its wealth in forestry and agriculture. Central to the design is Great Falls, a distinctive landmark that has become a tourist attraction. The plow and crossed pick and shovel symbolize agriculture and the mining industry; the latter is also referred to in the state motto, "Oro y plata" ("Gold and silver"), which appears on a ribbon in the seal. (When the seal was first commissioned, no one involved in its design had sufficient knowledge of Spanish, and the motto was incorrectly engraved as "Oro el plata.") The state flag was based on the flag of the First Montana infantry regiment in the Spanish-American War (1898); the original design was dark blue with the state seal (minus its encircling inscription) in the center. The flag was adopted in 1905, but many other states adopted similar designs, and the flag became less easily distinguishable. In 1981 the legislature modified the design by adding the word "Montana" above the seal. |
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Montana
Official name: State of Montana.
State nickname: the Treasure State.
Total area: 147,046 sq mi, 380,849 sq km.
Population (2000): 902,195.
Population by race, origin (1997): white non-Hispanic 91.3%; white Hispanic 1.5%; black (including Hispanic) 0.3%; American Indian/Eskimo/Aleut 6.3%; Asian/Pacific Islander 0.6%.
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1995): 4.0 (U.S. avg. 6.0).
Gross domestic (state) product (1996): U.S.$18,500,000,000 (U.S.$21,090 per capita).
Land use (1992): federal land 29.2%; non-federal land 70.8%, of which forest 5.6%, cropland 16.2%, pasture 3.6%, rangeland 39.7%, urban and built-up areas 1.2%, other 4.5%.
Exports by state (1997): U.S.$530,000,000; percent of national total 0.09%.
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