Interesting, fun, and educational facts about Alaska, the "Last Frontier"!
Alaska stands as a land of unparalleled uniqueness, where rugged wilderness meets breathtaking beauty. Its vast, untamed, and rugged landscapes are home to towering mountains, immense glaciers, and an abundance of wildlife.
What also sets Alaska apart is its extreme climate, with long summer days under the Midnight Sun and equally long winter nights during the Polar Night, making it a realm of extremes in light and darkness.
Alaska boasts a rich indigenous heritage, opportunities for exploration and outdoor activities. Alaska's distinctive combination of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and rugged self-reliance ensures that it remains a truly unique and captivating destination, a place where the spirit of the wild still thrives!
45 Fun, Educational, and Interesting Alaska Facts
Alaska State: Flower Forget-me-not
Alaska State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan
Alaska State Tree: Sitka Spruce
Alaska State Mineral: Gold
Alaska State Gem: Jade
Alaska State Mammal: Moose
Alaska State Fish: King Salmon
Alaska State Sport: Dog Mushing
State Nickname: The Last Frontier
State Motto: North To the Future
State Song: Alaska's Flag
Alaska State Holidays: Alaska Day, Oct.18th, and Seward's Day March 27
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, about 2 cents an acre.
15 species of whales are found in Alaska waters.
Alaska has more than 80 potentially active volcanoes.
The flag of Alaska contains 8 gold stars representing the Big Dipper and the North Star on a field of blue.
Longest Day: In Barrow, AK the sun rises on May 10th, and it does not set for nearly 3 months.
Shortest Day: In Barrow, AK when sun sets on November 18th, Barrow residents do not see the sun again for nearly two months.
What may be the oldest documented site of human habitation in North America, the Mesa Site founded in 1993, lies 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
There are more than 3,000 rivers in Alaska and over 3 million lakes.
The name of “Alaska” derives from the Aleut word Alaxsxaq (also spelled Alyeska), meaning "mainland".
The 90,000 Native people of Alaska make up roughly 15% of the state's population.
Almost half of Alaska (175 million acres) is classified as wetlands.
Highest Point in North America: Denali at 20,310 ft (about 6,168 m).
10 of the highest 20 mountains in the U.S. are in Alaska.
Of the total 365 million acres of land that make up Alaska, less than 1/20 of 1% is settled.
Alaska has numerous natural hot springs found across the state. Near Port Moller Hot Springs on the Alaska Peninsula, a village site has been occupied intermittently over the past 3000 years.
The largest gold nugget found in Alaska was discovered at Swift Creek, near Ruby in 1998 and is known as the "Alaska Centennial Nugget." It weighed 294.10 troy ounces. The former winner was a nugget that weighed 155 troy ounces and was found in Nome in 1903.
It is estimated that there are 100,000 glaciers in Alaska covering 29,000 square miles or 5% of the state.
The estimated tidal shoreline of Alaska including inlets, islands, and shoreline to head of tidewater is 47,300 miles.
The largest state in the union, Alaska is one-fifth the size of the Lower 48 and spans 2,400 miles east to west and 1,420 miles north to south.
On average 1,000 earthquakes registering 3.5 or more on the Richter scale occur in Alaska each year.
Most snowfall in 24 hours: 62 inches, at Thompson Pass near Valdez, Dec. 1955.
Most monthly snowfall: 297.9 inches, at Thompson Pass near Valdez, Feb. 1953.
Most snowfall in a season: 974.5 inches (over 81 feet), at Thompson Pass near Valdez, 1952-53.
Most precipitation in 24 hours: 15.2 inches, in Angoon, Oct. 12, 1982.
Most monthly precipitation: 70.99 inches at MacLeod Harbor (Montague Island), Nov. 1976.
Most annual precipitation: 332.29 inches at MacLeod Harbor (Montague Island), 1976.
Highest recorded temperature: 100°F, at Ft. Yukon, June 27, 1915.
Lowest recorded temperature: -80°F, at Prospect Creek Camp, Jan. 23, 1971.
Earthquakes: 9.2 on the Richter Scale on March 27th, 1964 - the strongest ever recorded in North America.
430 bird species have been sighted in Alaska.
Over 50 species of wild fruits are found in Alaska including low and highbush cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, salmonberries, wild rose, and strawberries.
Three species of bear are found in Alaska: the black, the brown/grizzly and the polar bear. Brown bears are the largest living omnivorous land mammals in the world.
The Arctic Circle is the latitude where the sun does not set for one day at summer solstice and does not rise for one day at winter solstice.
I hope you have enjoyed learning about our beautiful state through these fun, educational, and interesting facts on Alaska!