I just uploaded a 19-minute long companion video to this one covering the modern-day cold war and conflict between Greece and Turkey to Nebula, here; bit.ly/3egkMrS It's a part of my Modern Conflicts series, an exclusive to Nebula series of sensitive and controversial conflicts ranging from the Gulf War, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the Armenia-Azerbaijan War and many others. The best way to get access to all of these videos along with dozens of other creator projects is through the CuriosityStream/Nebula bundle deal, and best of all with the current holiday deal, you can get 1 entire year of both Nebula and CuriosityStream with thousands of documentaries to entertain yourself with forever, for only $11.59 a year, here; curiositystream.com/?coupon=reallifelore
Russia didn't necessarily sell Alaska just for money. Russia was concerned that Britain would be able to easily capture the land through Canada at the time so figured selling it to the US would stop Britain which it kind of did but then the US became a bigger problem than Britain in the long term.
Also, Russia had already expanded waaaaay too far east in the first place, stretching its ability to not only defend, but communicate as well. At their peak, they only had about 800 Russians inhabiting all of Alaska as it was, so it basically amounted to a handful of people just saying "this gigantic land mass is ours...unless absolutely anyone challenges us for it." Thankfully, they got managed to actually net some profit from it instead of just losing it to war. There was virtually no way for Moscow to reliably or quickly stay in contact with its tiny Russian population there, so selling it was the best option. Although not far removed from mainland Russia, even the most north eastern parts of Russia itself were remote, sparsely populated and had next to infrastructure (no roads or railways), and to this day, still don't. The parts of Russia closest to Alaska lack major transportation networks & population, so people acting like it was this giant mistake overlook how difficult it would've been for Russia to maintain at the time.
All thanks to the power of Alaska... This happened with Napoleon and Louisiana, too. France couldn't hope to hold onto their North American possessions in a conflict with Britain, so it just passed them off to the Americans who could.
I can't believe the Devs are gonna buff Anchorage in the upcoming global warming patch when it's already near the top of the meta and players have been begging for a nerf for years, literally unplayable.
pretty sure the devs gonna increase the difficulty and hostility rating of Anchorage in that patch not to mention the rising sea levels patch is probably gonna do some real damage to the anchorage meta as a whole.
As someone who lived in Anchorage for 15+ years it’s true that the summers are amazing, but you get tired of the winters real quick. It’s one of the most gorgeous places in the world, but it can feel somewhat removed from the rest of the United States.
I feel you man, North Pole Resident here. We're supposed to get a crap load of snow in a few days, as much as I love the nature and area, the winters can be a pain.
Add on to last comment, I am not getting snow, but rain. It's been raining for the last 3-4 hours, and freezing as it hits the ground. Hope no one has to go out anytime soon....
Anchorage resident from 1971-2011. I remember driving out to a hillside near the airport with my parents and watching the first 747 to our little burg touchdown at the airport in the early 70's. It was a big deal.
@@t33sher My wife got accepted to grad school in Missouri and my job can be done anywhere with a phone and internet. We'll visit but not go back to live there because she's had enough of the cold and dark for a third of the year. Happy wife, happy life.
I am surprised you didn't talk about the fact that Alaska provides 60% of the domestically produced seafood for the US. All of that goes through Anchorage. Or the fact that Alaska has more freshwater than the rest of the USA combined. Edit: 1.) So it has been pointed out that a significant amount of seafood is shipped directly from the ports where it is caught without going through Anchorage. So it was incorrect to say "All". 2.) I was just wrong on the freshwater numbers. The total freshwater area of 49 states (excluding AK) is around 170 million square miles. The total freshwater area of Alaska is 94 million square miles, so just over half the rest of the USA combined (this includes the areas of the great lakes that the USA claims). The next state with the highest total surface area is Michigan with around 40 million square miles and it falls off pretty hard from there with Florida with around 12 million square miles.
@@mcnuffin1208 You'd be surprised. A lot of that freshwater is trapped in glaciers, but it's still a LOT of freshwater. Hell, Alaska has Iliamna Lake, which alone is 1/7th the size of Lake Ontario. By volume, it is over 1/4th the size of Lake Erie. If you only count bodies of freshwater situated entirely in the US, Alaska is #1 by an incredibly large margin. If you include the Great Lakes, it's still #1, but not more than the entire rest of the US.
@@NinetooNine Well what about purified water I'm replying to your text you said Alaska has more freshwater than the U.S. combine but what about pure water?
Nine, Actually Alaska produces approx 75% of the total USA seafood production, plus we have more coastline,34 thousand miles, then the rest of the USA combined!
As someone who grew up in Anchorage, I can definitely attest that while it sucks to live in, its strategic importance has always been a huge point of emphasis. The military actually makes up a big part of its economy as the Army and Air Force have a huge joint base just north of downtown. And the fact it's still such an important cargo hub is cool. My wife and I actually lived in a house that was just east of one of the runways and I would see 747s all the time. I even caught a picture of the Antonov An-225 (the largest airplane in the world) right above our house. I don't miss much about Anchorage (moved out of Alaska in 2019) but I always tell people that it's such an important place even today.
@@LeviKellyTours I would imagine the fact that he said "I even caught a picture of the Antonov An-225 (the largest airplane in the world) right above our house" has something to do with it
@@LeviKellyTours when I was growing up, it was a great city with lots of jobs and enough to do year-round, but then the economy started crashing. After that, crime started soaring and the only real things to do were stay inside and watch movies or go out to a few restaurants or bars. I'm not a skier or snowboarder, and the only real hiking occurs in the summer. I really miss the summers, but the rest of the year was always brutal.
It’s quite interesting how cities such as Anchorage that we generally don’t discuss in real life are so important to governments around the world. Kind of makes you feel better if you got transferred to some of these places for work because you know that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself.
yeahhh I'd hate being a part of something bigger than myself lol knowing ppl are handling the world and countless sums of money behind my back just doesnt seem right with me
Kinda* mixed feelings* about this vid, I live in Anchorage and feel the less thing we need more of* is ppl here, unless that would drop the cost of living rather than raising it.
I almost completely failed to realize how close some countries are to each other just because I've always looked at a standard 2D map instead of a globe.
Not only we've been looking at 2D maps of Earth for too long, but we've been doing it so with a Mercator 2D map, which inflates the size of objects away from the equator, and which makes Greenland look bigger than South America and as big as Africa... which is a straight out lie!
@@briannelson4095, in one place you can! In the Bering Strait, the Diomede Islands straddle the U.S./Russia border. Big Diomede (Russia) and Little Diomede (U.S.) are only 2.4 miles apart. As far as time, Big Diomede is 21 hours ahead of Little Diomede. Because of this, the islands have nicknames of Yesterday Island and Tomorrow Island.
@@stephenplatt5048 I was born and raised in Alaska, and you can actually see Russia from several points in Alaska for example Gambell which is only 36 miles away, and you can see Russia quite easily on a clear day. It is however, as you correctly point out, closest from the Diomede Islands. During the Cold War Russia actually stopped stationing troops on Big Diomede Island because when the water would freeze solid in winter, the Russian troops would just walk over to Alaska and defect! lol.
Anchorage has the very unique blend of being a mountain and a coast city. I love the grit of this city. The salt air with the mountain backdrop, throw in some Northern lights, and well, THAT'S a city!
@@cowboyt-rex8774 Yeah, visiting and living are two different things. My parents lived there before I was born. My mom said it was tough. I still like the city as a tourist. I had a blast in Palmer, Seward, Faitbanks, Whittier... Whittier, as weird as it is, what a trip!
I was born and raised in Anchorage, however I was a military brat so after a certain age I eventually lived in 7 different states, many cities...I have to say the ONLY one I love and miss and adore is Anchorage.
Started in Kodiak then spent time in Dutch Harbor, visited several Bering villages, and Kotzebue, Bethel, Dillingham. In one village, the young guys built a sauna of whale bone and vizqueen, heated with a tin stove fueled with diesel-soaked used diapers. We squatted naked on the frozen ground while steam off the stove burned boils on our back. Then the diesel fumes exploded, all the village girls looking through the windows were pointing and laughing, as we grabbed our clothes. Remember one time gill net fishing out of Port Lions looking down in the water, the salmon hitting the net were glowing bright green with plankton as they struggled. One time fishing all the way out to Attu in the Aluetians, we anchored in a bay surrounded by three smoking volcanoes, as aurora borealis crackled and sang across the sky. After that, Anchorage was my version of living hell among townies, the only outlet in the winter cross country skiing in the dark woods, and in summer getting out the Turnagain to Hope or up to Talkeetna, to get back to reality. Anchorage is a porta-potty in a national park.
For those interested, russia didnt really sell alaska for the $$ . I mean technically yea, but the real reason was they were scared Britain would take it over through Canada. So they thought they'd be better off with America having it than Britain. Worked fine for the time, but a century later.....
True, but the Russia of back then is quite a different entity from the one of today. If the absolute monarchy of Russia were able to see the future of its country and realize it (the absolute monarchy) would be replaced, I'm sure it would have sold Alaska purely out of spite for its future governments. No skin off its nose either way if America became a huge rival to the Russia of today.
I believe it's much more complicated with national postage services contracting out air shipments to/from Alaska, but it is a curious thought when looking at big name international companies!!
I knew Alaska was important to control due to its numerous mineral and chemical resources. But I didn’t fathom how crucial it was on a global scale from its location. Very informative video!
International shipping travels through False Pass, that's as far from 'Alaska' as Seattle is from Anchorage. The NorthWest Passage has been a fantasy since the days of sailing in 19thC, and will REMAIN a fantasy, except for nuclear submarines. US military bases in Germany and Guam are 100x more important than Elmendorf or Fairchild. They're duty stations. The only important mining operation left is in Bristol Bay and likely will never get approved, because of its impact on salmon. The once limitless fishing resources are now limited entry, and many seasons don't fill their catch limits. Unless Alaska gets the LNG pipeline, it will decline to a summer fishing state and a miserable military duty station, if you've been to Adak.
As an Alaskan, I always thought that Alaska, while fascinating, was never going to be a big place for the USA. It was always that state that got brought up when talking about the American purchase of the land, and then never again. It was always this quaint piece of land that I lived in. Now that I hear this, I think that it could be in my lifetime when Alaska becomes one of the biggest places in the world, and I could be there to say what it was like before, so that's really nice to hear.
Well, if you grew up in Alaska, you should know that it has an incredible amount of resources in it, so I at least knew that it had some significance for the rest of the world in that regard.
Currently the US spends ~$2 for every $1 Alaska pays in federal taxes. The locational strategic importance dramatically outweighs the resources. The resources in artic areas are expensive to extract.
@@jacksonfurlong3757 lol there have been ice ages and hot spells since the dinosaurs. Quit trying to blatantly scare people and talk mess on their home
One thing you didn't mention for Alaska downsides (and Anchorage in particular) is their supply chain, they produce only a small portion of their food locally and are completely dependent on supplies being brought up by the ship load. Anchorage's port kind of sucks because Cook Inlet is a shallow silt bed, which requires constant dredging to maintain functional operations. This means they are extremely vulnerable in the case of a disaster (think another mega earthquake, a war or any other large supply chain interrupting event), in the case of their supply chain being cut, the non-subsistence lifestyle people (or at any rate, non-preppers with no wilderness skills) would be facing starvation in a matter of a couple months, possibly weeks.
Yeah even though its climate will be temperate in a few decades it’s kinda hard to grow crops in a place that has 24/7 days and 24/7 nights because of the earth’s curve unless you grow them in a basement greenhouse with no windows and a special plant LED hooked up to a timer
@Iron Reagan "the non-subsistence lifestyle people (or at any rate, non-preppers with no wilderness skills) " He covered that base. reread the comment.
@@ThatTenorGuy6 the climate is always changing bozo. Anything that would cause "massive deaths" of animals would be a multi decade process and anyone would have ample opportunity to adapt.
@drummerdude 17 Stop living in a fantasy world. Climate change isn't apocalyptic. You could put most artic animals in a zoo anywhere in the world and they'll survive just fine.
It's not just that planes can refuel in Anchorage as they go by, it's that you can fill a plane full with goods going to multiple destinations, send it and others to Alaska, and then fill up planes with goods from many sources to get to their final destinations. So the same flight into, say, Mexico City could have goods shipped in from both Tokyo and London.
Plus allows for better management of flight crews. Shorter trip means less need for more crew to relieve each other during flight, which opens up more crews for more aircraft.
You beat me to it! But exactly what I was thinking. A short stop that is on the optimal route allows you to refuel and also shift cargo. Result: profit
After flying up to Alaska, I noticed how busy the airport really was. I saw a few large airports in other parts of the states, but Anchorage had an incredible airport with all sorts of interior decorations and shops, it was incredible.
Really? I'm from Anchorage and go through that airport all the time and it seems like you're overselling it a bit. I mean it's nice enough, but I'm surprised that you thought it was that great. Did it exceed your expectations for an airport in AK?
@@aksez2u have you been to the lower levels and actually looked around? They have mini museums and Eskimo art in some hallways as well as themed items at gift shops. Also the corridors between sections of the airport have amazing designs and patterns.
@@oblivion1924 Glad you enjoyed it so much! I am probably jaded, and walking right by a lot of cool stuff since it's "home" and we tend to take that for granted. I'll look around more next time!
As nature-lover visiting from California, I found nature in Alaska--even in the outskirts of Anchorage in the winter--to be as exotic as the tropics and stunningly beautiful but chilling to the bone.
Anchorage is a city that has always been fascinating for me. Living in the US Midwest, Alaska seems distant, far away, almost like a foreign country. Its role in the future and in popular media (like Fallout) makes it a city destined for greatness Alaska is a state I'd love to visit.
@@Salvi_J2 This. I was a city person growing up in middle school and my Dad one day said we were moving to Alaska (military reasons). We ended up in a small town called North Pole outside of Fairbanks... population less than 2,000 at the time smack in the middle of the state. I hated it. Absolutely hated it, at least I had World of Warcraft to entertain me. But now as an adult I feel a longing to go back to Alaska. Seeing images of it brings back nostalgia.
The midwest's role in the future is also very important. The south is going to be hit with worse heatwaves and droughts, while the upper midwest already has shorter more mild summers and large sources of fresh water (the Great Lakes). The harsh winters will become milder and more bearable too. And the close proximity of many notable cities makes rail travel highly viable.
A sign I commonly saw while I lived in Alaska was "Alaska- The last foreign nation still friendly to Americans". Living in Alaska really is like living in a different country. So often we felt disconnected from the larger issues affecting the lower 48. It certainly is remote, but that comes with its benefits.
Saying "lower 48" is fun and makes sense, but I think it's kind of silly how Americans demonize or sometimes even fear other states/regions. A lot of times it seems the targets of the animosity are the states that generate the most tax revenue that helps raise all the boats (CA, TX, NY). I think most lower 48 people have a pretty romantic view of Alaska, I know I want to make a trip some day. The daylight/night hours alone probably make it seem otherworldly not just to the contiguous states but to the vast majority of the world, not to mention the mountains and natural landscape.
I have live here in Anchorage since 07 and work in the air cargo industry for 10 years from loadmaster to load control. We are getting tons of demands and had increase 3x the traffic since I left In the industry couple years ago. Amazon is now also opening a key point sorting hub here as they are opening their doors to asia international market. I wish I have listened to this pilot that I always fly with back in the day. He told me that Pilots will be shortage and on demand in the next 10 years and he encourage me to get my license and earn my hours. He told me this 4 years ago and now it's happening!!!
The role of Anchorage seems to have been similar to the Gander International Airport. When nonstop flights from America to Europe were difficult, the Gander International Airport acted as an entrance to America. Really interesting. Nice video!
@@branon6565 Yes, that was one of the major crashes there. On 9/11 it also it was also one of the major grounding points for flights going to the US. A town of less than 10,000 people housing and feeding ~6800 passengers and crew.
One interesting thing about Anchorage is the weather. You might think that a city so far north would have horrific winters. But because it is coastal, Anchorage is actually more temperate than you might think. Of course, winters are cold, with snow, but the temperatures do not drop to terribly low levels like they do in the interior. Likewise, summers are pretty moderate.
Ya it's more less the same as like I guess you could say Pittsburgh. It's cold it's winter. But oftentimes warmer than like Minnesota Wisconsin the Dakota's major inland areas of the center of the lower 48.
I would say that the average winter temperatures in Anchorage are quite similar to my own Montreal or to Minneapolis, which are both much further south in latitude. I haven't been to Anchorage myself, but I know from looking at statistical tables and stuff.
@@yodorob also look at it this way. London is at roughly the same latitude as Winnipeg. 1st freeze in London average December 8th. Near the water. Winnipeg in quit inland started to really get cold in later October. Anchorage is far north but as cold as places further south. From what I gather places in the inland U.S. and Canada get 1) not only colder but 2) get cold earlier. You'll start to fill winter later October to early November by December it's cold cold. December in Europe oh it's starting to turn cold. Paris is about the same latitude as Milwaukee approximately yet Milwaukee gets cold a month or so earlier
As someone who’s an aviation nut that lives in Anchorage, this video makes me extremely proud of my home town. That said, international travel ending after the fall of the USSR deeply saddens me, considering how much of a nuisance it is now to try and fly internationally, having to fly down to the lower 48s and then go back the way I came.
I lived in Anchorage back in the late 70s for 5 years, I used to love watching and hearing all the 747's taking off from the international airport, most were cargo planes but a lot were KAL JAL and the like full of passengers. The sound and sight of those massive planes always got my attention.
I was stationed in Anchorage from 2016-2020 and the city is quite small for how many people and cargo comes through there. It also has a lot of problems with drugs and homelessness. Anchorage is close to a lot of major shipping hubs but actually living there is still very isolating. It takes a toll on your mental state especially during the winter
most people who don't live in anchorage who also live in alask (me included) dislike anchorage, mostly due to drugs and homelessness. And a good chunk of alaskan crime comes directly from that city
@@alphanoodle1877 Agreed. I came in from the Bush and 'So it goes, first your money, then your clothes' ended up in Anchorage, with all the other ex-sourdoughs, driving cab so I wouldn't freeze to death in the garage I was renting. Thank God the Oil Crash flushed me out of that heIIhole. Unless they get the LNG pipeline, Anchorage is a ghetto.
I want to add to this. Throughout the interior of the state there is a river system that rivals that of the Mississippi with gold, copper, fertile land, and rare earth all along its banks. Its the Yukon. My hometown of Fairbanks used to export lumber by way of this river and honestly we have the fastest growing farmer population in this country. We have abundance in resources, arable land, and easy transport. I honestly believe Alaska may become one of America's Top 3 power centers by the end of the century.
So you y’all expect to overtake states like Florida, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts? I’d more realistically put Alaska as top 10 for importance militarily they’d be second though after Hawaii.
Using Top 3 is terrible way of putting it as America is just so fucking lucky that almost the entire Country just has something going for it. You got the east coast and its deep sea floor that allow massive ships to be closer to land. You got silicon valley in west and its Gold from Americas early history. You got Texas and its Oil. You got the mississippi River spread all over the mid region. We are truly blessed and lucky that we are geographically such well positioned. Instead I say TOP 10.
@@looseygoosey1349 You should see the amount of oil we have to offer but the natives up here won’t let us mine. We could produce for the entire country alone and then some.
Oh gosh I never thought of this. As the globe warms all the midwestern states are going to have a harder time growing crops as desertification kicks in. Meanwhile up in Alaska everything is warming to become really nice farming temperature. I could definitely see an explosion of agriculture taking place in Alaska over the next 50 years.
Thank you for this video. So many people have no clue that FedEx, UPS, USPS and DHL all have huge hubs here. It boggles me when people tell me they can't ship something from the East Coast of the US to Alaska. The "reasons" vary from company to company for not being able to ship to Alaska. Funny part is that Amazon is an Alaskan's best friend because Amazon will gladly ship almost anything we need.
Those northern shipping routes would seriously rock the worlds of some of the towns and villages along the northwest coast of Alaska. Just imagine Nome being a boomtown again.
@@rustymoose618 do you live here in AK? Most of those villages were built in water. It’s the permafrost that causes it. That’s why all buildings are built off the ground on some sort of raised foundation.
I lived in Alaska 17 years. Anchorage was basically like a larger, more boring version of Fairbanks with a bunch of strip clubs and higher crime rate. Usually the winters were a little more mild in Anchorage but that wasn’t always the case. Living there sounded terrible to me because houses in Anchorage were ridiculously expensive, so people would save money by living out in Palmer or Wasilla and commuting in on that single highway (which gets choked with traffic every day at rush hour). The solution one politician tried to fund was a bridge over the Knik Arm (labeled by the media a “bridge to nowhere”) which certainly would have helped commuter time but been ridiculously expensive. Alaska doesn’t have much in the way of mass transit at all, but building a light rail between Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley would help things immeasurably for people. The issue is Alaska doesn’t have much money, being overly reliant on the unstable oil market, tourism revenue (which has been really hurt in recent years), and federal money to pay for things, so infrastructure improvements up there (outside of paving roads) rarely get priority.
But on the bright side, at least our roads are better than a significant portion of the lower 48's. I've driven on roads from Vegas through San Antonio, and I've got to say, our roads are miles above theirs.
We have more than enough money, we spend it on an obscenely over-funded welfare apparatus. If you are "native," you get any and everything you want gold plated and by the truck load, all from the government.
I thought the bridge to nowhere was a proposed bridge to an island near Ketchikan. The internet suggests the moniker has been used to describe multiple proposed bridges. Interesting stuff.
@@BronzePaintsAndGames yeah for sure - I was shocked in LA that there were more pot holes on Pico in the middle of Beverly Hills than I remember encountering on the Dalton Highway (with no taxpayers anywhere).
@@mattobermiller5041 yeah the native corporations all receive a generous amount of both state and (I believe) Federal Dollars which dish out a stipend of about 10,000-30,000 to most of their members every year. It’s not really enough to have a great life, but enough to live off and be in poverty and addiction, which is what befalls a lot of native Americans in Alaska. There are some towns like Fort Yukon where I believe only 1/3 of the town actually has a job with the rest just living off handout money from the corporation / government. Add to that how expensive it is to even get supplies and services to these towns and you’ll see how much money gets squeezed out of the system. Almost all these little native villages have an airport and some sort of state-funded school, library, and police station that “someone” is paying for… (not the people who actually live there)
Some may not agree but the weather in Anchorage is very favorable to take offs 12 months a year because you get more lift from cold air on the runway than warm air. It is rare to have a summer day high more than 70 F.
In addition to that, Alaska has more fresh water resources than any other US state & one of the lowest utilization rates, too. And as the world gets warmer, Alaska's growing season also expands. Add onto that the fact that Alaska's fisheries are some of the most sustainably managed on Earth & you've got a pretty good location going forward into an uncertain world. Their only serious drawback is just how much they rely on imports right now. 50 years ago, Alaska grew almost half of its own food. Right now, it only grows 5% of its own food. Imho this is a dangerous over-reliance on trade & should be fixed as soon as possible.
I’m sure as the earth warms, the dependency on imports will drop but what I also fear will happen is over fishing, hunting, and mass water usage will rise because if most of the US becomes un-inhabitable, Alaska will be one of the places to go
Funny enough with climate alaska would theoretically get colder because of the loss of the Pacific jet stream due to climate change. But yes we do have a lot of fresh water, we arent charged for water by gallon its a fixed rate. Also we have the lowest steps in water filtration.
Anchorage Airport was, at some point, the busiest airport in the world. I used to work the cargo flights during that time. It's a very interesting place. The Smithsonian channel has a pretty good documentary called Ice Airport Alaska.
When I did a tour in S. Korea, we landed in Anchorage on both the flight there and returning to the U.S. It seemed like every jet at the terminals was a jumbo jet.
When I was a kid in 1975, our family took a Pan Am flight on a Boeing 747 nonstop from little Fairbanks to New York City -Kennedy Intl. it was a refueling stop of a daily flight between Tokyo and NYC. It seemed so strange to get on that huge plane nearly full of people in such a small town.
Spectacular video. I love the 3D globe models you use to show complicated shipping and flight routes across the globe. Really helps put those far away places into perspective!
India flights to the US connecting through Anchorage would make total sense though. Since there aren't already many international passenger flights going through anymore, the customs lines would be much more bearable compared to a major city in the Continental 48. I can say this as an Indian-American; Indians are not the most patient people in the world. I'll leave it at that...
@Frigidlava not really if the layovers are shorter than it’ll get you to your destination faster so instead of having a 5 hour layover in Tokyo or London you could have a 2 hour layover in a much less busy airport in Alaska
Flying over the top of the globe is smart because it shortens the journey. Would have taken longer if the plane flew around the much larger bulge of the Earth at lower latitudes.
When I think of Anchorage, Alaska I think of the Battle of Anchorage in the Fallout lore. It was a fierce battle between the Chinese and United States that lasted from late 2066 to early 2077. I think the war as a whole was called the Resource War and was fought by the global superpowers at the time. It was World War 3 essentially over the dwindling supply of fossil fuels. This was quickly followed by the Great War in October 2077 and lasted a whopping 2 hours. There was an exchange of possibly thousands of nuclear warheads all over the globe and then it was over. Everyone was a loser.
@@rainmaker3948 I would say the war scenario is unlikely but not impossible. The dwindling resources thing is very real. There's only so much to go around. It will run out eventually. But there is more and more funds going into renewable energy sources every year. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The reason I say another World War is unlikely is because the world is vastly different than it was 100, 50 or even 30 years ago. People distrust their governments now more than ever and war in general is also more undesirable than it's ever been. All things considered this is probably the most peaceful time in human history. I attribute this to the invention of the internet. People are connected all over the planet in a way never possible before and I have a feeling it's contributing to the peacetime we've experienced the last few decades.
I’m born and raised in LA County. I’ve always been very fascinated with Alaska, especially Anchorage. Partly because it is so different from where I currently live, but also because of stuff like this. It is a decently sized city in the middle of absolute nowhere. The only reason it really exists is because of the trade routes. I also find it to be beautiful, due to its location. I found this to be a very interesting video about the city, and it’s interesting to see that it could end up being one of the most important cities in the world pretty soon. Great video as always RLL.
I visit LA frequently (pre panini obviously) and lived in Alaska for several years. 10/10 recommend visiting. Be careful though, you might not want to leave!
@@xopasstheaux6617 To put it plainly, I hate large towns/cities in general, and like most Alaskans, Anchorage in particular. Don’t totally know why, but Anchorage seems really depressing somehow. Not all the time, but more often than not.
It's good as a u.s. citizen to hear Alaska may be playing a significant part in the world and be a powerhouse in global geopolitical terms but also sad to see the earth changing. I wish there was a way to be better stewards of the earth and still have access to the benefits of alaska.
It was always going to happen. Our climate is cyclical. We labor under the delusion that we could lock the climate into a century long blip in the global epoch.
I'd say moving away from capitalism would be solution but I'm currently convinced that power hoarding is the core issue and moving away from capitalism won't solve that. You can trace the advent of major conflicts to the establishment of agriculture FFS
I think you misunderstand scale. You’re right that climate is cyclical, and in fact the earth has in its past had hotter periods with higher CO2 values. However, the RATE of CO2 and temperature increase currently is about 18,000 times FASTER than ever seen before without human interference (not counting the formation of the Earth when there’s wasn’t yet life, of course). Bear in mind that the worst mass extinction before this wiped out 95% of all species. It took a few hundred thousand years of warming to achieve this. We are increasing global temperatures thousands of times faster than that warming event did. Effects are going to take hold rapidly. Saying the climate was always going to change is ignorant. That’s not a reason to warm the planet in 100 years the amount that nature can do in 300,000.
14:54 Greenland is actually not part of the European Union. It is a highly autonomous territory of Denmark, and although Denmark is part of the EU, Greenland isn't. In fact, Greenland voted to leave what was then the European Community back in 1985, largely due to their desire to keep their fishing waters and other natural resources away from the EC/EU.
Living in Anchorage most of my life - to include today, I love seeing such great information on our city. I'm certain 80% of people in Anchorage do not know half of this information or at least understand it in this context - the importance of Anchorage in air freight and future potential for Anchorage as maritime transportation hub. Great video!
Just drive out to the Arm and ask yourself, why does all Pacific shipping go through False Pass, as far from Anchorage as Anchorage is to Seattle, _and they bypass Seattle too._ There's no manufacturing in Alaska and no market either, so there is no reason WHATSOEVER for shipping to park in Cook Inlet, among the icebergs. It's 12F near Seattle today, *that's -8F* lower than the all-time record cold and it's not winter yet. It's been global COOLING since 2017, but the Greens refused to accept that harsh reality. Anchorage will be lucky to survive at all without more Pentagon spending and the LNG pipeline.
@@filthyanimal874 I don’t think he specifically singled any possible reason out, only that the earth is warming, which it has been since the last ice age.
It’s a possibility that any increase in global warming from human activities will actually be a blessing in disguise as we’ll likely skip all ice ages in the future. We just need to get it under control before it goes too far in either direction. The earth goes through certain cycles, due to a change in the angle of the axis of rotation. Naturally the earth for the vast majority of the time is in an ice age and these periods of intense warmth (all that human civilization has ever known thus far) are relatively short and cyclical blips on earths timeline. But for some reason (likely due to human activities) the earth is currently warming up when it should be cooling down. I’ll link the video that explains all this if anyone is curious.
I rolled my ankle on Friday afternoon, learned about your channel on Friday night and have binged most of your videos the entire weekend. Your content is incredible. Thank you for making such fascinating and digestible analysis of nuanced and complex situations.
@@JanstonCordell anchorage has a tendency to get lazy voter syndrome where they will vote someone who only does harm into office and then think “oh it’s someone else’s problem my vote isn’t that important anyway” and they end up keeping that person in office for awhile
@@TheArbiter1721 I think there is an issue here that is much larger than all of us. Alaska is such a natural beauty, team A loves the vast untouched forests and wildlife. However, Alaska is also incredible resource rich. Gold, coal, oil, gas. Everything that has built an empire can be found here. So team B loves the vast industrial opportunities. So you get someone from team A in office that might have an agenda to tax big oil to fund schooling or something. Team B sees this as an attack on the economy. Say you get someone from Team B in office, they want to cut taxes on big oil and social programs. Under the false narrative that it will boost the economy and big oil will suddenly hire everyone that was on assistance. They might even try to cut the PFD, but ohh THAT is going too far...
@@JanstonCordell who cares about politics? This is dumb asf. If you have a good job, have a Church in your domination, good housing, good weather, good schools, then you will want to live there.
I became an Alaska-phile last year with my first trip, to Fairbanks (from NC). I was in love - so beautiful, people were awesome, just the sense that I was one step closer to nature (we ate tundra blueberries on the trail). But it was also easy to lose certain amenities - I had to go into Fairbanks proper to make a cellular call (you can rent satellite phones). I was in Anchorage in January and was blown away. The Cook Inlet is stunning. Sure, the high was -2F, but it didn't feel like it - and I have lived in the Upper Plains (much worse). So much to see in our 49th state (not even touching on Denali). I will be going back at least annually to try to learn more. The US is fortunate to have this amazing state.
@@wolfmantroy6601 I use Verizon and was on the side of Murphy Dome. My place hade satellite TV, and for the most part it was useless (hosts affirmed this was a common issue - and I didn't go there to watch TV). Not sure if it was timing - I was there in August and perhaps the satellites were in a bad orbit. And at least in the Continental US, cellular towers are owned by non-utilities and rent out bandwidth to all carriers. Oddly, I still live in a literal cellular black hole, even though a tower is within a mile from my place - and based on conversations with neighbors, doesn't matter the carrier, just a fluke. I am not trying to knock on AK - I absolutely love it. Just sharing my experiences. If this video were on another place, I may have similar or different comments - or none at all. Trust me, I have visited places that the best I can say is, "I came, I saw, and I left." Not so with Alaska.
Anchorage fun fact: Anchorage came from the name of a hardwood store operated from a boat and refers to a place where a ship can lay anchor. Let's be honest, our missile reaching Alaska would be the best thing to happen to Alaska. Because at long last, they'll never have to worry about the Alaskan Bullworm ever again. And if it hits Sarah Palin...even better Also, Greenland isn't part of the EU. It used to be in the then European Community between 1973 and 1985 but withdrew and is only associated with it under an overseas association decision. They chose to leave because they wanted to regain control of their fishing
@@connorlynndan2415 actually my mom lives in Palmer my dad lives in anchorage and the only city I haven’t visited is Juneau I’ve been to: Fairbanks soldotna homer Whittier Valdez nome and just about everywhere else because I’ve lived here my entire life
By the logic applied here, either Nome or Kotzebue have the potential to become one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. it is RIGHT on the bering strait, with a nice large bay providing a natural harbor right next the that super-critical choke-point for both routes.
@@GeoHuman. Yea, but they're not an American city. Those a planes from American companies so the American govt. Would punish them for doing it from Russia.
@@carboy101 Uelen is closer to the Bering Strait than Nome or Kotzebue, Brevig Mission is closer to the Bering than Nome or Kotzebue and in a bay mostly tucked away from the sea, so it would probably be the best American city to develop.
What a pathetic argument. Nome/Kotzebue are tiny towns with 2-3k people each, Anchorage has 300k along with major domestic and international infrastructure upon which to capitalize and grow in the future. Your logic is god awful and I am embarrassed for you. Toodles.
Costs to ship on the water would be significantly lower from bypassing the Panama Canal and sailing north around Alaska not only because of less fuel costs but if I remember correctly each cargo ship traveling through the Panama Canal pays at least a $100,000 fee for using the canal. That’s a lot of savings when added to the fuel and time being saved.
@@connorlynndan2415 agreed, I grew up in Alaska and lived in Anchorage and so many people who visit think they’ve “experienced” Alaska after going to Anchorage or riding the train from Seward to Denali. Alaska is so vast and unique that the possibilities for adventure are endless. There’s always something new to experience and do.
@@letrouvere2158 not just the monopoly. The demand for access through that chokepoint also drives up costs. There's only so much traffic a given canal can handle in a year and as we saw with Suez this year, it's not like the major canals are going under utilized. Becoming less strategically important may also help Panama get out from the imperialist thumb....supposing it doesn't get too hot for human habitation which is a real possibility.
Anchorage is hands down the best city in the world. Best restaurants, endless parks, trails & creeks, fantastic night life, great arts/theatre, etc. The cost of living is high but not as high as CA. It's so beautiful! I'm a commercial pilot, & the airport is a dream come true: paved runways >13,500 feet long, + gravel the world's largest seaplane base. I'm blessed to use PANC more than any other airport in my career. Plus I had a great little house in a good neighborhood 4 minutes from work, & now I live on a grass strip out of town. Winter is winter, but there's so much to do: skating at Westchester lagoon, >1000 miles of groomed trails for skiing & ski-joring, easy day trips for snowmachining at Turnagain Pass, Petersville & everywhere in between. Fur Rondy & the Iditarod in Feb & March. Anchorage is not perfect, but it's just fantastic! We have the best of everything, AND only small crowds, no lines, traffic is easy to avoid, hardly any people! It's just the best! And summertime, ... omg! It makes you know Heaven is real!
At 6:31, every "less than ___ hours" label uses the "GREATER THAN" symbol. When you say "X is less than 6" and display it as an equation, the thin end of the symbol should be pointing to the smaller value (in this case, the invisible X) and the wide open end should be pointing to the larger value (in this case, the 6 hour upper limit).
Due to most European Countries having to avoid flying over Russia, I think there's going to be a lot of flights that would make fuel stops at anchorage if Europe wants to go to East Asia, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.
The European Airlines will use the massive hubs in Istanbul or Doha instead. And of course unlike Cold War days, most of the biggest and best international airlines today are not even based in countries participating in the Russian sanctions and thus are free to fly wherever they want.
There’s already SeaTac in WA (though now busier than ATL) and BC’s Vancouver airport for that. British Airways, AirFrance and Lufthansa have direct flights to SEA
Russia is still trying to achieve the same geopolitical power they had during the USSR. With Alaska they could've actually gained a lot of power. Sucks to be them I guess.
There was a podcast I listened to (forgot the name) that had a history major detail the story of Alaska sale. They couldn’t see Russia holding on to the territory, even if they didn’t sell it.
Born and raised Alaskan, including having lived in Anchorage for a couple of years and though it has its positives it has a lot of negatives as well. The homeless issue there is huge. The crime rate is huge. It’s a dirty city. It’s also very expensive to live in Alaska, period, because of how expensive it is to ship goods. I lived on the Kenai peninsula for most of my life and honestly treasure a lot of memories and a simple childhood.
I agree. I'm not a lifelong Alaskan, been here for 32 years. I've lived and worked all over the state including Anchorage, I live on the Kenai now. So much negative change has occurred in the past 30 years, especially for Anchorage. All buildable land has been built on in the Anchorage bowl, people crammed into townhomes like rats. Homeless and homeless camps in the greenbelts. Hard drugs, crime is rampant. Anchorage was not like that in the 80's and 90's. Not like it is today. There is a reason Alaskans call it Los Anchorage. In general, it has all the big city problems of LA, Chicago, NYC etc but on a smaller scale. I hate having to go to Anchorage anymore, its dirty and crammed with people and insane drivers. Summer comes and every Friday they flee their city to come to the Kenai and overwhelm us with their city attitude, aggressive driving and dumping their trash before they head back to Anchorage. Not to forget that every weekend from June through August there seems to be a fatal car accident from this weekend exodus as they race down here and race back up on our 1 two lane highway. I digress. Alaska has changed in my time and very little is for the better.
@@ragnarokgalaxy9510 It's all relative as you state. The point is Anchorage USED to be a great small city to live in. However, Anchorage has changed dramatically over the last 20 years and not for the better and gets worse each year. Lots of reasons for this but chiefly its political. Anchorage has been a liberal Democrat run city for years. And like ALL cities run by liberal Democrats they turn to crap. Prove me wrong, somebody let me know of one city run by Democrats that is a wonderful safe place to be.
@@bruceb9515 Without even bothering about politics, I'm sorry to hear that. Even a quick search shows some of the grime that's loaded it since I left. What a shame. The place where I learned to be a better person and leave no trace/police my brass. Smh.
It would also be interesting if you would cover anchorages problems. For example, anchorage is hemmed in by the inlet to the west/south, the chugach mountain range to the east, and a military airforce base to the north. So it doesn't have an option to grow much larger. There's also our port which requires a significant amount of dredging, despite there being an option for a deep water port on fire island. We have the second highest tides in the entire world. The '64 earthquake was a 9.4, and is almost guaranteed to happen again due to our position directly on top of a fault line. And our absolutely insane rape and crime statistics. There's also the problem that our capitol is I accessible to the majority of our states population, and whenever there's a vote to move it to Anchorage suspicious happenings occur and power outages that limit voting. And as a fun side note, you should check out recent news about our mayor.
@@carlosandleon Do you know how much it costs to relocate even a small military air base? The costs are absolutely insane. Then again if anybody could afford it, it would be the military.
@@j.peters1222 If enough people want it, American democracy should allow that. Alternatively, take inspiration from the Nordic countries, or the lower 48, and build up.
To be fair I'm looking at a map now and if Anchorage really needed to grow they could totally expand north across the river. It seems the issue is clearing the hurdle of getting enough people to reach a critcial mass where its worth building the infrastructure to support a new suburb
Well done video. One minor correction, at timestamp 6:20, when listing the time it takes to fly from Anchorage to other major cities, you used the wrong comparison operator. i.e. “> 6 hours” is interpreted as “greater than 6 hours”. Using “< 6 hours” is what you’re looking for.
Nice to see my state getting some attention... although I'm glad it's being directed at Anchorage, and not down here in Juneau. Honestly, I'd be happy if they moved the capital to Anchorage - the peace and quiet in this remote Southeast region is one of the things that most drew me to it.
Honestly, from a Geographical standpoint, the entire Panhandle that Juneau is part of should probably just be gifted or sold to Canada, it's a ridiculously narrow band of mostly useless territory to the US, and I'm sure Canada can make better use of that stretch of land incorporating it into BC than America ever will.
I frequented Anchorage at least twice a month between 1995-2010 as a flight crew, I love the town! Grew up in a small town I found that small town vibe alive in Anchorage
@@ialive9084 I respectfully call that...well, i wont say what. Some think the same, but in my mind the less cities the better. I find our 65 acres restrictive. I’m glad we have thousands of acres of riverbed bordering our property
The natural beauty of Alaska is awe inspiring. My husband ran the Anchorage Marathon a few years ago. The best month to travel there is May before the Summer black flies become a problem!
It's so crazy. Europe is so screwed without Russia's oil pipeline, Germany in particular. How do you stand up to a bully when you literally depend on them for your economy? Man, I absolutely can't stand doomers, but I am concerned about the future. It's downright mind-boggling how much oil and uranium China consumes on a daily basis.
@@nightshadehelis9821 I think its a little bit too much or a coincidence once you realize the same ultra wealthy people controll almost all the companies and banks on both sides of the(almost every)war. How convenient is it that right when the heat is about to blast around the corner we close off the russian airspace. Maybe its just me being crazy but it looks like they are playing chess and we are looking at the game like its checkers. Just dont be scared and try to be happy, you are alive because your ancestors fought off the worst disasters in the world, i think even in the worst case scenerio you will find a way to make life comfortable for you and your family. Peace
Lived in Anchorage my whole life, posting from there now (nice, warm 19 degrees outside.) It's true that there's a massive amount of potential in Anchorage and Alaska in general. We're sitting on huge natural resources and shipping potential. However, most of it is untapped. Shipping and air cargo are really a pretty small piece of our economy. Especially next to the oil companies, which also aren't what they used to be. It would be awesome to see things rebound someday, but there's a lot of 'ifs' involved.
Oh god, when you said the northwest passage would save tens if not thousands... It will save MILLIONS per vessel. It is a profound change and will introduce a similar conflict as we see in the south china sea. I have worked on ships whose full cargo capacity is valued at 2.8 billion dollars. It is easy to underestimate the shipping industry.
If that passage opens enough for regular traffic, the misery in the rest of the world (floods, fires, heat waves, failed crops etc) will mean there is no point using it. The gas and oil needs to be left in the ground.
@@IndigoIndustrial I'm doubtful that the impact of climate change is going to be nearly as catastrophic as the alarmists make it out to be. This is a slow change that will at worst still happen over the course of hundreds of years. The world isn't all of a sudden going to be plunged into fire and brimstone. The access of these trade routes as well as making north Canada and Greenland more hospitable may be a fair tradeoff, especially considering human ingenuity solves most problems.
I was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base Anchorage for 2 years. Summers are amazing, but the winters are COLD! Absolutely beautiful and can't wait to go back.
I live in Anchorage currently, and even worked at the Anchorage International Airport for awhile. We don't have a large population compared to other "large" cities, but the scenery here is amazing. You can drive 10 minutes south and see pods of whales, or drive an hour and a half north to see and touch glaciers. We have sandy beaches, the Sealife Center, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation center, mountains to hike, trails to bike, and more all within just a few minutes to a few hours. Highly recommend people add it to their list of destinations, regardless of time of year. It's simply beautiful.
Don't forget to mention the Spring thaw when you are knee deep in Moose Poop, mosquitoes and other fliers as big as birds, and either no daylight or moonlight for half the year. Alaska isn't really all that great, folks.
Sandy beaches? I'm not sure if you're talking about the mud flats or the combo sand/goose poop at one of our local lakes 😂. If I've missed something, please let me know.
@@elliebellie7816 If I were to take you literally, It would seem that you think the entire state of Alaska is above the Arctic Circle. Certainly our winter days are short, but most people consider our cool, light, warm summer evenings a real plus. You'd have to go up by Utquiagvik to have "no daylight" or "all daylight" for several weeks in the winter or summer respectively.
I had something shipped from a warehouse in British Columbia and I watched its route on Fedex tracking and it went to Nashville, TN *and only then to* Anchorage, AK before it went to Japan and then Thailand and now I understand more of why it did that.
Kgb is already a shit show. As much as I’d love to shorten the drive to anchorage, there should probably be something done with the most dangerous road in the state.
Anyway, as I said before Google got scared, the highway between Fairbanks and Palmer/Wasilla was wrong for a long time on a certain mapping site by a certain company who owns this site
@@Gonzalo.Escobar Why? I don’t see the need for that much money to be spent on what is already plenty good enough. Besides, big roads make things so much less beautiful. Plus, how would they do that through Denali?
Alaskan here: Anchorage was founded in 1914 as a head quarters for the railway that was leading north to Fairbanks. In the !930 During the Dust Bowl Farmers in the midwest that were effected by the drought given a chance to help settle Anchorage and received land hence where Palmer ended up being settled for. Finally During World War 2 it was used as a key defense point and aviation stop for the war effort, the Alaska Highway was completed at this time turning Anchorage into a regular air stop for air traffic to Asia and Europe.
I had a tour of Alaska one spring break once. Very beautiful place with an amazing scenery. Fairly nice variety in cuisine. Almost broke my wrist on a cruise to neighboring Valdez. 10/10 would break my wrist again
I live in Anchorage. Let me tell you, the Summer's are so freaking beautiful here in Alaska. You must remember though, the winter's are cold and dark. Many cannot hang with the darkness. Although, the Summer's are definitely worth it. Stop giving our secrets away. Part of the beauty of Alaska is having less people here.
i was stationed at elmendorf 1991-1994. being from sunny texas i concur with you about the seasonal differences and the natural beauty is unrivalled by most of the lower 48. texas is home and more than likely always will be tho.
On my return flight from VietNam in 1972 the flight had a layover in Anchorage. All I remember is that it was 4:00 in the afternoon and it was pitch black outside the terminal.
10:11 Correct me if i'm wrong, but surely Honolulu, Hawaii would be a better layover between India and the US West Coast? Edit: I looked it up, turns out it's not even close! New Dehli-Anchorage-Los Angeles is ~7,700 miles New Dehli-Honolulu-Los Angeles is around ~9,800 miles! Map distortion is wild.
Our planet also bulges slightly at the equator (most of us can sympathize, ha), but I don't know how much that adds to the distance of the Honolulu route.
It's the nature of a sphere, a direct path from New Dehli to California goes almost right over Anchorage, the pacific ocean let alone the middle of it is a massive detour. In fact a direct flight from New Dehli to Hawaii or California ends up being about the same distance, it's just that one is your destination and the other is still extremely far away from it. A 3d sphere cannot be perfectly represented on a 2D plane, pertinent information and intuitive perspective is left out.
This is such a tiny issue and yet I'm going to point it out...you used greater than signs instead of less than signs at 6:30 in the video. This was a great video as usual!
RLL really makes it extremely hard not to but curiosity stream. This video was extremely good and the depth analysis given are so fascinating. Also the background music fits perfectly, makes it so tense that I actually want to find out what will go down on the artic circle.
it’s so cheap too. i usually ignore ads in youtube videos but i’m really tempted to try out curiosity stream because the price is so good and it’s a streaming service that is literally filled with everything i already watch and want more of! hahaha
I knew that Anchorage was important for cargo flights today and passenger flights during the Cold War, but I was surprised at how much more importance it held beyond that.
It’s also well placed from a military standpoint. By land, the city is surrounded by mountains. By sea, you have to travel up a waterway, which can be easily defended by a few fire bases at the entrance and a small fleet.
What an incredibly educational and interesting video, massive props to the creator. As someone who consumes a lot of political/history content on UA-cam, I’m surprised I haven’t come across this channel. Subscribed 👍
What are some other great channels that are your favorites? I know/love this one but don’t know others. i love both the politics and history side of things
Also, who cares if Russia has 18 military bases in the Arctic if they're staffed only by janitors keeping them looking like they're used? Funny how a lot of the video became obsolete so quickly.
Same here! i knew Anchorage was important because of the flights & cold war. But not in this way! Crazy how two super world powers will have control of the most important trading route in the future.
Driving down the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks down south, you drive through Ft Greely. Knowing the military history of Alaska and learning about the silos out at greely as a kid, I could never help but feel a sense of vague dread when driving by them. Kind of like driving past an active volcano that is currently dormant.
The truly horrifying thing about Fort Greely is that the px barber shop only has 1 chair, and they have to call the barber in from his real job when someone shows up for a haircut.
I just uploaded a 19-minute long companion video to this one covering the modern-day cold war and conflict between Greece and Turkey to Nebula, here; bit.ly/3egkMrS It's a part of my Modern Conflicts series, an exclusive to Nebula series of sensitive and controversial conflicts ranging from the Gulf War, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the Armenia-Azerbaijan War and many others. The best way to get access to all of these videos along with dozens of other creator projects is through the CuriosityStream/Nebula bundle deal, and best of all with the current holiday deal, you can get 1 entire year of both Nebula and CuriosityStream with thousands of documentaries to entertain yourself with forever, for only $11.59 a year, here; curiositystream.com/?coupon=reallifelore
OP
E
dont care + Ratio + YT better
You guys are genius at nebula. You made millions of $$$
What the frak does OP mean???
Russia didn't necessarily sell Alaska just for money. Russia was concerned that Britain would be able to easily capture the land through Canada at the time so figured selling it to the US would stop Britain which it kind of did but then the US became a bigger problem than Britain in the long term.
Or, to reference a much-loved joke known as "Russian History": And then, somehow, it got worse.
Congratulations. You played yourself.
Also, Russia had already expanded waaaaay too far east in the first place, stretching its ability to not only defend, but communicate as well. At their peak, they only had about 800 Russians inhabiting all of Alaska as it was, so it basically amounted to a handful of people just saying "this gigantic land mass is ours...unless absolutely anyone challenges us for it."
Thankfully, they got managed to actually net some profit from it instead of just losing it to war. There was virtually no way for Moscow to reliably or quickly stay in contact with its tiny Russian population there, so selling it was the best option. Although not far removed from mainland Russia, even the most north eastern parts of Russia itself were remote, sparsely populated and had next to infrastructure (no roads or railways), and to this day, still don't. The parts of Russia closest to Alaska lack major transportation networks & population, so people acting like it was this giant mistake overlook how difficult it would've been for Russia to maintain at the time.
All thanks to the power of Alaska...
This happened with Napoleon and Louisiana, too. France couldn't hope to hold onto their North American possessions in a conflict with Britain, so it just passed them off to the Americans who could.
Let's not forget how close Czarist Russia and the US were at the time, especially @their mutual need to counter british naval power.
I can't believe the Devs are gonna buff Anchorage in the upcoming global warming patch when it's already near the top of the meta and players have been begging for a nerf for years, literally unplayable.
😂😂😂
tier zoo moment.
remember when the media was touting that we were gonna be underwater by the year 2000? uhh...
pretty sure the devs gonna increase the difficulty and hostility rating of Anchorage in that patch not to mention the rising sea levels patch is probably gonna do some real damage to the anchorage meta as a whole.
when people talk like this it makes me depressed
As someone who lived in Anchorage for 15+ years it’s true that the summers are amazing, but you get tired of the winters real quick. It’s one of the most gorgeous places in the world, but it can feel somewhat removed from the rest of the United States.
it's the last bastion, the only based state left other than Florida.
Fortunately the climate keeps California commies away, unlike in Florida.
I feel you man, North Pole Resident here. We're supposed to get a crap load of snow in a few days, as much as I love the nature and area, the winters can be a pain.
Add on to last comment, I am not getting snow, but rain. It's been raining for the last 3-4 hours, and freezing as it hits the ground.
Hope no one has to go out anytime soon....
@@awing6819 its still not winter there?
@@supermaster2012 don't worry, we will take it over eventually.
Anchorage resident from 1971-2011. I remember driving out to a hillside near the airport with my parents and watching the first 747 to our little burg touchdown at the airport in the early 70's. It was a big deal.
Very cool!
@@vladiiidracula235 just curious, why'd u leave?
@@t33sher probably the cold, the weather, the growth of the city in return making the living prices skyrocket, there could be anything
@@t33sher My wife got accepted to grad school in Missouri and my job can be done anywhere with a phone and internet. We'll visit but not go back to live there because she's had enough of the cold and dark for a third of the year. Happy wife, happy life.
@@sarahjim11332211 Thats cool though, you're alaskaman.
I am surprised you didn't talk about the fact that Alaska provides 60% of the domestically produced seafood for the US. All of that goes through Anchorage. Or the fact that Alaska has more freshwater than the rest of the USA combined.
Edit:
1.) So it has been pointed out that a significant amount of seafood is shipped directly from the ports where it is caught without going through Anchorage. So it was incorrect to say "All".
2.) I was just wrong on the freshwater numbers. The total freshwater area of 49 states (excluding AK) is around 170 million square miles. The total freshwater area of Alaska is 94 million square miles, so just over half the rest of the USA combined (this includes the areas of the great lakes that the USA claims). The next state with the highest total surface area is Michigan with around 40 million square miles and it falls off pretty hard from there with Florida with around 12 million square miles.
More than the Great Lakes?
@@mcnuffin1208 Probably not but then again the US has split control of the great lakes with Canada.
@@mcnuffin1208 You'd be surprised. A lot of that freshwater is trapped in glaciers, but it's still a LOT of freshwater. Hell, Alaska has Iliamna Lake, which alone is 1/7th the size of Lake Ontario. By volume, it is over 1/4th the size of Lake Erie. If you only count bodies of freshwater situated entirely in the US, Alaska is #1 by an incredibly large margin. If you include the Great Lakes, it's still #1, but not more than the entire rest of the US.
@@NinetooNine Well what about purified water I'm replying to your text you said Alaska has more freshwater than the U.S. combine but what about pure water?
Nine, Actually Alaska produces approx 75% of the total USA seafood production, plus we have more coastline,34 thousand miles, then the rest of the USA combined!
As someone who grew up in Anchorage, I can definitely attest that while it sucks to live in, its strategic importance has always been a huge point of emphasis. The military actually makes up a big part of its economy as the Army and Air Force have a huge joint base just north of downtown. And the fact it's still such an important cargo hub is cool. My wife and I actually lived in a house that was just east of one of the runways and I would see 747s all the time. I even caught a picture of the Antonov An-225 (the largest airplane in the world) right above our house. I don't miss much about Anchorage (moved out of Alaska in 2019) but I always tell people that it's such an important place even today.
Why didn't you enjoy living there?
@@LeviKellyTours I would imagine the fact that he said "I even caught a picture of the Antonov An-225 (the largest airplane in the world) right above our house" has something to do with it
@@LeviKellyTours when I was growing up, it was a great city with lots of jobs and enough to do year-round, but then the economy started crashing. After that, crime started soaring and the only real things to do were stay inside and watch movies or go out to a few restaurants or bars. I'm not a skier or snowboarder, and the only real hiking occurs in the summer. I really miss the summers, but the rest of the year was always brutal.
@@mannnygz I'm an avgeek who loves watching planes fly overhead, so that's one thing I actually do miss. Lol
@@Dutchovenderlinde what the average temperature in the winter and summer was thinking of going for a trip
It’s quite interesting how cities such as Anchorage that we generally don’t discuss in real life are so important to governments around the world. Kind of makes you feel better if you got transferred to some of these places for work because you know that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself.
yeahhh I'd hate being a part of something bigger than myself lol knowing ppl are handling the world and countless sums of money behind my back just doesnt seem right with me
Kinda* mixed feelings* about this vid, I live in Anchorage and feel the less thing we need more of* is ppl here, unless that would drop the cost of living rather than raising it.
Knowing you're living somewhere that will be on the list for a direct attack 😭
We work out asses of for nothing. Look into the homeless problem there it compares to skid row.
I like your comment
I almost completely failed to realize how close some countries are to each other just because I've always looked at a standard 2D map instead of a globe.
Not only we've been looking at 2D maps of Earth for too long, but we've been doing it so with a Mercator 2D map, which inflates the size of objects away from the equator, and which makes Greenland look bigger than South America and as big as Africa... which is a straight out lie!
It's almost like you can see Russia from Alaska!
@@briannelson4095, in one place you can! In the Bering Strait, the Diomede Islands straddle the U.S./Russia border. Big Diomede (Russia) and Little Diomede (U.S.) are only 2.4 miles apart. As far as time, Big Diomede is 21 hours ahead of Little Diomede. Because of this, the islands have nicknames of Yesterday Island and Tomorrow Island.
my exactly thoughts while watching this video.
@@stephenplatt5048 I was born and raised in Alaska, and you can actually see Russia from several points in Alaska for example Gambell which is only 36 miles away, and you can see Russia quite easily on a clear day. It is however, as you correctly point out, closest from the Diomede Islands. During the Cold War Russia actually stopped stationing troops on Big Diomede Island because when the water would freeze solid in winter, the Russian troops would just walk over to Alaska and defect! lol.
Anchorage has the very unique blend of being a mountain and a coast city. I love the grit of this city. The salt air with the mountain backdrop, throw in some Northern lights, and well, THAT'S a city!
Northern Lights while watching rhe northern lights. Pure indica strain. This old strain is still one of the best.
I'll be honest, lived in Alaska my whole life, across the river from anchorage, anchorage is the worst town in Alaska.
@@cowboyt-rex8774 across the river? You mean Knik arm?
@@cowboyt-rex8774 Yeah, visiting and living are two different things. My parents lived there before I was born. My mom said it was tough. I still like the city as a tourist. I had a blast in Palmer, Seward, Faitbanks, Whittier... Whittier, as weird as it is, what a trip!
@@cowboyt-rex8774 wym, eagle river? That's just a city name, or u mean point mac, wasilla, palmer?
I was born and raised in Anchorage, however I was a military brat so after a certain age I eventually lived in 7 different states, many cities...I have to say the ONLY one I love and miss and adore is Anchorage.
Started in Kodiak then spent time in Dutch Harbor, visited several Bering villages, and Kotzebue, Bethel, Dillingham. In one village, the young guys built a sauna of whale bone and vizqueen, heated with a tin stove fueled with diesel-soaked used diapers. We squatted naked on the frozen ground while steam off the stove burned boils on our back. Then the diesel fumes exploded, all the village girls looking through the windows were pointing and laughing, as we grabbed our clothes. Remember one time gill net fishing out of Port Lions looking down in the water, the salmon hitting the net were glowing bright green with plankton as they struggled. One time fishing all the way out to Attu in the Aluetians, we anchored in a bay surrounded by three smoking volcanoes, as aurora borealis crackled and sang across the sky. After that, Anchorage was my version of living hell among townies, the only outlet in the winter cross country skiing in the dark woods, and in summer getting out the Turnagain to Hope or up to Talkeetna, to get back to reality. Anchorage is a porta-potty in a national park.
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
@@connorlynndan2415 I feel like most places are like that.
edit: can't spell
To bad you didn’t get out of Anchorage and see “real Alaska “!Simple!
@@robertmarmaduke9721 , Now that you said all that, bet your not in Alaska anymore, huh???
For those interested, russia didnt really sell alaska for the $$ . I mean technically yea, but the real reason was they were scared Britain would take it over through Canada. So they thought they'd be better off with America having it than Britain. Worked fine for the time, but a century later.....
Haha… crazy to think how it would have affected the world if Britain took it.
@@Agonal Canadians' wet dream :)
Cool fact, I never knew that. Maybe the plan would have worked out if not for the Bolsheviks, but who knows what else might have happened
Doing something strategic and tactical only to come back and bite you in the ass. Russian history in a nutshell
True, but the Russia of back then is quite a different entity from the one of today. If the absolute monarchy of Russia were able to see the future of its country and realize it (the absolute monarchy) would be replaced, I'm sure it would have sold Alaska purely out of spite for its future governments. No skin off its nose either way if America became a huge rival to the Russia of today.
You know the funny thing about the cargo air spot is that Alaska is consistently not included in free shipping despite that fact.
I believe it's much more complicated with national postage services contracting out air shipments to/from Alaska, but it is a curious thought when looking at big name international companies!!
@@bluesbuzzbloghonestly anchorage can be used as a cargo supply holding spot for corporations that are global. Like a massive storage town
I didn't know Alaska was so important. Interesting.
NPC typa comment, the video had been uploaded 3 minutes before you commented that
@@xhavierj3915 ???
@@xhavierj3915 why so angry osama
@@xhavierj3915 brother, did you censor the word dumb??
I thought it was just ice up there
I knew Alaska was important to control due to its numerous mineral and chemical resources. But I didn’t fathom how crucial it was on a global scale from its location. Very informative video!
Yoo
Yop
International shipping travels through False Pass, that's as far from 'Alaska' as Seattle is from Anchorage. The NorthWest Passage has been a fantasy since the days of sailing in 19thC, and will REMAIN a fantasy, except for nuclear submarines. US military bases in Germany and Guam are 100x more important than Elmendorf or Fairchild. They're duty stations. The only important mining operation left is in Bristol Bay and likely will never get approved, because of its impact on salmon. The once limitless fishing resources are now limited entry, and many seasons don't fill their catch limits. Unless Alaska gets the LNG pipeline, it will decline to a summer fishing state and a miserable military duty station, if you've been to Adak.
@@robertmarmaduke9721 lets hope they get that pipeline then
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
As an Alaskan, I always thought that Alaska, while fascinating, was never going to be a big place for the USA. It was always that state that got brought up when talking about the American purchase of the land, and then never again. It was always this quaint piece of land that I lived in. Now that I hear this, I think that it could be in my lifetime when Alaska becomes one of the biggest places in the world, and I could be there to say what it was like before, so that's really nice to hear.
Well, if you grew up in Alaska, you should know that it has an incredible amount of resources in it, so I at least knew that it had some significance for the rest of the world in that regard.
Have fun being a big fat target as the globe warms!
@@jacksonfurlong3757 but everyone forgot land would melt
Currently the US spends ~$2 for every $1 Alaska pays in federal taxes. The locational strategic importance dramatically outweighs the resources.
The resources in artic areas are expensive to extract.
@@jacksonfurlong3757 lol there have been ice ages and hot spells since the dinosaurs. Quit trying to blatantly scare people and talk mess on their home
One thing you didn't mention for Alaska downsides (and Anchorage in particular) is their supply chain, they produce only a small portion of their food locally and are completely dependent on supplies being brought up by the ship load. Anchorage's port kind of sucks because Cook Inlet is a shallow silt bed, which requires constant dredging to maintain functional operations. This means they are extremely vulnerable in the case of a disaster (think another mega earthquake, a war or any other large supply chain interrupting event), in the case of their supply chain being cut, the non-subsistence lifestyle people (or at any rate, non-preppers with no wilderness skills) would be facing starvation in a matter of a couple months, possibly weeks.
Yeah even though its climate will be temperate in a few decades it’s kinda hard to grow crops in a place that has 24/7 days and 24/7 nights because of the earth’s curve unless you grow them in a basement greenhouse with no windows and a special plant LED hooked up to a timer
@Iron Reagan "the non-subsistence lifestyle people (or at any rate, non-preppers with no wilderness skills) " He covered that base. reread the comment.
@Iron Reagan What happens when climate change causes massive deaths of Arctic animals?
@@ThatTenorGuy6 the climate is always changing bozo. Anything that would cause "massive deaths" of animals would be a multi decade process and anyone would have ample opportunity to adapt.
@drummerdude 17 Stop living in a fantasy world. Climate change isn't apocalyptic. You could put most artic animals in a zoo anywhere in the world and they'll survive just fine.
It's not just that planes can refuel in Anchorage as they go by, it's that you can fill a plane full with goods going to multiple destinations, send it and others to Alaska, and then fill up planes with goods from many sources to get to their final destinations. So the same flight into, say, Mexico City could have goods shipped in from both Tokyo and London.
Plus allows for better management of flight crews. Shorter trip means less need for more crew to relieve each other during flight, which opens up more crews for more aircraft.
Anchorage is the world's air router
Excellent point.
You beat me to it! But exactly what I was thinking.
A short stop that is on the optimal route allows you to refuel and also shift cargo.
Result: profit
The wonders of transloading.
With the Russian airspace now closed to Western aircrafts, Anchorage could once again play a role in connecting East Asia to the Western world
No thx
@@americanineverywaybutcitiz2330 bot
@@baluyotkerrsone.5856 Bot because Canadians want to remain Canadian make and sell things in Canada. Fuck off.
The Western world has nothing to do with you , leech.
History is repeating i guess...(sadly)
After flying up to Alaska, I noticed how busy the airport really was. I saw a few large airports in other parts of the states, but Anchorage had an incredible airport with all sorts of interior decorations and shops, it was incredible.
Really? I'm from Anchorage and go through that airport all the time and it seems like you're overselling it a bit. I mean it's nice enough, but I'm surprised that you thought it was that great. Did it exceed your expectations for an airport in AK?
@@aksez2u have you been to the lower levels and actually looked around? They have mini museums and Eskimo art in some hallways as well as themed items at gift shops. Also the corridors between sections of the airport have amazing designs and patterns.
@@oblivion1924 Glad you enjoyed it so much! I am probably jaded, and walking right by a lot of cool stuff since it's "home" and we tend to take that for granted. I'll look around more next time!
As nature-lover visiting from California, I found nature in Alaska--even in the outskirts of Anchorage in the winter--to be as exotic as the tropics and stunningly beautiful but chilling to the bone.
Anchorage is a city that has always been fascinating for me. Living in the US Midwest, Alaska seems distant, far away, almost like a foreign country. Its role in the future and in popular media (like Fallout) makes it a city destined for greatness Alaska is a state I'd love to visit.
We visited Alaska 2 years a go in July. It was absolutely gorgeous. People are super friendly. It reminds me a lot of Montana
Its beautiful here but if you are a city person then its pretty boring. Its just small compared to other cities
@@Salvi_J2 This. I was a city person growing up in middle school and my Dad one day said we were moving to Alaska (military reasons). We ended up in a small town called North Pole outside of Fairbanks... population less than 2,000 at the time smack in the middle of the state. I hated it. Absolutely hated it, at least I had World of Warcraft to entertain me. But now as an adult I feel a longing to go back to Alaska. Seeing images of it brings back nostalgia.
@@zkysk7672 lol yeah im glad i atleast live in anchorage cuz pretty much every other city is small af.
The midwest's role in the future is also very important.
The south is going to be hit with worse heatwaves and droughts, while the upper midwest already has shorter more mild summers and large sources of fresh water (the Great Lakes). The harsh winters will become milder and more bearable too. And the close proximity of many notable cities makes rail travel highly viable.
Very informative and quality content
I like turtles
Ok
Right
But I wish they would get their operators right.
THIS is "< 7hours", not "> 7 hours".
@@richardcheek2432 ikr
A sign I commonly saw while I lived in Alaska was "Alaska- The last foreign nation still friendly to Americans". Living in Alaska really is like living in a different country. So often we felt disconnected from the larger issues affecting the lower 48. It certainly is remote, but that comes with its benefits.
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
Hawaii feels very similar to that
@@connorlynndan2415 yes you have
@Just a man. literally everybody knows Alaskans call us the lower 48. We literally even refer to ourselves as the lower 48 when talking about Alaska.
Saying "lower 48" is fun and makes sense, but I think it's kind of silly how Americans demonize or sometimes even fear other states/regions. A lot of times it seems the targets of the animosity are the states that generate the most tax revenue that helps raise all the boats (CA, TX, NY). I think most lower 48 people have a pretty romantic view of Alaska, I know I want to make a trip some day. The daylight/night hours alone probably make it seem otherworldly not just to the contiguous states but to the vast majority of the world, not to mention the mountains and natural landscape.
I have live here in Anchorage since 07 and work in the air cargo industry for 10 years from loadmaster to load control. We are getting tons of demands and had increase 3x the traffic since I left In the industry couple years ago. Amazon is now also opening a key point sorting hub here as they are opening their doors to asia international market. I wish I have listened to this pilot that I always fly with back in the day. He told me that Pilots will be shortage and on demand in the next 10 years and he encourage me to get my license and earn my hours. He told me this 4 years ago and now it's happening!!!
Good. I wanna move
The role of Anchorage seems to have been similar to the Gander International Airport. When nonstop flights from America to Europe were difficult, the Gander International Airport acted as an entrance to America. Really interesting. Nice video!
Just like the Azores were/are a pitstop for ships traversing the Atlantic.
The Beatles were in the Gander Airport back in the olden days
Isn't that the airport where an aircraft loaded up with Green Berets crashed and burned back in '85, killing everyone onboard?
@@branon6565 Yes, that was one of the major crashes there. On 9/11 it also it was also one of the major grounding points for flights going to the US. A town of less than 10,000 people housing and feeding ~6800 passengers and crew.
One interesting thing about Anchorage is the weather. You might think that a city so far north would have horrific winters. But because it is coastal, Anchorage is actually more temperate than you might think. Of course, winters are cold, with snow, but the temperatures do not drop to terribly low levels like they do in the interior. Likewise, summers are pretty moderate.
Ya it's more less the same as like I guess you could say Pittsburgh. It's cold it's winter. But oftentimes warmer than like Minnesota Wisconsin the Dakota's major inland areas of the center of the lower 48.
I would say that the average winter temperatures in Anchorage are quite similar to my own Montreal or to Minneapolis, which are both much further south in latitude. I haven't been to Anchorage myself, but I know from looking at statistical tables and stuff.
@@yodorob also look at it this way. London is at roughly the same latitude as Winnipeg. 1st freeze in London average December 8th. Near the water. Winnipeg in quit inland started to really get cold in later October. Anchorage is far north but as cold as places further south. From what I gather places in the inland U.S. and Canada get 1) not only colder but 2) get cold earlier. You'll start to fill winter later October to early November by December it's cold cold. December in Europe oh it's starting to turn cold. Paris is about the same latitude as Milwaukee approximately yet Milwaukee gets cold a month or so earlier
@@yodorob it's definitely a tier below Minnesota
Agreed, I live in fairbanks and it's definitely colder than Anchorage.
As someone who’s an aviation nut that lives in Anchorage, this video makes me extremely proud of my home town. That said, international travel ending after the fall of the USSR deeply saddens me, considering how much of a nuisance it is now to try and fly internationally, having to fly down to the lower 48s and then go back the way I came.
Didn't know richard hammond lived in alaska
@@gianfrancoricci92 holy shit i didn't noticed it. lmao
You should try being an aviation nut in Palmer! Much closer to glaciers, large mountains, etc. I love it here
I lived in Anchorage back in the late 70s for 5 years, I used to love watching and hearing all the 747's taking off from the international airport, most were cargo planes but a lot were KAL JAL and the like full of passengers. The sound and sight of those massive planes always got my attention.
I was stationed in Anchorage from 2016-2020 and the city is quite small for how many people and cargo comes through there. It also has a lot of problems with drugs and homelessness. Anchorage is close to a lot of major shipping hubs but actually living there is still very isolating. It takes a toll on your mental state especially during the winter
And if you're like me who was born and raised there and currently living in Anchorage it becomes the normal
isolation? sounds like Alaska is the place for me!
most people who don't live in anchorage who also live in alask (me included) dislike anchorage, mostly due to drugs and homelessness. And a good chunk of alaskan crime comes directly from that city
@@alphanoodle1877 Agreed. I came in from the Bush and 'So it goes, first your money, then your clothes' ended up in Anchorage, with all the other ex-sourdoughs, driving cab so I wouldn't freeze to death in the garage I was renting. Thank God the Oil Crash flushed me out of that heIIhole. Unless they get the LNG pipeline, Anchorage is a ghetto.
Growing up here makes the winters not nearly the problem others find them to be. I love the winter!
Keeping records, first title, “Why Anchorage is America’s most OP City”
I have a feeling this title is definitely getting changed😂
@@benabroad8872 i agree
:D
Why does he change his titles?
@@andrewmarling to help his videos get more views, it's a common thing on UA-cam
I want to add to this. Throughout the interior of the state there is a river system that rivals that of the Mississippi with gold, copper, fertile land, and rare earth all along its banks. Its the Yukon. My hometown of Fairbanks used to export lumber by way of this river and honestly we have the fastest growing farmer population in this country. We have abundance in resources, arable land, and easy transport. I honestly believe Alaska may become one of America's Top 3 power centers by the end of the century.
So you y’all expect to overtake states like Florida, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts? I’d more realistically put Alaska as top 10 for importance militarily they’d be second though after Hawaii.
Using Top 3 is terrible way of putting it as America is just so fucking lucky that almost the entire Country just has something going for it.
You got the east coast and its deep sea floor that allow massive ships to be closer to land.
You got silicon valley in west and its Gold from Americas early history.
You got Texas and its Oil.
You got the mississippi River spread all over the mid region.
We are truly blessed and lucky that we are geographically such well positioned.
Instead I say TOP 10.
@@looseygoosey1349 You should see the amount of oil we have to offer but the natives up here won’t let us mine. We could produce for the entire country alone and then some.
@@looseygoosey1349 Must be nice having a perfect geographical location all my country gets are typhoons, earthquakes and threats from China 😭
Oh gosh I never thought of this. As the globe warms all the midwestern states are going to have a harder time growing crops as desertification kicks in. Meanwhile up in Alaska everything is warming to become really nice farming temperature. I could definitely see an explosion of agriculture taking place in Alaska over the next 50 years.
Thank you for this video. So many people have no clue that FedEx, UPS, USPS and DHL all have huge hubs here. It boggles me when people tell me they can't ship something from the East Coast of the US to Alaska. The "reasons" vary from company to company for not being able to ship to Alaska. Funny part is that Amazon is an Alaskan's best friend because Amazon will gladly ship almost anything we need.
I visited Anchorage once in 09. I wondered why the airport was so large relative to the city itself. Thanks for the video.
Because no one gets off the plane...
Every city in Montana is like this for the same reason. Its remarkable
Have you seen Denver?
@@jwil4286 only the airport. Lol. There wasn't time to do anything else, but run from one terminal to the other. Lol
@@adamcook and I bet the demons underneath probably have their own draw to them as well…
Those northern shipping routes would seriously rock the worlds of some of the towns and villages along the northwest coast of Alaska. Just imagine Nome being a boomtown again.
Rock their worlds they might, if income from air freight were what rocks a world
Nome would likely be underwater if and when all the northern Ice melts. It's already happening to villages on the west coast of AK.
Global warming is good. Light up the Barbe.
Balto would be proud
@@rustymoose618 do you live here in AK? Most of those villages were built in water. It’s the permafrost that causes it. That’s why all buildings are built off the ground on some sort of raised foundation.
I lived in Alaska 17 years. Anchorage was basically like a larger, more boring version of Fairbanks with a bunch of strip clubs and higher crime rate. Usually the winters were a little more mild in Anchorage but that wasn’t always the case. Living there sounded terrible to me because houses in Anchorage were ridiculously expensive, so people would save money by living out in Palmer or Wasilla and commuting in on that single highway (which gets choked with traffic every day at rush hour). The solution one politician tried to fund was a bridge over the Knik Arm (labeled by the media a “bridge to nowhere”) which certainly would have helped commuter time but been ridiculously expensive. Alaska doesn’t have much in the way of mass transit at all, but building a light rail between Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley would help things immeasurably for people. The issue is Alaska doesn’t have much money, being overly reliant on the unstable oil market, tourism revenue (which has been really hurt in recent years), and federal money to pay for things, so infrastructure improvements up there (outside of paving roads) rarely get priority.
But on the bright side, at least our roads are better than a significant portion of the lower 48's. I've driven on roads from Vegas through San Antonio, and I've got to say, our roads are miles above theirs.
We have more than enough money, we spend it on an obscenely over-funded welfare apparatus. If you are "native," you get any and everything you want gold plated and by the truck load, all from the government.
I thought the bridge to nowhere was a proposed bridge to an island near Ketchikan. The internet suggests the moniker has been used to describe multiple proposed bridges. Interesting stuff.
@@BronzePaintsAndGames yeah for sure - I was shocked in LA that there were more pot holes on Pico in the middle of Beverly Hills than I remember encountering on the Dalton Highway (with no taxpayers anywhere).
@@mattobermiller5041 yeah the native corporations all receive a generous amount of both state and (I believe) Federal Dollars which dish out a stipend of about 10,000-30,000 to most of their members every year. It’s not really enough to have a great life, but enough to live off and be in poverty and addiction, which is what befalls a lot of native Americans in Alaska. There are some towns like Fort Yukon where I believe only 1/3 of the town actually has a job with the rest just living off handout money from the corporation / government. Add to that how expensive it is to even get supplies and services to these towns and you’ll see how much money gets squeezed out of the system. Almost all these little native villages have an airport and some sort of state-funded school, library, and police station that “someone” is paying for… (not the people who actually live there)
Some may not agree but the weather in Anchorage is very favorable to take offs 12 months a year because you get more lift from cold air on the runway than warm air. It is rare to have a summer day high more than 70 F.
I mean the fact that you’re deicing airplanes like half the year is a much bigger negative
In addition to that, Alaska has more fresh water resources than any other US state & one of the lowest utilization rates, too. And as the world gets warmer, Alaska's growing season also expands. Add onto that the fact that Alaska's fisheries are some of the most sustainably managed on Earth & you've got a pretty good location going forward into an uncertain world.
Their only serious drawback is just how much they rely on imports right now. 50 years ago, Alaska grew almost half of its own food. Right now, it only grows 5% of its own food. Imho this is a dangerous over-reliance on trade & should be fixed as soon as possible.
not with that climate you don't. I mean if you go back far enough alaska was 100% growing it's own food but you'd be a native by that point
I’m sure as the earth warms, the dependency on imports will drop but what I also fear will happen is over fishing, hunting, and mass water usage will rise because if most of the US becomes un-inhabitable, Alaska will be one of the places to go
Dr. Zoidberg I didn't realize you were so interested in geopolitics and sustainability. I thought your interest was eating weird crab species.
Funny enough with climate alaska would theoretically get colder because of the loss of the Pacific jet stream due to climate change. But yes we do have a lot of fresh water, we arent charged for water by gallon its a fixed rate. Also we have the lowest steps in water filtration.
another drawback is lack of daylight, for various reasons.
Anchorage Airport was, at some point, the busiest airport in the world. I used to work the cargo flights during that time. It's a very interesting place. The Smithsonian channel has a pretty good documentary called Ice Airport Alaska.
When I did a tour in S. Korea, we landed in Anchorage on both the flight there and returning to the U.S. It seemed like every jet at the terminals was a jumbo jet.
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
The largest float plane base in the world.
@@connorlynndan2415 Anchorage is a great place to go see the rest of Alaska from :)
@@justin7965 Someone hasn't watched the video have they?
When I was a kid in 1975, our family took a Pan Am flight on a Boeing 747 nonstop from little Fairbanks to New York City -Kennedy Intl. it was a refueling stop of a daily flight between Tokyo and NYC. It seemed so strange to get on that huge plane nearly full of people in such a small town.
Fairbanks is pretty neat now; I think second most populated city in alaska
coming from an alaskan that lived in both anchorage and fairbanks
Very interesting video! I would have never guessed this in a million years. Thanks!
I didn't even know where Anchorage is?
Spectacular video. I love the 3D globe models you use to show complicated shipping and flight routes across the globe. Really helps put those far away places into perspective!
I wonder what the 3-D models will look like when oil tankers start sinking in the Arctic Ocean...
Alaska is like that kid who was considered worthless growing up, but ended up super successful in the future
like Colonal sanders
@@Tanknuggets217 Ditto's and then there is that goofy-looking kid Elon Musk! Kidding aside, buying Alaska was the deal of a century and then some.
dhar mann reference
Alaskan Independance?
Like Kurt Cobain
I remember London - Tokyo flighs via Anchorage when I was a kid. Took bloody ages!
India flights to the US connecting through Anchorage would make total sense though. Since there aren't already many international passenger flights going through anymore, the customs lines would be much more bearable compared to a major city in the Continental 48.
I can say this as an Indian-American; Indians are not the most patient people in the world. I'll leave it at that...
@Frigidlava not really if the layovers are shorter than it’ll get you to your destination faster so instead of having a 5 hour layover in Tokyo or London you could have a 2 hour layover in a much less busy airport in Alaska
Flying over the top of the globe is smart because it shortens the journey. Would have taken longer if the plane flew around the much larger bulge of the Earth at lower latitudes.
@Frigidlava Actually Anchorage is almost directly aligned with the shortest path between India and California.
This video is more relevant today than ever before. Sharing this video to my socials.
A Battle of Achorage scenario all of a sudden seems entirely plausible. Damn Fallout, you scary!
I see you're a man of culture mmhmmh
Hopefully we get liberty prime instead of T-51
@Wz gentleman same, it’s insane so little people make the connection
Better get working on those T-45s, West-tek
Guys, you're my brothers now.
When I think of Anchorage, Alaska I think of the Battle of Anchorage in the Fallout lore. It was a fierce battle between the Chinese and United States that lasted from late 2066 to early 2077. I think the war as a whole was called the Resource War and was fought by the global superpowers at the time. It was World War 3 essentially over the dwindling supply of fossil fuels. This was quickly followed by the Great War in October 2077 and lasted a whopping 2 hours. There was an exchange of possibly thousands of nuclear warheads all over the globe and then it was over. Everyone was a loser.
Thought provoking!
Couldnt really use nuclear eh? Why doe.
Why does this sound like actual history?
@@jbourdeau1769 just wait 🙂
@@rainmaker3948 I would say the war scenario is unlikely but not impossible. The dwindling resources thing is very real. There's only so much to go around. It will run out eventually. But there is more and more funds going into renewable energy sources every year. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The reason I say another World War is unlikely is because the world is vastly different than it was 100, 50 or even 30 years ago. People distrust their governments now more than ever and war in general is also more undesirable than it's ever been. All things considered this is probably the most peaceful time in human history. I attribute this to the invention of the internet. People are connected all over the planet in a way never possible before and I have a feeling it's contributing to the peacetime we've experienced the last few decades.
I’m born and raised in LA County. I’ve always been very fascinated with Alaska, especially Anchorage. Partly because it is so different from where I currently live, but also because of stuff like this. It is a decently sized city in the middle of absolute nowhere. The only reason it really exists is because of the trade routes. I also find it to be beautiful, due to its location. I found this to be a very interesting video about the city, and it’s interesting to see that it could end up being one of the most important cities in the world pretty soon. Great video as always RLL.
I visit LA frequently (pre panini obviously) and lived in Alaska for several years. 10/10 recommend visiting. Be careful though, you might not want to leave!
alaskan here
I recommend other cities than anchorage
nobody in this state likes it, for good reason.
@@alphanoodle1877 You are right there! I live an hour away and avoid it if at all possible
@@t.mendous7922 why's that?
@@xopasstheaux6617 To put it plainly, I hate large towns/cities in general, and like most Alaskans, Anchorage in particular. Don’t totally know why, but Anchorage seems really depressing somehow. Not all the time, but more often than not.
It's good as a u.s. citizen to hear Alaska may be playing a significant part in the world and be a powerhouse in global geopolitical terms but also sad to see the earth changing. I wish there was a way to be better stewards of the earth and still have access to the benefits of alaska.
It was always going to happen. Our climate is cyclical. We labor under the delusion that we could lock the climate into a century long blip in the global epoch.
@@trapjohnson999
I'd say moving away from capitalism would be solution but I'm currently convinced that power hoarding is the core issue and moving away from capitalism won't solve that. You can trace the advent of major conflicts to the establishment of agriculture FFS
Alaska was tropical at one point. Climate change has happened literally forever. Don't buy into the sky is falling rhetoric.
I think you misunderstand scale. You’re right that climate is cyclical, and in fact the earth has in its past had hotter periods with higher CO2 values. However, the RATE of CO2 and temperature increase currently is about 18,000 times FASTER than ever seen before without human interference (not counting the formation of the Earth when there’s wasn’t yet life, of course).
Bear in mind that the worst mass extinction before this wiped out 95% of all species. It took a few hundred thousand years of warming to achieve this. We are increasing global temperatures thousands of times faster than that warming event did. Effects are going to take hold rapidly.
Saying the climate was always going to change is ignorant. That’s not a reason to warm the planet in 100 years the amount that nature can do in 300,000.
14:54 Greenland is actually not part of the European Union. It is a highly autonomous territory of Denmark, and although Denmark is part of the EU, Greenland isn't. In fact, Greenland voted to leave what was then the European Community back in 1985, largely due to their desire to keep their fishing waters and other natural resources away from the EC/EU.
Smart
Living in Anchorage most of my life - to include today, I love seeing such great information on our city. I'm certain 80% of people in Anchorage do not know half of this information or at least understand it in this context - the importance of Anchorage in air freight and future potential for Anchorage as maritime transportation hub. Great video!
Ya right it's to cold
@@Ryan-mr5hw during the winter, not the summer. It gets up to 85 sometimes in the summer
Just drive out to the Arm and ask yourself, why does all Pacific shipping go through False Pass, as far from Anchorage as Anchorage is to Seattle, _and they bypass Seattle too._ There's no manufacturing in Alaska and no market either, so there is no reason WHATSOEVER for shipping to park in Cook Inlet, among the icebergs. It's 12F near Seattle today, *that's -8F* lower than the all-time record cold and it's not winter yet. It's been global COOLING since 2017, but the Greens refused to accept that harsh reality. Anchorage will be lucky to survive at all without more Pentagon spending and the LNG pipeline.
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
This was an incredibly well-made video. I'm a long-time fan of RealLifeLore, thanks for pumping out so much high quality content! Merry Christmas!
Except for the man made climate change garbage.
@@filthyanimal874 I don’t think he specifically singled any possible reason out, only that the earth is warming, which it has been since the last ice age.
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
@@connorlynndan2415 I’m not even slightly sure what that has to do with my comment but I’ll take your word for it my man
It’s a possibility that any increase in global warming from human activities will actually be a blessing in disguise as we’ll likely skip all ice ages in the future. We just need to get it under control before it goes too far in either direction. The earth goes through certain cycles, due to a change in the angle of the axis of rotation. Naturally the earth for the vast majority of the time is in an ice age and these periods of intense warmth (all that human civilization has ever known thus far) are relatively short and cyclical blips on earths timeline. But for some reason (likely due to human activities) the earth is currently warming up when it should be cooling down. I’ll link the video that explains all this if anyone is curious.
Thanks!
I rolled my ankle on Friday afternoon, learned about your channel on Friday night and have binged most of your videos the entire weekend. Your content is incredible. Thank you for making such fascinating and digestible analysis of nuanced and complex situations.
As a resident of Anchorage, it's great however it's a lot like living in a small town but you have urbanized areas reminding you it is a major city.
How are the politics there?
@@JanstonCordell anchorage has a tendency to get lazy voter syndrome where they will vote someone who only does harm into office and then think “oh it’s someone else’s problem my vote isn’t that important anyway” and they end up keeping that person in office for awhile
@@TheArbiter1721 I think there is an issue here that is much larger than all of us. Alaska is such a natural beauty, team A loves the vast untouched forests and wildlife. However, Alaska is also incredible resource rich. Gold, coal, oil, gas. Everything that has built an empire can be found here. So team B loves the vast industrial opportunities. So you get someone from team A in office that might have an agenda to tax big oil to fund schooling or something. Team B sees this as an attack on the economy. Say you get someone from Team B in office, they want to cut taxes on big oil and social programs. Under the false narrative that it will boost the economy and big oil will suddenly hire everyone that was on assistance. They might even try to cut the PFD, but ohh THAT is going too far...
@@JanstonCordell who cares about politics? This is dumb asf.
If you have a good job, have a Church in your domination, good housing, good weather, good schools, then you will want to live there.
@@sm3675 I care because my home state is currently being bulldozed by the new breed of Communism and am unsure if the same is happening up there.
I became an Alaska-phile last year with my first trip, to Fairbanks (from NC). I was in love - so beautiful, people were awesome, just the sense that I was one step closer to nature (we ate tundra blueberries on the trail). But it was also easy to lose certain amenities - I had to go into Fairbanks proper to make a cellular call (you can rent satellite phones). I was in Anchorage in January and was blown away. The Cook Inlet is stunning. Sure, the high was -2F, but it didn't feel like it - and I have lived in the Upper Plains (much worse).
So much to see in our 49th state (not even touching on Denali). I will be going back at least annually to try to learn more. The US is fortunate to have this amazing state.
It's the weather man
Pretty much all of the road system in AK has cell service. You must of had a different carrier. AT&T works the best.
@@wolfmantroy6601 I use Verizon and was on the side of Murphy Dome. My place hade satellite TV, and for the most part it was useless (hosts affirmed this was a common issue - and I didn't go there to watch TV). Not sure if it was timing - I was there in August and perhaps the satellites were in a bad orbit. And at least in the Continental US, cellular towers are owned by non-utilities and rent out bandwidth to all carriers. Oddly, I still live in a literal cellular black hole, even though a tower is within a mile from my place - and based on conversations with neighbors, doesn't matter the carrier, just a fluke.
I am not trying to knock on AK - I absolutely love it. Just sharing my experiences. If this video were on another place, I may have similar or different comments - or none at all. Trust me, I have visited places that the best I can say is, "I came, I saw, and I left." Not so with Alaska.
Anchorage fun fact: Anchorage came from the name of a hardwood store operated from a boat and refers to a place where a ship can lay anchor. Let's be honest, our missile reaching Alaska would be the best thing to happen to Alaska. Because at long last, they'll never have to worry about the Alaskan Bullworm ever again. And if it hits Sarah Palin...even better
Also, Greenland isn't part of the EU. It used to be in the then European Community between 1973 and 1985 but withdrew and is only associated with it under an overseas association decision. They chose to leave because they wanted to regain control of their fishing
As someone who lives in anchorage it is very interesting and cool to learn about our future economic importance
@Alaska Pirates no America isn’t dumb enough to let that happen
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
@@connorlynndan2415 actually my mom lives in Palmer my dad lives in anchorage and the only city I haven’t visited is Juneau I’ve been to: Fairbanks soldotna homer Whittier Valdez nome and just about everywhere else because I’ve lived here my entire life
@@connorlynndan2415 bruh shut tf up stop replying to every comment
@Alaska Pirates No way that is going to happen because of the risk of a nuclear war. Neither of them have any appetite for Alaska.
By the logic applied here, either Nome or Kotzebue have the potential to become one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. it is RIGHT on the bering strait, with a nice large bay providing a natural harbor right next the that super-critical choke-point for both routes.
Too bad the same warming weather means they'll slide into the ocean with the permafrost they're built on.
Unalaska and Uelen in Russia both have similar capabilities
@@GeoHuman. Yea, but they're not an American city. Those a planes from American companies so the American govt. Would punish them for doing it from Russia.
@@carboy101 Uelen is closer to the Bering Strait than Nome or Kotzebue, Brevig Mission is closer to the Bering than Nome or Kotzebue and in a bay mostly tucked away from the sea, so it would probably be the best American city to develop.
What a pathetic argument. Nome/Kotzebue are tiny towns with 2-3k people each, Anchorage has 300k along with major domestic and international infrastructure upon which to capitalize and grow in the future. Your logic is god awful and I am embarrassed for you. Toodles.
Costs to ship on the water would be significantly lower from bypassing the Panama Canal and sailing north around Alaska not only because of less fuel costs but if I remember correctly each cargo ship traveling through the Panama Canal pays at least a $100,000 fee for using the canal. That’s a lot of savings when added to the fuel and time being saved.
Cue the reason why Canada want to keep the north-est passage inside its national water. It could allow it to stay economically powerful in the future.
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
yeah the fee is high but only because they are in a monopoly over it, when bypassing the canal by the norrh pole will become viable the fee will drop
@@connorlynndan2415 agreed, I grew up in Alaska and lived in Anchorage and so many people who visit think they’ve “experienced” Alaska after going to Anchorage or riding the train from Seward to Denali. Alaska is so vast and unique that the possibilities for adventure are endless. There’s always something new to experience and do.
@@letrouvere2158 not just the monopoly. The demand for access through that chokepoint also drives up costs. There's only so much traffic a given canal can handle in a year and as we saw with Suez this year, it's not like the major canals are going under utilized. Becoming less strategically important may also help Panama get out from the imperialist thumb....supposing it doesn't get too hot for human habitation which is a real possibility.
Anchorage is hands down the best city in the world. Best restaurants, endless parks, trails & creeks, fantastic night life, great arts/theatre, etc. The cost of living is high but not as high as CA. It's so beautiful! I'm a commercial pilot, & the airport is a dream come true: paved runways >13,500 feet long, + gravel the world's largest seaplane base. I'm blessed to use PANC more than any other airport in my career. Plus I had a great little house in a good neighborhood 4 minutes from work, & now I live on a grass strip out of town. Winter is winter, but there's so much to do: skating at Westchester lagoon, >1000 miles of groomed trails for skiing & ski-joring, easy day trips for snowmachining at Turnagain Pass, Petersville & everywhere in between. Fur Rondy & the Iditarod in Feb & March. Anchorage is not perfect, but it's just fantastic! We have the best of everything, AND only small crowds, no lines, traffic is easy to avoid, hardly any people! It's just the best! And summertime, ... omg! It makes you know Heaven is real!
At 6:31, every "less than ___ hours" label uses the "GREATER THAN" symbol.
When you say "X is less than 6" and display it as an equation, the thin end of the symbol should be pointing to the smaller value (in this case, the invisible X) and the wide open end should be pointing to the larger value (in this case, the 6 hour upper limit).
I was looking for this comment, to check if I was gonna comment this myself or not.
Came to the comments for this :)
this channel is rife with bad editing.
it was probably just a mistake. Id assume fox knows basic maths
Yeah ... 6 hours is less than 8. If you write it like in the video, it would be "6 > 8". 🖐🏼👴🏼
Due to most European Countries having to avoid flying over Russia, I think there's going to be a lot of flights that would make fuel stops at anchorage if Europe wants to go to East Asia, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.
The European Airlines will use the massive hubs in Istanbul or Doha instead. And of course unlike Cold War days, most of the biggest and best international airlines today are not even based in countries participating in the Russian sanctions and thus are free to fly wherever they want.
@@scottwillie6389 nope you're wrong, some airlines will fly over alaska, becausr it is shorter. Tokyo to London flight flies over Alaska
There’s quite a few direct flights from anchorage, I’ve seen them to Europe, most places in Asia, etc.
There’s already SeaTac in WA (though now busier than ATL) and BC’s Vancouver airport for that. British Airways, AirFrance and Lufthansa have direct flights to SEA
They couldn't fly over USSR during cold war then they could
Russia is probably regretting their decision to sell Alaska.
Sucks to be them
yeah it had a lot of resources
@@ethereal3336 so does the rest of Russia. A bit more wouldn't hurt, but still
Russia is still trying to achieve the same geopolitical power they had during the USSR. With Alaska they could've actually gained a lot of power. Sucks to be them I guess.
There was a podcast I listened to (forgot the name) that had a history major detail the story of Alaska sale. They couldn’t see Russia holding on to the territory, even if they didn’t sell it.
I really appreciate your work. Knowledge is a blessing.
Born and raised Alaskan, including having lived in Anchorage for a couple of years and though it has its positives it has a lot of negatives as well. The homeless issue there is huge. The crime rate is huge. It’s a dirty city. It’s also very expensive to live in Alaska, period, because of how expensive it is to ship goods. I lived on the Kenai peninsula for most of my life and honestly treasure a lot of memories and a simple childhood.
Born and raised. But try new York, Seattle, or Tijuana, if you want to see and actually dirty city with more of the same problems per Capita.
Wow how do the homeless survive the winters?
I agree. I'm not a lifelong Alaskan, been here for 32 years. I've lived and worked all over the state including Anchorage, I live on the Kenai now. So much negative change has occurred in the past 30 years, especially for Anchorage. All buildable land has been built on in the Anchorage bowl, people crammed into townhomes like rats. Homeless and homeless camps in the greenbelts. Hard drugs, crime is rampant.
Anchorage was not like that in the 80's and 90's. Not like it is today.
There is a reason Alaskans call it Los Anchorage. In general, it has all the big city problems of LA, Chicago, NYC etc but on a smaller scale. I hate having to go to Anchorage anymore, its dirty and crammed with people and insane drivers. Summer comes and every Friday they flee their city to come to the Kenai and overwhelm us with their city attitude, aggressive driving and dumping their trash before they head back to Anchorage. Not to forget that every weekend from June through August there seems to be a fatal car accident from this weekend exodus as they race down here and race back up on our 1 two lane highway. I digress.
Alaska has changed in my time and very little is for the better.
@@ragnarokgalaxy9510 It's all relative as you state. The point is Anchorage USED to be a great small city to live in. However, Anchorage has changed dramatically over the last 20 years and not for the better and gets worse each year. Lots of reasons for this but chiefly its political. Anchorage has been a liberal Democrat run city for years. And like ALL cities run by liberal Democrats they turn to crap. Prove me wrong, somebody let me know of one city run by Democrats that is a wonderful safe place to be.
@@bruceb9515 Without even bothering about politics, I'm sorry to hear that. Even a quick search shows some of the grime that's loaded it since I left. What a shame. The place where I learned to be a better person and leave no trace/police my brass. Smh.
It would also be interesting if you would cover anchorages problems. For example, anchorage is hemmed in by the inlet to the west/south, the chugach mountain range to the east, and a military airforce base to the north. So it doesn't have an option to grow much larger. There's also our port which requires a significant amount of dredging, despite there being an option for a deep water port on fire island. We have the second highest tides in the entire world. The '64 earthquake was a 9.4, and is almost guaranteed to happen again due to our position directly on top of a fault line. And our absolutely insane rape and crime statistics. There's also the problem that our capitol is I accessible to the majority of our states population, and whenever there's a vote to move it to Anchorage suspicious happenings occur and power outages that limit voting. And as a fun side note, you should check out recent news about our mayor.
I don't see how a military air base is an issue. Given it's.manmade, it could be relocated.
@@carlosandleon Do you know how much it costs to relocate even a small military air base? The costs are absolutely insane. Then again if anybody could afford it, it would be the military.
@@j.peters1222 If enough people want it, American democracy should allow that.
Alternatively, take inspiration from the Nordic countries, or the lower 48, and build up.
@@carlosandleon Not just the cost as other mentioned but the military base is huge part of their economy.
To be fair I'm looking at a map now and if Anchorage really needed to grow they could totally expand north across the river. It seems the issue is clearing the hurdle of getting enough people to reach a critcial mass where its worth building the infrastructure to support a new suburb
The amount of research that goes into making such videos amaze me. Thanks a lot for such great content.
Very true but he's incorrect about direct flights from Anchorage. You can fly direct to Iceland and S Korea as well as Germany and Russia
If you’ve only been to Anchorage then you haven’t been to Alaska.
@@connorlynndan2415 the Dalton Highway is where the true Alaska begins
@@MattBonk991 the highway is terrible and bumpy
Well done video. One minor correction, at timestamp 6:20, when listing the time it takes to fly from Anchorage to other major cities, you used the wrong comparison operator. i.e. “> 6 hours” is interpreted as “greater than 6 hours”. Using “< 6 hours” is what you’re looking for.
Omg thank you so much for saying that
I saw that too
Just about to point this out. Good call 👍
Nice to see my state getting some attention... although I'm glad it's being directed at Anchorage, and not down here in Juneau. Honestly, I'd be happy if they moved the capital to Anchorage - the peace and quiet in this remote Southeast region is one of the things that most drew me to it.
Juneau should have lost that title decades ago.
Honestly, from a Geographical standpoint, the entire Panhandle that Juneau is part of should probably just be gifted or sold to Canada, it's a ridiculously narrow band of mostly useless territory to the US, and I'm sure Canada can make better use of that stretch of land incorporating it into BC than America ever will.
@@timothyharshaw2347 Let's not give Canada anything.
@@OGPatriot03 magat detected
Whilst its good economically it is an absolute bitch of a city to live in and hear about. Coming from a fellow alaskan
I frequented Anchorage at least twice a month between 1995-2010 as a flight crew, I love the town! Grew up in a small town I found that small town vibe alive in Anchorage
That's sad because Anchorage is Alaska's biggest city
its definitely a city my dude
@@ialive9084 I respectfully call that...well, i wont say what. Some think the same, but in my mind the less cities the better. I find our 65 acres restrictive. I’m glad we have thousands of acres of riverbed bordering our property
The natural beauty of Alaska is awe inspiring. My husband ran the Anchorage Marathon a few years ago. The best month to travel there is May before the Summer black flies become a problem!
I just went to Alaska. It was life changing.
Tourists are so weird. Why is this so life changing? It's kinda everyday for me /:
18:20 describes a situation being played out 2 months after this video was made. As always, your ability to look at so many factors amazes me.
It's so crazy. Europe is so screwed without Russia's oil pipeline, Germany in particular. How do you stand up to a bully when you literally depend on them for your economy? Man, I absolutely can't stand doomers, but I am concerned about the future. It's downright mind-boggling how much oil and uranium China consumes on a daily basis.
@@nightshadehelis9821 I think its a little bit too much or a coincidence once you realize the same ultra wealthy people controll almost all the companies and banks on both sides of the(almost every)war.
How convenient is it that right when the heat is about to blast around the corner we close off the russian airspace.
Maybe its just me being crazy but it looks like they are playing chess and we are looking at the game like its checkers.
Just dont be scared and try to be happy, you are alive because your ancestors fought off the worst disasters in the world, i think even in the worst case scenerio you will find a way to make life comfortable for you and your family.
Peace
Lived in Anchorage my whole life, posting from there now (nice, warm 19 degrees outside.)
It's true that there's a massive amount of potential in Anchorage and Alaska in general. We're sitting on huge natural resources and shipping potential. However, most of it is untapped.
Shipping and air cargo are really a pretty small piece of our economy. Especially next to the oil companies, which also aren't what they used to be.
It would be awesome to see things rebound someday, but there's a lot of 'ifs' involved.
I love you
19 degrees = about -7 or so in the other scale
@@LotsOfS sounds like a crisp warm alaskan weather
perfect for my t-shirt and shorts
That’s on the warm end of the perfect winter weather here
@@alphanoodle1877 And 40 degrees in the South is literally Antarctica weather
Another thing that makes Alaska so important is the fact that it incorporated more that half of the U.S.A. coast.
The stop-motion animation is great! I almost want to watch the movie.
Oh god, when you said the northwest passage would save tens if not thousands... It will save MILLIONS per vessel. It is a profound change and will introduce a similar conflict as we see in the south china sea. I have worked on ships whose full cargo capacity is valued at 2.8 billion dollars. It is easy to underestimate the shipping industry.
Yay global warming!…. I think?
If that passage opens enough for regular traffic, the misery in the rest of the world (floods, fires, heat waves, failed crops etc) will mean there is no point using it. The gas and oil needs to be left in the ground.
@@IndigoIndustrial I certainly agree but the people with money won't care until the earth is literally on fire in their own back yard
@@IndigoIndustrial I'm doubtful that the impact of climate change is going to be nearly as catastrophic as the alarmists make it out to be. This is a slow change that will at worst still happen over the course of hundreds of years. The world isn't all of a sudden going to be plunged into fire and brimstone. The access of these trade routes as well as making north Canada and Greenland more hospitable may be a fair tradeoff, especially considering human ingenuity solves most problems.
@@quixcover It will be faster than that. Tipping points and positive feedback will make it difficult to slow the process.
I was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base Anchorage for 2 years. Summers are amazing, but the winters are COLD! Absolutely beautiful and can't wait to go back.
I live in Anchorage currently, and even worked at the Anchorage International Airport for awhile. We don't have a large population compared to other "large" cities, but the scenery here is amazing. You can drive 10 minutes south and see pods of whales, or drive an hour and a half north to see and touch glaciers. We have sandy beaches, the Sealife Center, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation center, mountains to hike, trails to bike, and more all within just a few minutes to a few hours. Highly recommend people add it to their list of destinations, regardless of time of year. It's simply beautiful.
Sounds awesome. If I went active duty. I wouldn't had put that number one on my list over Hawaii just for kicks.
Don't forget to mention the Spring thaw when you are knee deep in Moose Poop, mosquitoes and other fliers as big as birds, and either no daylight or moonlight for half the year. Alaska isn't really all that great, folks.
Sandy beaches? I'm not sure if you're talking about the mud flats or the combo sand/goose poop at one of our local lakes 😂. If I've missed something, please let me know.
@@aksez2u I'm talking about Kenai. Just a few hours away and they've got sandy beaches that are great to walk on in the summer.
@@elliebellie7816 If I were to take you literally, It would seem that you think the entire state of Alaska is above the Arctic Circle. Certainly our winter days are short, but most people consider our cool, light, warm summer evenings a real plus. You'd have to go up by Utquiagvik to have "no daylight" or "all daylight" for several weeks in the winter or summer respectively.
Love Anchorage. Always wanting to go back. Love it in the winter.
lol
I had something shipped from a warehouse in British Columbia and I watched its route on Fedex tracking and it went to Nashville, TN *and only then to* Anchorage, AK before it went to Japan and then Thailand and now I understand more of why it did that.
I'm from Wasilla, just outside Anchorage, and I can say that they definitely need more than ONE bridge connecting Palmer and up to Anchorage
And they need to redesign the highway to Fairbanks instead of just two lanes
Kgb is already a shit show. As much as I’d love to shorten the drive to anchorage, there should probably be something done with the most dangerous road in the state.
Why was my comment deleted? Does Google not like it when I point out obvious flaws in their systems?
Anyway, as I said before Google got scared, the highway between Fairbanks and Palmer/Wasilla was wrong for a long time on a certain mapping site by a certain company who owns this site
@@Gonzalo.Escobar Why? I don’t see the need for that much money to be spent on what is already plenty good enough. Besides, big roads make things so much less beautiful. Plus, how would they do that through Denali?
Alaskan here: Anchorage was founded in 1914 as a head quarters for the railway that was leading north to Fairbanks. In the !930 During the Dust Bowl Farmers in the midwest that were effected by the drought given a chance to help settle Anchorage and received land hence where Palmer ended up being settled for. Finally During World War 2 it was used as a key defense point and aviation stop for the war effort, the Alaska Highway was completed at this time turning Anchorage into a regular air stop for air traffic to Asia and Europe.
Nice presentation. Thanks! One point however: the > symbols used at around 6.36 actually mean "greater than" not "less than".
I had a tour of Alaska one spring break once.
Very beautiful place with an amazing scenery.
Fairly nice variety in cuisine.
Almost broke my wrist on a cruise to neighboring Valdez.
10/10 would break my wrist again
As a a subscriber in Anchorage, thank you. I appreciate the respect.
I live in Anchorage. Let me tell you, the Summer's are so freaking beautiful here in Alaska. You must remember though, the winter's are cold and dark. Many cannot hang with the darkness. Although, the Summer's are definitely worth it. Stop giving our secrets away. Part of the beauty of Alaska is having less people here.
I heard the summers are great, but I heard that mosquitoes are rampant during the summer. Will that be a problem or no?
@@Wakean it depends, some summers they're bad, some summers you don't notice them at all
Fewer
i was stationed at elmendorf 1991-1994. being from sunny texas i concur with you about the seasonal differences and the natural beauty is unrivalled by most of the lower 48. texas is home and more than likely always will be tho.
Agreed. Born and raised here. The less people the better. I’m tired of these weird death gripping drivers moving up here.
Visited in December 2021 to see the Northern Lights and fell in love!
On my return flight from VietNam in 1972 the flight had a layover in Anchorage. All I remember is that it was 4:00 in the afternoon and it was pitch black outside the terminal.
well yea if it was like november or december, bc if how high in latitude anchorage is, then u get like 5 hours of daylight and its dark by 2 or 3 lol
10:11 Correct me if i'm wrong, but surely Honolulu, Hawaii would be a better layover between India and the US West Coast?
Edit: I looked it up, turns out it's not even close! New Dehli-Anchorage-Los Angeles is ~7,700 miles
New Dehli-Honolulu-Los Angeles is around ~9,800 miles!
Map distortion is wild.
mercator project amirite
Our planet also bulges slightly at the equator (most of us can sympathize, ha), but I don't know how much that adds to the distance of the Honolulu route.
@@Tatusiek_1 HAHAHAHA
It's the nature of a sphere, a direct path from New Dehli to California goes almost right over Anchorage, the pacific ocean let alone the middle of it is a massive detour. In fact a direct flight from New Dehli to Hawaii or California ends up being about the same distance, it's just that one is your destination and the other is still extremely far away from it.
A 3d sphere cannot be perfectly represented on a 2D plane, pertinent information and intuitive perspective is left out.
This is such a tiny issue and yet I'm going to point it out...you used greater than signs instead of less than signs at 6:30 in the video.
This was a great video as usual!
Just found this channel, it's straightforward, GREAT and needed/of value❤
RLL really makes it extremely hard not to but curiosity stream. This video was extremely good and the depth analysis given are so fascinating. Also the background music fits perfectly, makes it so tense that I actually want to find out what will go down on the artic circle.
it’s so cheap too. i usually ignore ads in youtube videos but i’m really tempted to try out curiosity stream because the price is so good and it’s a streaming service that is literally filled with everything i already watch and want more of! hahaha
I knew that Anchorage was important for cargo flights today and passenger flights during the Cold War, but I was surprised at how much more importance it held beyond that.
It’s also well placed from a military standpoint. By land, the city is surrounded by mountains. By sea, you have to travel up a waterway, which can be easily defended by a few fire bases at the entrance and a small fleet.
Fire island
What an incredibly educational and interesting video, massive props to the creator.
As someone who consumes a lot of political/history content on UA-cam, I’m surprised I haven’t come across this channel.
Subscribed 👍
What are some other great channels that are your favorites? I know/love this one but don’t know others. i love both the politics and history side of things
Russia * being banned by all airlines in the world for awful war crimes *
Anchorage : hurray!
Also, who cares if Russia has 18 military bases in the Arctic if they're staffed only by janitors keeping them looking like they're used?
Funny how a lot of the video became obsolete so quickly.
Irony is US isn’t banned somehow. I mean obviously due to economical and political reasons but the stuff they do is much worse
Does this mean i should invest in anchorage?
There’s a little something called ‘long haul planes’, don’t know if you’ve ever heard of them…
By that logic all airspace on the planet should be barred for American planes.
I love this kind of videos about geography, please more
Same here! i knew Anchorage was important because of the flights & cold war. But not in this way! Crazy how two super world powers will have control of the most important trading route in the future.
Driving down the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks down south, you drive through Ft Greely. Knowing the military history of Alaska and learning about the silos out at greely as a kid, I could never help but feel a sense of vague dread when driving by them. Kind of like driving past an active volcano that is currently dormant.
The truly horrifying thing about Fort Greely is that the px barber shop only has 1 chair, and they have to call the barber in from his real job when someone shows up for a haircut.
@@philliphampton5183 Lmao I’m dead. I wouldn’t doubt it