By Courtney|Updated on December 23, 2020(Originally published December 17, 2020)
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Courtney
Author
Living and loving life in Alaska, Courtney enjoys living a happy life based on simple principles; work hard, be kind, stay humble. She is an avid dog lover with hobbies that include running, fly fishing, hiking & snowboarding.
We are the champions at so many things, oh yes we are indeed! If we were to be told that the term “go big or go home” started in Alaska, we wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. When it comes to natural wonders, the lower 48 can’t even touch our mountains, glaciers, lakes, coastline and immense amount of wildlife. And then we have our seafood industry; salmon, crab, shrimp, herring, halibut… Y-U-M! Alaska is first at these things, but we have a feeling you might know of even more to add to the list. Don’t be shy and tell us in the comments because we are a-okay with bragging on the last frontier from sun up to sun down.
This one is kind of a given, right? Almost twice as big as Texas and larger than the area of the 22 smallest states in the US. Go big or go home! Read about these six surprising comparisons to how big Alaska really is!
Did you know that when a map of the last frontier is superimposed on a map of the "lower 48" our great 49th state actually extends from coast to coast? Winning! There’s so many fun tidbits about Alaska, like our width, on Fly Alaska’s website.
At 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska is the largest in the entire United States. Huge and beautiful, it’s one of the most unique features about Alaska. The Forest Service’s website has a ton of great information about this giant national forest.
Alaska has six times as many pilots per capita than anywhere else in the US. Not too surprising considering we need to fly to many of the most beautiful, secluded and remote areas in the state. Alaska is number one at training and certifying pilots to fly all over our beautiful state. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration has a great website with tons of interesting information with facts about our interesting system.
Hands down, Alaska leads the nation in seafood production volume. When you get annual numbers like 5.7 billion pounds valued at $1.7 billion in total revenue, you know you're not playing in the minor leagues. Our seafood is phenomenal, and world renown for quality and flavor.
We could talk about how our state sport is Dog Mushing but we'd rather just focus on how dogs are just the BEST. We love them. They are smart, courageous, funny, sweet, cute, loyal and compassionate. From wobbly little pups to gentle hearted senior dogs. They are a part of our families in Alaska. Locals love the Iditarod, and you can learn more about the Last Great Race on their website.
To keep this simple, we need guns to survive in Alaska. For protection and for subsistence practices. They are just a part of our way of life. You can read more about our gun laws on our state government website.
With less than two people living per square mile in Alaska, we are proud to be secluded and left alone. Crazy crowds and nonstop traffic can stay in the lower 48. Fun fact, there is one bear for every 21 people! Princess Cruises will tell you all about it.
2,670 named islands and who knows how many more out there just sitting pretty and peaceful without a name. We have more islands than any other state in the nation and we are pretty darn proud of that! Kodiak Island is the largest island in Alaska, and home to 14,000 people.
With an estimated 100,000 glaciers and around 664 named glaciers, we are the champions when it comes to housing these stunning blue beauties. In fact, the USGS Publications Repository says that 5% of Alaska is made up of glaciers!
They say about 52% of the state population are men, which is higher than any other state in the nation. But watch out, "the odds are good but the goods are odd!" And the women compete is amazing feats during the Wilderness Woman Competition in Talkeetna every year.
Home to the tallest mountain in North America, Denali, plus 17 of the 20 highest peaks. Total world mountain domination. Denali National Park is six million acres of wilderness, and Denali is its crown jewel.
The largest amount of coastline in the United States? You got that right! Plus our coastline extends to three different seas including the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. We are the champions, oh yes we are! Our state’s government website confirms have a whopping 33,904 miles of shoreline.
130 volcanoes and volcanic fields in Alaska. All of which are either currently active or have been active within the last two million years. And Pavlof volcano, our most active volcano has erupted 41 times since 1760!
Did you know that Alaska is the only state in the US that can be typed using just one row of keys on the computer keyboard. We think this makes us the smartest state in the nation, too! 😉
With more than 12,000 rivers and over 3 million lakes, Alaska wins this category hands down! 3,197 of those lakes are named, and just under 10,000 of the rivers are named.
Home to the city that has the longest day and the longest night.
Utqiavik, Alaska is a truly special place indeed. The locals are the winners when it comes to managing the extremes. The famous whale bone arches is one of the top places to see if you’re in the area, and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Arctic."
The most in the US. From blacks, to browns and even polar bears. And for the most in Alaska, head to Admiralty Island. Admiralty Island is most famous for having more bears than people.
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Being the most northernmost, westernmost and easternmost.
Fun fact time! The northernmost place in the US is Point Barrow, the easternmost place in the US is Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island in the Aleutian Chain, and the westernmost place in the US is Amatignak Island in the Aleutian Chain. One of many unique features about Alaska!
We all know Alaska is first in these things, but is there anything we missed? Would you add any other awesome item on to something that Alaska is first at? Let us know in the comments below!
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Alaska Is First In These Things
Megan McDonald|December 23, 2020
When did Alaska become a state?
The great state of Alaska became an official part of the United States on January 3rd, 1959. The state celebrated its 61st anniversary in 2020. It is the 49th state that joined the Union.
What was Alaska before it became a state?
From 1744 until 1867 Alaska was a Russian colony. It was the Territory of Alaska until 1959, when it was admitted to the Union. It is one of the youngest states in America, only surpassed by Hawaii, our 50th state.
