Greetings from Alaska, USA

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, the 3rd least populous and the least densely populated of the 50 United States. Because Alaska i my favourite state and I am biased here are some fun facts about it :))

The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars.

Aurora borealis (northern lights) can be seen an average of 243 days a year in Fairbanks. The northern lights are produced by charged electrons and protons striking the earth’s upper atmosphere.

Alaska is less than 50 miles from Russia.

While it is legal to shoot bears in Alaska, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

Alaska is the only state name that you can type on one row of a keyboard.

Alaska contains more than 100 volcanoes and volcanic fields which have been active within the last two million years.

Alaska is the only state that does not collect state sales tax or levy an individual income tax (some cities have sales tax, however).

There are more than 3,000 rivers and 3 million lakes in Alaska.

Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined (more than 34,000 miles).

During the Klondike gold rush in 1897, potatoes were so highly valued for their vitamin C content that miners traded gold for them.

The state sport of Alaska is dog mushing, which was once the primary mode of transportation in most of Alaska. The Iditarod dog sledding race is the state’s largest sporting event.

If New York City had the same population density as Alaska, only 16 people would be living in Manhattan.

Barrow, 800 miles south of the North Pole, has both the longest and shortest day. When the sun rises on May 10, it doesn’t set for nearly three months. When it sets on November 18, Barrow residents do not see the sun again for nearly two months.

Of the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the world, three have occurred in Alaska.

The Pribilof Islands are home to the largest seal colony with over one million seals.

It is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are moose hunting in Alaska. :)