Personal blog about states
The purchase of Alaska in 1867 marked the end of Russian efforts to expand trade and settlements to the Pacific coast of North America , and became an important step in the United States rise as a great power in the Asia-Pacific region.
Alaska is one of the two non-contiguous US states. It is located in the northwestern region of North America bordering Canada . However, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 thus inheriting the dispute with the UK.
There are two main reasons. First, Canada wasn’t its own country in 1867. Second, Great Britain controlled the Canadian colonies. Russia did not want to sell Alaska to its rival.
On March 30, 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward signed a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million. Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting the territory of Alaska into the Union as the 49th state.
The narrowest distance between mainland Russia and mainland Alaska is approximately 55 miles. The stretch of water between these two islands is only about 2.5 miles wide and actually freezes over during the winter so you could technically walk from the US to Russia on this seasonal sea ice.
While both countries are in the list of top ten economies in the world in 2018, the US is the largest economy in the world, with US$20.4 trillion, with Canada ranking tenth at US$1.8 trillion. The United States on “health outcomes, education levels and other such metrics” scores lower than other rich nations.
Really, you will likely find that Alaskan people are some of the most friendly and tolerant anywhere.
The border between the United States and Canada is closed to all nonessential travel. However, Americans and foreigners can drive to and from Alaska as long as they follow specific mandates. With the new rules, they’ll have to use one of five designated border crossings to enter Canada .
Alaska is the only non-contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500 miles ( 800 km ) of British Columbia (Canada) separates Alaska from Washington.
The treaty — setting the price at $7.2 million , or about $125 million today — was negotiated and signed by Eduard de Stoeckl, Russia’s minister to the United States, and William H. Seward, the American secretary of state.
20 Things Everyone In Alaska Should Avoid At All Costs Farmed seafood. Flickr – Judi Knight. Or buying fish in general. Flickr – Alaska Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Even feeding your dogs farmed fish. Eating hot dogs. Camping without a view. Snacking on chips from the lower 48. Shopping at big corporate box stores. Drinking wine that isn’t from Alaska .
If Russia hadn’t sold Alaska to the US in 1867 It would have passed into American hands in 1906 or 1907. After getting whooped by Japan in 1905, Russia was revealed as a waning power, and it was unable to reinforce any units in the Pacific.
The Bering Strait tunnel was estimated to cost between $10 billion and $12 billion, while the entire project was estimated to cost $65 billion. Shortly after, the Russian government approved the construction of the $65 billion Siberia- Alaska rail and tunnel across the Bering Strait.
In March 2006, Bushby and French adventurer Dimitri Kieffer crossed the Bering Strait on foot, having to take a roundabout 14-day route across a frozen 150-mile (240 km) section to cross the 58-mile (93 km) wide strait from Alaska to Siberia.
Crime in the U.S. state of Alaska is exceptionally high and is present in various forms. Crime rates in Alaska are among the highest in the U.S.