Helena is located at the eastern foot of the Continental Divide, capital of Montana and seat of Lewis and Clark County, in the western part of the state. Located in the Prickly Pear Valley in a fertile region surrounded by hills and mountains, Helena is a commercial, financial, and transportation center for an agricultural and mining district. Government, the insurance industry, and tourism are important to the city's economy. A 2005 real estate survey has estimated the population of Helena, Montana at 27,383.