The border between the United States and Russia is quite fascinating.

• The closest geographic point between the two countries lies in the Bering Strait, which is located in the Pacific Ocean.
• There are two small islands in the Bering Strait: Big Diomede (part of Russia) and Little Diomede (belongs to the United States).
• These islands are only 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) apart from each other.
• Despite the short distance, they are 21 hours apart due to the International Date Line (IDL) that runs between them.
• Big Diomede is the easternmost point of Russia, while Little Diomede is within the United States’ border.
• The closest distance between mainland Alaska (U.S.) and mainland Russia is approximately 53 miles (85 kilometers) across the Bering Strait.
• The westerly tip of Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula and the easterly tip of Alaska’s Seward Peninsula mark the closest parts of their mainlands.