Facts about Alaska

Alaska is larger than the next four largest states combined.

Alaska contains 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States.

Alaska is less than three miles from Russia. This is the distance between Big and Little Diomede Island.

Mount McKinley (Denali) is the highest mountain in North America.

The capital of Alaska, Juneau, has no road access to the rest of the state.

Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined.

One half of Alaska’s population lives in the Anchorage area.

There are more private airplane pilots per capita in Alaska than in any other state.

The average snowfall in Valdez exceeds 300 inches per year. Nearby Thompson Pass averages over 500 inches of snow each year.

The average high temperature for Fairbanks in the month of January is negative one degree Fahrenheit.

The highest recorded temperature in Alaska was 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Fort Yukon.

The coldest ever recorded temperature in Alaska was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek in the Brooks Range.

Many Alaskan communities were founded because of the rush for gold.

The discovery of gold brought a second rush to Alaska in the 1890s.

Taken from http://www.northstar.k12.ak.us/schools/awe/alaskanfacts.html

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