I mentioned that I harbor an intense curiosity for Alaska, which is why I have created this blog, and I believe it is because Alaska truly is one of the last "frontiers" of our time. In my research, I have come across some interesting facts about Alaska's history that you may enjoy:
1. Alaska was incorporated into the United States as the 49th state of the Union in 1959. The purchase of the Alaskan territory from the Russians in 1867 for a mere $.02 an acre was referred to at the time as Seward's Folly. It was only later, when the abundance of natural resources was discovered, that the Government recognized the value of having the state as part of our country. And you just know that the Russians kick themselves every day! I mean, they could have been even more oil and gas rich AND had a leg up on the Cold War if they hadn't sold out.
2. Alaska is the largest state in the U.S. area-wise, but one of the smallest population-wise. And when I say large, I mean HUGE. The next three largest states, Texas, California, and Montana, could all fit in the boundaries of Alaska with some room to spare. This makes the fact that the 2010 Census recorded only about 710,000 people living in the state even more amazing. To give you a point of reference, the city of Fort Worth has an estimated population of about 730,000 people living on 300 square miles of land. Compare roughly the same population to a total square mileage in Alaska of 663,000, and now you have a place where every person could conceivably have approximately 1 square mile of their own land without ever running into another soul. Whoa. Kind makes me want to bring some back up bread in case I get separated from the group that way I can try to find my way out Hansel and Gretel-style.
3. Alaska is geographically diverse. Did you know that Alaska can be considered the easternmost, westernmost, AND northernmost state in the U.S.? The maps that we normally see always show Alaska on the northwestern side of the U.S., however, parts of Alaska, specifically the Aleutian Islands are technically in the Eastern Hemisphere. And, the northern part of the state, known as the North Slope, crosses into the Arctic Circle and is home to the northern-most city in North America, Barrow, population almost 4,000. In addition, Alaska has more miles of coastline than all other states in the U.S. combined. Alaska is also home to North America's highest peak, Mt. McKinley in Denali National Forrest and a chain of active volcanoes in the southeastern region. Finally, over half of the world's glaciers reside in Alaska. Not bad for a folly.
4. Alaska has an extremely diverse climate. I know us Texans like to say that the weather changes here so fast that sometimes the weatherman gets it right, but I think Alaska takes the cake: The southern region of what is known as the panhandle (southeast Alaska) actually has pretty mild weather in the summers and winters, due to the coast. Head north on the panhandle toward Anchorage and southern Alaska and the climate turns from oceanic to subarctic, meaning the summers are short and cool, although the proximity to the coast does keep the climate a little milder than other arctic regions. Move into the interior and you can find both desert and places with an abundance of rain. Move even further north, and you have entered subarctic territory, with little rain, and summers with averages of just 34 degrees F. Yikes!
5. Alaska has very few roadways. In fact, Juneau, the capital of Alaska, cannot be reached by roadway. At the very least, you would have to take a ferry across the coves and bays surrounding it. Alaska is not directly connected to the continental U.S. by roadway, which means that you would have to drive through Canada to get there!
I hope this has give you a taste of some of the really unique traits of Alaska. In this blog, I hope to explore the regions, cities, natural wonders, and transportation challenges of Alaska.
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