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Places in News: Alaska
Alaska
- Location: situated in the far northwest of North America,
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- Bordered by Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west.
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- It is the largest state in the U.S. and was admitted into the Union as the 49th state on January 3, 1959.
- Water Bodies: The Yukon River, almost 2,000 miles long, is the third longest river in the U.S.
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- There are more than 3,000 rivers in Alaska and over 3 million lakes. The largest, Lake Iliamna, encompasses over 1,000 square miles.
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- Mountains: Of the 20 highest peaks in the United States, 17 are in Alaska. Denali, the highest peak in North America, is 20,320 ft. above sea level. Denali, the Native Alaskan name for the peak, means “The Great One.”
- Alaska is renowned for its vast expanses of undeveloped land, rugged mountains, glaciers, and diverse ecosystems.
- The largest glacier is the Malaspina at 850 square miles. Five percent of the state, or 29,000 square miles, is covered by glaciers.
- The state boasts a harsh climate characterised by long, cold winters and short, cool summers.
- Alaska is famous for the Northern Lights, a natural phenomenon where colourful lights dance across the sky in polar regions.
- It lies the world’s largest expanse of glacial ice outside Greenland and Antarctica.
