There is a system of measurement used by the news industry in the United States, wherein the basic unit of measurement is the football field (as in, a new public building which is as big as two football fields). The next unit up is the rhode island, then the texas, and then the alaska. Some versions also have the michigan and the california. They don't teach this system in school, but I once sat down and figured out how many football fields make one rhode island, but I can't find that note right at the moment.
And it's hardly surprising that Rhode Island is more densely populated than Alaska, considering that historically most of our population has arrived on the East Coast, and a fraction of those arrivals moved west while most stayed where they landed. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the first eight most densely populated states are in the East, whereas the least are in the West, apart from Alaska. The West Coast isn't a whole lot better, with California being #11, Washington #24, and Oregon #39. Another fun fact: The population density of Alaska is half a person per square kilometer. (｀_´)ゞ
Also, Alaska is more or less what you get if you moved Australia up near the North Pole. Most of its population is concentrated along the coasts, while the inland areas of the state are, as it were, the sub-arctic version of the Outback, only with polar bears instead of dingoes.
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There is a system of measurement used by the news industry in the United States, wherein the basic unit of measurement is the football field (as in, a new public building which is as big as two football fields). The next unit up is the rhode island, then the texas, and then the alaska. Some versions also have the michigan and the california. They don't teach this system in school, but I once sat down and figured out how many football fields make one rhode island, but I can't find that note right at the moment.
And it's hardly surprising that Rhode Island is more densely populated than Alaska, considering that historically most of our population has arrived on the East Coast, and a fraction of those arrivals moved west while most stayed where they landed. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the first eight most densely populated states are in the East, whereas the least are in the West, apart from Alaska. The West Coast isn't a whole lot better, with California being #11, Washington #24, and Oregon #39. Another fun fact: The population density of Alaska is half a person per square kilometer. (｀_´)ゞ
Also, Alaska is more or less what you get if you moved Australia up near the North Pole. Most of its population is concentrated along the coasts, while the inland areas of the state are, as it were, the sub-arctic version of the Outback, only with polar bears instead of dingoes.