Why So Few Americans Live In Eastern Montana
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Published 2024-08-06
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BIG SKY COUNTRY, or perhaps better known as Montana, is a absolutely gorgeous state! And true to its nickname, the state has some truly big sky due to its vast open prairie lands (though that's NOT where the nickname comes from). Despite all this wide open land, however, most Montanans have made their homes within the rugged Rocky Mountain region of the state which is unusual considering that, prior to the 1900s, traversing those Rocky Mountains was incredibly challenging. So why don't more Montanans live in the east?
In today's video we'll cover the history and physical geography of Montana, how its geography has influenced its population distribution, and why Montana, unlike basically every other state in the country, has a border that follows mostly mountain ranges rather than rivers, coasts or latitude and longitudinal lines.
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Stock footage and music is acquired from www.storyblocks.com and videvo.net. If you think there's been an error in using a video clip, please contact me
Animation support provided by DH Designs (needahittman.com)
Video editing support provided by Kat Olsen
This has been a production of Sound Bight Media (soundbigh
All Comments (21)
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GUYS! Help me figure out which state has the BEST GEOGRAPHY by taking this poll: forms.gle/MDrngnTh2BpQpv7W7 It takes 2 minutes š¤
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FUN FACT: Due to its state motto ("Gold and Silver"), Montana is also known as the "Treasure State".
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This is a great video. Only thing is you labeled MSU (should be Bozeman) and UofM (should be Missoula) backwards
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Folks like me instead traveled mostly to Western Montana instead of Eastern. Those areas are more attractive
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Browning is probably the most brutal town to live in Montana due to chinook winds causing insane temperature shifts including a record 100 degree swing in 24 hours. Eastern in Montana is home to many large ranches as well.
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Montanna is the only state out of the lower 48 that never had a battleship named after it. There was the proposed Montana class, BB67-71, which were planned at the outbreak of WWII, but never started.
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Eastern MT, similar to Western ND, is wide open, rolling prairies, hills, badlands, few trees, great for cattle, brutal in winter, and there just ain't much there. That's why I like living in the northern high plains. It's quiet.
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Montana state is in Bozeman University of Montana is in Missoula You had it the other way around in the video
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Great video, it is nice to see a Montana shout out. However, you got the colleges reversed. University of Montana is in Missoula and Montana State is in Bozeman. This is a deep rivalry, you may want to update the video
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I went to Montana State University, and you pixed up Bozeman and Missoula as to which school is located in which city. Montana State University is in Bozeman, and Missoula has that other school. Go Bobcats!
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I was born in Boise and my grandparents used to have a RV park in Northern Idaho, about 6 miles from the Montana border. I remember riding with my grandfather into Western Montana to get supplies for the park. Great memories from the late 70s and early 80s.
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A fact missed by this video: our path to statehood was primarily influenced by international politics. In the 1880s, lots of British investors were looking at cattle operations (and other land investments) in Montana and other Western territories. Congress, in order to capitalize on this foreign capital, passed a law in approx. 1888 to ban foreign investment in territories (where it was difficult to collect tax revenue), and within months, 6 western states ratified statehood pacts with the United States, Montana among them.
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Eastern Montanan here and delighted we got a video! Thanks!
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I have learned so many quirky facts about US geography from this channel - never fails to disappoint!
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The Bitterroot range runs along the border between Idaho and Montana.
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Your podcast is a great idea. Always looking forward to the next one!
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I love how informative and interesting your videos are! I kinda wanna go visit Montana right now thanks to you š Just a friendly observation thoughā¦ it seems like you emphasize almost every word. Itās a lot.
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I'm hoping to visit next Spring!
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Montana is called Big Sky Country because of a state tourism campaign in the 1960s. The state advertising director, Jack Hallowell, was having drinks with A.B. Guthrie, the author of the book, "The Big Sky". Hallowell asked Guthrie if he could use that as an advertising slogan.
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Great show.
