BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Forget South Dakota. North Dakota's most similar sister state these days is some 2,000 miles away.
Alaska and North Dakota once had little more in common than wintry weather and elbow room. But the two states have been in a rivalry over population numbers and crude oil output for the past several years.
North Dakota is bettering Alaska on crude production and the number of residents now.
Recent Census Bureau data show North Dakota recaptured the 47th most populous state from Alaska, which had held the ranking for the past decade.
North Dakota has a record 739,482 residents compared to about 736,700 for Alaska.
North Dakota passed Alaska in 2012 to become the second-leading oil-producing state in the U.S., behind Texas.