Facts: The 23 smallest states could all be placed inside Alaska.

Alaska is larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.

From its base to its peak, Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in the world.

Alaska has more coastline than all the other 48 states combined - 6640 miles. Including the shoreline of all the islands, it's 33,904 miles.

There are more active glaciers and icefields in Alaska than in the rest of the inhabited world. The largest glacier is the Malaspina, at 850 sq. miles. Five percent of the state, or 29,000 sq. miles, is covered by glaciers.

Alaska has the easternmost (Semisopochnoi Island), westernmost (St. Lawrence Island), and northernmost (Point Barrow) points in the United States.

Freshwater - The Yukon River, almost 2,000 miles long, is the third longest river in the U.S. There are more than 3,000 rivers in Alaska and over 3 million lakes over 20 acres in size. The largest, Lake Iliamna, encompasses over 1,000 square miles.

One school district, the Matanuska-Susitna, is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Alaska was minus 80 at Prospect Creek on January 23, 1971. The highest was 100 above at Fort Yukon in June 1915.

Annual precipitation ranges from 200 inches in the Southeast Panhandle, to less than 6 inches in the Arctic region, which is considered arid.

Mountains: Of the 20 highest peaks in the United States, 17 are in Alaska. Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America, is 20,320 ft. above sea level. Denali, the Indian name for the peak, means "The Great One."

Myths: There are none. Everything you've heard about Alaska is true. In fact, most of what you hear from Alaskans is understated, as we are modest and humble, unlike those braggarts from the little state of Texas.

Mosquitoes: The largest mosquito ever killed in Alaska, according to Boone & Crockett records... Oh, never mind. You'd think I was bragging.

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Courtesy:
Jack Gustafson
Glennallen, Alaska