Alaska Facts

1. Alaska's geographic center is 60 miles northwest of Mount McKinley.
2. The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States.
3. 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States are located in Alaska.
4. At 20,320 feet above sea level, Mt. McKinley, located in Alaska's interior, is the highest point in North America.
5. The state's largest city is Anchorage; the second largest is Fairbanks.
6. The Alaska Range is the largest mountain chain in the state. It covers from the Alaska Peninsula to the Yukon Territory.
7. In 1915 the record high temperature in Alaska was 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Fort Yukon; the record low temperature was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971.
8. The Alaskan malamute sled dog is strong and heavily coated. It was developed as a breed by a group of Eskimos named the Malemiuts.
9. Alaska's name is based on the Eskimo word Alakshak meaning great lands or peninsula.