10 Things You Never Knew About Alaska

Alaska has always been known for being one of the most extreme environments and states in the entire world. When one thinks of Alaska, snow and husky dogs tend to come to the forefront of our minds, but there is so much more than that. Alaska actually has more glaciers than anywhere else within the habitable world, which is rather impressive considering the nature of a few continents on our planet. There are also over 100 active volcanoes within the state. Basically, most things in Alaska want you dead. Here are ten reasons Alaska is the interesting and crazy US state.

WW2

During World War 2, the Japanese actually tried to invade Alaska. More American soldiers died trying to defend Alaska than during the attack on Pearl Harbor at Hawaii, which is a battle to be remembered forever.

Purchase Price

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia many decades ago for $7.2 million, which would now be worth around $118 million today. That is less than Real Madrid paid to have Cristiano Ronaldo on their team.

1964 Earthquake

The famous earthquake that occurred during 1964 was so bad within the great state of Alaska that it even affected the water wells all the way in South Africa. Just imagine what those living in Alaska felt.

Ice Fields

Within Alaska, there are more glaciers and ice fields than anywhere else in the inhabited world. That means that more than half of the entire world’s glaciers are found in Alaska, though this does not include Antarctica, as it is not habitable.

Highest Mountains

Believe it or not, 17 out of the 20 highest mountains within the United States are actually in Alaska. This will include Denali, the largest peak in the continent. It is over 20,320 feet high.

Airplane Delivery

In the great state of Alaska, even those living in the wild manage to get their hands on a pizza delivery service. However, they do not deliver via vehicles like most states. Instead, Alaska has an airplane delivery service for their pizza.

Adak National Forest

The Adak National Forest is actually the smallest forest in the entirety of North America. As of this year, it only has 33 trees within the small area. You can walk through the entire forest in a matter of minutes – if that.

13-Year-Old

Occasionally, the government hosts contests for grade school children. For the Alaskan flag, a 13-year-old managed to win the contest. The flag itself only has a few stars adorning the fabric on top of a blue background.

Talkeetna

The small town of Talkeetna, Alaska, for a period of fifteen years, somehow managed to have a cat named Stubbs as its sole mayor. He did so well in office that the township kept him in office for over a decade. That’s longer than some human mayors.

Picking Land

Up until 1986, anyone who moved to Alaska was not required to purchase land from the government. Instead, they simply needed to pick a plot of land, build a home or a farm on the grounds, and it was theirs.