Alaska (IPA: /?'læsk?/, Russian: ??????) is a state in the
United States of America, in the extreme northwest portion of the
North American continent. It is the largest U.S. state by area (by
a substantial margin), and one of the wealthiest and most racially
diverse.[2][3]
The area that became Alaska was purchased from Russia on March
30, 1867. The land went through several administrative changes before
becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912 and the 49th state
of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" is derived
from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland," or more
literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea
is directed."[4]
Geography
Alaska is one of two U.S. states not bordered by another state,
Hawaii being the other. Alaska has more coastline than all the other
U.S. states combined.[5] It is the only non-contiguous state in
the continental US; about 500 miles (800 km) of Canadian territory
separate Alaska from Washington State. Alaska is thus an exclave
of the United States, part of the continental U.S. but is not part
of the contiguous U.S.[6] 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.
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. It is larger than all but 18 sovereign
nations.
Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska.
Nushagak River in Southwest Alaska.
Mount Sanford in the Wrangell Mountains.
Kenai River on the Kenai Peninsula.One scheme for describing the
state's geography is by labeling the regions:
South Central Alaska is the southern coastal region and contains
most of the state's population. Anchorage and many growing towns,
such as Palmer, and Wasilla, lie within this area. Petroleum industrial
plants, transportation, tourism, and two military bases form the
core of the economy here.
The Alaska Panhandle, also known as Southeast Alaska, is home to
many of Alaska's larger towns including the state capital Juneau,
tidewater glaciers and extensive forests. Tourism, fishing, forestry
and state government anchor the economy.
Southwest Alaska is largely coastal, bordered by both the Pacific
Ocean and the Bering Sea. It is sparsely populated, and unconnected
to the road system, but very important to the fishing industry.
Half of all fish caught in the western U.S. come from the Bering
Sea, and Bristol Bay has the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery.
Southwest Alaska includes Katmai and Lake Clark national parks as
well as numerous wildlife refuges. The region comprises western
Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay and its watersheds, the Alaska Peninsula
and the Aleutian Islands. It is known for wet and stormy weather,
tundra landscapes, and large populations of salmon, brown bears,
caribou, birds, and marine mammals.
The Alaska Interior is home to Fairbanks. The geography is marked
by large braided rivers, such as the Yukon River and the Kuskokwim
River, as well as Arctic tundra lands and shorelines.
The Alaskan Bush is the remote, less crowded part of the state,
encompassing 380 native villages and small towns such as Nome, Bethel,
Kotzebue and, most famously, Barrow, the northernmost town in the
United States, as well as the northern most town on the contiguous
North American continent (cities in Greenland, the Northwest Territories,
and Nunavut that are farther north are on islands)[citation needed].
The northeast corner of Alaska is covered by the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, which covers 19,049,236 acres (77,090 km²).
Much of the northwest is covered by the larger National Petroleum
Reserve–Alaska, which covers around 23,000,000 acres (93,100
km²) million acres. 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 numerous islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (54,720
km) of tidal shoreline. The island chain extending west from the
southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula is called the Aleutian Islands.
Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians. For example, Unimak
Island is home to Mount Shishaldin, a moderately active volcano
that rises to 9,980 feet (3,042 m) above sea level. The chain of
volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr, west of Anchorage on the mainland.
One of North America's largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm, just
south of Anchorage - tidal differences can be more than 35 feet
(10.7 m). (Many sources say Turnagain has the second-greatest tides
in North America, but several areas in Canada have larger tides.[7])
Alaska has 3.5 million lakes of 20 acres (8 ha) or larger.[8] Marshlands
and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (487,747 km²)
(mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands). Frozen water,
in the form of glacier ice, covers some 16,000 square miles (41,440
km²) of land and 1,200 square miles (3,110 km²) of tidal
zone. The Bering Glacier complex near the southeastern border with
Yukon, Canada, covers 2,250 square miles (5,827 km²) alone.
The Aleutian Islands cross longitude 180°, so Alaska can be
considered the easternmost state as well as the westernmost. Alaska,
and especially the Aleutians, are one of the extreme points of the
United States. The International Date Line jogs west of 180°
to keep the whole state, and thus the entire continental United
States, within the same legal day.
According to an October 1998 report by the United States Bureau
of Land Management, approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed
by the U.S. federal government as public lands, including a multitude
of national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges.
Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres
(350,000 km²), or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Of the remaining land area, the State of Alaska owns 24.5%; another
10% is managed by 13 regional and dozens of local Native corporations
created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Various private
interests own the remaining land, totaling less than 1%.
Map of Alaska - PDFAlaska is administratively divided into "boroughs",
as opposed to "counties." The function is the same, but
whereas some states use a three-tiered system of decentralization
— state/county/township — most of Alaska uses only two
tiers — state/borough. Owing to the low population density,
most of the land is located in the Unorganized Borough which, as
the name implies, has no intermediate borough government of its
own, but is administered directly by the state government. Currently
(2000 census) 57.71% of Alaska's area has this status, with 13.05%
of the population. For statistical purposes the United States Census
Bureau divides this territory into census areas. Anchorage merged
the city government with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough in 1971
to form the Municipality of Anchorage, containing the city proper
and the bedroom communities of Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek,
Girdwood, Bird, and Indian. Fairbanks has a separate borough (the
Fairbanks North Star Borough) and municipality (the City of Fairbanks).
Climate
The climate in Juneau and the southeast panhandle is best described
as a cooler version of Seattle. It is a mid-latitude oceanic climate
(Köppen climate classification Cfb) in the southern sections
and a subarctic oceanic climate (Köppen Cfc) in the northern
parts. On an annual basis, this is both the wettest and warmest
part of Alaska with milder temperatures in the winter and high precipitation
throughout the year. Juneau averages over 50 inches (1,270 mm) of
precipitation a year, while other areas receive over 275 inches
(6,990 mm).[9] 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.
Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost city in the United States.The
climate of Western Alaska is determined in large part by the Bering
Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. It is a subarctic oceanic climate in
the southwest and a continental subarctic climate farther north.
The temperature is somewhat moderate considering how far north the
area is. This area has a tremendous amount of variety in precipitation.
The northern side of the Seward Peninsula is technically a desert
with less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation annually, while
some locations between Dillingham and Bethel average around 100
inches (2,540 mm) of precipitation.[9]
The climate of the interior of Alaska is best described as extreme
and is the best 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 80s°F (near 30 °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,[10][11] tied with Pahala, Hawaii as the lowest
high temperature in the United States.[12][13] The lowest Alaska
temperature is -80 °F (-64 °C) in Prospect Creek on January
23, 1971,[10][11] one degree above the lowest temperature recorded
in North America (in Snag, Yukon, Canada).[14]
The climate in the extreme north of Alaska is as expected for an
area north of the Arctic Circle. It is an Arctic climate (Köppen
ET) with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. Even in
July, the average low temperature is barely above freezing in Barrow,
at 34 °F (2 °C).[15] 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
Miners and prospectors climb the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike
Gold Rush.At the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period (around 12,000
BC), Asiatic groups crossed the Bering Land Bridge into what is
now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian
explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups.
The first European contact with Alaska occurred in the year 1741,
when Vitus Bering led an expedition for the Russian Navy aboard
the St. Peter. After his crew returned to Russia bearing sea otter
pelts judged to be the finest fur in the world, small associations
of fur traders began to sail from the shores of Siberia towards
the Aleutian islands. The first permanent European settlement was
founded in 1784, and the Russian-American Company carried out an
expanded colonization program during the early to mid-1800s. Despite
these efforts, the Russians never fully colonized Alaska, and the
colony was never very profitable. William H. Seward, the U.S. Secretary
of State, engineered the Alaskan purchase in 1867 for $7.2 million.
In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory
brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. Alaska was granted
territorial status in 1912.
During World War II, three of the outer Aleutian Islands—Attu,
Agattu and Kiska—were the only part of the United States to
have land occupied by the enemy during the war. The battle became
a matter of national pride, defending the nation against the first
foreign military campaign on U.S. soil since the War of 1812. The
construction of military bases also contributed to the population
growth of some Alaskan cities.
Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959.
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. 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. Today, the battle between
philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious
debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Alaska
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
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.[16] 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, 75% of Alaska residents are white.
15.6% are American Indian or Alaska Native, 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 (16.6%),
Alaska Native or American Indian (15.6%), Irish (10.8%), British
(9.6%), American (5.7%), and Norwegian (4.2%).
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. The Wrangell-Petersburg area has many residents of Scandinavian
ancestry and the Aleutians contain a large Filipino population.
Most of the state's black population lives in Anchorage, though
Fairbanks also has a sizable black population.
Languages
Russian Orthodox church in Sitka, Alaska.According to the 2000 U.S.
Census, 85.7% of Alaska residents aged 5 and older speak English
at home. The next most common languages are Spanish (2.88%), Yupik
(2.87%), Tagalog (1.54%), and Iñupiaq (1.06%).[17] A total
of 5.2% of Alaskans speak one of the state's 22 indigenous languages,
known locally as Native languages.
Religion
Alaska has been identified, along with Pacific Northwest states
Washington and Oregon, as being the least religious in the U.S.[18]
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.[19]
After Catholics, the largest single denominations were Southern
Baptists with 22,959, Orthodox with 20,000, and Mormons with 19,019.[19]
The large Eastern Orthodox population is a result of early Russian
colonization and missionary work among Alaska Natives.[20] In 1795,
the First Russian Orthodox Church was established in Kodiak. Intermarriage
with Alaskan Natives helped the Russian immigrants integrate into
society. As a result, more and more Russian Orthodox churches[21]
gradually became established within Alaska. Alaska also has the
largest Quaker population (by percentage) of any state.[22] In 2003
there were 3,000 Jews in Alaska.[23]
Economy
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline transports oil, Alaska's most important
export, from the North Slope to ValdezThe 2005 gross state product
was $39.9 billion. Its per-capita GSP for 2005 was $60,079, 3rd
in the nation. 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.
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. Tourists have contributed to the economy
by supporting local lodging.
Alaska's economy is heavily dependent on increasingly expensive
diesel fuel for heating, transportation, electric power and light.
Though wind and hydroelectric power are abundant and underutilized,
proposals for state-wide energy systems (e.g. with special low-cost
electric interties) were judged uneconomical (at the time of the
report, 2001) due to low (<$0.50/Gal) fuel prices, long distances
and low population.[24] The cost of a gallon of gas in urban Alaska
today is usually $0.30-$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. 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.[25]
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. 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. 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
in to these cities and purchase food and goods in bulk from warehouse
clubs like Costco and Sam's Club. 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 US,[26] and is
one of only six states with no state sales tax and one of seven
states that do not levy an individual income tax. To finance state
government operations, Alaska depends primarily on petroleum revenues.
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%, 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 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.[citation
needed] 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). 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).[citation needed]
Transportation
Roads
Sterling HighwaySee also: List of Alaska Routes
Alaska has few road connections compared to the rest of the U.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 state capital,
Juneau, is not accessible by road, which has spurred several debates
over the decades about moving the capital to a city on the road
system. 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. 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.
The tunnel is the longest combination road and rail tunnel in North
America.
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 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 stretch of about
60 miles (97 km) of track along an area inaccessible by road is
the only transportation to cabins in the area.
[edit] 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. The system also operates a ferry service from Bellingham,
Washington via the Inside Passage to Skagway. 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. Tourist sea travel is also popular
on Alaska cruises.
Air transport
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700Cities 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. Anchorage itself, and
to a lesser extent Fairbanks, are serviced by many major airlines.
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, 2.4 million total arrivals
to Alaska were counted, 1.7 million via air travel; 1.4 million
were visitors[27][28]).
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. The bulk of remaining commercial
flight offerings come from small regional commuter airlines such
as Era Aviation, PenAir, and Frontier Flying Service. 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. Much of this service
can be attributed to the Alaska bypass mail program which subsidizes
bulk mail delivery to Alaskan rural communities. 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.
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.[29]
Alaska has the longest runway in the world as the entire length
of the Richardson Highway is designated an emergency landing strip.
Other transport
Another Alaskan transportation method is the dogsled. In modern
times, dog mushing is more of a sport than a true means of transportation.
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 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. 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.
State government
December 4, 2006, Sarah Palin was sworn in as the first woman and
youngest Governor of Alaska. Her running mate was Lieutenant Governor
Sean Parnell. 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. 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.
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.[32]
The uperior and district courts are trial courts. 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.[32] The supreme court and the
court of appeals are appellate courts. The court of appeals is required
to hear appeals from certain lower-court decisions, including those
regarding criminal prosecutions, juvenile delinquency, and habeas
corpus.[32] The supreme court hears civil appeals and may in its
discretion hear criminal appeals.[32]
Local political communities often work on issues related to land
usedevelopment, fishing, tourism, and individual 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.
Representation in the U.S. Congress
U.S. Senator Ted StevensAlaska's members of the U.S. Congress are
all Republican. U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was appointed to the position
following the death of U.S. Senator Bob Bartlett in December 1968,
and has not lost a re-election campaign since. As the longest-serving
Republican in the Senate (sometimes nicknamed "Senator-For-Life"
or Ted 'The Internet Is Not A Truck' Stevens"), 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 massive public
pressure, the State legislature amended the constitution to eliminate
gubernatorial appointments in the future). 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. 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. The richest
location in Alaska by per capita income is Halibut Cove ($89,895).
Sitka, Juneau, and Anchorage are the three largest cities in the
U.S. by area.
Also notable is the rapid growth of towns in the Mat-Su Valley.
Wasilla and Palmer are projected to experience over 100% population
growth between 2000 and 2010.[citation needed]
Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska.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.
Education
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development administers
many school districts in Alaska. 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.[33]
There are more than a dozen colleges and universities in Alaska.
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.[34]
43% of the population attends or attended college.[citation needed]
Current issues
Alaska has long had a problem with alcohol use and abuse. Many rural
communities in Alaska have outlawed its import. "Dry",
"wet", and "damp" are terms describing a community's
laws on liquor consumption. This problem directly relates to Alaska's
high rate of Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as well as contributing
to the high rate of suicides. 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. While for many this
functions as a sort of walkabout, many do not return to the state.
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].
Domestic abuse and other violent crimes are also at notoriously
high levels in the state; this is in part linked to alcohol abuse.
Alaska is also the only state to allow legal possession of marijuana:
an adult may possess 1 ounce for personal use.[35]
Culture
See also List of artists and writers from Alaska
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests
for expansion. (April 2007)
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.
The Stikine River features the largest springtime concentration
of American Bald Eagles in the world.
The Alaska Native Heritage Center celebrates the rich heritage
of Alaska's 11 cultural groups. 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. J.
Loussac Library in Anchorage, and the UAA/APU Consortium Library,
also in Anchorage. Alaska is one of three states (the others are
Delaware and Rhode Island) that does not have a Carnegie 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. The short summer limits
the types of crops that can be grown - primary crops are potatoes,
carrots, lettuce, and cabbage. But the long days of summer 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. Hunting for subsistence, primarily caribou, moose,
and sheep is still fairly common in the state, particularly in remote
Bush communities. An example of a traditional native food is Akutaq,
the Eskimo ice cream, consisting of reindeer fat and seal oil and
local berries.
Most food in Alaska is transported into the state from outside,
and is relatively expensive due to the 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. Prominent musicians from Alaska include singer Jewel,
traditional Aleut flautist Mary Youngblood, folk singer-songwriter
Libby Roderick, the group Pamyua, and the metal band 36 Crazyfists.
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
most prominent symphony in Alaska is the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra,
though the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and Juneau Symphony are
also notable. 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.
The official state song of Alaska is "Alaska's Flag",
which was adopted in 1955; it celebrates the flag of Alaska.
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. 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. 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. "Eskimo" was critically acclaimed and
released worldwide; as a result Inupiat Eskimo actor Ray Mala became
an international movie star. "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 psychological thriller, Insomnia, starring Al Pacino and Robin
Williams was extensively shot in Canada, but was set in Alaska.
State symbols
State bird: Willow Ptarmigan, adopted by the Territorial Legislature
in 1955. 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.[36] 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.
State gem: Jade, adopted 1968.
State insect: Four-spot skimmer dragonfly, adopted 1995.
State land mammal: Moose, adopted 1998.
State marine mammal: Bowhead Whale, adopted 1983.
State mineral: Gold, adopted 1968.
State song: "Alaska's Flag"
State sport: Dog Mushing, adopted 1972.
State tree: Sitka Spruce, adopted 1962.
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