Alaska and Hawaii are the only states not connected to the American mainland, or "the lower 48" as Alaskans call it. Alaska is on the border of northwestern Canada, far enough north that part of it is within the Arctic Circle. Alaska is the home of Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president, which is the biggest of the 50 states by territory but one of the smallest by population having lived in Alaska for thousands of years. The population grew 9% constantly between 2000 and 2007. However, fewer than 700,000 people live in Alaska. Alaska became an official land of the United States in 1912.