# Alaska's County Equivalent

> Alaska uses boroughs instead of counties for its local government divisions.
- Title: Alaska's County Equivalent · Slate Magazine | Shortify
- Summary: Alaska uses boroughs instead of counties for its local government divisions. Alaska's local government divisions are called boroughs, not counties.
- Keywords: alaska, boroughs, united states, local government, geography, us states, Alaska's, County, Equivalent, Slate Magazine
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/09/trivia-quiz-daily-slate-vocabulary-greek-geography-latin.html?via=rss
- Author: Ray Hamel
- Published: 2026-09-21T09:55:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alaska, boroughs, united states, local government, geography, us states
## What are Alaska's divisions?
Alaska divides itself into boroughs for local governance, unlike most U.S. states that use counties.
## Why boroughs?
Boroughs were created to manage Alaska's vast, sparsely populated areas effectively.
## Historical context
Alaska's borough system dates back to 1906 when it was part of the United States.
## Key difference
Most U.S. states use counties for local administration, but Alaska uses boroughs.
## Why not counties?
Alaska's geography and population density made boroughs a more practical solution.
## Key takeaway

Alaska's local government divisions are called boroughs, not counties.