Why do Alaskans say Lower 48?

The United States is made up of 50 states, but 48 states – also known as the conterminous states, the lower 48, or the contiguous states – are adjoined. Two of the states – Alaska and Hawaii – are not part of the lower 48 states. This is because Alaska is separated by British Columbia, Canada, and Hawaii is an island.

What does the lower 48 mean in Alaska?

The term Lower 48 has, for many years, been a common Alaskan equivalent for "contiguous United States"; today, many Alaskans use the term "Outside", though a few persons may use "Outside" to refer to any location not within Alaska.

Where does the phrase lower 48 come from?

In short, the term dates from before 1959, when there literally were 48 states. Hawaii was a territory, so it didn't factor into things. You also see "the States" mentioned in a similar context.

What do people mean when they say lower 48 states?

the lower 48

(US, geography) The contiguous continental states area of the United States of America, comprising 48 states in number, and the District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

Is Alaska attached to the lower 48?

Alaska is separated from the 48 contiguous U.S. states by Canada. The Bering Strait, a strait between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, separates Asia (the Chukchi Peninsula of Russia) from North America (the Seward Peninsula of Alaska). Alaska is one of two US states not bordered by another state; Hawaii is the other.

The Lower 48 sucks (compared to Alaska)

Why is Hawaii not part of the lower 48?

Two of the states – Alaska and Hawaii – are not part of the lower 48 states. This is because Alaska is separated by British Columbia, Canada, and Hawaii is an island. Washington, D.C., is also part of the contiguous United States, although it is not an official state.

Why doesn't Alaska belong to Canada?

Alaska isn't part of Canada because the US bought it from Russia in 1867. Before then, it was Russian territory while Britain controlled Canada. Even though it's closer to the US than Canada, Russia decided to sell it to the USA because its old rivals, Great Britain, controlled Canada at that time.

What are Alaska and Hawaii called?

Continental United States: Definition

The term "continental U.S." refers to any state on the North American continent. Continental United States include all states on the North American continent.

What 2 states are not part of the continental US?

Continental United States: The 49 States (including Alaska, excluding Hawaii) located on the continent of North America, and the District of Columbia.

What state is not in the United States?

Alaska and Hawaii, the only states that are not part of the mainland United States, were the last states admitted in 1959.

How big is Alaska really?

Alaska is still a massive state

At 663,300 square miles, Alaska is by far the largest state in the United States, nearly two and a half times as large as Texas. But when you look at most two dimensional maps, Alaska actually looks much larger than that.

What is the widest state in the continental United States?

From east to west, Hawaii is the widest U.S. state, measuring 1,500 miles from the island of Niihau to the island of Hawaii. At only 6,423 sq. mi.

How big is Alaska compared to the US?

Alaska is about 7 times smaller than United States.

United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, while Alaska is approximately 1,481,348 sq km, making Alaska 15.06% the size of United States. Meanwhile, the population of United States is ~332.6 million people (331.9 million fewer people live in Alaska).

What is the least populated state in the lower 48?

Wyoming is the least populated US state.

What is the reason Hawaii and Alaska are not considered part of the contiguous United States?

Alaska is unique among the US states as it is part of the North American continent, meaning it is attached via Canada, and so is part of the "Continental United States". However, Alaska is not part of the "Contiguous United States", because it is not attached directly to the lower 48 states.

Is Canada bigger than the US?

Canada has a larger land mass than the United States. The land area of Canada is 3, 855, 103 square miles compared to America's 3, 794, 083, making Canada 1.6% larger that the States.

Is China bigger than the US?

No, China is not larger than the United States in terms of size. China occupies about 3.7 million square miles. The United States occupies about 3.8 million square miles. The Territories that the United States also claims are part of the reason that the United States is a bit larger than China.

Is Australia bigger than USA?

United States is about 1.3 times bigger than Australia.

Australia is approximately 7,741,220 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making United States 27% larger than Australia. Meanwhile, the population of Australia is ~25.5 million people (307.2 million more people live in United States).

Can you drive from Russia to Alaska?

No, you cannot drive a car from Alaska to Russia because there is no land connecting the two. This also means that there is no road, no immigration offices and no way to legally exit or enter any of the countries.

Why did Alaska have to wait 13 years to become a state?

Alaska avoided national attention until its Gold Rush began in the 1890s. It became a territory in 1912 and started making noise about becoming a state four years later. As its strategic importance became obvious during World War II, in 1946 Alaska held a referendum asking Congress to consider it for statehood.

Are there 52 states in the United States?

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States), five major territories, and various minor islands.

Can you see Russia from Alaska?

Yes. Russia and Alaska are divided by the Bering Strait, which is about 55 miles at its narrowest point.

Why did Russia sell Alaska to the US?

1) Alaska Was Hard to Defend

Russia feared that Alaska would be easily captured in any future battle with the British therefore Emperor Alexander II opted to sell the colony. Russia approached both the British and Americans in 1859. The British Prime Minister rejected the offer, and so they turned to the Americans.

Who owned Alaska before Russia?

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. During World War II, the Japanese occupied two Alaskan islands, Attu and Kiska, for 15 months.