NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Alaska

Alaska State Symbols

Living Symbols
-Bird	Willow Ptarmigan
-Fish	King Salmon
-Flower	Forget-me-not
-Insect	Four-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly
-Mammal	Moose, Bowhead whale
-Tree	Sitka Spruce
Fossil	Woolly mammoth
Mineral	Gold
Rock	Jade
Slogan(s)	Beyond Your Dreams, Within Your Reach
Soil	Tanana
Song(s)	Alaska's Flag
Sport	Mushing
Route Marker(s)
Quarter	2008
See Also

Alaska (IPA: /əˈlæskə/, Russian: Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent. It is the largest U.S. state by area (by a substantial margin), and one of the wealthiest (per capita) and most racially diverse.^[2]^[3] // Alaska is a state in the United States of America. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Alaska. ... Image File history File links AlaskaStateSealTransparent. ... The flag of Alaska The flag of Alaska consists of eight gold stars, forming the Big Dipper and the North Star, on a dark blue field. ... The Alaska State Seal was first adopted before statehood, when the area was know as the District of Alaska. ... This is a list of U.S. state nicknames -- both official and traditional (official state nicknames are in bold). ... Here is a list of state mottos for the states of the United States. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The United States does not have an official language, but English is spoken by about 82% of the population as a native language, with a majority of English speakers being monolingual. ... // Although the United States currently has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the de facto national language. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... Juneau redirects here. ... This article is about the city in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... This is a complete list of the states of the United States ordered by total area, land area, and water area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... â€œkmâ€ redirects here. ... Map of states populations (2007) This is a list of states of the United States by population (with inhabited non-state jurisdictions included for comparison) as of July 1, 2007, according to the 2007 estimates of the United States Census Bureau. ... Map of states showing population density This is a list of the 50 U.S. states, ordered by population density. ... For information on the income of individuals, see Personal income in the United States. ... USD redirects here. ... This is a list of United States states by elevation. ... Denali redirects here. ... The order which the original 13 states ratified the constitution, then the order that the others were admitted to the union This is a list of U.S. states by date of statehood, that is, the date when each U.S. state joined the Union. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Sarah Heath Palin (nÃ©e Sarah Louise Heath, born February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho) is the current Governor of Alaska. ... This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. ... Sean R. Parnell (November 19, 1962 in Hanford, California) is the current Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, United States, taking office in 2006 alongside governor Sarah Palin. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... This article is about the senator. ... Lisa Ann Murkowski (born May 22, 1957) is an American politician. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Donald Edwin (Don) Young (born June 9, 1933) has been the sole congressman from Alaska in the United States House of Representatives since 1973. ... These are tables of congressional delegations from Alaska to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. ... Map of U.S. time zones with new CST and EST areas displayed This is a list of United States of America States by time zone. ... The Alaska Standard Time Zone (AKST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting nine hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... The Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone includes the state of Hawaii, and the Aleutian Islands west of 169º 30 W. It is the time zone located just west of the Alaska Standard Time Zone. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... The following is a list of abbreviations used by the United States Postal Service. ... U.S. states This is a list of traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territorries, which were in wide use prior to the U.S. postal abbreviations. ... A website (alternatively, web site or Web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or more web servers, usually accessible via the Internet. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse family. ... This is a list of official U.S. state fish: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Binomial name (Walbaum, 1792) The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (derived from Russian Ñ‡Ð°Ð²Ñ‹Ñ‡Ð°), is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. ... This is a list of U.S. state flowers: List of U.S. state trees Lists of U.S. state insignia ^ State Flower of Alabama. ... Species about 50 The Forget-me-nots are the genus Myosotis of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. ... It has been suggested that List of U.S. state butterflies be merged into this article or section. ... Binomial name Libellula quadrimaculata (Linnaeus, 1758) The Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata, is a European dragonfly. ... A state mammal is the official or representative animal of a U.S. state. ... For other uses, see Moose (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Bowhead whale range The Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus), also known as Greenland Right Whale or Arctic Whale, is a baleen whale of the right whale family Balaenidae. ... This List of U.S. state trees includes official trees of the following states and U.S. possessions: See also Lists of U.S. state insignia National Grove of State Trees External link USDA list of state trees and flowers Categories: | | ... Binomial name Picea sitchensis (Bong. ... Though every state in the United States has a State Bird and a State Flower, not every state in the United States has a State Fossil. ... For the rock band, see Wooly Mammoth (band). ... // Not every state has an official state mineral, rock, stone or gemstone. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... // Not every state has an official state mineral, rock, stone or gemstone. ... A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jade (jadeite) buttons Unworked Jade Jade is used as an ornamental stone, the term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This is a list of official U.S. state soils: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state legislature as a symbol of the state. ... Alaskas Flag is the state song of Alaska. ... A team of six white, husky-type dogs Mushing also means playing on a MUSH. Mushing also can be used to describe the kneading behavior of domestic cats when they are content or are preparing to settle for a nap. ... Highways in the United States are split into at least four different types of systems. ... Image File history File links Alaska_5_shield. ... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program (Pub. ... These are lists of U.S. state insignia as designated by tradition or the respective state legislatures List of U.S. state amphibians List of U.S. state beverages List of U.S. state birds List of U.S. state butterflies List of U.S. state colors List of U... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... North American redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... This is a complete list of the states of the United States ordered by total area, land area, and water area. ...

The area that became Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million dollars (at 2 cents per acre) after Congress concluded its resources could be vitally important to the nation's future growth. The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912 and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" was already introduced in the Russian colonial time, when it was only used for the peninsula and is derived from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland," or more literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed."^[4] It is also known as Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same root. The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... In the history of the United States, an organized territory is a territory for which the United States Congress has enacted an Organic Act. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Aleut (Unangam Tunuu) is a language of the Eskimo-Aleut language family. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Geography

Alaska is one of two U.S. states not bordered by another state, Hawaii being the other. Alaska has more coastline than all the other U.S. states combined.^[5] It is the only non-contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500 miles (800 km) of Canadian territory separate Alaska from Washington State. Alaska is thus an exclave of the United States, part of the continental U.S. but is not part of the contiguous U.S.^[6] Juneau, Alaska's capital city, though located on the mainland of the North American continent, is inaccessible by land—no roads connect Juneau to the rest of the North American highway system. This article is about the U.S. State. ... A coastal image featured on a United States postal stamp. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... D is Bs exclave, but is not an enclave. ... The continental United States is a term referring to the United States situated on the North American continent. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Coordinates , Government Country State Borough United States Alaska Juneau City and Borough Founded Incorporated 1881 1890 Mayor Bruce Botelho Geographical characteristics Area City 8,430. ... Capital City is a 60-minute television show produced by Euston Films that ran for 13 episodes in 1989 on ITV. This drama focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Coordinates , Government Country State Borough United States Alaska Juneau City and Borough Founded Incorporated 1881 1890 Mayor Bruce Botelho Geographical characteristics Area City 8,430. ...

The state is bordered by Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada, to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north. This article is about the Canadian territory. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area Ranked 5th Total 944... The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Sea Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean Bearing Sea with Kamchatka Peninsula and Alaska The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water north of, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Strait Photo across the Bering Strait Nautical chart of the Bering Strait The Bering Strait (Russian: ) is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169Â°43 W) of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point (168Â°05... Chukchi Sea (Russian: Ð§ÑƒÐºÐ¾ÌÑ‚ÑÐºÐ¾Ðµ Ð¼Ð¾ÌÑ€Ðµ) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, between Chukotka and Alaska. ... Approximate area of the Beaufort Sea, and the disputed waters The Beaufort Sea is a large body of water north of The Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska and west of Canadas arctic islands that is a part of the Arctic Ocean. ...

Alaska is the largest state in the United States in land area at 570,380 square miles (1.477277×10⁶ km²), more than twice as large as Texas, the next largest state. It is larger than all but 18 sovereign nations. For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

Alaska is larger than the combined area of either:

The next 3 largest states: Texas, California, and Montana.

or For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

23 smallest U.S. States and Districts: District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, West Virginia, South Carolina, Maine, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina

Also, comparing with territory outside the United States, Alaska is larger than:

Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom combined. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Delaware. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Demonym Connecticuter or Connecticutian[2] Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[3] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[4] Area Ranked 48th in the US - Total 5,543[5] sq mi (14,356 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (113 km) - Length 110 miles (177 km... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see New Hampshire (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area Ranked 42nd - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 kmÂ²) - Width 101 miles (145 km) - Length 249 miles (400 km) - % water 21 - Latitude 37Â° 53â€² N to 39Â° 43â€² N... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Demonym West Virginian Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Largest metro area Charleston metro area Area Ranked 41st in the US - Total 24,230 sq mi (62,755 kmÂ²) - Width 130 miles (210 km) - Length 240 miles (385 km) - % water 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area Ranked 40th - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 260 miles (420 km) - % water 6 - Latitude 32Â° 2â€² N to 35Â° 13â€² N - Longitude 78Â° 32â€² W to 83... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area Ranked 39th - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (338 km) - Length 320 miles (515 km) - % water 13. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area Ranked 37th - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 kmÂ²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 1. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area Ranked 28th in the US - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 kmÂ²) - Width 150 miles (340 km) - Length 560[1] miles (900 km) - % water 9. ...

Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska.

Nushagak River in Southwest Alaska.

Mount Sanford in the Wrangell Mountains.

Kenai River on the Kenai Peninsula.

One scheme for describing the state's geography is by labeling the regions: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1772x1164, 1296 KB) Description: Looking back to Little Port Walter Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1772x1164, 1296 KB) Description: Looking back to Little Port Walter Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The Nushagak River is a river in southwest Alaska, at about 60Â°50 North 154Â° West. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Wrangell Mountains The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range in southeast Alaska in the United States and the southwest Yukon Territory in Canada. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The Kenai River, Alaska, in August 2003 The Kenai River, Alaska, in March 2007 The Kenai River is a river in the Kenai Peninsula of south central Alaska. ... The Kenai Peninsula in Alaska The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. ...

South Central Alaska is the southern coastal region and contains most of the state's population. Anchorage and many growing towns, such as Palmer, and Wasilla, lie within this area. Petroleum industrial plants, transportation, tourism, and two military bases form the core of the economy here.
The Alaska Panhandle, also known as Southeast Alaska, is home to many of Alaska's larger towns including the state capital Juneau, tidewater glaciers, the many islands and channels of the Alexander Archipelago and extensive forests. Tourism, fishing, forestry and state government anchor the economy.
Southwest Alaska is largely coastal, bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. It is sparsely populated, and unconnected to the road system, but very important to the fishing industry. Half of all fish caught in the western U.S. come from the Bering Sea, and Bristol Bay has the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery. Southwest Alaska includes Katmai and Lake Clark national parks as well as numerous wildlife refuges. The region comprises western Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay and its watersheds, the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. It is known for wet and stormy weather, tundra landscapes, and large populations of salmon, brown bears, caribou, birds, and marine mammals.
The Alaska Interior is home to Fairbanks. The geography is marked by large braided rivers, such as the Yukon River and the Kuskokwim River, as well as Arctic tundra lands and shorelines.
The Alaskan Bush is the remote, less crowded part of the state, encompassing 380 native villages and small towns such as Nome, Bethel, Kotzebue and, most famously, Barrow, the northernmost town in the United States, as well as the northern most town on the contiguous North American continent (cities in Greenland, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut that are farther north are on islands)^{[citation needed]}.

The northeast corner of Alaska is covered by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which covers 19,049,236 acres (77,090 km²). Much of the northwest is covered by the larger National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, which covers around 23,000,000 acres (93,100 km²). The Arctic is Alaska's most remote wilderness. A location in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska is 120 miles (190 km) miles from any town or village, the geographic point most remote from permanent habitation in the USA. South Central Alaska consists of the portion of the U.S. state of Alaska from the shorelines and uplands of the Gulf of Alaska. ... This article is about the city in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Palmer depot with a narrow gauge locomotive. ... For the Sarmatian god of the same name, see Wasilla (god) Wasilla is a town in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Petro redirects here. ... Tourist redirects here. ... A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by and/or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. ... The Alaska Panhandle is the coast of the American state of Alaska, just west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. ... Juneau redirects here. ... Perito Moreno Glacier Patagonia Argentina Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland Icebergs breaking off glaciers at Cape York, Greenland This article is about the geological formation. ... A MODIS photograph of the Alexander Archipelago The Alexander Archipelago is an archipelago, or group of islands, off the southeast coast of Alaska. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Sea Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean Bearing Sea with Kamchatka Peninsula and Alaska The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water north of, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Sea Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean Bearing Sea with Kamchatka Peninsula and Alaska The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water north of, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... Shore of Bristol Bay near Naknek. ... For other uses, see Sockeye (disambiguation). ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southern Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ... Cook Inlet, showing Knik and Turnagain Arms The Cook Inlet or Nuti Inlet is a large inlet of the Gulf of Alaska in south-central Alaska. ... Shore of Bristol Bay near Naknek. ... Volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about 800 km (500 miles) to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. ... Aleutians seen from space The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, island) are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi (17,666 kmÂ²) and extending about 1,200 mi (1,900... For other uses, see Salmon (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach weights of 130-700 kg (300 to 1500 pounds). ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus The reindeer, known as caribou in North America, is an Arctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... A marine mammal is a mammal that is primarily ocean-dwelling or depends on the ocean for its food. ... Fall in Interior Alaska The interior of Alaska makes up most of the state. ... Fairbanks redirects here. ... The speedy deletion of this page is contested. ... The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. ... The Kuskokwim River (Kusquqvak in Central Yupik) is a river, approximately 724 mi (1,165 km) long, in southwest Alaska in the United States. ... For the ships, see USS Arctic, SS Arctic, MV Arctic The red line indicates the 10Â°C isotherm in July, sometimes used to define the Arctic region border Artificially coloured topographical map of the Arctic region The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic... For other uses, see Tundra (disambiguation). ... The Bush is a cultural as well as geographic division of the state of Alaska in the United States. ... Aerial view of the harbor in Nome Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast of Norton Sound in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Bethel (Mamterilleq in Central Alaskan Yupik) is a city located in Bethel Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, 340 miles (540 km) west of Anchorage. ... Kotzebue is a city located in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. ... Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) covers 19,049,236 acres (79,318 kmÂ²) in northeastern Alaska, in the North Slope region. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... The National Petroleum Reserveâ€“Alaska (NPR-A) is an area of land in the North Slope of Alaska owned by the United States Federal Government. ...

With its myriad islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (54,720 km) of tidal shoreline. The Aleutian Islands chain extends west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula. Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians. Unimak Island, for example, is home to Mount Shishaldin which is a moderately active volcano that rises to 9,980 feet (3,042 m) above sea level. The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr, west of Anchorage on the mainland. Aleutians seen from space The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, island) are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi (17,666 kmÂ²) and extending about 1,200 mi (1,900... Volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about 800 km (500 miles) to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. ... Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska photographed from the International Space Station For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Unimak Island is the largest island in Alaskas Aleutian Islands chain. ... Categories: US geography stubs | Stratovolcanoes | Volcanoes of Alaska | Alaska mountains ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Mount Spurr is a volcano in the Aleutian Volcanic Arc of Alaska, named after United States Geological Survey geologist and explorer Josiah Edward Spurr, who led an expedition to the area in 1898. ...

One of North America's largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage - tidal differences can be more than 35 feet (10.7 m). (Many sources say Turnagain has the second-greatest tides in North America, but several areas in Canada have larger tides.^[7]) Cook Inlet, showing Knik and Turnagain Arms The Cook Inlet or Nuti Inlet is a large inlet of the Gulf of Alaska in south-central Alaska. ...

Alaska has more than 3 million lakes ^[8]^[9] Marshlands and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (4.87747×10⁵ km²) (mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands). Frozen water, in the form of glacier ice, covers some 16,000 square miles (41,440 km²) of land and 1,200 square miles (3,110 km²) of tidal zone. The Bering Glacier complex near the southeastern border with Yukon, Canada, covers 2,250 square miles (5,827 km²) alone. For other uses, see Lake (disambiguation). ... This article is about marsh, a type of wetland. ... While these two men dig in Alaska to study soil, the hard permafrost requires the use of a jackhammer In geology, permafrost or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water (0 Â°C or 32 Â°F) for two or more years. ... Perito Moreno Glacier Patagonia Argentina Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland Icebergs breaking off glaciers at Cape York, Greenland This article is about the geological formation. ... Terminus of Bering Glacier, September 29, 2002 Bering Glacier is a glacier in Alaska. ... This article is about the Canadian territory. ...

The Aleutian Islands cross longitude 180°, so Alaska can be considered the easternmost state as well as the westernmost. Alaska, and especially the Aleutians, are one of the extreme points of the United States. The International Date Line jogs west of 180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire continental United States, within the same legal day. Aleutians seen from space The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, island) are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, occupying an area of 6,821 sq mi (17,666 kmÂ²) and extending about 1,200 mi (1,900... Longitude is the east-west geographic coordinate measurement most commonly utilized in cartography and global navigation. ... This is a list of the extreme points of the United States, the points that are farther north, south, east, or west than any other location in the country. ... â€œDate lineâ€ redirects here. ...

According to an October 1998 report by the United States Bureau of Land Management, approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed by the U.S. federal government as public lands, including a multitude of national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges. Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres (350,000 km²), or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling 262 million acres (1,060,000 km²) or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. ... United States Government redirects here. ... U.S. National Forests are protected forests and woodland areas in the United States. ... This article is about national parks. ... National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. ... US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling approximately 261 million surface acres (1,056,229. ... The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) covers 19,049,236 acres (79,318 kmÂ²) in northeastern Alaska, in the North Slope region. ... The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ...

Alaska has more acres of public land owned by the National Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management than any other state.^[10]

Of the remaining land area, the State of Alaska owns 24.5%; another 10% is managed by 13 regional and dozens of local Native corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Various private interests own the remaining land, totaling less than 1%. The USDA Forest Service, a United States government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture. ... US BLM logo The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers Americas public lands, totaling approximately 261 million surface acres (1,056,229. ... The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law on December 18, 1971, and the largest land claims settlement in United States history was concluded. ...

Map of Alaska - PDF

Alaska is administratively divided into "boroughs", as opposed to "counties." The function is the same, but whereas some states use a three-tiered system of decentralization—state/county/township—most of Alaska uses only two tiers—state/borough. Owing to the low population density, most of the land is located in the Unorganized Borough which, as the name implies, has no intermediate borough government of its own, but is administered directly by the state government. Currently (2000 census) 57.71% of Alaska's area has this status, with 13.05% of the population. For statistical purposes the United States Census Bureau divides this territory into census areas. Anchorage merged the city government with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough in 1971 to form the Municipality of Anchorage, containing the city proper and the bedroom communities of Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Girdwood, Bird, and Indian. Fairbanks has a separate borough (the Fairbanks North Star Borough) and municipality (the City of Fairbanks). File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A borough is a political division originally used in England. ... Map of Alaska boroughs and census areas The Unorganized Borough is that part of Alaska not contained in any of its 16 organized boroughs. ... 2000 US Census logo The Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A census tract, census area, or census district is a particular community defined for the purpose of taking a census. ... Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ...

Climate

The climate in Juneau and the southeast panhandle is a mid-latitude oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) in the southern sections and a subarctic oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc) in the northern parts. On an annual basis, this is both the wettest and warmest part of Alaska with milder temperatures in the winter and high precipitation throughout the year. Juneau averages over 50 inches (1,270 mm) of precipitation a year, while other areas receive over 275 inches (6,990 mm).^[11] This is also the only region in Alaska in which the average daytime high temperature is above freezing during the winter months. World map showing the oceanic climate zones. ... Updated KÃ¶ppen-Geiger climate map[1] The KÃ¶ppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. ...

The climate of Anchorage and south central Alaska is mild by Alaskan standards due to the region's proximity to the seacoast. While the area does not get nearly as much rain as southeast Alaska, it does get more snow, although days tend to be clearer. On average, Anchorage receives 16 inches (406 mm) of precipitation a year, with around 75 inches (1,905 mm) of snow, although there are areas in the south central which receive far more snow. It is a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) due to its short, cool summers.

Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost city in the United States.

The climate of Western Alaska is determined in large part by the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. It is a subarctic oceanic climate in the southwest and a continental subarctic climate farther north. The temperature is somewhat moderate considering how far north the area is. This area has a tremendous amount of variety in precipitation. The northern side of the Seward Peninsula is technically a desert with less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation annually, while some locations between Dillingham and Bethel average around 100 inches (2,540 mm) of precipitation.^[11] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 677 KB) View westward over the beach in Barrow (note the bicyclist!). In the middle distance is a traditional Inupiat whaling boat made from seal skins stretched over a wooden frame. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 677 KB) View westward over the beach in Barrow (note the bicyclist!). In the middle distance is a traditional Inupiat whaling boat made from seal skins stretched over a wooden frame. ... Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Sea Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean Bearing Sea with Kamchatka Peninsula and Alaska The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water north of, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found. ...

The climate of the interior of Alaska is best described as extreme and is a good example of a true subarctic climate. Some of the hottest and coldest temperatures in Alaska occur around the area near Fairbanks. The summers can have temperatures reaching into the 90s°F (the low to mid 30s °C), while in the winter, the temperature can fall below −60 °F (-52 °C). Precipitation is sparse in the Interior, often less than 10 inches (250 mm) a year, but what precipitation falls in the winter tends to stay the entire winter.

The highest and lowest recorded temperatures in Alaska are both in the Interior. The highest is 100 °F (38 °C) in Fort Yukon on June 27, 1915,^[12]^[13] tied with Pahala, Hawaii as the lowest high temperature in the United States.^[14]^[15] The lowest Alaska temperature is −80 °F (-64 °C) in Prospect Creek on January 23, 1971,^[12]^[13] one degree above the lowest temperature recorded in North America (in Snag, Yukon, Canada).^[16] Fort Yukon is a city located in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Pahala is a census-designated place located in Hawaii County, Hawaii. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... // Main List Here is a list of cities, towns, villages and unincorporated communities in the Yukon Territory, Canada. ...

The climate in the extreme north of Alaska is as expected for an area north of the Arctic Circle. It is an Arctic climate (Köppen ET) with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. Even in July, the average low temperature is barely above freezing in Barrow, at 34 °F (2 °C).^[17] Precipitation is light in this part of Alaska, with many places averaging less than 10 inches (250 mm) per year, mostly in the form of snow which stays on the ground almost the entire year. For the fast food restaurant chain, see Arctic Circle Restaurants. ... Solar radiation has a lower intensity in polar regions because it travels a longer distance through the atmosphere, and is spread across a larger surface area. ...

History

Main article: History of Alaska

Miners and prospectors climb the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush.

At the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period (around 12,000 BC), Asiatic groups crossed the Bering Land Bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups. Alaska history redirects here. ... Image File history File links Miners_climb_Chilkoot. ... Image File history File links Miners_climb_Chilkoot. ... The Chilkoot Trail is a 33 mile (53 kilometer) trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska, to Bennett, British Columbia. ... Routes to the Klondike. ... The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. ... Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. ... Nautical chart of Bering Strait, site of former land bridge between Asia and North America The Bering land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a land bridge roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) north to south at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at... Russian colonization of the Americas proceeded in several places. ... Alaskan Natives are Aboriginal Americans who live in Alaska. ...

The first European contact with Alaska occurred in the year 1741, when Vitus Bering led an expedition for the Russian Navy aboard the St. Peter. After his crew returned to Russia bearing sea otter pelts judged to be the finest fur in the world, small associations of fur traders began to sail from the shores of Siberia towards the Aleutian islands. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1784, and the Russian-American Company carried out an expanded colonization program during the early to mid-1800s. Despite these efforts, the Russians never fully colonized Alaska, and the colony was never very profitable. William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State, engineered the Alaskan purchase in 1867 for $7.2 million. A portrait attributed to Vitus Bering (according to modern data, his uncles portrait) Vitus Jonassen Bering (also, less correctly, Behring) (August 1681â€“December 19, 1741) was a Danish-born navigator in the service of the Russian Navy, a captain-komandor known among the Russian sailors as Ivan Ivanovich. ... The second Kamchatka expedition was led by Vitus Jonassen Bering after being chosen by Peter I to lead the first Kamchatka expedition. ... For other uses, see Fur (disambiguation). ... The Russian-American Company was a semi-official colonial trading company started by Grigory Shelikhov a

Contents

Climate

History