State of Alaska
Flag of Alaska Seal Nickname(s): The Last Frontier Motto(s): North to the Future
Official language(s)	none
Spoken language(s)	English 85. 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 known as the District of Alaska. This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Here is a list of state Mottos for the states of the United States of America. The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% The United States does not have an Official language; however the majority of the population speaks English as a native language (about 82% English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States 7%, Native North American 5. 2%, Spanish 2. 9%
Demonym	Alaskan
Capital	Juneau
Largest city	Anchorage
Area	Ranked 1st in the US
- Total	663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)
- Width	808 miles (1,300 km)
- Length	1,479 miles (2,380 km)
- % water	13. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 This is a list of the largest cities of US states by population Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 77
- Latitude	51°20'N to 71°50'N
- Longitude	130°W to 172°E
Population	Ranked 47th in the US
- Total	626,932
- Density	1. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology 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 This article is a list of the 50 US States ordered by Population density. 09/sq mi  0. 42/km² (50th in the US)
- Median income	US$54,627 (6th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mount McKinley[1] 20,320 ft  (6,193. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> "Denali" redirects here For other meanings see Denali (disambiguation. 7 m)
- Mean	1900 ft  (580 m)
- Lowest point	Pacific Ocean[1] 0 ft  (0 m)
Admission to Union	January 3, 1959 (49th)
Governor	Sarah Palin (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Sean Parnell (R)
U.S. Senators	Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R)
Congressional Delegation	Don Young (R) (list)
Time zones
- east of 169° 30'	Alaska: UTC-9/DST-8
- west of 169° 30'	Aleutian: UTC-10/DST-9
Abbreviations	AK US-AK
Website	www.alaska.gov

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. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Sarah Louise Heath Palin ( born February 11 1964 is the Governor of Alaska and the Republican Party 's vice-presidential nominee for the This is a complete and current List of United States Lieutenant Governors. Sean R Parnell (born November 19 1962, Hanford California) is the current Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, taking office in 2006 The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Theodore Fulton Stevens (born November 18 1923 is the senior United States Senator from Alaska, serving since December 24 1968 Lisa Ann Murkowski (born May 22, 1957) is an American politician of the Republican party and the junior United States Senator from The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Donald Edwin (Don Young (born June 9, 1933) has been the sole Representative from Alaska in the United States House of Representatives These are tables of congressional delegations from Alaska to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. This is a list of United States of America States by time zone The Alaska Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting nine hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-9) Daylight saving time ( DST The Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone observes Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST by subtracting ten hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-10) Daylight saving time ( DST The traditional abbreviations for US states and territories were widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages This is a list of US state birds as designated by each state's legislature The Willow Grouse (Europe or Willow Ptarmigan (North America Lagopus lagopus, is a medium-sized Gamebird in the Grouse This is a list of official and *unofficial US state fish:The only states lacking a state fish as of 2008 are Arkansas Indiana Kansas and Ohio This is a list of US state flowers: See also List of US state trees Lists of U Myosotis is a Genus of Flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae that are commonly called Forget-me-nots. This is a list of United States state insects note that some states have more than one designated insect or have multiple categories (e The Four-spotted Chaser, known in North America as the Four-spotted Skimmer ( Libellula quadrimaculata) is a Dragonfly of the family Libellulidae A state mammal is the official or representative Animal of a U The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family. The Bowhead Whale ( Balaena mysticetus) also known as Greenland Right Whale or Arctic Whale, is a Baleen whale of the right whale family This List of US state trees includes official trees of the following states and U The Sitka Spruce ( Picea sitchensis) is a large Coniferous Evergreen Tree growing to 50-70 m tall exceptionally to 100 m tall and Most American states have made a state fossil designation in many cases during the 1980s. The woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius) also called the tundra mammoth, is an extinct species of Mammoth. Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Not every state has an official state mineral rock stone or gemstone Jade is an Ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different Silicate minerals. This list of US state slogans is made up the Advertising slogans currently and formerly used by U This is a list of Representative US State Soils. A state soil is a Soil that has special significance to a particular state. The Tanama soil is the official state Soil of Alaska. Profile The Tanama soil consists of shallow well drained moderately permeable soils formed Introduction Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state " Alaska's Flag " is the state song of Alaska. Its flag and song are unique among the USA 's 50 states in the characteristic that they mirror one another the This is a list of official US state sports as recognized by state legislatures Mushing also means playing on a MUSH. Mushing also can be used to describe the kneading behavior of domestic cats Highways in the United States are split into at least four different types of systems The 50 State Quarters program ( is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. These are lists of US state insignia as designated by tradition or the respective state legislatures: List of U Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It is the largest U.S. state by area (by a substantial margin), and one of the wealthiest (per capita) and most racially diverse. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government This is a complete list of the states of the United States and its major territories ordered by total area, land area, and water area ^[2][3]

The area that became Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 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 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. Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople 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 S. on January 3, 1959. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Aleut ( Unangam Tunuu) is a language of the Eskimo-Aleut Language family. "^[4] It is also known as Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same root. 1 Alyeska is an archaic spelling of the Aleut word Alaskax meaning "mainland" "great country" or "great land"

Contents 1 Geography 2 Climate 3 History 4 Demographics 4.1 Race and ancestry 4.2 Languages 4.3 Religion 5 Economy 5.1 Permanent Fund 5.2 Cost of living 5.3 Taxes 6 Transportation 6.1 Roads 6.2 Rail 6.3 Marine transport 6.4 Air transport 6.5 Other transport 7 Law and government 7.1 Political leanings 7.2 State government 7.3 Representation in the U.S. Congress 8 Important cities and towns 9 Education 10 Current issues 11 Culture 11.1 Libraries 11.2 Food 11.3 Music 11.4 Movies filmed in Alaska 12 State symbols 13 See also 14 References 15 External links

Geography

Alaska is one of two U. S. states not bordered by another state, Hawaii being the other. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Alaska has more coastline than all the other U. The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. 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. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Alaska is thus an exclave of the United States, part of the continental U.S. but is not part of the contiguous U. The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District 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.

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. Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 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 The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin (the Aleutian Basin) which rises through The Bering Strait (Берингов пролив Beringov proliv) is a sea Strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43' Chukchi Sea (Чуко́тское мо́ре is a Marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major

Alaska is the largest state in the United States in land area at 570,380 square miles (1,477,277 km²), more than twice as large as Texas, the next largest state. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. It is larger than all but 18 sovereign nations.

Alaska is larger than the combined area of either:

• The next 3 largest states: Texas, California, and Montana. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern

or

• 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

One scheme for describing the state's geography is by labeling the regions:

• 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. Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U Petroleum industrial plants, transportation, tourism, and two military bases form the core of the economy here. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Etymology The word bases is first recorded in English language from c
• 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. The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long Archipelago, or group of islands off the southeastern coast of Alaska. Tourism, fishing, forestry and state government anchor the economy.
• Southwest Alaska is largely coastal, bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Southwest Alaska is a region of the US state of Alaska, part of the Alaska Bush. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin (the Aleutian Basin) which rises through 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. The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin (the Aleutian Basin) which rises through Bristol Bay ( Iilgayaq in Central Yup'ik) is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West Sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka) also called red salmon or blueback salmon, is an Anadromous Species of Salmon Southwest Alaska includes Katmai and Lake Clark national parks as well as numerous wildlife refuges. Southwest Alaska is a region of the US state of Alaska, part of the Alaska Bush. 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 Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park The region comprises western Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay and its watersheds, the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Bristol Bay ( Iilgayaq in Central Yup'ik) is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West 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. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic It is known for wet and stormy weather, tundra landscapes, and large populations of salmon, brown bears, caribou, birds, and marine mammals. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. The Brown Bears is a name shared by all sports teams at Brown University, a University located in Providence Rhode Island in the United States Marine mammals are a diverse group of roughly 120 species of Mammal that are primarily Ocean -dwelling or depend on the ocean for food
• The Alaska Interior is home to Fairbanks. The Alaska Interior covers most of that US state 's territory Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. 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. Not to be confused with the River Braid Ballymena, Northern Ireland. The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The Kuskokwim River is the 9th largest river in the United States of America ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth 17th The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons
• 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). Much like other roadless or remote parts of Australia and Africa the state of Alaska in the United States has area commonly referred to as " the Bush " Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea Bethel ( Mamterilleq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik) is a city located near the west coast of the U Barrow is a city in and the borough seat of the North Slope Borough of the state of Alaska, United States.

The northeast corner of Alaska is covered by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which covers 19,049,236 acres (77,090 km²). The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Much of the northwest is covered by the larger National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, which covers around 23,000,000 acres (93,100 km²). The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A is an area of land in the Alaska North Slope owned by the United States Federal Government. 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.

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. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic 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. Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the 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. Unimak Island ( Unimax in Aleut) is the largest Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of the U Shishaldin Volcano (ʃɨˈʃældən is a moderately active Volcano on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of Alaska. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr, west of Anchorage on the mainland. Mount Spurr is a Stratovolcano in the Aleutian Volcanic Arc of Alaska, named after United States Geological Survey geologist and explorer

One of North America's largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage - tidal differences can be more than 35 feet (10. Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. 7 m). (Many sources say Turnagain has the second-greatest tides in North America, but several areas in Canada have larger tides. ^[7])

Alaska has more than 3. 5 million lakes of 20 acres (8 ha) or larger. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the ^[8] Marshlands and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (487,747 km²) (mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands). In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject This article is about frozen ground For other meanings see Permafrost (disambiguation. 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. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The Bering Glacier complex near the southeastern border with Yukon, Canada, covers 2,250 square miles (5,827 km²) alone. Bering Glacier is a Glacier in the US state of Alaska. It currently terminates in Vitus Lake south of Alaska’s Wrangell-St Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

The Aleutian Islands cross longitude 180°, so Alaska can be considered the easternmost state as well as the westernmost. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement Alaska, and especially the Aleutians, are one of the extreme points of the United States. 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 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.

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. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's Public lands totaling approximately The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. "National forest" redirects here for the National Forest in England see National Forest England; for those in Brazil see List of Brazilian National Forests A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain Protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres (350,000 km²), or 23. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's Public lands totaling approximately 8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska.

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. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M Various private interests own the remaining land, totaling less than 1%.

Alaska is administratively divided into "boroughs", as opposed to "counties. A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice " 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. The Unorganized Borough is that part of the US state of Alaska not contained in any of its 17 organized Boroughs. 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. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census A census tract, census area, or census district is a particular Community defined for the purpose of taking a Census. 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). Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska, United States.

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. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist 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). ^[10] This is also the only region in Alaska in which the average daytime high temperature is above freezing during the winter months.

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.

The climate of Western Alaska is determined in large part by the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin (the Aleutian Basin) which rises through 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 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. ^[10]

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 not much 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,^[11][12] tied with Pahala, Hawaii as the lowest high temperature in the United States. Fort Yukon is a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Pāhala is a Census-designated place (CDP in Hawai{{okina}}i County Hawai{{okina}}i, United States. ^[13][14] The lowest Alaska temperature is −80 °F (-64 °C) in Prospect Creek on January 23, 1971,^[11][12] one degree above the lowest temperature recorded in North America (in Snag, Yukon, Canada). Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Snag is a village located on a small dry-weather sideroad off the Alaska Highway a few kilometres south of Beaver Creek, Yukon, Canada ^[15]

The climate in the extreme north of Alaska is as expected for an area north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is an Arctic climate (Köppen ET) with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers (specifically no month having an average temperature of 10 °C or higher Even in July, the average low temperature is barely above freezing in Barrow, at 34 °F (2 °C). ^[16] 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.

History

Main article: History of Alaska

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. 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 Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular The Bering land bridge was a Land bridge roughly 1000 miles (1600 km north to south at its greatest extent which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups. Russian colonization of the Americas proceeded in several places Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States.

The first European contact with Alaska occurred in the year 1741, when Vitus Bering led an expedition for the Russian Navy aboard the St. Vitus Jonassen Bering (also less correctly Behring) ( August 1681 &ndash December 19, 1741) was a Danish -born navigator in the The Second Kamchatka expedition (Russian Вторая Камчатская экспедиция was led by Dane Vitus Bering after being chosen by Peter 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. Fur is a body hair of any non-human Mammal, also known as the Pelage. 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. The Russian-American Company ( Under His Imperial Majesty's Protection Russian-American Company)was a state-sponsored Trading company begun by Grigory and Natalia Despite these efforts, the Russians never fully colonized Alaska, and the colony was never very profitable. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State, engineered the Alaskan purchase in 1867 for $7. This article is about the New York Governor and Secretary of State The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs The Alaska Purchase (otherwise known as Seward's Folly or Seward's Icebox) by the United States from the Russian Empire occurred in 1867 at the behest 2 million.

In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of Gold. Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. Alaska was granted territorial status in 1912.

During World War II, three of the outer Aleutian Islands — Attu, Agattu and Kiska, 460 miles (740 km) away from continental USSR, 920 miles (1,480 km) from continental Alaska (U. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic Attu ( Atan in Aleut) is the westernmost and largest Island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Agattu ( Angatux̂ in Aleut) is an Island in the Near Islands in the western end of the Aleutian Islands. Kiska ( Qisxa in Aleut) is an Island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at. S. ), 950 miles (1,530 km) from Japan — were invaded by Japanese troops and occupied between June 1942 and August 1943. Their recovery became a matter of national pride. The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities. Etymology The word bases is first recorded in English language from c

Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In 1964, the massive "Good Friday Earthquake" killed 131 people and leveled several villages.

The 1968 discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay and the 1977 completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline led to an oil boom. Prudhoe Bay (ˈpruːdoʊ is a Census-designated place (CDP located in North Slope Borough in the U The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System ( TAPS) usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska Pipeline elsewhere is a major U In 1989, the Exxon Valdez hit a reef in the Prince William Sound, spilling between 11 and 35 million US gallons (42,000-130,000 m³) of crude oil over 1,100 miles (1,600 km) of coastline. Prince William Sound is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U Today, the battle between philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Alaska

Historical populations
Census	Pop. See also List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska As of 2005 Alaska has an estimated population of 663661 which is an increase of 5906 or 0		%±
1950	128,643		—
1960	226,167		75. 8%
1970	300,382		32. 8%
1980	401,851		33. 8%
1990	550,043		36. 9%
2000	626,932		14. 0%
Est. 2007	683,478		9. 0%

In 2006 Alaska had an estimated population of 670,053, an increase of 6,392 (0. 96%) from 2005 and 43,121 (6. 9%) from 2000. In 2000 Alaska ranked 48th out of 50 states by population. ^[17] Alaska is the least densely populated state, at 0. 42 people per square kilometer (1. 1 per square mile), with the next state, Wyoming, at 1. 97 (5. 1 per square mile), and the most densely populated, New Jersey, at 437. 6 people per square kilometer (1,134. 4 per square mile).

Race and ancestry

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 69. 3% of single-race Alaska residents were White and 15. 6% were Native American or Alaska Native,^[18] the largest proportion of any state. Multiracial/Mixed-Race people are the third largest group of people in the state, totaling 6. 9% of the population. The largest self-reported ancestry groups in the state are German (16. German Americans ( German: Deutschamerikaner) are citizens of the United States of Ethnic German ancestry 6%), Alaska Native or American Indian (15. 6%), Irish (10. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world 8%), British (9. 6%), American (5. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 7%), and Norwegian (4. Norwegian Americans (norskamerikanere are Americans of Norwegian descent 2%).

The vast sparsely populated regions of northern and western Alaska are primarily inhabited by Alaska Natives, who are also numerous in the southeast. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other parts of south-central and southeast Alaska have many whites of northern and western European ancestry. Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. The Wrangell-Petersburg area has many residents of Scandinavian ancestry and the Aleutians contain a large Filipino population. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Most of the state's black population lives in Anchorage, though Fairbanks also has a sizable black population.

Languages

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 85. 7% of Alaska residents aged 5 and older speak English at home. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The next most common languages are Spanish (2. 88%), Yupik (2. The Yupik languages are the several distinct languages of the several Yupik (Юпик peoples of western and southcentral Alaska and northeastern Siberia 87%), Tagalog (1. Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. 54%), and Iñupiaq (1. Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, Inupiak, Inupiat, or Inupiatun are a group of dialects of the Inuit language, spoken in northern and northwestern 06%). ^[19] A total of 5. 2% of Alaskans speak one of the state's 22 indigenous languages, known locally as Native American languages. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and

Religion

Alaska has been identified, along with Pacific Northwest states Washington and Oregon, as being the least religious in the U. S. ^[20] According to statistics collected by the Association of Religion Data Archives, only about 39% of Alaska residents were members of religious congregations. Evangelical Protestants had 78,070 members, Roman Catholics had 54,359, and mainline Protestants had 37,156. ^[21] After Catholics, the largest single denominations are Mormons with 28,956, Southern Baptists with 22,959, and Orthodox with 20,000. The large Eastern Orthodox population is a result of early Russian colonization and missionary work among Alaska Natives. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Russian Alaska was the period between 1733 and 1867 in which Russia controlled the territory that today is the A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. ^[22] In 1795, the First Russian Orthodox Church was established in Kodiak. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure Intermarriage with Alaskan Natives helped the Russian immigrants integrate into society. As a result, more and more Russian Orthodox churches^[23] gradually became established within Alaska. Alaska also has the largest Quaker population (by percentage) of any state. ^[24] In 2003 there were 3,000 Jews in Alaska. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut ^[25]

Economy

The 2005 gross state product was $39. Gross state product (or gross regional product) is a measurement of the economic output of a state or Province. 9 billion. Its per-capita GSP for 2005 was $60,079, 3rd in the nation. This article presents a list of US Alaska's economy relies heavily on petroleum extraction, with more than 80% of the state's revenues derived from this industry. Alaska's main export product (excluding oil and natural gas) is seafood, primarily salmon, cod, Pollock and crab. Agriculture represents only a fraction of the Alaskan economy. Agricultural production is primarily for consumption within the state and includes nursery stock, dairy products, vegetables, and livestock. Manufacturing is limited, with most foodstuffs and general goods imported from elsewhere. Employment is primarily in government and industries such as natural resource extraction, shipping, and transportation. Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form Military bases are a significant component of the economy in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. Its industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber and wood products. There is also a growing service and tourism sector. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Tourists have contributed to the economy by supporting local lodging.

Alaska's economy depends heavily on increasingly expensive diesel fuel for heating, transportation, electric power and light. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum A furnace is a device used for Heating The name derives from Latin fornax, Oven. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another Electric power is defined as the rate at which Electrical energy is transferred by an Electric circuit. Though wind and hydroelectric power are abundant and underutilized, proposals for state-wide energy systems (e. Wind Power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form such as electricity using Wind turbines At the end of 2007 worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water g. with special low-cost electric interties) were judged uneconomical (at the time of the report, 2001) due to low (<$0. Single wire earth return (SWER or single wire ground return is a Single-wire transmission line for supplying single-phase electrical power 50/Gal) fuel prices, long distances and low population. ^[27] The cost of a gallon of gas in urban Alaska today is usually $0. A gallon is a measure of Volume. It is in current use in the United States and still has limited use in many other English-speaking countries 30-$0. 60 higher than the national average; prices in rural areas are generally significantly higher but vary widely depending on transportation costs, seasonal usage peaks, nearby petroleum development infrastructure and many other factors.

Permanent Fund

The Alaska Permanent Fund is a legislatively controlled appropriation established in 1976 to manage a surplus in state petroleum revenues from the recently constructed Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. The Alaska Permanent Fund is a constitutionally established fund managed by a semi-independent corporation established by Alaska in 1976. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System ( TAPS) usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska Pipeline elsewhere is a major U From its initial principal of $734,000, the fund has grown to $38 billion as a result of oil royalties and capital investment programs. Starting in 1982, dividends from the fund's annual growth have been paid out each year to eligible Alaskans, ranging from $331. 29 in 1984 to $1963. 86 in 2000. ^[28]

Cost of living

The cost of goods in Alaska has long been higher than in the contiguous 48 states. This has changed for the most part in Anchorage and to a lesser extent in Fairbanks, where the cost of living has dropped somewhat in the past five years. Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Federal Government employees, particularly United States Postal Service (USPS) workers and active-duty military members, receive a Cost Of Living Allowance usually set at 25% of base pay because, while the cost of living has gone down, it is still one of the highest in the country.

The introduction of big-box stores in Anchorage, Fairbanks (Wal-Mart in March of 2004), and Juneau also did much to lower prices. Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores However, rural Alaska suffers from extremely high prices for food and consumer goods, compared to the rest of the country due to the relatively limited transportation infrastructure. Many rural residents come into these cities and purchase food and goods in bulk from warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. Costco Wholesale Corporation ( is the largest membership Warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume headquartered in Issaquah Washington, Sam's Club is an American chain of membership-only retail Warehouse clubs Founded in 1983 it is owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc Some have embraced the free shipping offers of some online retailers to purchase items much more cheaply than they could in their own communities, if they are available at all.

Taxes

Alaska has the lowest individual tax burden in the United States,^[29] and is one of only five states with no state sales tax and one of seven states that do not levy an individual income tax. A sales tax is a Consumption tax charged at the Point of purchase for certain goods and services To finance state government operations, Alaska depends primarily on petroleum revenues. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The Department of Revenue Tax Division reports regularly on the state's revenue sources. The Department also issues an annual overview of its operations, including new state laws that directly affect the tax division.

While Alaska has no state sales tax, 89 municipalities collect a local sales tax, from 1% to 7. 5%, typically 3% to 5%. Other local taxes levied include raw fish taxes, hotel, motel, and B&B “bed” taxes, severance taxes, liquor and tobacco taxes, gaming (pull tabs) taxes, tire taxes and fuel transfer taxes. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis Bed and breakfast, also known as B&B, is a term originating in the United Kingdom, but now also used all over the world for an establishment that offers accommodation Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. A percentage of revenue collected from certain state taxes and license fees (such as petroleum, aviation motor fuel, telephone cooperative) is shared with municipalities in Alaska.

Property taxes are relatively low, with only 25 of 161 incorporated municipalities or boroughs in the state assessing property taxes. Fairbanks has one of the highest property taxes in the state as no sales or income taxes are assessed in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB). Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska, United States. A sales tax for the FNSB has been voted on many times, but has yet to be approved, leading law makers to increase taxes dramatically on other goods such as liquor and tobacco. The average per capita property tax paid in all municipalities, excluding oil and gas properties, was US$999 (2003 data).

In 2008 the Tax Foundation ranked Alaska as having the 4th most "business friendly" tax policy. The Tax Foundation is a Washington-DC-based Superior states were Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota.

Transportation

Roads

See also: List of Alaska Routes

See also: Transportation in Alaska

Alaska has few road connections compared to the rest of the U. See also Alaska Route 1 The Sterling Highway is a 142-mile (229-km highway in the Southcentral region of the U Alaska Routes are both numbered and named There have been only twelve numbers issued (1&mdash11 and 98 and the numbering often has no obvious pattern for example Alaska Route This article discusses transportation in the US state of Alaska. S. The state's road system covers a relatively small area of the state, linking the central population centers and the Alaska Highway, the principal route out of the state through Canada. The Alaska Highway (also known as the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway, or ALCAN Highway) was constructed during World War II and connects Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The state capital, Juneau, is not accessible by road, only a car ferry, which has spurred several debates over the decades about moving the capital to a city on the road system, or building a road connection from Haines. Haines is a Census-designated place (CDP in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. The western part of Alaska has no road system connecting the communities with the rest of Alaska. One unique feature of the road system is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel which links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage with the relatively isolated community of Whittier. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (often referred to simply as the Whittier Tunnel) is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain in the U See also Alaska Route 1 The Seward Highway is a highway in the U Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U At nearly 2. 5 miles (4. 0 km) the tunnel was the longest road tunnel in North America until completion of the 3. 5 mile (5. 6 km) Interstate 93 tunnel as part of the "Big Dig" project in Boston, Massachusetts. Interstate 93 (abbreviated I-93) is an Interstate highway in the New England section of the United States. The Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project ( CA/T) a Megaproject that rerouted the The tunnel is the longest combination road and rail tunnel in North America. Road-rail tunnels are Tunnels shared by road and rail lines as an economy measure compared to constructing tunnels

Rail

The Alaska Railroad runs from Seward through Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks to North Pole, with spurs to Whittier and Palmer (locally known as "The Railbelt"). The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the US state of Alaska. "Denali" redirects here For other meanings see Denali (disambiguation. Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. North Pole is a city in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U The railroad is famous for its summertime passenger services and also plays a vital part in moving Alaska's natural resources, such as coal and gravel, to ports in Anchorage, Whittier, and Seward. The Alaska Railroad was one of the last railroads in North America to use cabooses in regular service and still uses them on certain gravel trains, and it offers one of the last flag stop routes in the country. A caboose (North American Railway terminology) or brake van or guard's van (British terminology is a manned rail transport vehicle coupled at A stretch of about 60 miles (97 km) of track along an area inaccessible by road is the only transportation to cabins in the area.

Marine transport

Most cities and villages in the state are accessible only by sea or air. Alaska has a well-developed ferry system, known as the Alaska Marine Highway, which serves the cities of Southeast and the Alaska Peninsula. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS is a Ferry service operated by the government of the U The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U 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. The system also operates a ferry service from Bellingham, Washington via the Inside Passage to Skagway. Bellingham, Washington is the County seat of Whatcom County in the U Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle and coastal British Columbia is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the Skagway (ˈskægweɪ is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. The Inter-Island Ferry Authority also serves as an important marine link for many communities in the Prince of Wales Island region of Southeast and works in concert with the Alaska Marine Highway. The Inter-Island Ferry Authority ( IFA) is a Ferry service in the U For other islands named after the Prince of Wales see Prince of Wales Island. Tourist sea travel is also popular on Alaska cruises.

Air transport

Cities not served by road or sea can be reached only by air, accounting for Alaska's extremely well-developed Bush air services—an Alaskan novelty. Alaska Airlines, ( is an airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States, near Seattle. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Much like other roadless or remote parts of Australia and Africa the state of Alaska in the United States has area commonly referred to as " the Bush " Anchorage itself, and to a lesser extent Fairbanks, are serviced by many major airlines. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the major Airport in the United States State of Alaska located 4 miles (6 km southwest Air travel is the cheapest and most efficient form of transportation in and out of the state. Anchorage recently completed extensive remodeling and construction at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to help accommodate the upsurge in tourism (in 2000-2001, the latest year for which data is available, 2. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the major Airport in the United States State of Alaska located 4 miles (6 km southwest 4 million total arrivals to Alaska were counted, 1. 7 million via air travel; 1. 4 million were visitors^[30][31]).

Regular flights to most villages and towns within the state are commercially challenging to provide. Alaska Airlines is the only major airline offering in-state travel with jet service (sometimes in combination cargo and passenger Boeing 737-400s) from Anchorage and Fairbanks to regional hubs like Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, Dillingham, Kodiak, and other larger communities as well as to major Southeast and Alaska Peninsula communities. Alaska Airlines, ( is an airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States, near Seattle. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Bethel ( Mamterilleq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik) is a city located near the west coast of the U Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea Dillingham (ˈdɪlɪŋhæm or Curyung, is a city in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, United States. Kodiak (Кадьяк is one of 6 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island in Kodiak Island Borough in the U The bulk of remaining commercial flight offerings come from small regional commuter airlines such as Era Aviation, PenAir, and Frontier Flying Service. Era Aviation is an Airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. It operates a network of services from Anchorage as part of Alaska Airlines Peninsula Airways, usually called PenAir, is an American Airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. Frontier Flying Service (dba Frontier Alaska is an American Airline based in Fairbanks Alaska, USA. The smallest towns and villages must rely on scheduled or chartered Bush flying services using general aviation aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan, the most popular aircraft in use in the state. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Much of this service can be attributed to the Alaska bypass mail program which subsidizes bulk mail delivery to Alaskan rural communities. Bulk mail broadly refers to Mail that is mailed and processed in bulk at reduced rates The program requires 70% of that subsidy to go to carriers who offer passenger service to the communities. Perhaps the most quintessentially Alaskan plane is the Bush seaplane. The world's busiest seaplane base is Lake Hood, located next to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where flights bound for remote villages without an airstrip carry passengers, cargo, and lots of items from stores and warehouse clubs. Lake Hood Seaplane Base is an aircraft and Seaplane base located three miles (5 km) southwest of the Central business district of Anchorage Alaska has the highest number of pilots per capita of any U. S. state: out of the estimated 663,661 residents, 8,550 are pilots, or about one in 78. ^[32]

Other transport

Another Alaskan transportation method is the dogsled. A dog sled is a Sled pulled by one or more Sled dogs used to travel over Ice and through Snow. In modern times, dog mushing is more of a sport than a true means of transportation. Mushing also means playing on a MUSH. Mushing also can be used to describe the kneading behavior of domestic cats Various races are held around the state, but the best known is the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 1150-mile (1850 km) trail from Anchorage to Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, usually just called the " Iditarod " is an annual Sled dog race in Alaska, where mushers The race commemorates the famous 1925 serum run to Nome in which mushers and dogs like Togo and Balto took much-needed medicine to the diphtheria-stricken community of Nome when all other means of transportation had failed. During the 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the " Great Race of Mercy " 20 mushers and about 150 Sled dogs relayed Diphtheria Togo (October 1913 &ndash December 5, 1929) was the Sled dog who led Leonhard Seppala and his Dog sled team as they covered the longest Balto (c 1919 &ndash 14 March, 1933) was a Siberian Husky Sled dog (although some sources incorrectly state that he is an Alaskan Malamute Diphtheria ( Greek διφθερα ( diphthera)—“pair of leather scrolls" is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea Mushers from all over the world come to Anchorage each March to compete for cash, prizes, and prestige.

In areas not served by road or rail, primary transportation in summer is by all-terrain vehicle and in winter by snowmobile or "snow machine," as it is commonly referred to in Alaska. An all-terrain vehicle (ATV is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires with a seat that is straddled by A snowmobile (known locally as snowmachine, snowsled or by the Brandname Ski-Doo) is a land vehicle that is commonly propelled by

Law and government

Main article: Government of Alaska

Political leanings

Alaska is often described as a Republican-leaning state with strong Libertarian tendencies. The government of Alaska is divided into various departments Alaska has 246 federally recognized tribal governments and one federal Indian (Native American Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the In presidential elections, the state's electoral college votes have been almost always won by a Republican nominee. An electoral college is a set of many electors who are empowered to elect a candidate to a particular Office. Only once has Alaska supported a Democratic nominee, when it supported Lyndon B. Johnson in the landslide year of 1964, although the 1960 and 1968 elections were close. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Please DO NOT flip the colors -->The United States presidential election of 1964 was one of the most lopsided presidential elections in the history of the United States The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D Please DO NOT flip the colors -->The United States presidential election of 1968 was a wrenching national experience and included the assassination of Democratic candidate No state has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate fewer times. President George W. Bush won the state's electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 25 percentage points with 61. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. 1% of the vote. The city of Juneau and Midtown Anchorage are strongholds of the Democratic party. Matanuska-Susitna Borough and South Anchorage typically have the strongest Republican showing. As of 2004, well over half of all registered voters choose "Non-Partisan" or "Undeclared" as their affiliation,^[33] despite recent attempts to close primaries. Alaska is one of the states with a more relaxed marijuana policy, where one can possess up to one ounce of the substance legally ^[34]. Alaska possesses a pervasively strong independence movement favoring secession from the US, with the Alaskan Independence Party labeled one of the "the most significant state-level third parties operating in the 20th century". The Alaskan Independence Party is a Political party in the US ^[35]

State government

December 4, 2006, Sarah Palin was sworn in as the first woman and youngest Governor of Alaska. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Sarah Louise Heath Palin ( born February 11 1964 is the Governor of Alaska and the Republican Party 's vice-presidential nominee for the Her running mate was Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. Sean R Parnell (born November 19 1962, Hanford California) is the current Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, taking office in 2006 Palin is the former two-term mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

The Alaska State Legislature consists of a 20-member Senate, whose members serve four-year terms, and 40-member House of Representatives, who serve two-year terms. The Alaska Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Alaska. It has been dominated by conservatives, generally Republicans. Recent state governors have been mostly conservatives, although not always elected under the official Republican banner. Republican Wally Hickel was elected to the office for a second term in 1990 after jumping the Republican ship and briefly joining the Alaskan Independence Party ticket just long enough to be reelected. Walter Joseph "Wally" Hickel (born August 18, 1919) is an American Republican Politician who served as the 2nd and 8th The Alaskan Independence Party is a Political party in the US He subsequently officially rejoined the Republican fold in 1994.

Alaska's court system has four levels: the Alaska Supreme Court, the court of appeals, the superior courts and the district courts. The Alaska Supreme Court is the State supreme court in the State of Alaska 's judicial department ( Alaska Court System) ^[36] The superior and district courts are trial courts. A trial court or court of first instance is the Court in which most civil or criminal cases begin Superior courts are courts of general jurisdiction, while district courts only hear certain types of cases, including misdemeanor criminal cases and civil cases valued up to $100,000. ^[36] The supreme court and the court of appeals are appellate courts. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal The court of appeals is required to hear appeals from certain lower-court decisions, including those regarding criminal prosecutions, juvenile delinquency, and habeas corpus. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief ^[36] The supreme court hears civil appeals and may in its discretion hear criminal appeals. ^[36]

Local political communities often work on issues related to land use development, fishing, tourism, and individual rights. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Individual rights refer to the Rights of Individuals in contrast with Group rights. Alaska Natives, while organized in and around their communities, are often active within the Native corporations which have been given ownership over large tracts of land, and thus need to deliberate resource conservation and development issues. Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. The Alaska Native Regional Corporations ( Alaska Native Corporations or ANCSA Corporations) were established in 1971 when the United States Congress passed

Representation in the U. S. Congress

Alaska's members of the U.S. Congress are all Republican. Theodore Fulton Stevens (born November 18 1923 is the senior United States Senator from Alaska, serving since December 24 1968 The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses U. S. Senator Ted Stevens was appointed to the position following the death of U. Theodore Fulton Stevens (born November 18 1923 is the senior United States Senator from Alaska, serving since December 24 1968 S. Senator Bob Bartlett in December 1968, and has not lost a re-election campaign since. Edward Lewis "Bob" Bartlett ( April 20, 1904 &ndash December 11, 1968) was an American politician and was a member As the longest-serving Republican in the Senate (sometimes nicknamed "Senator-For-Life" and often referred to as "Uncle Ted"), Stevens has been a crucial force in gaining federal money for his state.

Until his resignation from the U.S. Senate after being elected governor in 2002, Republican Frank Murkowski held the state's other senatorial position and, as governor, appointed his daughter, State Representative Lisa Murkowski as his successor (under public pressure, the State legislature attempted to amend state statute to limit the length of gubernatorial appointments in the future in response to a ballot initiative sponsored by Murkowski's political opponents. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Francis Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American Politician and a member of the Republican Party. Lisa Ann Murkowski (born May 22, 1957) is an American politician of the Republican party and the junior United States Senator from ). She won a full six-year term on her own in 2004.

Alaska's sole U.S. Representative, Don Young, was re-elected to his 17th consecutive term, also in 2004. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Donald Edwin (Don Young (born June 9, 1933) has been the sole Representative from Alaska in the United States House of Representatives His seniority in House makes him one of the most influential Republican House members.

Important cities and towns

See also: List of cities in Alaska by population and Alaska locations by per capita income

Alaska's most populous city is Anchorage, home to 260,283 people in 2000, 225,744 of whom live in the urbanized area. This is a list of incorporated cities in the US state of Alaska, including unified city-boroughsordered by 2005 population estimate Alaska has the fourteenth highest Per capita income in the United States of America, at $22660 (2000 The richest location in Alaska by per capita income is Halibut Cove ($89,895). Alaska has the fourteenth highest Per capita income in the United States of America, at $22660 (2000 Halibut Cove is a Census-designated place (CDP in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. Sitka, Juneau, and Anchorage are the three largest cities in the U.S. by area. This list ranks US cities by land area (not including bodies of water

Also notable is the rapid growth of towns in the Mat-Su Valley. Matanuska-Susitna Valley (known locally as the the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range Wasilla and Palmer are projected to experience a huge population growth between 2000 and 2010. Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U

Cities of 100,000 or more people Anchorage
Towns of 10,000-100,000 people Fairbanks Juneau (State Capital) Eagle River
Towns of 1,000-10,000 people
Ketchikan Sitka Wasilla Kenai Kodiak Palmer Bethel Barrow		Unalaska Valdez Soldotna Homer Nome Petersburg Kotzebue Seward		Dillingham Cordova Haines North Pole Hooper Bay Craig Houston
Smaller towns Alaska has many smaller towns, especially in the Alaska Bush, the portion of the state that is inaccessible by road. Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River for which it is named between Fort Richardson and Chugach Ketchikan (ˈkɛtʃɪkæn is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States and the southeasternmost sizable city in that state Kenai (ˈkinaɪ is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U Kodiak (Кадьяк is one of 6 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island in Kodiak Island Borough in the U Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U Bethel ( Mamterilleq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik) is a city located near the west coast of the U Barrow is a city in and the borough seat of the North Slope Borough of the state of Alaska, United States. Unalaska ( Iluulux̂ in Aleut) is a small city in the Aleutians West Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U Valdez ( is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the US state of Alaska. Soldotna is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. Homer is a City located in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the US state of Alaska. Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea Petersburg is a city in Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the US state of Alaska. Dillingham (ˈdɪlɪŋhæm or Curyung, is a city in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, United States. Cordova is a small city located near the mouth of the Copper River in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States, at the head of Wrangell is a city and borough in Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2308 North Pole is a city in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Hooper Bay or Naparyarmiut is a city in Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska, United States. Craig is a first-class city in the Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area in the Unorganized Borough in the U Houston is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. Much like other roadless or remote parts of Australia and Africa the state of Alaska in the United States has area commonly referred to as " the Bush "

Education

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development administers many school districts in Alaska. This is a list of the 53 School districts in Alaska: Alaska Gateway School District Aleutian Region School District In addition, the state operates several boarding schools, including Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Nenana Student Living Center in Nenana, and Galena High School in Galena. Mt Edgecumbe High School (abbreviated MEHS) is a State of Alaska -run public boarding High school located in Sitka, Alaska The Nenana Student Living Center is a boarding home for students from all over Alaska located in Nenana Alaska. Nenana (nɛˈnænə is a Home Rule City on the Tanana River in the U Galena High School may refer to one of several high schools in the States Galena Junior/Senior High School &mdash Galena Alaska Galena is the largest city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U ^[37]

There are more than a dozen colleges and universities in Alaska. This is a list of Colleges and universities in Alaska. This list also includes other educational institutions providing Higher education, meaning Accredited universities in Alaska include the University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Southeast, Sheldon Jackson College and Alaska Pacific University. University of Alaska Anchorage, a United States educational faculty is the largest member of the University of Alaska System, with more than 17000 students 14000 of whom The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as The University of Alaska Southeast ( UAS) is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. Sheldon Jackson College ( SJC) was a small private College located on Baranof Island in Sitka, Alaska, United Alaska Pacific University ( APU) is a small Liberal arts college located in Anchorage, Alaska, that emphasizes experiential and active learning ^[38] 43% of the population attends or attended college.

Current issues

Alaska has long had a problem with alcohol use and abuse. Many rural communities in Alaska have outlawed its import. This problem directly relates to Alaska's high rate of Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as well as contributing to the high rate of suicides. History Historical references Anecdotal accounts of prohibitions against maternal alcohol use from biblical, ancient Greek, and ancient Roman This is a controversial topic for many residents.

Alaska has also had a problem with "brain drain" as many of its young people, including most of the highest academic achievers, leave the state upon graduating high school. A brain drain or human capital flight is a large emigration of individuals with technical skills or knowledge, normally due to conflict, lack of opportunity While for many this functions as a sort of walkabout, many do not return to the state. Walkabout is an Australian term referring to the commonly-held belief that Australian Aborigines would "go walkabout" at the age of thirteen in the wilderness The University of Alaska has been successfully combating this by offering partial four-year scholarships to the top 10% of Alaska high school graduates, via the Alaska Scholars Program[2]. The University of Alaska is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university founded in 1917 in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Domestic abuse and other violent crimes are also at notoriously high levels in the state; this is in part linked to alcohol abuse. Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate

Culture

See also List of artists and writers from Alaska

Some of Alaska's popular annual events are the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, the Alaska Hummingbird Festival in Ketchikan, the Sitka Whale Fest, and the Stikine River Garnet Fest in Wrangell. This list indexes notable Artists and Writers from Alaska. William D Fairbanks (ˈfɛrbæŋks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Ketchikan (ˈkɛtʃɪkæn is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States and the southeasternmost sizable city in that state Whale Fest is a celebration of local marine wildlife specifically Cetaceans held every November in Sitka in the U Wrangell is a city and borough in Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2308 The Stikine River features the largest springtime concentration of American Bald Eagles in the world. Stikine River (sti-KEEN is a river historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 335 mi (539 km long in northwestern British Columbia in

The Alaska Native Heritage Center celebrates the rich heritage of Alaska's 11 cultural groups. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is an educational and cultural institution for all Alaskans located in Anchorage Alaska. Their purpose is to enhance self-esteem among Native people and to encourage cross-cultural exchanges among all people.

Libraries

The four main libraries in the state are the Alaska State Library in Juneau, the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library in Fairbanks, the Z. The Alaska State Library and Historical Collections is located in Juneau, Alaska, with an office in Anchorage featuring the Talking Book Center The Elmer E Rasmuson Library is the largest library in the US J. Loussac Library in Anchorage, and the UAA/APU Consortium Library, also in Anchorage. The UAA/APU Consortium Library is a joint library serving the University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University, established in 1973 Alaska is one of three states (the others are Delaware and Rhode Island) that does not have a Carnegie library. Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States For other uses see Carnegie Library (disambiguation, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Free Library and Carnegie Public Library

Food

Due to the northern climate and steep terrain, relatively little farming occurs in Alaska. Most farms are in either the Mat-Su Valley near Anchorage, or on the Kenai Peninsula. Matanuska-Susitna Valley (known locally as the the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range Kenai1jpg|thumb|Kenai Peninsula Outer Coast]]The Kenai Peninsula is a large Peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The short summer limits the types of crops that can be grown - primary crops are potatoes, carrots, lettuce, and cabbage. Despite this, the long summer days can allow these vegetables to reach record size. Alaska has an abundance of seafood, with the primary fisheries in the Bering Sea, and seafood is one of the few food items that is often cheaper within the state than outside it. The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin (the Aleutian Basin) which rises through Hunting for subsistence, primarily caribou, moose, and sheep is still fairly common in the state, particularly in remote Bush communities. The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family. The Dall Sheep (originally Dall's Sheep, sometimes called Thinhorn Sheep) Ovis dalli, is a wild sheep of the mountainous regions of northwest North Much like other roadless or remote parts of Australia and Africa the state of Alaska in the United States has area commonly referred to as " the Bush " An example of a traditional native food is Akutaq, the Eskimo ice cream, which can consist of reindeer fat, seal oil, dried fish meat and local berries. Akutaq or agutak, also known as Eskimo ice cream, is a common food in western Alaska, consisting of whipped Fat mixed with berries

Most food in Alaska is transported into the state from outside, and is relatively expensive due to high shipping costs.

Music

Main article: Music of Alaska

Influences on music in Alaska include the traditional music of Alaska Natives as well as folk music brought by later immigrants from Russia and Europe. The Music of Alaska is a broad artistic field incorporating many Cultures History and overview Alaska 's original inhabitants were the Inupiaq Alaska Natives are Indigenous peoples of the Americas native to the state of Alaska within the United States. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Prominent musicians from Alaska include singer Jewel, traditional Aleut flautist Mary Youngblood, folk singer-songwriter Libby Roderick, and the group Pamyua. Jewel Kilcher (born May 23, 1974) is an American Singer-songwriter, actress, and Poet, generally known just by her The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its Mary Youngblood is a Native American flutist in Northern California. Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics Libby Roderick is an American Singer/songwriter, recording artist poet activist and teacher Pamyua (ˈbʌmjoʊə in English is a Yupik musical group from Anchorage in the U

There are many established music festivals in Alaska, including the Alaska Folk Festival, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival the Anchorage Folk Festival, the Athabascan Old-Time Fiddling Festival, the Sitka Jazz Festival, and the Sitka Summer Music Festival. The Alaska Folk Festival is an annual celebration of Folk music from Alaska, the Northwestern United States, and Canada, held in Juneau Sitka Summer Music Festival (abbreviated SSMF) is a month-long classical Chamber music festival in the community of Sitka, Alaska. The most prominent symphony in Alaska is the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, though the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and Juneau Symphony are also notable. A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra ( ASO) is a semi-professional symphony Orchestra located in Anchorage, Alaska. The Juneau Symphony is a semi-professional symphony orchestra located in Juneau, Alaska. The Anchorage Opera is currently the state's only professional opera company, though there are several volunteer and semi-professional organizations in the state as well. Anchorage Opera (AO is a professional Opera company located in Anchorage, Alaska and is a member of OPERA America History Anchorage

The official state song of Alaska is "Alaska's Flag", which was adopted in 1955; it celebrates the flag of Alaska. Introduction Forty-nine states of the United States (all except New Jersey) have one or more state songs, selected by the state " Alaska's Flag " is the state song of Alaska. Its flag and song are unique among the USA 's 50 states in the characteristic that they mirror one another the The Flag of Alaska consists of eight gold stars forming the Big Dipper and the North Star, on a dark blue field

Movies filmed in Alaska

Two of the most prominent movies filmed in Alaska were Into the Wild and MGM's Academy Award winning classic Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent starring Alaska's own Ray Mala. Into the Wild is a 2007 Film based on the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer about the adventures "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Eskimo (also known as Mala the Magnificent) ( 1933) is one of the most prominent movies filmed in Alaska. Ray Mala (1906-1952 is the first Native American movie star and is the most prolific film star that the state of Alaska has thus far produced In 1932 an expedition set out from MGM's studios in Hollywood to Alaska to film what was then billed as "The Biggest Picture Ever Made". Upon arriving in Alaska, they set up "Camp Hollywood" in Northwest Alaska where they lived during the duration of the filming. Louis B. Mayer spared no expense in making sure they had everything they needed during their stay -- he even sent the famous chef from the Hotel Roosevelt on Hollywood Blvd (the site of the first Oscars) with them to Alaska to cook for them. Louis Burt Mayer (born Lazar Meir July 4, 1884 &ndash October 29, 1957) was an early Film producer, most The Roosevelt Hotel is a historic Spanish-style Hotel located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood California. Hollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood Los Angeles California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. When Eskimo premiered at the famed Astor Theatre in Times Square, New York, the studio received the largest amount of feedback in the history of the studio up to that time. This article is about the Astor Theatre in New York For the cinema in Melbourne Australia see The Astor Theatre. Eskimo was critically acclaimed and released worldwide; as a result Inupiat Eskimo actor Ray Mala became an international movie star. The Inupiat or Iñupiaq (from inuit- people - and piaq/t real i Eskimos or Esquimaux are Indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia ( Russia) across Ray Mala (1906-1952 is the first Native American movie star and is the most prolific film star that the state of Alaska has thus far produced Eskimo is significant for the following: winning the very first Oscar for Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards, for forever preserving Inupiat culture on film, and for being the first motion picture to be filmed in an all native language (Inupiat). "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934 "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Inupiat or Iñupiaq (from inuit- people - and piaq/t real i The Inupiat or Iñupiaq (from inuit- people - and piaq/t real i

The psychological thriller, Insomnia, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams was extensively shot in Canada, but was set in Alaska. Insomnia is a 2002 American Remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance The 2007 horror feature 30 Days of Night, is set in Barrow, Alaska but was filmed in New Zealand. 30 Days of Night is a 2007 Horror film based on the Comic book Miniseries of the same name. Barrow is a city in and the borough seat of the North Slope Borough of the state of Alaska, United States. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Most films and television shows set in Alaska are not filmed there, including Northern Exposure. Northern Exposure is a Dramedy series. It was created by Brand - Falsey Productions which was recognized with a rare pair of consecutive

The 1991 film "White Fang" starring Ethan Hawke was filmed in and around Haines, Alaska. The 1999 John Sayles film Limbo starring David Strathairn, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Kris Kristofferson was filmed in Juneau. Sean Penn filmed large portions of the film Into the Wild on location in Alaska. For the 2007 film adaption of the book see Into the Wild (film For the Warriors book see Into the Wild (Warriors Into In 2008 the movie 30 Days of Night was filmed partially in Alaska. The 1983 Disney movie Never Cry Wolf was at least partially shot in Alaska as well.

State symbols

• State bird: Willow Ptarmigan, adopted by the Territorial Legislature in 1955. The Willow Grouse (Europe or Willow Ptarmigan (North America Lagopus lagopus, is a medium-sized Gamebird in the Grouse It is a small (15-17 inches) Arctic grouse that lives among willows and on open tundra and muskeg. Plumage is brown in summer, changing to white in winter. The Willow Ptarmigan is common in much of Alaska.
• State fish: King Salmon, adopted 1962.
• State flower: wild/native Forget-Me-Not, adopted by the Territorial Legislature in 1917. Myosotis is a Genus of Flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae that are commonly called Forget-me-nots. ^[39] It is a perennial that is found throughout Alaska, from Hyder to the Arctic Coast, and west to the Aleutians.
• State fossil: Woolly Mammoth, adopted 1986. The woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius) also called the tundra mammoth, is an extinct species of Mammoth.
• State gem: Jade, adopted 1968. Jade is an Ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different Silicate minerals.
• State insect: Four-spot skimmer dragonfly, adopted 1995. Anisoptera redirects here For the genus of trees see Anisoptera (tree.
• State land mammal: Moose, adopted 1998. The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family.
• State marine mammal: Bowhead Whale, adopted 1983. The Bowhead Whale ( Balaena mysticetus) also known as Greenland Right Whale or Arctic Whale, is a Baleen whale of the right whale family
• State mineral: Gold, adopted 1968. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79
• State song: "Alaska's Flag"
• State sport: Dog Mushing, adopted 1972. " Alaska's Flag " is the state song of Alaska. Its flag and song are unique among the USA 's 50 states in the characteristic that they mirror one another the Mushing also means playing on a MUSH. Mushing also can be used to describe the kneading behavior of domestic cats
• State tree: Sitka Spruce, adopted 1962. The Sitka Spruce ( Picea sitchensis) is a large Coniferous Evergreen Tree growing to 50-70 m tall exceptionally to 100 m tall and
• State soil: Estelle, adopted unknown.

See also

• List of Alaska-related topics

References

External links

• State of Alaska website
• Alaska State Databases - Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Alaska state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• Alaska, project area of the American Land Conservancy
• Alaska Inter-Tribal Council
• USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Alaska
• US Census Bureau
• Alaska State Facts
• Alaska Community Database System
• Alaska's Digital Archives

Preceded by Arizona

List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on January 3, 1959 (49th)

Succeeded by Hawaii

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