Which state, known for potato farming, has its northern and southern borders defined by treaties with Spain in 1819 and Britain in 1846, and a Continental Divide border with Montana?

• A. Montana
• B. Idaho
• C. Wyoming
• D. Oregon

Answer: (B)

Borders shaped by historic agreements and geography map out a state’s identity, and Idaho fits this description beautifully. Idaho is famous for potatoes, which cues the state in many discussions. Its northern boundary follows the 49th parallel, a line established by the 1846 Oregon Treaty between the United States and Britain, marking a border with what was then British North America (now Canada). Its southern boundary runs along the 42nd parallel, a line drawn by the 1819 Adams-Onís Treaty with Spain to divide U.S. and Spanish territories in the West. On the eastern side, Idaho meets Montana along the Continental Divide, the high crest that separates river systems and often serves as a natural border. Put together, these borders point to Idaho as the state described.