| Alaska is the largest state in respect to area of the USA, located at the North-West outlying districts of North America. It includes a peninsula with the same name the Aleutian Islands, a narrow strip of Pacific coast along the western Canada and continental part.
Geography:
The state is located on the extreme northwest part of the continent, separated from the Chukchi Peninsula (Russia) by the Bering Strait and in the east, Alaska has a border with Canada. It consists of the continental part and a large number of islands: Alexander Archipelago, Aleutian Islands, Pribilof Islands, Kodiak Islands and St. Lawrence Island. It is surrounded by the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. On the Pacific coast the Alaska Range; an internal part which is a plateau with a height ranging from 1200m in the east to 600m in the west where it transforms into lowland. In the north is the Brooks Range, where beyond which the Arctic lowland is located.
Mount McKinley (Denali) (6194m) is the highest mountain peak in North America. Active volcanoes are found in Alaska. Many glaciers are found in the mountains of Alaska (Malaspina).
In 1912, the valley of Ten Thousand Smokes was created as a result of volcano eruptions. The northern part of the state is covered by tundra. Forests are found in the southern portion of Alaska. Little Diomede Island in Bering Strait is part of Alaska and is located at a distance of 4 km from Big Diomede Island (Ratmanov Island) which belongs to Russia.
The climate is moderate, maritime, comparatively soft on the Pacific Coast and the climate in other areas in the Arctic and subarctic continents have severe winters.
The popular Denali National Park is located in the vicinities of the highest mountain peak in the USA McKinley.
The largest city with a population of more than 100 000:
* Anchorage
Cities with a population from 10000 — 100000:
* Fairbanks;
* Juneau (Capital of the state);
* College;
Cities with less than a 10 000 population:
* Ketchikan;
* Sitka;
* Wasilla;
* Kenai;
* Kodiak;
* Palmer;
* Bethel;
* Barrow;
* Unalaska;
* Valdez;
* Soldotna;
* Homer;
* Nome;
* Petersburg;
* Kotzebue;
* Seward;
* Dillingham;
* Cordova;
* Haines;
* North Pole;
* Delta Junction.
History:
Groups of Siberian tribes crossed the isthmus (now Bering Strait) around 16 to10 thousand years ago. Eskimos began to settle down on the Arctic Coast and Aleuts occupied Aleutian Archipelago.
Alaska became a colony of Russia from 1744 (the colony was called “Russian America”). A constant settlement of Russians was formed in 1784 on the Kodiak Island by Gregory Shelikhov (now a unique Russian settlement — Nikolaevsk on Kenai Peninsula, formed and occupied from 1968 by Old Believers).
The imperial government wanted to get rid of the distance and land problem through all possible methods and hence, decided to sell the lands of Alaska. Alaska became part of the USA on March 30, 1867, when the Russian empire sold this coast to the USA. The sale deed was signed by the Russian Ambassador to the USA E.A. Stoeckl and the US Secretary of State William H. Seward. Under this agreement, the USA paid 7.2 million USD for Alaska, which means 2 cents per acre (banker's cheque № 9759).
Five years later, gold was found in Alaska. The region developed slowly till the start of gold fever on Klondike in 1896. During the gold fever years, approximately one thousand tons of gold was extracted in Alaska, which, according to the rates prevailing in April 2005, was equal to 13-14 billion dollars.
Alaska was declared a state in 1959. From 1968, various mineral resources were exploited in Alaska, especially near the gulf of Prudhoe Bay, southeast from Point Barrow. In 1977, the oil pipeline from the gulf of Prudhoe Bay up to Port Valdez was laid. In 1989, oil spilled from the tanker “Exxon Valdez” became the reason for serious environmental contamination.
Economy:
In the north, the extraction of crude oil (near the Gulf of Prudhoe and Kenai Peninsula; trans-Alaska oil pipeline in length of 1250 km up to Port Valdez), natural gas, coal, copper, iron, gold, zinc; fishery; the farming of reindeer; timber harvesting and hunting; air transport; military air bases and tourism.
The extraction of oil played an important role from the 1970s after the discovery of oil fields and the laying of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline. With respect to importance, the oil fields in Alaska are compared with the oil fields in Western Siberia and on the Arabian Peninsula.
Population:
Though the state is one of the least densely populated in the country, many inhabitants moved to Alaska in the 1970s in search of vacancies in the petroleum industry and in transport and the rise in population was 36% in 1980.
The rise in population in the last few decades:
* 1990 year — 550 000 inhabitants;
* 2004 year— 648 818 inhabitants;
* 2005 year — 663 661 inhabitants
In 2005 the population of Alaska increased in comparison with previous years by 5906 persons or 0.9%. In comparison with 2000, the population has increased by 36 730 persons (5.9%). This figure includes naturally (natural population increase) by 36 590 persons (53 132 births minus 16 542 death) from the time of last census and also the rise in population thanks to the migration of 1181 persons. Immigration to the US from abroad has increased the population of Alaska by 5800 persons while internal migration has reduced by 4619 persons. The population density in Alaska is the lowest of all states in the USA.
About 75% of the population are white natives of the USA. Approximately 86000 residents are Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts are present in the state. A small number of Russian descendants live in the state. Among the basic religious groups — Catholics, orthodox, Presbyterian, Baptists and Methodists. The percentage of orthodox components according to various estimations is 8-10%, and is the highest in the country. For the last 20 years residents of the state traditionally vote for republicans.
* Many paintings by Kent Rockwell were dedicated to Alaska.
|
Past Saturday residents of Alaska celebrated Alaska Day which is an official statewide holiday.
Alaska Day is observed every year on October 18 in anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory of Alaska from Russia to the United States which happened in Fort Sitka on October 18, 1867. Prior to this formal transfer, Alaska was sold by Russians for $7,200,000 on March 30, 1867.
Alaska employees get a paid day off on Alaska Day.
