The Cold, Hard Facts

 
  • Alaska is less than 3 miles from Russia.
  • The Fairbanks North Star Borough has no official temperature cut-off, so school is RARELY cancelled due to weather.
  • Airplanes with piston engines are safe to fly until it's about 40 below; turbine-powered planes can fly to minus 60!
  • Alaskans winterize their vehicles by installing block heaters which heat up the water in the block and circulate it through the engine. Oil pan heaters (which keep the oil fluid), transmission pans, power steering fluid heaters and battery blankets are also very common. (see photo)
  • You can actually "break" your hair off by walking outside with wet hair at 40 below. (see photo)
  • Alaska is larger than the next four largest states, combined!
  • If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in Manhattan.
  • More than half the world's active glaciers are in Alaska.
  • There are over 3,000 rivers and 3 million lakes in Alaska.
 
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Alaskan Vocabulary

 

Bunny Boots- Heavy rubber boots to keep your feet warm and dry.

Breakup- When the ice begins to melt and the rivers start to flow; the end of winter!

The Bush- Any part of Alaska inaccessible by road.

Bush Pilot- A pilot who flies small airplanes (usually equipped with floats or skis) to places inaccessible by road!

Cache- Small structure built on stilts to protect food from animals.

Cheechako- A newbie to Alaska. Opposite of a Sourdough.

Chum- Another name for a dog salmon.

Iditarod- Held annually in March, the Iditarod is a 1000-mile dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome.

Lower 48- Local reference to the continental U.S.

Midnight Sun- It's for real! (Only in the summer, of course!)

Mukluks- Seal-skin or reindeer-skin boots.

Outside- Somewhere not in Alaska. Commonly used when talking about vacation plans: "I'm going outside!"

Quiviut- Wool from the Alaskan musk ox.

Sourdough- Anyone who has endured an Alaskan winter, or an old-time resident who is 'sour on the country, but without enough dough to get out.'

Ulu- A fan shaped knife.
 
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Alaskan Almanac

State Motto:

"North to the Future"

State Capital:

 Juneau

Purchased:

From Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million!

Statehood:

 January 3, 1959. Alaska is the 49th State.

Economy:

 Driven by oil, lumbering, tourism, and fishing.

Area per Person:

.93 square miles for each resident

Mountains:

17 of the 20 highest peaks in North America are in Alaska. Mt. McKinley is the highest at 20,320 feet.

State Mineral:

Gold

Tourism:

 Ranks #2 among U.S. destinations

State Flower:

 Forget-me-not.

State Fish:

Alaska King Salmon

State Tree:

Sitka Spruce

Daylight Hours:

In Barrow, Alaska the sun doesn't set for 84 days (straight!). In the winter, however, there is no daylight for 64 days!

Earthquake:

 The strongest earthquake recorded in North America took place on March 27th, 1964 (Good Friday) in Southcentral Alaska. It measured 9.2 on the Richter Scale!

Shoreline:

 33,904 miles

Alaska State Flag:

 In 1926, a contest was held for Alaska student in grades 7-12. The winning design was by 13-year-old Benny Benson. It features eight stars of gold on a field of blue.

Largest Cabbage:

98lbs in 1990
   
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