The continental United States is a huge area. But it does not include the states of Alaska and Hawaii. Both states are isolated in their own right. Alaska is thousands of miles away from the Continental US. And Hawaii is more than 2,000 miles away from the California coast. The isolation of these two states makes them a little bit different than the rest of the West.
Alaska
Hawaii
Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska is the largest state by area in the United States. However, it is one of the least populated. According to the 2013 census, Alaska has just over 730,000 residents. The city of Anchorage is home to about 250,000 of those people. But it is far from a booming metropolis. In fact, there are only two roads that lead into the city. The state capital Juneau is so isolated that it can only be visited by boat or airplane. Much of the state is covered by the Alaska and the Brooks mountain ranges and they are nearly impassable by driving.
Kauai, Hawaii
Hawaii is made up of eight main islands and over 100 smaller islands. It Is located 2,000 miles away from the mainland in the central Pacific Ocean. Its location in the Pacific is what attracted the United States government. Developing trade with China and Japan was extremely important to the US in the late 1800s. In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii and made it a refueling station for ships traveling between the mainland and Asia. In 1959, Hawaii officially became the 50th state of the United States. Today, Hawaii is a popular tourist destination. Its economic growth has been made possible as airplane travel has become commonplace. Also, thanks to telecommunications, Hawaii can now easily stay in contact with the mainland United States.
