Mountain State of the NW U.S.: admitted, 1889; 145,552 sq mi (376,979 sq km); pop. 902,000; cap. Helena: abbrev. MT or Mont
Origin:
L montana, mountainous regions: see mountain
See Montana in American Heritage Dictionary 4
A state of the northwest United States bordering on Canada. It was admitted as the 41st state in 1889. Most of the area passed to the United States through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and was explored by Lewis and Clark in 1805 and 1806. Split for many years among other western territories, the region was organized as the Montana Territory in 1864. Helena is the capital and Billings the largest city. Population: 958,000.
Related Forms:
Mon·tanˈan adjective & n.
, Joseph, Jr. Born 1956.
American football player. A quarterback mainly with the San Francisco 49ers (1980-1992), he is among the National Football League's leaders in career passing yardage. He was the NFL most valuable player twice.