Montana is a state in the
Western United States. The state's name is derived from the Spanish word (mountain). Montana has several nicknames, although none official, including "Big Sky Country" and "The Treasure State", and slogans that include "Land of the Shining Mountains" and more recently "The Last Best Place". Montana is ranked
4th in size, but
44th in population and
48th in population density of the
50 United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges and most of the state's population, while the eastern two thirds mainly consist of a sloping plateau with smaller
island ranges being found throughout the state. In total, 77 named ranges are part of the
Rocky Mountains.