Why Life Is Different In Alaska

this is Alaska and with a whopping 665 400 square miles it's the largest state in all of North America in fact if you were to take the massively sized state of Alaska and place it here on top of the 48 lower U.S states it stretches all the way out from the east coast to California but Alaska isn't just this gigantic land mass more geographically similar to Canadian provinces than other U.S states no it has 100 000 glaciers 34 000 miles of Coastline and More Than 3 million Lakes on Alaska is pretty remote being completely disconnected from the 48 lower states often referred to as the Continental or contiguous United States and the state of Alaska has less than a million residents an incomplete highway system and more natural resources than any place else in the U.S so while Alaska's unique geography provides it with a deep natural wealth of Unthinkable proportions it also contributes to the state's severe isolation and a lack of city building amenities and modern luxuries there see Alaska can only be reached through air boat or International Passage through Canada and while it's impossible to truly describe the awe-inspiring wonder that is Alaskan nature the words wild rugged and immense often come first to mind with Alaska being one of the few remaining naturally wild habitats for animals like polar bears moose and Caribou it's also the home of America's first second and third tallest mountains including Denali the highest mountain peak in all of North America however Alaska's significant distance to and separation from the contiguous United States makes life there well let's just say complicated or perhaps even outright difficult especially when compared to Life In traditional U.S states as I explain why that is why life on the Alaskan Peninsula can be very harsh even for the 732 000 people that already call it home I will also be looking at the livability of Alaska's five most important cities breaking down their unique characteristics and why you should or perhaps shouldn't consider relocating to the Last Frontier and I really think that nickname The Last Frontier says a lot about what Alaska stands for as Alaska is largely unsettled with a few real cities there serving as a last line of modern settlement a final barrier between Alaskan society and the Wilderness that lies Beyond if you're beginning to wonder if you could even survive Alaska's problematic topography extremely cold Winters and isolation well that would be understandable as Alaskan Winters are difficult even for lifelong residents with months of darkness and a polar night that only grows darker as you go further north and small community living in Alaska can be nearly impossible not only for the difficult terrain and extreme temperatures but with several towns completely lacking access to roadway outlets and yet I would argue that Alaska's economics and Public Safety are considerably more concerning for its residents or anyone looking to move there I would go more in depth on Alaskan economics and safety as I break down the livability of Alaska's most important cities in just a moment but a more General overview would be that the state has one of the highest crime rates in all of America with violent crime being particularly problematic and Alaska having the nation's fifth highest rate of violent crime the cost of living in Alaska is also nearly 30 percent higher than the national average with Alaska being one of the most expensive places to live in the United States so keep in mind Alaska doesn't Levy estate sales or income tax and median income is very competitive even with the most prosperous of U.S states let's start with Sitka and Ketchikan the fourth and fifth most populous Alaskan cities of course King Fairview and wasila both technically have more residents than Sitka or Ketchikan but they are part of Metro Anchorage and I wanted to address independent Alaskan cities here and Sitka located in Southeastern Alaska is a real City a very small City with just over 8 000 residents but a legitimate little city nonetheless Sitka is also an expensive city though with a cost of living that's about 40 percent higher than the national average Ketchikan is also located in Southeastern Alaska but while it's a bit smaller than Sitka it's arguably more important as Ketchikan serves as an essential hub for the state's vast fishing economy then again the story of Alaska revolves mostly around its three biggest cities Juno Fairbanks and Anchorage Juno is the third largest city in the state of Alaska despite it having just under 32 thousand residents and a slightly declining population Juno is mostly known for being the capital of Alaska also located in the Southeastern portion of the state though it can't be reached even by other Southeastern cities without a boat or plane something that I think really outlines Alaska's staggering size and remoteness being the state capital of Alaska Juno has a thriving economy with significant employment and government tourism and fishing it's known for its natural beauty surrounded by Scenic ocean views and Tall mountains Juno has the lowest crime rate of Alaska's three big cities and a strong Community though it's also one of the most expensive cities in the state Fairbanks is the second largest Alaskan City though its population is only slightly larger than Juneau Fairbanks is known mostly for its Long Cold Winters and a close proximity to the Arctic Circle so outdoor winter activities like skiing snowmobiling and ice fishing are an important part of the culture there Fairbanks is also home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks the state's second largest university which brings in students and researchers from all around the world it's also home to the controversial trans-alaskan Pipeline with the university and pipeline there being an important part of the city's economic success the city of Fairbanks is the largest point in the interior of Alaska nicknamed The Golden Heart City for its central location and warm Community Fairbanks also has more crime than Juno but less than Anchorage then there's Anchorage located in South Central Alaska and with nearly 300 000 residents a thriving economy a robust Marketplace and the state's largest university Anchorage is much bigger than any other Alaskan City it's the home of the state's tallest building and companies like the kuit building group far north digital and the Alaska railroad are all located there in fact more than half of Alaska's population lives in the Anchorage metropolitan area and Anchorage serves as Alaska's de facto Transportation Hub with the port of Anchorage the Glen Highway and the Ted Stevens International Airport the largest and most trafficked airport in Alaska all being located in the city but it also has the state's highest rate of crime so safety there can be very problematic with crime and Anchorage varying significantly from neighborhood to Neighborhood but generally being much higher than other Alaskan cities so while Anchorage offers the closest thing to Big City Life in all of Alaska it also shares many of the downsides of of big city living elsewhere however places like Chicago and New York don't enjoy the impeccable Northern Lights and Anchorage is still an Alaskan City so there's plenty of unique nature and Open Spaces all around the city

Channel: Something Different Films

Views: 1,934,077

Keywords: Something Different Films, Modern American Geography Demographics and Economics, Could You Survive Alaska?, Could You Survive Living In Alaska?, Most Important Cities In Alaska, Is Alaska Affordable, Life In Alaska's Top Cities, Why Life Is Different In Alaska

Id: 3lUoyOl31_E

Length: 7min 19sec (439 seconds)

Published: Sat May 06 2023