Editing Alaska (section)

====Aleutian Islands====
{{Main|Aleutian Islands}}
[[File:Aleutian Islands with 180th meridian and International Date Line (cropped).png|thumb|Although entirely east of the [[International Date Line]] (the triangular kink in the line was agreed upon the [[Alaska Purchase|U.S. acquisition of Alaska]]), the Aleutian Islands cross the [[180th meridian]], such that they contain both the westernmost ([[Amatignak Island|Amatignak]]) and the easternmost ([[Semisopochnoi Island|Semisopochnoi]].) points in the United States.]]
While primarily part of Southwest Alaska when grouped economically, the Aleutian islands are sometimes recognized as an alternate group from the rest of the region due to the geographic separation from the continent. More than 300 small volcanic islands make up this chain, which stretches more than {{convert|1200|mi}} into the Pacific Ocean. Some of these islands fall in the Eastern Hemisphere, but the [[International Date Line]] was drawn west of [[180th meridian|180°]] to keep the whole state, and thus the entire North American continent, within the same legal day. Two of the islands, [[Attu Island|Attu]] and [[Kiska]], were occupied by Japanese forces during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Japan Invades the Aleutian Islands {{!}} American Experience {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/alaska-japan/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=www.pbs.org |language=en}}</ref>