Why does Alaska have that long, narrow panhandle 🇺🇸 stretching down the Pacific coast, instead of following the straight borders you see elsewhere between the United States and Canada? 🤔 The story goes back to the early 19th century, when Russian explorers were the first to lay claim to the southeastern edge of Alaska. At the same time, Britain 🇬🇧 was expanding across North America, and their territories began to overlap, leading to ongoing disputes over this strategic coastline. To prevent conflict, both empires signed an agreement in 1825 🤝 that let Russia keep a thin strip along the sea, but the wording was so unclear that the border was drawn to follow the tops of coastal mountains 🏔️ if any lay within 55 kilometers of the shore. That’s why Alaska’s panhandle appears so jagged and narrow. After the United States bought Alaska from Russia 💰 the gold rush ✨⛏️ increased the region’s value, and Canada tried to challenge the boundary, but an international tribunal confirmed the current border.

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