Montana
From Conservapedia
| Capital | Helena |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Treasure State |
| Official Language | English |
| Governor | Brian Schweitzer, D |
| Senator | Max Baucus, D (202) 224-2651 Contact |
| Senator | Jon Tester, D (202) 224-2644 Contact |
| Admission to Union | November 8, 1889 (41st) |
| Motto: "Oro y Plata" (gold and silver) |
Montana is located in the Northwestern region of the United States and on November 8th, 1889 became the forty-first state to enter into the union. The capital of Montana is Helena and its largest city is Billings. The current governor of Montana is Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat.
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Geography
The eastern 60% of the state is flat prairie and is slowly losing popualtion, It is filled with cattle ranches, wheat farms, and oil and gas wells. The leading city is Billings, a medical and commercial center. The climate is especially harsh in the wintertime.
The western 40% is mountainous and is growing rapidly. Its economy is based on tourism and retirement centers, with Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park as prime attractions. The old copper minining industry that made Butte notorious has disappeared, and the logging industry is fading in importance. The very long border with Canada is becoming economically important, as oil from Alberta is nrought by pipeline to refineries in Billings and points as far south as Houston.
Energy
The state is a leader in CO2 sequestration, and has signed agreements with Saskatchewan so that CO2 will be pipelines into the state and stored for thousands of years.
Montana’s population is only 1 million and so total energy demand are low. However, the State economy is energy intensive and per capita energy consumption is relatively high. The industrial sector, which includes the energy-intensive mining industry, dominates State energy consumption.
Petroleum
Montana typically accounts for roughly 2% of annual U.S. crude oil production. Production is concentrated in the Williston Basin, which covers eastern Montana and western North Dakota and contains two of the Nation’s 100 largest oil fields. Several pipelines carry Williston production south to Wyoming and east to Midwest markets. Refineries near Billings supply regional markets with petroleum products, using crude oil brought in primarily from Wyoming and Alberta, Canada. During the winter months, Montana requires oxygenated motor gasoline in the Missoula area but allows the use of conventional motor gasoline in the rest of the State.
Natural Gas
Montana produces minor quantities of natural gas. Although production is low, demand is lower, and Montana ships nearly one-half of its natural gas output to out-of-State markets. Several natural gas pipeline systems pass through the State, transporting Canadian supplies to Midwest markets. About three-fifths of Montana households use natural gas as their primary energy source for home heating.
Coal, Electricity, and Renewables
Montana typically accounts for roughly 4% of total annual U.S. coal production. The majority of Montana’s output is produced from several large surface mines in the Powder River Basin, which straddles the border between Montana and Wyoming. Just over one-fourth of Montana’s coal production is used for State electricity generation; Montana delivers the remainder to markets in more than 15 States. Minnesota and Michigan are the largest recipients of Montana coal.
Accounting for about two-thirds of State electricity generation, coal-fired power plants dominate the Montana electricity market. Hydroelectric power accounts for most of the remainder. Montana is among the leading hydroelectric power producers in the United States, and seven of the State’s 10 largest generating plants run on hydroelectric power. The State has also initiated programs to expand and enhance hydroelectric power capacity. With several operational wind farm projects in central Montana, just east of the Rockies, the State had 146 megawatts of wind power capacity at the end of 2006. High-voltage transmission lines connect Montana to other western electric power grids, allowing Montana to export large amounts of electricity to neighboring States
Notable people from Montana
- Burton K. Wheeler, Democratic Senator
- Max Baucus, Democratic Senator is the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
- Evel Knievel, a famous motorcycle daredevil, was from Butte.
- Charley Pride, perhaps the most successful black country musician of all time, grew up in Helena and Great Falls.
- Jeannette Rankin, a Republican from Missoula, was the very first Congresswoman in the United States
- The freemen, a religious cult famous for an 81 day stand off with federal agents near Jordan.
See also
references
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