Tidbits Ventures North to ALASKA

This week Tidbits turns our attention to our 49th state, by far the largest in the U.S. at almost three times the size of Texas. While some folks still think of Alaska as a freezing cold expanse of ice, igloos and polar bears, its spectacular mountains, abundant wildlife and majestic scenery definitely prove that wrong. Follow along and see why, in addition to its natural beauty, “The Last Frontier” provides a vast supply of natural resources, economic advantages, and strategic military protection for the rest of our lower 48.

• The name for Alaska comes from the Aleut word “alaxsxaq” meaning basically “where the waves meet the shore” referring to the mainland.

• In 1867, the $7.2 million paid for “Seward’s Folly” works out to about 2¢ per acre (36¢ today). It cost more money ($7.39 million) to purchase the land for Central Park in New York City in the mid1800s than it cost to purchase the entire state of Alaska.

• As our largest state, the next three biggest – Texas, California, and Montana – would fit inside its enormous expanse with room to spare. If it were a country, it would be the 17th-largest in the world, ranking between Iran and Libya in size. Its size comprises about 20% of the total landmass of the U.S.

GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES

• In a quirk of geography, Alaska boasts to having the northernmost point in the U.S. as well as the easternmost and westernmost points. This anomaly is due to the Aleutian Islands, which stretch across the International Date Line.

• One-third of Alaska lies north of the Arctic Circle. There are over 100,000 glaciers in the state, covering around 5% of the state’s total landmass. That’s equal to the size of West Virginia. There are more glaciers here than anywhere else in the inhabited world.

• The state has more coastline than the rest of the U.S. combined. Florida comes in second place, followed by California at third.

• There are 2,670 islands off the Alaskan coast.

• There are around three million lakes in the state, with only about 3,000 of them that are named. Minnesota has only about 14,000 lakes.

• Alaska is home to 80% of volcanoes in the U.S. and 10% of all volcanoes in the world. There are 130 in the state, and around 70 are potentially active. About 75% of the volcanic eruptions that have occurred in the U.S. over the last 200 years have happened in Alaska. Alaskans have experienced 240 eruptions since 1760 from 30 different volcanoes, averaging out to about one eruption per year.

• It’s the most earthquake-prone state and one of the most seismically active regions in the world. It has more quakes than all other U.S. states combined. A devastating quake in 1964 was the largest ever to hit the U.S. and the second-largest in recorded history, registering 9.2 on the Richter Scale. This is exceeded only by the 9.5 quake in Chile in 1960. A magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurs in Alaska almost every year, and a magnitude 8.0 or greater happens on average every 14 years.

• At its closest point, the easternmost tip of Russia is only 55 miles (89 km) away across the Bering Strait. Alaska is closer to Moscow, Russia than it is to Washington, D.C. Flying out of Anchorage, it’s an equal distance to fly to New York City, Tokyo, or Frankfurt, Germany. This makes the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage an extremely valuable international passenger and cargo transportation hub, handling close to 100,000 flights per year.

• The Northern Lights can be viewed an average of 243 nights of the year from Fairbanks throughout the winter, but not in the long days of summer when it doesn’t get dark enough to see them.

• Fully 17% of the nation’s national forest land is in Alaska.

• Alaska sports 30 mountain ranges. The 400-mile long (644 km) Alaska Range is the 3rd highest range in the world, after the Himalayas and the Andes. This is the location of Mount McKinley (formerly named Mount Denali), the highest peak in the U.S., at 20,310 feet (6,190 m). In fact, 17 out of the 20 highest peaks in the U.S. are in Alaska.

Still, Alaska’s mountains pale in comparison to the Himalayas. But consider this: McKinley rises 17,000 feet (5.2 km) above the surrounding land, whereas Everest rises only 15,000 feet (4.6 km) above the valley.

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Alaska's natural resources with its oil and gas industry generating billions in annual revenue, contribute significantly to the national energy supply. Its minerals include zinc, gold, copper and gravel, and the state possesses vast quantities of untapped critical minerals like lithium and graphite.

• Alaska has produced billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, making it a major contributor to the nation's domestic energy supply. The oil and gas industry remains

the primary source of unrestricted revenue for Alaska, generating billions of dollars annually.

• Alaska's critical minerals include rare earth elements, which are vital for modern technology and defense.

• The fishing industry is also a significant natural resource, boasting abundant fisheries as a significant part of its resource wealth.

FORESTRY AND TOURISM

• While figures vary, Alaska is estimated to be roughly 35% to 39% forested, representing a significant portion of the state's land area. This vast forested region includes the Tongass, the largest National Forest in the United States. Much of the state's forests are considered untouched and pristine.

• The state's vast forests and stunning natural beauty are also valuable resources that support industries like timber and tourism.

• Alaska has as many airports as California does, even though it has only 2% of the population. In fact, 82% of Alaskan communities do not have road access but are only accessible by boat or plane.

One out of every 78 residents has a pilot’s license, six times higher than the rest of the country.

• Alaska is not the state with the lowest population. That’s Wyoming (588,000), followed by Vermont (648,000). Alaska ranks third with 740,000 residents.

• About 291,000 people live in Anchorage, the largest city in the state. That amounts to about 40% of the state’s population.

• Juneau (pop. 31,500) is the only state capital that is accessible only by boat or plane. Road access is not possible due to its steep surrounding mountains and waterways preventing road access.

• Alaska has the 6th highest cost of living in the U.S., coming in after Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, and Washington, DC. 