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230 Alaska Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Alaska? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Alaska (Geography). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
1 Virtually all of Southeast Alaska, known as Alaska's Panhandle, is located within which national forest?
Answer: Tongass

The Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest, is home to bears, wolves, humpback whales, killer whales, sea otters, bald eagles, and sitka blacktail deer. Administered by the Ntional Forest Service, there are numerous recreational opportunities such as hiking, camping, kayaking, and wildlife watching. The region is serviced by The Alaska Marine Highway a ferry system that transports passengers and vehicles from Bellingham, WA to routes throughout Southeast Alaska.
    Your options: [ Chugach ] [ Mendenhall ] [ Glacier Bay ] [ Tongass ]
  From Quiz: Southeast Alaska
2 Alaska is the largest of the U.S. states; how much of the total land area of the United States does it represent?
Answer: one-fifth

One-fifth of U.S. land is found in Alaska. It is twice as big as Texas. Rhode Island, Trinidad or Cape Verde would fit inside Alaska 425 times!
  From Quiz: Exploring Alaska
3 Nome is situated in Western Alaska on a headland named after a politician who was successful in acquiring Alaska from Russia. What is the name of that peninsula?
Answer: Seward Peninsula

Nome is located along the southern part of the peninsula next to Norton Sound, which is an inlet of the Bering Sea. It became a city in 1901, and at one time was the largest city in Alaska. William Seward purchased Alaska in 1867.
  From Quiz: Nome Wasn't Built in a Day
4 What is the geographic name of the group of islands, inlets and fjords that make up Southeast Alaska?
Answer: Alexander Archipelago

The Alexander Archipelago contains over 1,000 islands. Two of Alaska's largest cities - Juneau and Ketchikan - are here, and are accessible only by air or water.
  From Quiz: I Don't Know...Alaska
5 The Dalton Highway in Alaska was featured on some seasons of the show "Ice Road Truckers". It begins north of Fairbanks and ends in which settlement close to the Arctic Ocean?
Answer: Deadhorse

The highway was named after James Dalton, an Alaskan engineer who was important in the building of the Distant Early Warning Line and oil exploration. Deadhorse, in North Slope Borough on Prudhoe Bay, is unincorporated, but it has an airport and general store. It also has a few places for tourists to stay, though it mainly services the companies that run the oil fields in Prudhoe Bay.
    Your options: [ Wiseman ] [ Coldfoot ] [ Deadhorse ] [ Nome ]
  From Quiz: Arctic Alaska
6 There is an island in southeastern Alaska called Admiralty Island, which is part of the Tongass National Forest. What's so special about this island?
Answer: it's a national monument

Admiralty Island is a national monument. It has the highest density of brown bears in North America! The native people call it Xootsnoowu, which means "Fortress of the Bear".
    Your options: [ it contains a rare species of wolf ] [ it's a national monument ] [ it is owned by Canada ] [ it contains the northernmost naval base in the US ]
  From Quiz: Alaska You a Question
7 Which strait separates Kodiak Island from the mainland of Alaska?
Answer: Shelikof Strait

The Shelikof Strait is named for the Russian fur trader and trapper Grigory Shelikof. He founded a settlement on Kodiak Island in the late 18th century.
    Your options: [ Kodiak Strait ] [ Shelikof Strait ] [ Afognak Strait ] [ Bear Strait ]
  From Quiz: It's a Kodiak Moment
8 On what date was the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the USA?
Answer: October 18, 1867

William H. Seward assisted in the purchase of buying Alaska by paying Russia $7,200,000. It officially became a state in 1959.
  From Quiz: Mathking97's Favorite States: Alaska
9 In what year was Fairbanks founded?
Answer: 1901

Fairbanks was originally inhabited for its gold. Shortly thereafter, the people mining in the town of Fairbanks voted to establish the town of Fairbanks by a majority vote of 75%.
  From Quiz: Fairbanks, Alaska
10 Where would you be if you were riding your mountain bike toward a glacier with the Twin Peaks and Bold Ridge on your left?
Answer: Eklutna Lake Trail

Eklutna Lake is, of course, on your right. This area is good for the diversity of activities possible.
  From Quiz: Anchorage Recreational Trails
11 What is the capital of Alaska?
Answer: Juneau

Anchorage is the largest city, but Juneau is the state capital.
  From Quiz: Amazing Alaska
12 In fall and winter, Alaska hosts the world's largest group of __________.
Answer: Bald eagles

More than 3,500 bald eagles gather along the Chilkat River each fall and winter. They're attracted by the large number of salmon in this spot.
    Your options: [ Whale watchers ] [ Migrating salmon ] [ Bald eagles ] [ Pharmaceutical salesmen ]
  From Quiz: Alaska Fun Facts
13 What is Alaska's official state sport?
Answer: dog mushing

The Alaska Legislature adopted this in 1972.
  From Quiz: Alaska
14 The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge includes nearly 20 million acres (about the size of South Carolina). Where is it located ?
Answer: northeast corner of Alaska

It is bounded by the Beaufort Sea on the north, which is part of the Arctic Ocean, and by Canada's Yukon Territory on the east. ANWR is the largest designated wilderness area (8 million acres) in the National Wildlife Refuge System, almost all of it being north of the Arctic Circle.
  From Quiz: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
15 Can you remember Alaska's state flower?
Answer: forget-me-not

Alaska isn't always snowy and frozen. The wild forget-me-not grows profusely throughout Alaska during the summer. It was adopted as the territorial flower in 1917, long before Alaska became a state.
  From Quiz: Exploring Alaska
16 At the turn of the twentieth century, the population of Nome, Alaska was estimated to be in excess of 12,000, an exponential increase from ten years earlier. Why did so many people decide to go to Nome?
Answer: Gold discovery

In 1898, gold was discovered by prospectors on Anvil Creek in Nome. When news of the discovery reached the rest of world, people began to flock there. This dramatically increased the population, with some reports that as many as 20,000 people may have gone there. The Nome mining district was created, and tent cities were set up along the beach sands for several miles.
  From Quiz: Nome Wasn't Built in a Day
17 What term do Alaskans use to describe the isolated interior of the state, an area that can't be reached by road or the Alaska Marine Highway? (Hint: a certain type of pilot is named for this remote area.)
Answer: The Bush

A majority of Alaskan natives live in the Bush, where life is much as it was decades or even centuries ago. Some of the larger villages/town in The Bush are Nome, Barrow, Dillingham and Kotzebue.
  From Quiz: I Don't Know...Alaska
18 Which city, which is the northernmost city in the United States, is in a region which the Inupiat Eskimo called 'Ukpeagvik'?
Answer: Barrow

Barrow and nearby Point Barrow are named after Sir John Barrow. Barrow is the seat of North Slope Borough and is located in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The native name for the area means 'place where snowy owls are hunted'. The Inupiat Eskimo have lived in the area for over a thousand years, and live by hunting and fishing.
    Your options: [ Tuktuk ] [ Nome ] [ Barrow ] [ Coldfoot ]
  From Quiz: Arctic Alaska
19 Which Danish explorer discovered Alaska in 1741?
Answer: Vitus Jonassen Bering

Bering discovered Alaska on a voyage from Siberia and was the first outsider to discover Alaska. Bennie Benson designed Alaska's state flag and Joseph Juneau discovered gold.
    Your options: [ Vitus Jonassen Bering ] [ Bennie Benson ] [ Joseph Juneau ] [ William H. Seward ]
  From Quiz: Mathking97's Favorite States: Alaska
20 Between what two peninsulas do the Aleutian Islands lie?
Answer: Alaska Peninsula and Kamchatka Peninsula

The Aleutian Islands extend westward for 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) from the United States' Alaska Peninsula to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. There are approximately 300 Aleutian Islands that occupy a total area of 6,821 square miles (17,666 sq km).
  From Quiz: Aleutian Islands
21 Who was Fairbanks founded by?
Answer: E.T. Barnette

E.T. Barnette never actually wanted to come to Fairbanks. His goal was to take steam ship, by the Tanana River, to the town of Tannacross. As the steam boat approached the Tanana River, by way of the Chena River, the captain noticed the waters were too low and could not proceed. Therefore he dropped E.T. Barnette there on the banks of what is now Fairbanks.
  From Quiz: Fairbanks, Alaska
22 This is the longest river in Alaska.
Answer: Yukon River

By far the longest river in the state at approximately 1,875 miles, the Yukon River actually orginates in Canada, with its headwaters near the end of the Chilcoot Trail in the Lake Lindeman/Bennet Lake system. It flows through the heart of Alaska and eventually empties into the south side of Norton Sound.

Chinook (King) salmon travel as far up the river as Fairbanks, many hundreds of miles from the sea in one of the longest migrations among anadromous fish worldwide. (Anadromous fish hatch in fresh water, migrate to saltwater for the majority of their lives, then return to fresh water to spawn. In the case of salmon, they always return to the same stream they hatched in.)
    Your options: [ MacKenzie River ] [ Yukon River ] [ Susitna River ] [ Koyukuk River ]
  From Quiz: Alaska's Rivers
23 What is Alaska's state bird?
Answer: Willow ptarmigan

The origin of the word "ptarmigan" is unknown. One theory is that it comes from a Gaelic word meaning "mountaineer". Feathered feet help this bird conserve heat and it can survive the winter by eating nothing more than willow buds. Also in the winter, the birds are camouflaged by turning completely white.
  From Quiz: Alaska--The Last Frontier
24 How many rivers does Alaska have?
Answer: Over 3,000

The largest of these is the Yukon, which flows for 1,980 miles into the Bering Sea.
  From Quiz: Alaska Fun Facts
25 What is the name of the mountain range which serves as the backbone of the Refuge ?
Answer: Brooks Range

The Brooks Range has peaks and glaciers to 9000 feet. This range is the northernmost extension of the Rocky Mountain chain. It is 600 miles long by 200 miles wide across the entire Alaskan Arctic.
    Your options: [ Vuntut Range ] [ Brooks Range ] [ Mardy Range ] [ Ivvavik Range ]
  From Quiz: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
26 Identify the National Monument located just east of Revillagagedo Island.
Answer: Misty Fiords

Misty Fiords, or Fjords if you don't like the official spelling, is spectacular with its steep mountains, lush forest, and wildlife population located on the east side of Behm Canal. The ideal way to experience the rugged beauty is either by a flightseeing trip or for the more adventurous, a kayaking excursion. Both can be arranged in Ketchikan.
    Your options: [ Chugach ] [ Denali ] [ Ketchikan ] [ Misty Fiords ]
  From Quiz: Southeast Alaska
27 In 2014, what was the largest ethnic group in Nome, Alaska?
Answer: Native Americans

It is estimated that more than half the population of Nome was Native American in 2014. Some of these native groups include the Yupik, the Inuit and American Indians, with lineage to tribes in the lower 48 states. White Caucasians accounted for about a third of the population, while others were present in negligible numbers.
  From Quiz: Nome Wasn't Built in a Day
28 Many of the place names in Alaska are taken from the first European owners of the territory. Which country was this?
Answer: Russia

The earliest record of Russian exploration of Alaska dates from 1648. Permanent Russian settlements date from the 1790s. Russian language, culture and religion influenced much of the early history of Alaska.
    Your options: [ Canada ] [ Denmark ] [ Spain ] [ Russia ]
  From Quiz: I Don't Know...Alaska
29 Which U.S. National Park located in Alaska is entirely above the Arctic Circle and is the northernmost national park under the protection of the U.S. National Park Service?
Answer: Gates of the Arctic

It was declared a national park in 1980, but before that it had been protected as a U.S. National Monument for two years. Part of the Brooks Range makes up the majority of the park, which has no established visitor facilities or roads, but there is a small visitor center on the Dalton Highway at Coldfoot, which is just a few miles away. The wilderness activist, Bob Marshall, is responsible for the park's name. In 1929, while exploring the Koyukuk River, he encountered an area with a mountain on either side of the river and dubbed the place the 'Gates of the Arctic'.
    Your options: [ Grand Teton ] [ Denali ] [ Gates of the Arctic ] [ Glacier Bay ]
  From Quiz: Arctic Alaska
30 On June 6, 1912, a volcano called Novarupta erupted, causing the most powerful eruption of the 20th century. The volcano devastated the land on the Alaska peninsula and formed the Valley of ___.
Answer: Ten Thousand Smokes

The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes got its name from the thousands of jet streams that were shooting from the ground. This incident is also called the Katmai eruption.
    Your options: [ Death ] [ Ten Thousand Smokes ] [ the Supervolcano ] [ Black Sky ]
  From Quiz: Alaska You a Question
31 Which famous explorer is credited with being the first to use the name Kodiak for the island?
Answer: James Cook

Although Captain Cook wasn't the first western explorer to visit the islands, he is the first known to use the Kodiak name. He mentioned it in his journal in 1778.
    Your options: [ William Baffin ] [ James Cook ] [ George Vancouver ] [ Henry Hudson ]
  From Quiz: It's a Kodiak Moment
32 Who was Fairbanks named after?
Answer: Charles W. Fairbanks

The city of Fairbanks was named in honor Charles W. Fairbanks who later became the vice president to Theodore Roosevelt.
  From Quiz: Fairbanks, Alaska
33 Another question about the Crow Pass Crossing: Crow Pass (the normal beginning of the route) and Eagle River Valley (the long finishing stretch) are connected by another short alpine valley. What is it called?
Answer: Raven Valley

Everyone remembers the gorge, one of the few places you can cross a bridge on this route.
  From Quiz: Anchorage Recreational Trails
34 This river, found in southcentral Alaska, is one of the state's best known as a result of its world class salmon fishing. In fact, the world's largest sport caught Chinook (King) salmon was landed in this river.
Answer: Kenai River

The Kenai River is easily the most intensively sport fished river in the state. If you come to Alaska to go king salmon fishing, chances are you will go to the Kenai River. Fishing is superb both from the bank and from a boat. People are even known to float the entire length of the river in a float tube from which they fish.

It is also a gorgeous river, its water a rich blue-green, which can be viewed from a number of trails in the wilderness along the river, especially those composing the Ressurection Trail System stretching from Hope to Seward.

King salmon are not the only fish found here, with superb angling for all five species of Pacific salmon, rainbow/steelhead trout, and arctic char/dolly varden as well.
    Your options: [ Yukon River ] [ Kenai River ] [ Knik River ] [ Eagle River ]
  From Quiz: Alaska's Rivers
35 What is the state tree?
Answer: Sitka spruce

Spruce needles are usually sharp and four-sided and emit a pungent odor when crushed. The mature cones hang down from a branch, instead of erect like the cones of a fir. Spruces are typically tall and conical, but soil and climate can change their growth pattern.
  From Quiz: Alaska--The Last Frontier
36 In Alaska the length of daylight is ___________ ?
Answer: more in the summer

The days are much shorter(darker)in the winter and, in the the summer the days are much longer(lighter). This is due to the tilt in the earth's axis.
  From Quiz: Amazing Alaska
37 What Alaskan city is the northernmost in the US?
Answer: Barrow

It's only 800 miles from the North Pole. Wonder if Santa stops there first?
  From Quiz: Alaska Fun Facts
38 What is Alaska's largest city in population?
Answer: Anchorage

Alaska's second largest city is Fairbanks. The third is Juneau.
  From Quiz: Alaska
39 The Refuge is largely comprised of tundra (grass and sedge dominated vegetation) under which is a permanently frozen layer. This layer is known as ... ?
Answer: permafrost

The permafrost restricts drainage of water through the soil, which makes it moist in the short summer growing season. Permafrost also makes the tundra vulnerable to disturbance.
  From Quiz: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)
40 Name the town in Southeast Alaska that is referred to as "Little Norway".
Answer: Petersburg

Petersburg has a burgeoning fishing fleet and annually hosts the "Little Norway Festival". There is a significant commercial fishing fleet and a strong presence of Scandinavian heritage The town was founded in 1910 by Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant. The town was named after Buschmann and attracted immigrants of Scandinavian descent, thus acquiring the nickname "Little Norway".
    Your options: [ Osloville ] [ Hydaburg ] [ Sitka ] [ Petersburg ]
  From Quiz: Southeast Alaska
The rest of the questions and answers can be found in our quizzes here:
Alaska Quizzes