All About My HomeLand
Alaska, The Great Frontier
Population
Alaska's population of 606,000 makes it the third least populous state.
The state also boasts the lowest population density in the nation. There is 1.0 person per square mile (1991) in Alaska, compared to 71.2 people per square mile for the entire U.S.
Geography
Alaska's state capital is Juneau, a southeastern city of 30,000 people.
The state's largest city is Anchorage, a south-central city with a little over 325,000 people.
The second largest city is Fairbanks, located in the interior of the state, with just over 32,000 people.
Alaska is a geographical marvel:
At 586,400 square miles, Alaska is the U.S.'s largest state, over twice the size of Texas.
North to South, Alaska is 1,400 miles long.
East to West, it is 2,700 miles wide.
Relative size of Alaska compared to the continental United States
The state's coastline extends over 47,000 miles.
The 3.5 million acres of the Alaska State Park System constitutes the largest park system in the United States.
The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States. It covers almost the whole of Southeast Alaska.
17 of the 20 highest peaks in the U.S. are located in Alaska.
Called Denali by the natives and later named Mt. McKinley, located in Alaska's interior, is the highest point in North America, at 20,320 feet above sea level.
Climate
Alaska's climate is variable, due to the state's large size. The southeastern and southcentral coasts are wet and mild, the interior is cool and dry, and the northern region experiences very cold, dry weather.
The record high temperature in Alaska was 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Fort Yukon in 1915. The record low temperature was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971.
Historical Notes
Outsiders first discovered Alaska in 1741, when Danish explorer Vitus Bering sighted it on a voyage from Siberia.
The first settlement in Alaska was established by Russian whalers and fur traders on Kodiak Island in 1784.
After expanding their reach all the way to Sitka, war broke out in Europe in the 1820's, and the Russians began to lose interest in Alaska.
In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward offered Russia $7,200,000, or two cents per acre, for Alaska.
On October 18, 1867, Alaska officially became the property of the United States, to the chagrin of many Americans, who called the purchase "Seward's Folly."
Joe Juneau's 1880 discovery of gold ushered in the gold rush era. Thousands of people flocked to Alaska, seeking their fortune in the wild frontier.
After the gold rush clamor subsided and while the country battled a depression, most of the nation forgot about the territory thousands of miles to the northwest.
When America declared war on Japan in 1941, Alaska's strategic position became apparent, and Americans once again perceived "Seward's Folly" to be an asset.
In 1943, Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands which started the "One Thousand Mile War," the first battle fought on American soil since the Civil War.
In 1958, Congress finally approved the Alaska Statehood Act, and Alaska officially became the 49th state on January 3, 1959.
Today, Alaska is prized for its natural beauty and its vast supply of natural resources.
Economy
By far, Alaska's most important revenue source is the oil and natural gas industry, accounting for about 90% of the state's revenues.
Alaska accounts for 25% of the oil produced in the United States.
Located near Prudhoe Bay, on the northern Alaskan coast, is North America's largest oil field. Every day, millions of gallons of oil are removed from Prudhoe Bay and pumped through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The pipeline, maintained by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, snakes its way from Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's northern coast to the southcentral port of Valdez where the oil is pumped into tankers. One of the largest pipeline systems in the world, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline moves up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour on its 800 mile journey to Valdez.
The state's vast amount of oil revenues are invested in the Alaska Permanent Fund, an inviolate trust belonging to the people of Alaska. The fund, managed by the Permanent Fund Corporation, was established in 1976 to generate perpetual revenues from non-renewable sources for present and future generations of Alaskans.
The seafood processing and fishing industries are also important to Alaska. The fishing and seafood industry is the state's largest private industry employer. Alaska's waters are rich in seafood. Most of America's salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska.
Forestry is important to Alaska's economy, especially that of the southeastern region. The timber industry, though currently undergoing much reform, provides thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to Southeast Alaska.
Hard rock minerals are one of Alaska's most important undeveloped natural resources, including coal, gold, silver, copper, and many others. According to the Alaska Miners Association, "Alaska now provides the greatest opportunity for minerals exploration and development in all of North America."
Tourism is also one of the state's most important industries. Every year millions of people visit the state of Alaska.
Native Alaskan Information
The term Alaska Native, referring to Alaska's original inhabitants, includes Aleut, Eskimo and Indian groups who differ from each other in ethnic origin, language and culture. In 1996, Alaska Natives constituted 16.5% of the state's total population.
In 1971 the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was passed by U.S. Congress. Alaska Natives received 44 million acres of land and $962.5 million, in exchange for the extinguishment of their aboriginal land claims. The cash and lands became the property of the 13 regional, 4 urban, and over 200 village Native corporations formed by the Act. Any Native Alaskan born before passage of the Act who could prove one-quarter blood Native ancestry, was eligible to enroll in a local and regional corporation, entitling him or her to 100 shares in both corporations
Home
