Eastern Montana

Eastern Montana is the area that consists of the eastern half of the U.S. state of Montana and the north-central portion near Great Falls. The area is drained by the Missouri River, which originates in southwestern Montana, and by its tributaries, the Milk, the Marias, the Sun, and the Yellowstone Rivers. Its largest cities are Great Falls and Billings.

Unlike most states, in which their regions are not universally recognized, Eastern Montana is recognized as a somewhat official part of Montana because of its cultural and geographical differences with Western Montana. This is demonstrated by the Billings Gazette's capitalization of the region.

Looking at the region from a more cultural and social standpoint, some consider eastern Montana to comprise the large portion of the state east of Billings, especially the ranchland around Miles City and Forsyth. This area has a highly rural, economically depressed, and shrinking population and is more on the cultural page of the Midwest than it is of Western Montana. If this definition of the region is used, eastern Montana has no town with more than 10,000 people.

External links

* [http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2005/05/08/build/state/30-rearview-mirror.inc Eastern Montana Faces Population Decline]
* [http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2005/06/05/build/state/42-where-is-emt.inc Where is Eastern Montana?]
* [http://www.sundancerswest.com/easternmontanarivercountry.html]