November 8 - Montana becomes a State

 Posted on November 8, 2021

This is an update of my post published on November 8, 2010:

Montana became a state of the U.S. in 1889. This state is not very crowded. As a matter of fact, Montana's postal code abbreviation (MT) is particularly appropriate, as license plates and stickers can read:

Montana is MT

This of course could be read, “Montana is empty.”

But this “Big Sky” state lures millions of tourists every year to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Little Bighorn historical site, and the Louis and Clark Caverns. The postal code abbreviation is also appropriate because “Mt.” is sometimes used as an abbreviation for “mountain,” and the western third of Montana is covered with mountain ranges.

When we talk about how crowded or not-crowded a place is, we are talking about population density. Statistics about population density end up talking about averages, because we take the total population of the place and divide that number by the total area of the place. We get data we can compare:

Montana has about 7 people per square mile.

Japan has 899 people per square mile!

Some maps show population density.

Here is a quick quiz about population density in the U.S. and the world:

1. Montana is only the third least dense state in the U.S. Name a state that is even less densely populated.
   
   
2. Montana is about the same size as which nation?
   a. Australia
   b. Japan
   c. Austria
   
   
3. What is the most densely populated nation in the world, with more than 43 THOUSAND people per square mile?
   a. Monaco
   b. Bangladesh
   c. India
   
   
4. What is the least densely populated continent in the world?
   
   
5. What is the least densely populated country in the world?
   a. Russia
   b. Iceland
   c. Mongolia
   
   
6. Which of these countries has a population density around 1,200 people per square mile?
   a. China
   b. South Korea
   c. Egypt

Here is another kind of population density map.
On this map of France, can you spot Paris?

ANSWERS: 

1. Alaska and Wyoming are both less densely populated than Montana

2. b

3. a

4. Antarctica

5. c

6. b

Also on this date:

Inkblot test creator Hermann Rorschach's birthday 

Domino Day

Parents as Teachers Day

Anniversary of the Louvre opening

Constitution Day in Pohnpei, Micronesia

World Town Planning Day

National Abet and Aid Punsters Day

Anniversary of the discovery of x-rays

(Some sources say November 5 is the anniversary)

National S.T.E.M. / S.T.E.A.M. Day

Mitrovdan in Serbia

Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day

 

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• November holidays
• November birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in November

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• December holidays
• December birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in December
  
  
  

September 30 – Independence Day in Botswana

Posted on September 30, 2014

Celebrate Botswana today. Did you know that, ever since its 1966 independence from the United Kingdom, it has had uninterrupted democratic elections?

Can I get a hooray??

Kalahari Desert

In some ways, Botswana doesn't look so very great on paper. It's landlocked, which means that it has no direct access to an ocean or sea. It's mostly desert – the Kalahari, to be exact. It's pretty flat. It's sparsely populated. One of its borders is poorly defined, even – usually a recipe for battles with neighbors. (In this case, Botswana's northern border with Zambia is only a few hundred meters - less than a mile – long!)

But in other ways, Botswana looks great on paper: 

It has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and THE highest Human Development Index rating in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Also, there are some areas in which there are diverse wildlife, including the world's largest concentration of African elephants.

Dense and sparse population

Some nations are very small, land-wise, and although their populations are also small, the population is dense. In other words, a lot of people are concentrated together in a small region. Two great examples of this are Singapore and Hong Kong.

Other countries have cities in which there is this sort of dense population – but there are also huge tracts of land with no people, often no roads, even. Those countries have what is called sparse populations – because if you could spread all the people out evenly, across the whole country, the people would be few and far between.

Some great examples of sparsely populated nations are Canada, with its frozen tundra and forested mountains, and Mongolia.

Here are some numbers you can compare. These statistics tell us how many people would be standing in each and every square mile of land, if you spread the people out evenly:

Singapore:          19,731

Hong Kong:         16,983

South Korea:         1,303

United Kingdom:      679

France:                    306

United States:            84

Canada:                       9

Mongolia:                     4

How many people, do you think, does Botswana have per square mile?

It turns out that Botswana's population density is about the same as Canada's, with about nine people per square mile.

Learn more...

• Learn more about Botswana's food here.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 
  Obviously, not all of Botswana is desert. Check out this gorgeous gallery of photos, largely featuring the Okavango Delta.

• 
  Check out the video on the National Geographic website.

Also on this date:

Anniversary of the first tooth extraction with anesthesia

Chewing-gum mogul William Wrigley's birthday

Anniversary of the commissioning of the world's first nuclear submarine

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• September holidays
• September birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in September
  

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• October holidays
• October birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in October

November 8, 2010

Montana becomes a state of the United States – 1889

This state is not very crowded. As a matter of fact, Montana's postal code abbreviation (MT) is particularly appropriate, as license plates and stickers could read:

Montana is MT

This of course could be read, “Montana is empty.”

But this “Big Sky” state lures millions of tourists every year to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Little Bighorn historical site, and the Louis and Clark Caverns. The postal code abbreviation is also appropriate because “Mt.” is sometimes used as an abbreviation for “mountain,” and the western third of Montana is covered with mountain ranges.

When we talk about how crowded or not-crowded a place is, we are talking about population density. Statistics about population density end up talking about averages, because we take the total population of the place and divide that number by the total area of the place. We get data we can compare:

Montana has 6 and a half people per square mile.

Japan has 873 people per square mile.

Here is a quick quiz about population density in the U.S. and the world:

1. Montana is only the third least dense state in the U.S. Name a state that is even less densely populated.
2. Montana is about the same size as which nation?
   a. Australia b. Japan c. Austria
3. What is the most densely populated nation in the world, with more than 43 THOUSAND people per square mile?
   a. Monaco b. Bangladesh c. India
4. What is the least densely populated continent in the world?
5. What is the least densely populated country in the world?
   a. Russia b. Iceland c. Mongolia
6. Which of these countries has a population density around 1,200 people per square mile?
   a. China b. South Korea c. Egypt

ANSWERS: 1.Alaska and Wyoming are both less densely populated than Montana – 2.b – 3.a – 4.Antarctica – 5.c – 6.b

Enjoy...

...this photo gallery slideshow of Montana. 

...this website that offers photos and info about six regions of Montana. 

...these 360-degree “virtual tours” of various spots in Montana.