9 Things That Set Montana Apart From The Rest Of The Country

If you've called Montana home for longer than about five minutes, you know it's a beautiful -- and unique -- place to live. That being said, Montanans also have a few bragging rights, both impressive and quirky, that set the state apart from the rest of the country. And when you start to list them, you'll see what makes Montana unique.

1. Montana is the only state that has a Triple Divide.

From the Montana Triple Divide, water flows to three oceans: Hudson Bay (Arctic), Gulf of Mexico (Atlantic), and the Pacific Ocean.

2. Ours is the only state with a constitution that recognizes the cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed to the preservation of their cultural integrity.

The Crow Fair Celebration Powwow & Rodeo is one of the biggest annual Powwows in the country and one of the many things unique to Montana

3. Even though it's now a toxic, bird-killing vat of acidic death water, Butte's Berkeley Pit is something that's definitely unique to Montana.

The former open-pit copper mine is now a tourist attraction.

4. We have more grizzlies than any other state...

5. ... and our cows outnumber our human population.

That's the way we prefer it, of course.

6. Montana's Dinosaur Trail is unlike anything else in the country.

The Montana Dinosaur Trail is made up of 14 dinosaur museums, state parks, and other attractions that span the state, showing off the discoveries renowned paleontologists have made.

7. At one point in time, Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other place in the world.

Considering Helena, Montana was founded during Montana's gold rush era, it's not entirely surprising.

8. We have the Polebridge Mercantile, thank goodness.

Please go get a huckleberry bear claw at the Polebridge Mercantile as soon as possible, especially if you never have tried one.

9. Our history could have been very different -- a part of Montana almost became the 49th state.

In 1939, some ranchers and farmers in Wyoming got fed up with the federal government and the New Deal and decided to secede and form a new state. It would have been called Absaroka, after a local mountain range, and included a chunk of southeastern Montana, southwestern South Dakota, and northern Wyoming. The movement never gathered enough steam to be productive, although a few license plates were made.

Now that you know all about what makes Montana unique, let us know if there's anything we've forgotten. If you're looking to embrace all the individuality of Montana, take a look at our list of bizarre habits of Montanans so you can better blend in with the locals.