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Most people know that Alaska is both the largest state and the most northerly located state in the United States. The state first became famous when gold was discovered there and in the neighboring Yukon Territory. The state now is famous for its ties to the oil industry, the fishing and crabbing industry and tourism. Many areas in the state of Alaska feature great opportunities for a massive amount of outdoor recreation like snowmobiling, downhill and cross-country skiing, boating, fishing, mountain climbing and more. A number of famous people in the history of America have come from or spent part of their lives in the state of Alaska including Carlos Boozer, Susan Butcher, Scott Gomez, Mike Gravel, Jewel, Holly Madison, Sarah Palin, and Curt Schilling. A great deal is known about the 49th state in the union, but here are five facts you may not know about the state of Alaska.

1. One of the most famous land purchases in world history involves the now American state of Alaska. Not only was the purchase of Alaska by the United States from the Russian Empire paid for at a rate of approximately two cents per acre, Russia had attempted to start a bidding war between America and Great Britain, but they were unsuccessful in their strategy.

2. When it comes to famous coastlines in the United States, the beaches and cliffs of California, Florida and Hawaii get more attention than anywhere else. Amazingly though, the state of Alaska has more coastline than every other state in the United States of America added together.

3. The capital of what was then the Alaska Territory was moved to Juneau in 1912. Before this, for more than one hundred years the capital of the area had been residing in the small village of Sitka.

4. The famous Trans-Alaskan Pipeline stretches over 800 miles in length, cost approximately eight billion dollars to build and took more than two years to complete. The pipeline's role in oil distribution from Alaska is essential as it is costly, dangerous and in some cases impossible to attempt to transport oil by freighter from the Arctic Ocean north of the state.

5. The city of Juneau is the capital of the state of Alaska. For a city as important as the state capital, many people think that it is unusual that there is no roads that connect Juneau to the outside world, and that those traveling to and from the city by car need to make their way there via a local ferry system.

While Alaska is remote when compared to the locations of most of the other states in the union, and has a reputation of being unbearably cold during certain times of the year, the state is one of the more traveled to destinations largely based on how beautiful the scenery is and how the geography of the state caters to those travelers interested in outdoor recreation. When compared to the size of the state, the population of Alaska is relatively small. This makes it a perfect destination for anyone trying to find a great place that is a little more secluded than most popular vacation spots around the country. Alaska is a huge state with a large number of things to do and places to see, and it truly does have someting for everyone. There are so many options as far as entertainment options in the state that nobody visits Alaska and leaves disappointed. An Alaska vacation is one of the best vacation ideas that any vacation planner could possibly come up with.