The Harsh Truth About Alaska’s Empty Coastline

Alaska - a land of towering mountains, endless coastlines, and… barely any cities. From above, it looks like prime real estate for ports, harbors, and booming towns yet almost no one lives along its massive coast. Why? In this episode, we dive into the brutal geography that keeps Alaska’s shoreline empty: freezing waters, unstable terrain, isolation, and the crushing cost of survival. This is the story of why Alaska’s coast stays wild and why it might always be that way. If you enjoyed this, subscribe to MapPack for more weekly geography deep dives. We explore how geography, borders, nature, and history shape our world. Want to keep learning? Check out these playlists for similar content: 📌 50 Facts Series: Truths You Won’t Believe – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxBZ8ukPsNBlbxf88UDgxfKl8GYfPInj0 📌 INSANE Facts!!! – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxBZ8ukPsNBmhl-VA4Qu5Ddvzm5M2ecyV #Geography #DangerousPlaces #Survival #Nature #Exploration ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapters: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:26 – Brutal Cold 00:02:16 – Alaska’s Permanent Fund 00:02:46 – Permafrost 00:03:26 – Siberia’s Sinking Towns 00:05:54 – Wild Weather 00:06:24 – The Cloudiest Coast in America 00:06:58 – Gulf of Alaska 00:08:11 – Mountains, Glaciers, Fjords 00:09:33 – Alaska’s First People 00:10:36 – Disease, Roads, and the Collapse of Life 00:11:41 – How the Alcan Road Changed Alaska 00:12:28 – Oil, Native Corporations, and Economy 00:13:47 – Fishing, Mining, and Coastal Towns 00:16:17 – Jobs on Paper 00:17:32 – Why Young Alaskans Are Leaving 00:19:25 – Norway vs Alaska 00:20:34 – The Coastal Gateway City It Never Got 00:20:40 – Why Anchorage and Fairbanks Won 00:22:56 – Cold War Win-Win 00:24:53 – Why Alaska’s Coast Is So Expensive to Use 00:28:01 – Tiny Port Network 00:29:37 – Arctic Trade Routes 00:31:01 – A New Cold War in the Arctic 00:31:32 – Nome’s Deep-Water Port Gamble 00:32:36 – Possible Arctic Bergen 00:33:45 – Alaska’s Coastal Future