Alaska Facts: Discovering the Land of the Midnight Sun
Basic Alaska Facts
The Russians actually discovered the State of Alaska in 1741, and it became part of the United States in 1867, when it was purchased from Russia for a cool $7.2 million. After nearly 100 years as a territory, Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959.
Alaska takes up over 660,000 square miles, equal to about one-fifth of the continental United States. Despite its wealth of land, the population of Alaska is around 648,000 people. The largest city in Alaska is Anchorage, followed by Fairbanks and then Juneau, which is also the capital city.
Alaska Facts – The Five Regions
Alaska is divided into 5 separate regions, with different highs, lows and daylight hours. Some of the most interesting Alaska facts lie in these varied regions that make up the largest and northernmost state in America.
The Southcentral Region of Alaska: Anchorage, Seward and Prince William Sound. Half of Alaska’s population lives in this part of the state. Winter temperatures here range from highs of 20-30 degrees F to lows of 5-15 degrees F. In the summer this area warms up to 60s and 70s during the day and 50s at night. Winter daylight hours are 8-10 per day, while the summer sun shines for up to 16 hours.
The Interior Region: Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North America. Winter temps rarely go above 0 degrees F and often sink to 10 or 20 below. Summer highs can reach into the 70s, and the lows stay in the 40s or 50s. Winter days here see about 4 hours of sunlight, but they make up for it in the summer when it stays light out for up to 20 hours.
The Far North Region is where Alaska meets the Arctic. Winter highs here are still 5-10 degrees below 0. The lows are 20-30 below. The hottest it gets up in the Far North is in the low 40s during the summer, during which time it stays light for about 24 hours a day. This truly is the land of the midnight sun.
The Southwest Region: Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak and the Aleutian Islands. In this region winter highs get up to 20 degrees F, and lows range from 0-15 degrees F. Summer highs are generally in the 60s, with lows in the 40s and 50s. In winter, 8-10 sunlit hours are normal, while summer sunlight goes up to about 16 hours per day.
The Inside Passage is the southern most part of Alaska, and it lies directly to the west of British Columbia, Canada. The capital city of Juneau is here, along with Glacier Bay. Winter highs get into the 30s in this part of the state, and the lows are in the 20s. In the summer, highs are in the 60s and lows are in the 40s. Daytime hours here range from 8 hours in the depths of winter to more than 16 hours through the summer.