Why Anchorage is America's Most OP City

I just uploaded a 19-minute long companion video to this one covering the modern-day cold war and conflict between Greece and Turkey to Nebula, here; bit.ly/3egkMrS It's a part of my Modern Conflicts series, an exclusive to Nebula series of sensitive and controversial conflicts ranging from the Gulf War, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the Armenia-Azerbaijan War and many others. The best way to get access to all of these videos along with dozens of other creator projects is through the CuriosityStream/Nebula bundle deal, and best of all with the current holiday deal, you can get 1 entire year of both Nebula and CuriosityStream with thousands of documentaries to entertain yourself with forever, for only $11.59 a year, here; curiositystream.com/?coupon=reallifelore

Very informative and quality content

With the Russian airspace now closed to Western aircrafts, Anchorage could once again play a role in connecting East Asia to the Western world

Anchorage has the very unique blend of being a mountain and a coast city. I love the grit of this city. The salt air with the mountain backdrop, throw in some Northern lights, and well, THAT'S a city!

One interesting thing about Anchorage is the weather. You might think that a city so far north would have horrific winters. But because it is coastal, Anchorage is actually more temperate than you might think. Of course, winters are cold, with snow, but the temperatures do not drop to terribly low levels like they do in the interior. Likewise, summers are pretty moderate.

Let’s take the moment to appreciate how much effort RealLifeLore puts into his content for us. Great job

Russia didn't necessarily sell Alaska just for money. Russia was concerned that Britain would be able to easily capture the land through Canada at the time so figured selling it to the US would stop Britain which it kind of did but then the US became a bigger problem than Britain in the long term.

Due to most European Countries having to avoid flying over Russia, I think there's going to be a lot of flights that would make fuel stops at anchorage if Europe wants to go to East Asia, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.

Russia * being banned by all airlines in the world for awful war crimes *
Anchorage : hurray!

Oh god, when you said the northwest passage would save tens if not thousands... It will save MILLIONS per vessel. It is a profound change and will introduce a similar conflict as we see in the south china sea. I have worked on ships whose full cargo capacity is valued at 2.8 billion dollars. It is easy to underestimate the shipping industry.

Spectacular video. I love the 3D globe models you use to show complicated shipping and flight routes across the globe. Really helps put those far away places into perspective!

My dad was a cab driver in Anchorage in the 80s. They made bank shuttling around all of the folks with layovers in Anchorage. It was a big deal when those flights ended after Russia opened up the airspace. Although it’s a city that is very connected to the rest of the world, you’d never know it from the people there. I grew up there and would compare it more to rural Texas or somewhere else in the South more than anywhere else. Except for the legal weed.

I had an emergency landing in Anchorage during my flight to Asia required to stay overnight. On my way to the hotel I saw really nice mountain views as far as you can see but the city looks dead and has as many potholes as in Chicago.

Surprised you wouldn't bring up A2A railway which would eliminate the need to transport via ship through the northern passage.
It would theoretically cut 5 days off shipments just by landing in Anchorage and putting everything on train.
We really don't need the ice to melt to make shipping a reality. The railway will be one of Alaska and Canada's best long term investment decisions. Far less environmental impact as well.

This video takes on a somewhat more ominous tone, when you consider modern events.

On my return flight from VietNam in 1972 the flight had a layover in Anchorage. All I remember is that it was 4:00 in the afternoon and it was pitch black outside the terminal.

I visited Anchorage once in 09. I wondered why the airport was so large relative to the city itself. Thanks for the video.

3:39 It never really occured to me, looking at flat maps, how close we are too Russia. I knew about Alaska's closeness, but I never thought about Russia being just north of Canada.

I had a tour of Alaska one spring break once.
Very beautiful place with an amazing scenery.
Fairly nice variety in cuisine.
Almost broke my wrist on a cruise to neighboring Valdez.
10/10 would break my wrist again

This makes sense, as I've traveled through this airport twice, and even though it seemed really busy when looking at the sky, the terminals and shops were ghost towns. I walked into a closed shop and sat on the floor to charge my phone. Don't go in the smoking room, even if you smoke, unless you want to completely reek of burnt tobacco and tar

As someone who grew up in Anchorage, I can definitely attest that while it sucks to live in, its strategic importance has always been a huge point of emphasis. The military actually makes up a big part of its economy as the Army and Air Force have a huge joint base just north of downtown. And the fact it's still such an important cargo hub is cool. My wife and I actually lived in a house that was just east of one of the runways and I would see 747s all the time. I even caught a picture of the Antonov An-225 (the largest airplane in the world) right above our house. I don't miss much about Anchorage (moved out of Alaska in 2019) but I always tell people that it's such an important place even today.

It’s also well placed from a military standpoint. By land, the city is surrounded by mountains. By sea, you have to travel up a waterway, which can be easily defended by a few fire bases at the entrance and a small fleet.

Two months after this video: Airlines refuse to use Russian air spaces and it seems like they need to use Alaska again!

I rolled my ankle on Friday afternoon, learned about your channel on Friday night and have binged most of your videos the entire weekend. Your content is incredible. Thank you for making such fascinating and digestible analysis of nuanced and complex situations.

Driving down the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks down south, you drive through Ft Greely. Knowing the military history of Alaska and learning about the silos out at greely as a kid, I could never help but feel a sense of vague dread when driving by them. Kind of like driving past an active volcano that is currently dormant.

I am surprised you didn't talk about the fact that Alaska provides 60% of the domestically produced seafood for the US. All of that goes through Anchorage. Or the fact that Alaska has more freshwater than the rest of the USA combined.
Edit:
1.) So it has been pointed out that a significant amount of seafood is shipped directly from the ports where it is caught without going through Anchorage. So it was incorrect to say "All".
2.) I was just wrong on the freshwater numbers. The total freshwater area of 49 states (excluding AK) is around 170 million square miles. The total freshwater area of Alaska is 94 million square miles, so just over half the rest of the USA combined (this includes the areas of the great lakes that the USA claims). The next state with the highest total surface area is Michigan with around 40 million square miles and it falls off pretty hard from there with Florida with around 12 million square miles.

That 2021-2022 Patch really was an OP buff for anchorage. That one early collectable that pays off big time in the boss battle lol

18:20 describes a situation being played out 2 months after this video was made. As always, your ability to look at so many factors amazes me.

It's so crazy to me that an airplane can carry almost 300k lbs of weight. The 747 can hold 292k lbs of cargo. That's so crazy to me.

The conversation about the arctic passages opening up after climate change melts the ice is forgetting one major issue. Places like Rotterdam and Vancouver will be underwater without massive dikes and locks to hold the sea back. Most of the world's coastal settlements, where 90% of humans live, are in direct danger of rising sea levels. We won't be able to utilize these passages nearly as much as this dude has stated because we'll all be panic building new cities further inland and trying to save our farmlands from drying up. Continuing to rely on fossil fuels and going so.far as to allow the arctic to melt so we can get more will literally kill billions from starvation and war over land and resources.

As someone who lived in Anchorage for 15+ years it’s true that the summers are amazing, but you get tired of the winters real quick. It’s one of the most gorgeous places in the world, but it can feel somewhat removed from the rest of the United States.

Nice video, although I must say the graphic comparing state sizes at 1:46 is quite misleading. According to wikipedia (should be close enough) Alaska is slightly larger than those three states by land area. Using the Mercator projection to compare area sizes at different latitudes is a terrible idea.

Love your content. You could run an entire network with better quality products than nearly all those on offer from any cable provider. Which goes to show just how much broadcast and TV execs are actually useful, you know like, they aren't. You display that you and whomever else are needed to produce your videos are equal to probably hundreds of individuals at a dinosaur TV company.

Your videos are extremely interesting. Well written, well-spoken, deep plowing, and entertaining. Congratulations!

Only issue here is the Port of Anchorage. Trying to update and modernize it has only led to ten years or more of throwing lots and lots of money at it, without much to show for it all. The tidal waters here move over 30 feet of water, which combined with the “mud flats”, can be a giant nightmare when it comes to installing any kind of infrastructure. I can’t remember the exact geological makeup of the “mud flats”, but I am pretty sure what makes them such a problem is all the glacial silt that ends up flowing out into the ocean. People have been known to walk out on these when the tide is low and get stuck because it’s like quicksand in a way. Then once someone gets stuck, it can be impossible for them to get themselves unstuck without outside help, which can be hard to get in time before the tide comes back in. I’m pretty sure at least one woman has died in this manner just outside of Anchorage.

It’s quite interesting how cities such as Anchorage that we generally don’t discuss in real life are so important to governments around the world. Kind of makes you feel better if you got transferred to some of these places for work because you know that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself.

Never thought our home town of Anchorage would ever get this much love. Rock on!

The cool thing about anchorage is that, even though they are apart from the rest of the US, they get more products than even people in a big city down in the US. After all, everyone has to pass through Anchorage. Imagining Anchorage as a desolate place with no access to new things world be a super error!

great stuff! Could you do a series of videos on which cities are better placed for each of the continents?

Hello RealLifeLore! Excellent video; my family and I love your videos and have been tuning in for 2 years. We enjoy the information you provide, but I was wondering if you cited your sources on youtube or any other media platform. I understand thats a massive undertaking to cite everything you read but I’d love to see the sources you look at. Thank you!

I was born and raised in Anchorage, however I was a military brat so after a certain age I eventually lived in 7 different states, many cities...I have to say the ONLY one I love and miss and adore is Anchorage.

one question I have. By the time the artic passages opens, (assuming that while the artica passage melt, other ice reerves will also melt around the world) how high will the world ocean increase, and wich coastal city will now be underwater and which non coastal city will have become coastal city?

I am surprised at the number of air routes (both passengers and cargo) that go through/near the Arctic Circle because of the lack of of nearby airports that they can land in case of emergency. Or are there that many airports near the Arctic Circle that this is non-concern?

One of the best channels on TheXvid alongside Mark Rober. Getting this knowledge for free seems like committing some kind of crime.

Never had any idea that the Ted Stevens Airport was that vital. Makes me rethink all the times I’ve wandered around it.

I knew Alaska was important to control due to its numerous mineral and chemical resources. But I didn’t fathom how crucial it was on a global scale from its location. Very informative video!

Please add the seasonal flights from Iceland to Anchorage... What is more interesting though is the upcoming airline that will be based in Anchorage and connect cities in North America and Asia just as Icelandair is doing with Reykjavik.

I worked for DHL Express at the biggest airport cargo hub in Germany and Anchorage was one of the most important flight destinations

This was an extremely interesting video. You sometimes forget that the N/W passage will make such a difference in today’s world. Now the countries have more issues to argue about. Alaska & it’s people are extraordinary. The beauty there are breathtaking. We will have to see what happens there in the future. Now Russia is using their gas production as a weapon today!

You're the best channel on TheXvid by far. I plan on supporting you on Nebula as well! Love your videos and I hope you always keep producing more.

For those interested, russia didnt really sell alaska for the $$ . I mean technically yea, but the real reason was they were scared Britain would take it over through Canada. So they thought they'd be better off with America having it than Britain. Worked fine for the time, but a century later.....

I became an Alaska-phile last year with my first trip, to Fairbanks (from NC). I was in love - so beautiful, people were awesome, just the sense that I was one step closer to nature (we ate tundra blueberries on the trail). But it was also easy to lose certain amenities - I had to go into Fairbanks proper to make a cellular call (you can rent satellite phones). I was in Anchorage in January and was blown away. The Cook Inlet is stunning. Sure, the high was -2F, but it didn't feel like it - and I have lived in the Upper Plains (much worse).
So much to see in our 49th state (not even touching on Denali). I will be going back at least annually to try to learn more. The US is fortunate to have this amazing state.

6:30 He used the greater than symbol while discussing time of flight being than certain # of hours. Those symbol are read from left to right like the English language. Open in on left is greater than, while closed end on left is less than.
For the collective knowledge of TheXvid comments section.

And still, I argue with customer service from various companies that Alaska is a state. It is also ridiculous that I also have to often argue that Alaska is NOT next to Mexico.

I was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base Anchorage for 2 years. Summers are amazing, but the winters are COLD! Absolutely beautiful and can't wait to go back.

A sign I commonly saw while I lived in Alaska was "Alaska- The last foreign nation still friendly to Americans". Living in Alaska really is like living in a different country. So often we felt disconnected from the larger issues affecting the lower 48. It certainly is remote, but that comes with its benefits.

Born, raised, and hopefully lifelong Alaskan here. One thing you didn't mention for Alaska downsides (and Anchoragein particular) is our supply train, we produce only a small portion of our food locally, and are completely dependent on supplies being brought up by the ship load, Anchorages port kind of sucks, because cook inlet is a shallow silt bed, which requires constant dredging to maintain functional operations. This means we are extremely vulnerable in the case of a disaster (think another mega earthquake, a war or any other large supply chain interrupting event), in the case of our supply chain being cut, the non-subsitance lifestyle people (or at any rate, non preppers with no wilderness skills) would be facing starvation in a matter of a couple months, possibly weeks.
Alaska is great (I say best), but it cartanly has potential drawbacks, other than cold and the dark.

This is one of the most interesting videos you've made yet. This is exactly what I'm subscribed for.

As an Alaskan, I would say that maybe Fairbanks would also be fairly important, but I didn’t really think about the shopping that occurs here in anchorage

I been flying back and forth from Anchorage for the last six years. It's so fun to go to Point Woronzof Park and watch the airplanes ✈️ fly almost over your head and the cook inlet. It's a site to see and you also have a panoramic view of downtown Anchorage. Alaska is a hidden gem. Only quite a few are blessed to see its beauty

Alaska is like that kid who was considered worthless growing up, but ended up super successful in the future

And what about the actual City and it's Location? What Terrain is it on? Can it selfsustain? Is it as a City Futureproof?

This video finally made me realize why Juneau is the capital and not Anchorage. Thank you

I think anchorage is about to get a lot more civilian flights from Europe now

To anyone who is confused about "OP" in the title, It just means "overpowered". It's an exaggerated way of calling something powerful.
"The nuke is an OP weapon"
"Superman is too OP"

As an Alaskan, I always thought that Alaska, while fascinating, was never going to be a big place for the USA. It was always that state that got brought up when talking about the American purchase of the land, and then never again. It was always this quaint piece of land that I lived in. Now that I hear this, I think that it could be in my lifetime when Alaska becomes one of the biggest places in the world, and I could be there to say what it was like before, so that's really nice to hear.

something tells me alaska air space is more valuable now.

The Air Force would be wise to reactivate Eareckson Air Station that is on Shemya Island in the Aleutian Islands archipelago. It's right smack dab in the middle of everything going on in the Pacific and would serve as another valuable choke point.

Moved from New Orleans to Anchorage when I was a kid, spent 4 years living there, still go back every year. Love this place

My dad was a FedEx pilot and he sometimes went to anchorage for international trips.

All of this was so over my head, I had no idea. Thanks for that this was awesome

Its always sad to see a town dying after it has seen such a glorious history. All the people gone shops closed it's all so sad

Anyone else having a giggle about how "Russia will plan on increasing it's hold on Europe" due to their goals of taking the artic fields?

Really sad to imagine that we most probably flood this region with heavy ships!

It's not just that planes can refuel in Anchorage as they go by, it's that you can fill a plane full with goods going to multiple destinations, send it and others to Alaska, and then fill up planes with goods from many sources to get to their final destinations. So the same flight into, say, Mexico City could have goods shipped in from both Tokyo and London.

It's weird when a video says "during the Cold War, this was a problem" and you then check the upload date because similar tensions have re-introduced the problem recently...

Barrow, Alaska can easily become a very resourceful city as well since it is located at the top tip of the state.

Excellent video! You should make a video about California City....the biggest city that never was and was supposed to compete with Los Angeles.

When I heard ab the US trying to buy Greenland from Denmark, I was astonished-thought it was total nonsense. It really does make more sense, strategically, now.

Anchorage is a city that has always been fascinating for me. Living in the US Midwest, Alaska seems distant, far away, almost like a foreign country. Its role in the future and in popular media (like Fallout) makes it a city destined for greatness Alaska is a state I'd love to visit.

If you want to make Anchorage even more Op then build the railroad from the lower 48 up there to Alaska

Now, Anchorage is even more important than ever due to the new restrictions on Russian airspace due to their actions in Ukraine!

Yeah Anchorage is surrounded by snow capped mountains in the winter and extremely beautiful and breathtaking landscapes yet the crime and homeless rates are some of if not the highest in the nation per-capita and it's only been getting worse with each passing year.. I was robbed at gunpoint in a home invasion off Muldoon Rd. and so I decided to move away a month later!

I often feel amazed at the low-density of information in these videos. Like after 10 minutes it's barely made 3 observations. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing.

After flying up to Alaska, I noticed how busy the airport really was. I saw a few large airports in other parts of the states, but Anchorage had an incredible airport with all sorts of interior decorations and shops, it was incredible.

Anchorage also has a seasonal direct to KEF in Iceland, making three international routes not two.

I was stationed in Alaska and I miss anchorage every damn day 😭😭

you SOLD me with that nebula ad at the end king. I'm so curious to know more about Greek history and geopolitics, my parents are first generation from the greek islands and I've always wanted to get closer to it

What's really a mindf*ck to me is that I grew up with the general notion that half of The Netherlands, including Rotterdam's harbour, would be dissapearing underwater if the arctic were to melt. But we're at a point now where Dutch delta engineering has come so far that that's not a realistic concern anymore. I was always (unnecessarily) scared that pursuing the safety of the land here was gonna negatively affect international descision-making regarding the environment because it would give major forces in the world more leeway to keep pushing ocean level limits, but seeing as to how this route would become available if the acrtic were to melt, it was probably inevitable anyway. I swear we have the weirdest relationship with water over here.

The role of Anchorage seems to have been similar to the Gander International Airport. When nonstop flights from America to Europe were difficult, the Gander International Airport acted as an entrance to America. Really interesting. Nice video!

Johnny Harris covered the Turkey/Greece situation pretty well on his channel, on TheXvid.

Never thought of Anchorage as Overpowered, interesting 🤔

I would really really love to live there, quiet n far away from everything with lots of great cold that make a wood fireplace even better. When i am older ima go to anchorage 😄

But what if THEY reinvent TESLAS TELEPORT ? :)

It would also be interesting if you would cover anchorages problems. For example, anchorage is hemmed in by the inlet to the west/south, the chugach mountain range to the east, and a military airforce base to the north. So it doesn't have an option to grow much larger. There's also our port which requires a significant amount of dredging, despite there being an option for a deep water port on fire island. We have the second highest tides in the entire world. The '64 earthquake was a 9.4, and is almost guaranteed to happen again due to our position directly on top of a fault line. And our absolutely insane rape and crime statistics. There's also the problem that our capitol is I accessible to the majority of our states population, and whenever there's a vote to move it to Anchorage suspicious happenings occur and power outages that limit voting. And as a fun side note, you should check out recent news about our mayor.

one of the best places I have ever lived. The Cargo portion of the airport there has almost constant air traffic.

It's March, and i'm curious to see how anchorage is impacted by current world events and sanctions

It's roughly 1/4 of the US' entire territory. And I was born in Anchorage. So yeah, it's kinda important.

I was enjoying the video until it started with if the ice melted it would open up the pole to ship traffic, if the pole melted it would add so much fresh water to the ocean that the convective currants would stop, this would cause a near freeze of the whole plant until the fresh water refroze at the poles.

I can't believe the Devs are gonna buff Anchorage in the upcoming global warming patch when it's already near the top of the meta and players have been begging for a nerf for years, literally unplayable.