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.
More recently, another U.S. territory has landed in Canada’s crosshairs – Alaska . In an online poll on Reddit asking Canadians which U.S. states they would like to join their country, Alaska was revealed as the most favoured state for annexation: Surprisingly, Alaskans were also generally in favour of the idea.
Alaska is one of the two non-contiguous US states . It is located in the northwestern region of North America bordering Canada . In the past, the United States and the United Kingdom (which had control of Canada ) had a dispute about the boundary of the state .
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.
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.
On a clear day, you could climb a hill on Cape Prince of Wales and maybe make out mainland Siberia, just fifty miles away. But it’s much easier to get a view of Russia view by heading out into the Bering Strait to one of America’s weirdest destinations: Little Diomede Island.
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.
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.
Interesting Facts. Russia controlled most of the area that is now Alaska from the late 1700s until 1867, when it was purchased by U.S. Secretary of State William Seward for $7.2 million, or about two cents an acre.
In 1786, Shelikhov returned to Russia and in 1790 dispatched Aleksandr Baranov to manage his affairs in Alaska . Baranov established the Russian American Company and in 1799 was granted a monopoly over Alaska . Seward signed a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million.
When it comes to the cost of living, both Canada and the USA can be expensive when you are living in the main cities, as is the case anywhere in the world. However, the USA is cheaper when it comes to clothing and in general wages are higher, while Canada has higher taxation.
Canadians pay more — sometimes The OECD analyzes the tax burdens of 35 countries, including the United States and Canada . The U.S. paid a slightly higher than average amount and Canada paid a slightly lower than average amount. For the most part, however, both countries hover around the OECD average.
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