Did You Know?

Gray wolf. Photo by Gary Karmer.

Alaska has 3 million lakes over twenty acres big.
There are more bald eagles in Alaska then in all other states combined.
At 586,400 square miles, Alaska is the U.S.’s largest state, over twice the size of Texas.
More than 40 active volcanoes occur in Alaska.
Alaska has over 33,000 miles of coastline. It is the only state to have coastlines on two different oceans: Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
Alaska has more than ten thousand glaciers – of which, one, is larger than the state of Rhode Island. (Over 1/2 the world’s glaciers!)
The coldest temperature ever officially recorded in the US was in Alaska. The temperature was -79.8°F – rounded off to -80°F – observed at Prospect Creek Camp in the Endicott Mountains of northern Alaska on Jan. 23, 1971.
During the winter, there is no daylight for 64 days in Barrow, while Anchorage has 6 hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year.
Gray wolves inhabit 85% of Alaska.
The main mode of private transportation in the U.S. is by private automobile; while in Alaska it is small planes.
The largest recorded earthquake in North America was in Alaska in 1964 registering a 9.2 magnitude.
One of the things that makes Alaska special is that all three species of North American bears flourish here: Polar, Black and Grizzly.
During hibernation, the body temperature of the arctic ground squirrel drops to the lowest of any living mammal.
Alaska’s moose are the largest of their species. Average size: 1,350 pounds, 5 feet high to shoulder; antlers span: 72 inches.
Alaska also has the most northern point (Point Barrow) and the most western point (Cape Wrangell — further west than Hawaii) in the U.S.
Alaska has 17 of the 20 highest mountains in North America. Mt McKinley is the highest at 20,320 ft, second is Mt Saint Elias at 18,008 ft.
Alaska’s state fish is the king salmon.
Juneau (population of about 31,262) the only state capital is the US with no road access. It can only be reached by air or sea.
Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million by then Secretary of State William H. Seward.
Thompson Pass (near Valdez) received 974 inches of snow one year.