GoDoAK Video Blog for KTUU Anchorage - Scott Elnes - Mat-Su Valley Excursion Part One
In part one we take a tour of the Glenn Highway Scenic Byway with a free text and Audio CD guide from the Mat-Su Visitors Center. We get to see Thunderbird Falls, the Palmer Hay Flats, The Matanuska Glacier and even a place where a dinosaur was discovered!
We then followed the road back to the gorgeous Matanuska Lodge for gourmet dinner and breakfast, a stunning view, hot tubbing and a relaxing night, Alaska style. Enjoy!
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 4,533. 2005 Census Bureau estimates give the city a population of 6,920.
Geography
Palmer is located at 61°36′7″N, 149°7′2″W (61.601879, -149.117351)[2].
Palmer is 68 km (42 miles) northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.7 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 4,533 people, 1,472 households, and 1,058 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,206.3 people per square mile (465.5/km²). There were 1,555 housing units at an average density of 413.8/sq mi (159.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.94% White, 2.05% Black or African American, 8.18% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 1.15% from other races, and 6.29% from two or more races. 3.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of German, 10.5% United States or American, 8.9% Irish and 8.7% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 1,472 households out of which 47.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.6% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,571, and the median income for a family was $53,164. Males had a median income of $44,716 versus $25,221 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,203. About 6.0% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Palmer began in 1916 as a railway station on the Matanuska branch of the Alaska Railroad. In 1935, during the Great Depression, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal projects, established the Matanuska Colony. From Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 203 families traveled by train and ship to reach the fledgling colony, arriving in the summer of 1935. Upon their arrival they were housed in a tent city during their first Alaskan summer. Each family drew lots for 40 acre tracts and their farming adventure began in earnest. The failure rate was high, but many of their descendants still live in the area and there are sill many operating farms in the Palmer area, including Vanderwheele and Wolverine farms. While the colonists had varying degrees of success with farming, Palmer is the only Alaskan Community that developed from an agricultural lifestyle.
In addition to an agrarian heritage, the colony families brought with them small town values, institutional structures, and a well planned city center. Many of the structures built are now in a nationally recognized historic district. Construction of the statewide road system and the rapid development of Anchorage has fueled growth around Palmer. Many Palmer residents commute to work in Anchorage.
[edit] Points of Interest
Palmer is most noted in Alaska as the location of the annual Alaska State Fair, where Palmer's agricultural spirit lives on. The Alaska State Fair holds contests for largest vegetable in several categories, and many national and even world records have been recorded at the fair, with the cabbage and lettuce categories usually dominating the local interest.
Palmer hosts an historic log cabin Visitor Center in the heart of downtown that entertains more than 35,000 visitors each year. The visitor center has a two acre showcase garden and lawn that is the perfect place to have a picnic. The Palmer Museum of History and Art is located in the Visitor Center and offers visitors chance to view artifacts from Palmer's history and learn about how the town came to be.
A couple of blocks away from the visitor center is the United Protestant Church. It was built in 1936-37 and is one of the historically registered original colonial buildings in Palmer. There are also several bookstores, including Alaskana Books which carries a collection of rare and collectible Alaskana books, and Fireside Books a quirky little independent bookstore, known for its good books and ugly coffee.
Alaska Raceway Park is a nearby dragstrip.
Hatcher Pass Road Trip
Great road trip over Hatcher Pass--from the Susitna Valley at Willow to the Matanuska Valley in Palmer. Wildlife and some awesome scenery help to break in the new videocam!
Alaska | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Alaska
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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- increases imagination and understanding
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Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
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This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Alaska ( ( listen); Aleut: Alax̂sxax̂; Inupiaq: Alaskaq; Russian: Аляска, translit. Alyaska) is a U.S. state in the northwest extremity of North America. The Canadian administrative divisions of British Columbia and Yukon border the state to the east, its most extreme western part is Attu Island, and it has a maritime border with Russia (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) to the west across the Bering Strait. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort seas—the southern parts of the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southwest. It is the largest state in the United States by area and the
seventh largest subnational division in the world. In addition, it is the 3rd least populous and the most sparsely populated of the 50 United States; nevertheless, it is by far the most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel in North America: its population—estimated at 738,432 by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2015— is more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland. Approximately half of Alaska's residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. Alaska's economy is dominated by the fishing, natural gas, and oil industries, resources which it has in abundance. Military bases and tourism are also a significant part of the economy.
The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km2). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.
Live - McKinley Fire 10:45pm Evening Update: 70% Containment 3,316 acres
Live - McKinley Fire 10:45pm evening update on the first full day of the school year. Not only should we all slow down because the students have returned to school, but also because 560 firefighters are committed to completing the fireline over the next days and weeks. Speeding fines have been doubled in the fire area to protect the fire and utility crews working along the corridor. Containment increased to 70% and acreage has been mapped to 3,316 acres. We are here to answer each and every one of your questions so please leave them here. All donations can be filtered through The May-Su COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disasters). The McKinley Fire Information line is 907-313-9826. #mckinleyfire
Meteorological Fact: July 24th was the last wetting rain with 3/4 inch recorded at the local Remote Automated Weather Systems (RAWS).
Evacuation levels were lowered yesterday at noon. Residents evacuated last Sunday, August 17th were able to re-enter their properties. Current evacuation levels are:
* “Level 2 – Set” between milepost 81.5 and 92. This level means having your items ready and being prepared to leave within minutes of a notification to leave.
* “Level 1 – Ready” between mileposts 79 and 91.9. This level means having an evacuation kit, family emergency plan, and evacuation plan.
The Parks Highway is open through the burned area with a posted speed limit of 45 mph. Traffic flaggers will be in areas where fire crews and residents are entering and exiting the roadway. Please use headlights to increase visibility and abide by the speed limit. Alaska State Troopers will patrol the highway and enforce speed limits to ensure firefighters and public safety.
Firefighters have been working closely with the Matanuska Electric Association moving south along the Parks Highway. They have been removing fire-damaged trees and repairing power lines to restore electricity as quickly as possible. Firefighters continue working to secure the uncontained fire to increase containment. During the last 3 days containment has increased from 11% to 67%. Despite these increases in containment, there is active fire inside the perimeter. Visitors and residents will see smoke from flare ups and interior pockets of heat into the foreseeable future.
Near homes and other structures inside the fire boundary, firefighters, excavators, and feller bunchers are removing dangerous, fire-damaged trees that can fall unexpectedly. A feller buncher is an excavator with an attachment that can cut, lift and stack trees in a manner that minimizes damage to neighboring root systems.
Recently burned areas are very dangerous. Fire burns deeply in extremely dry duff layers and has weakened many trees that continue falling unexpectedly. Ash pits have caused minor burn injuries to firefighters. Ash pits are deep holes in the ground filled with hot ash and embers and are often hard to see. These conditions create a very dangerous environment for firefighters and residents.
Weather: Warm and dry weather will continue although there will be some clouds. Winds should remain light. Precipitation for the month of August in Anchorage is normally just over three inches. No measureable rain has been reported in August of 2019.
The Red Cross will be distributing emergency relief supplies through a fixed site at the Upper Susitna Senior Center (16463 Helena Drive, Talkeetna) starting Tuesday, August 27 from 10 am – 7 pm, and at the Curtis D Menard Memorial Sports Center (1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla) alongside Red Cross recovery casework and planning services, starting Tuesday, August 27 at 10 am. They will also distribute relief supplies via emergency response vehicles in neighborhoods affected by the fire, starting Tuesday, August 27 at 10 am. The distribution of relief supplies will continue until the needs of those affected are met.
Closures: A portion of Willow Swamp (Game Management Unit 14A) is closed due to the Deshka Landing Fire. For more info, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website at A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) exists over the McKinley Fire. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMS at flying near the fire area.
Air Quality/Smoke: For air quality information related to wildfires, visit
Fire Information: 907-313-9826
Email: 2019.mckinley@firenet.gov
Web: akfireinfo.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/AK.Forestry/
YouTube: tinyurl.com/McKinleyFireYoutube
IMT/Alaska DNR Division of Forestry
#akwildfire #alaskawildfire #dnrwildfire #msbem
Live - McKinley Fire Aug 26 Update with Special Guest and Former Smokejumper Jacob Welsh
Acreage: 3,332 Containment: 46% Personnel: 449 Start Date: 8/17/2019
In the past two days, containment has increased from 11 percent to 46 percent. A community meeting will be held at the Willow Elementary School Tuesday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Fire managers and cooperating agencies are meeting Monday morning to reevaluate current evacuations levels. All evacuation levels are based on firefighter and public safety as well as current and expected fire behavior.
Firefighters and emergency personnel have accomplished a great deal of work securing the uncontained wildfire and stabilizing the burned area, however there is active fire in the interior. Visitors and residents will see smoke from flare ups and interior pockets of heat into the foreseeable future.
Firefighters, excavators, and feller bunchers are removing hazard trees around homes and infrastructure. A feller buncher is an excavator with an attachment that can cut, lift and stack trees in a manner that minimizes damage to root systems. Matanuska Electric Association has restored power to the Caswell Lakes and is working on reenergizing lines to all customers in the burned area as they continue safeguarding the power line corridor.
The Parks Highway is open through the burned area between mileposts 84-92 with a posted speed limit of 45 mph. The Alaska National Guard and traffic flaggers will be in areas where fire crews and residents will be entering and exiting the roadway. Drivers are encouraged to use headlights to increase visibility and abide by the speed limit. Alaska State Troopers will patrol the highway and enforce speed limits to ensure firefighters and public safety.
Please be advised, recently burned areas are very dangerous. Fire burns deeply in extremely dry duff layers and has weakened many trees that continue falling unexpectedly. Ash pits have caused minor burn injuries to firefighters. Ash pits are deep holes in the ground filled with hot ash and embers and are often hard to see. These conditions create a very dangerous environment for firefighters and residents.
Weather: A warming and drying trend will begin Monday and remain in the area into the week. Winds should remain light through midweek. Precipitation for the month of August in Anchorage is normally just over three inches. No measurable rain has been reported in August of 2019.
Evacuations:
* A Level 1 “Ready” Evacuation notification is in effect for 59 residences from milepost 76 to milepost 79. Level 1 – Ready is making sure you have an evacuation kit, family emergency plan, and evacuation plan.
* A Level 2 “SET” Evacuation notification is in effect 103 residences from milepost 79 to milepost 81.5. Level 2 – Set is having your items ready and being prepared to leave within minutes of a notification to leave.
* A Level 3 “Go” Evacuation Order remains in effect for all residences along the Parks Highway from milepost 81.5 to milepost 92. Level 3 – Go means leave now, do not delay.
The Red Cross has two emergency shelters to help evacuated residents. One is located at the Curtis D. Menard Sports Center in Wasilla and the other is located at the Upper Susitna Senior Center in Talkeetna (Parks Hwy mp 99). Caseworkers will be available at the Menard Sports Center from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to provide recovery casework and planning. This casework will continue until the recovery planning needs of those affected are met.
Closures: A portion of Willow Swamp (Game Management Unit 14A) is closed due to the Deshka Landing Fire. For more info, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website at The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the McKinley Fire will extend from 0800 to 2300 local time, while the dimensions of the TFR will decrease slightly. The changes will more accurately reflect where and when incident aircraft are working. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMS at flying near the fire area.
Air Quality/Smoke: South winds brought smoke from fires on the Kenai Peninsula combining with smoke from the McKinley and Deshka fires. For additional air quality information, visit
Closures: The Parks Highway is open. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire area from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. For further information, please visit portion of Willow Swamp (Game Management Unit 14A) is closed due to the Deshka Landing Fire. For more information, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website at
Air Quality/Smoke: For air quality information related to wildfires, visit
Fire Information: 907-313-9826
Email: 2019.mckinley@firenet.gov
Web:
Facebook:
YouTube:
Eklutna Lake Eklutna Alaska
Eklutna Lake Eklutna Alaska
Sarah Palin | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Sarah Palin
00:01:41 1 Early life and family
00:03:12 2 College
00:04:13 3 Early career and marriage
00:04:46 4 Early political career
00:04:56 4.1 City council
00:05:21 4.2 Mayor of Wasilla
00:06:18 4.2.1 First term
00:08:47 4.2.2 Second term
00:10:23 4.3 State-level politics
00:12:46 5 Governor of Alaska
00:15:44 5.1 Budget, spending, and federal funds
00:16:49 5.1.1 Gubernatorial expenditures
00:18:41 5.1.2 Federal funding
00:20:10 5.1.3 Bridge to Nowhere
00:22:35 5.2 Gas pipeline
00:23:23 5.3 Predator control
00:24:30 5.4 Public Safety Commissioner dismissal
00:27:59 5.4.1 Legislative investigation
00:29:26 5.4.2 Branchflower Report
00:31:00 5.4.3 Alaska Personnel Board investigation and report
00:31:58 5.5 Job approval ratings
00:32:18 5.6 Resignation
00:34:42 6 2008 vice-presidential campaign
00:41:21 7 After the 2008 election
00:43:22 7.1 SarahPAC
00:45:50 7.2 iGoing Rogue/i and iAmerica by Heart/i
00:47:12 7.3 Tea Party movement
00:48:30 7.4 Pink Elephant movement and 2010 endorsements
00:52:17 7.5 2012 election cycle and candidacy speculation
00:53:58 7.6 2014 Alaska gubernatorial election endorsement
00:54:59 7.7 2016 campaign
00:55:52 7.8 2017 defamation lawsuit
00:57:31 8 Political positions
00:57:45 8.1 Health care
00:58:27 8.2 Social issues
00:58:53 8.3 Education
00:59:37 8.4 Guns
01:00:00 8.5 Environment
01:02:08 8.6 Foreign policy
01:03:42 9 Public image
01:05:53 10 Personal life
01:07:31 11 Publications
01:08:00 12 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Sarah Louise Palin ( (listen); née Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author and reality television personality who served as the ninth Governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. As the nominee of the Republican Party for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election alongside U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major political party and the first Republican woman selected as a vice presidential candidate. Her book Going Rogue has sold more than two million copies.
She was elected to the Wasilla city council in 1992 and became mayor of Wasilla in 1996. In 2003, after an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor, she was appointed chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, responsible for overseeing the state's oil and gas fields for safety and efficiency. In 2006, she became the youngest person and the first woman to be elected Governor of Alaska.Since her resignation as governor, she has endorsed and campaigned for the Tea Party movement as well as several candidates in multiple election cycles, prominently including Donald Trump for president in 2016. From 2010 to 2015, she provided political commentary for Fox News. On April 3, 2014, Palin premiered her TV show, Amazing America with Sarah Palin, on the Sportsman Channel, which ran until February 12, 2015. On July 27, 2014, Palin launched the online news network called the Sarah Palin Channel, which was closed on July 4, 2015.
Live - McKinley Fire Parks Highway Travel Advisory: Heavy Fog and Smoke Inversion
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: tinyurl.com/McKinleyFireYoutube
There will be a community meeting TONIGHT, Tuesday August 27th at the Willow Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. focused on recovery with a fire update.
Live - Parks Highway Travel Advisory: Heavy fog and smoke inversion has drastically reduced visibility through the #McKinleyFire area. The 45mpg reduced speed is too fast for these conditions. It takes all of us working together to keep the firefighters, utility workers and school buses safe. Containment: 67% with 565 firefighters and both a day and night shift. Ash pits, falling trees and driving visibility remain ongoing hazards for all. In addition, all “Level 3 Go” evacuation notices have been reduced to a “Level 2 Set”.
Evacuation levels were lowered yesterday at noon. Residents evacuated last Sunday, August 17th were able to re-enter their properties. Current evacuation levels are:
* “Level 2 – Set” between milepost 81.5 and 92. This level means having your items ready and being prepared to leave within minutes of a notification to leave.
* “Level 1 – Ready” between mileposts 79 and 91.9. This level means having an evacuation kit, family emergency plan, and evacuation plan.
The Parks Highway is open through the burned area with a posted speed limit of 45 mph. Traffic flaggers will be in areas where fire crews and residents are entering and exiting the roadway. Please use headlights to increase visibility and abide by the speed limit. Alaska State Troopers will patrol the highway and enforce speed limits to ensure firefighters and public safety.
Firefighters have been working closely with the Matanuska Electric Association moving south along the Parks Highway. They have been removing fire-damaged trees and repairing power lines to restore electricity as quickly as possible. Firefighters continue working to secure the uncontained fire to increase containment. During the last 3 days containment has increased from 11% to 67%. Despite these increases in containment, there is active fire inside the perimeter. Visitors and residents will see smoke from flare ups and interior pockets of heat into the foreseeable future.
Near homes and other structures inside the fire boundary, firefighters, excavators, and feller bunchers are removing dangerous, fire-damaged trees that can fall unexpectedly. A feller buncher is an excavator with an attachment that can cut, lift and stack trees in a manner that minimizes damage to neighboring root systems.
Recently burned areas are very dangerous. Fire burns deeply in extremely dry duff layers and has weakened many trees that continue falling unexpectedly. Ash pits have caused minor burn injuries to firefighters. Ash pits are deep holes in the ground filled with hot ash and embers and are often hard to see. These conditions create a very dangerous environment for firefighters and residents.
Weather: Warm and dry weather will continue although there will be some clouds. Winds should remain light. Precipitation for the month of August in Anchorage is normally just over three inches. No measureable rain has been reported in August of 2019.
The Red Cross will be distributing emergency relief supplies through a fixed site at the Upper Susitna Senior Center (16463 Helena Drive, Talkeetna) starting Tuesday, August 27 from 10 am – 7 pm, and at the Curtis D Menard Memorial Sports Center (1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla) alongside Red Cross recovery casework and planning services, starting Tuesday, August 27 at 10 am. They will also distribute relief supplies via emergency response vehicles in neighborhoods affected by the fire, starting Tuesday, August 27 at 10 am. The distribution of relief supplies will continue until the needs of those affected are met.
Closures: A portion of Willow Swamp (Game Management Unit 14A) is closed due to the Deshka Landing Fire. For more info, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website at A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) exists over the McKinley Fire. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMS at flying near the fire area.
Air Quality/Smoke: For air quality information related to wildfires, visit
Fire Information: 907-313-9826
Email: 2019.mckinley@firenet.gov
Web: akfireinfo.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/AK.Forestry/
YouTube: tinyurl.com/McKinleyFireYoutube
IMT/Alaska DNR Division of Forestry
#akwildfire #alaskawildfire #dnrwildfire #msbem
Anchorage, Alaska | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Anchorage, Alaska
00:01:55 1 History
00:08:03 2 Geography
00:10:21 2.1 Cityscape
00:10:29 2.2 Wildlife
00:12:10 2.3 Climate
00:15:30 3 Demographics
00:19:45 3.1 Languages
00:21:06 4 Economy
00:26:51 5 Arts
00:28:52 6 Sports
00:32:47 7 Parks and recreation
00:32:56 7.1 Parks, gardens, and wildlife refuges
00:33:41 7.2 Recreational facilities
00:34:01 7.3 Points of interest
00:34:09 8 Government and politics
00:37:03 8.1 Public safety
00:39:21 9 Education
00:41:02 10 Notable people
00:42:32 11 Media
00:43:56 12 Health and utilities
00:46:36 13 Transportation
00:46:46 13.1 Major Highways
00:47:10 13.1.1 Highway to Highway
00:47:56 13.2 Public transit
00:48:26 13.3 Rail
00:49:30 13.4 Air transport
00:50:34 14 Sister cities
00:50:53 15 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Anchorage (officially called the Municipality of Anchorage; Dena'ina: Dgheyaytnu) is a unified home rule municipality in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 298,192 residents in 2016, it is Alaska's most populous city and contains more than 40 percent of the state's total population; among the 50 states, only New York has a higher percentage of residents who live in its most populous city. All together, the Anchorage metropolitan area, which combines Anchorage with the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough, had a population of 401,635 in 2016, which accounts for more than half of the state's population. At 1,706 square miles of land area, the city is larger than the smallest state, Rhode Island, at 1,212 square miles.Anchorage is in the south-central portion of Alaska, at the terminus of the Cook Inlet, on a peninsula formed by the Knik Arm to the north and the Turnagain Arm to the south. The city limits span 1,961.1 square miles (5,079.2 km2) which encompass the urban core, a joint military base, several outlying communities and almost all of Chugach State Park.Due to its location, almost equidistant from New York City, Frankfurt, and Tokyo, Anchorage lies within 9 1⁄2 hours by air of nearly 90% of the industrialized world. For this reason, the Anchorage International Airport is a common refueling stop for many international cargo flights and home to a major FedEx hub, which the company calls a critical part of its global network of services.Anchorage has won the All-America City Award four times: in 1956, 1965, 1984–85, and 2002, by the National Civic League. It has also been named by Kiplinger as the most tax-friendly city in the United States.