See Also

Alaska

Alaska is a U.S. state U.S. state

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ... 

, located on the northwest tier West Coast of the United States

The "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Seaboard" are terms for the westernmost co... 

 of North America North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i] ... 

. It is by far the largest state in area List of U.S. states by area

This is a complete list of the states of the United States [i] ordered by total area, land ... 

, but one of the least populated List of U.S. states by population

||- ||- ||} This is a list of United States of America states by population as of 2005 [i], a ... 

. It is the 49th state, having been admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut Alyeska, meaning "great country", "mainland" or "great land".

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Timeline

1867   Alaska is purchased for $7.2 million from Alexander II of Russia Alexander II of Russia

Alexander II Nikolaevitch was the Tsar [i] of Russia [i] from March 2 [i] 1855 [i] until his assassination [i] ... 

, about 2 cent/acre ($4.19/km²), by United States Secretary of State United States Secretary of State

The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State [i], concerned ... 

 William H. Seward William H. Seward

William Henry Seward, Sr. was United States Secretary of State [i] under Abraham Lincoln [i] and Andrew Johnson [i] ... 

. The news media call this "Seward's Folly Alaska purchase

[i] ... 

."

1900   United States President President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state [i] of the United States [i]. ... 

 William McKinley William McKinley

William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States [i]. ... 

 places Alaska under military rule.

1958   President President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state [i] of the United States [i]. ... 

 Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was an American [i] soldier and politician. ... 

 signs the Alaska Statehood Act into United States law Law of the United States

The law of the United States was originally largely derived from the common law [i] of the system of English law [i] ... 

1959   Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state U.S. state

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ... 

.

1959   With the admission of Alaska as the 49th U.S. state U.S. state

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ... 

 earlier in the year, the 49-star flag of the United States Flag of the United States

The flag [i] of the United States [i] consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red [i] alternating wi ... 

 debuts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, and known as The City of Brotherly Love i... 

.

1971   The U.S. tests a nuclear bomb on Amchitka Island Amchitka

Amchitka is an island in the Rat Islands [i] group of the Aleutian Islands [i] in southwest Alaska [i]. ... 

 in Alaska.

1977   The first oil through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska P... 

 reaches Valdez, Alaska.

1989   Exxon Valdez oil spill Exxon Valdez oil spill

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was one of the most devastating environmental disasters to ever occur at sea.... 

: In Alaska's Prince William Sound Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is a sound [i] of the Gulf of Alaska [i] on the south coast of the U.S. state [i] ... 

 the ''Exxon Valdez Exxon Valdez

Exxon Valdez was the original name of an oil [i] tanker [i] owned by the former Exxon [i] ... 

'' spills 240,000 barrels (11 million gallons) of oil Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a black, dark brown or greenish liquid [i] found in porous rock formati ... 

 after running aground.

1991   The United States Department of Justice United States Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice is a Cabinet [i] department in the United States [i] ... 

 announces that Exxon Exxon

Exxon and Mobil [i] are the two heritage petrochemical companies that merged in 1999 to form the Exxon Mobil Corporation [i] ... 

 has agreed to pay $1 billion for the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez Exxon Valdez

Exxon Valdez was the original name of an oil [i] tanker [i] owned by the former Exxon [i] ... 

 oil spill in Alaska.



Encyclopedia

Alaska is a U.S. state U.S. state

A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to as a state [i] ... 

, located on the northwest tier West Coast of the United States

The "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Seaboard" are terms for the westernmost co... 

 of North America North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

. It is by far the largest state in area List of U.S. states by area

This is a complete list of the states of the United States [i] ordered by total area, land ... 

, but one of the least populated List of U.S. states by population

||-
||-
||}
This is a list of United States of America states by population as of 2005 [i], a ... 

. It is the 49th state, having been admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut Alyeska, meaning "great country", "mainland" or "great land".

Geography


Alaska is one of the two U.S. states not bordered by another state, Hawaii Hawaii

Hawaii became the 50th state [i] of the United States [i] on August 21 [i], 1959 [i]. ... 

 being the other. It is the only non-contiguous state in North America North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

; about 500 miles of Canadian Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 territory separate Alaska from Washington. Alaska is thus an exclave Enclave and exclave

In political geography [i], an enclave is a country or part of a country lying wholly within the boundar ... 

 of the United States that is part of the continental U.S. but is not part of the contiguous U.S. Alaska is also the only mainland state whose capital city is accessible only via ship or air Aviation

Aviation refers to flying using aircraft [i], machines designed by humans for atmospheric flight [i]. ... 

. No road Road

A road is an identifiable route or path between two or more places.... 

s connect Juneau to the rest of the state.

It is bordered by Yukon Territory Yukon

The Yukon Territory is one of Canada's [i] northern territories [i], in th ... 

 and British Columbia British Columbia

British Columbia, often referred to as B.C. or BC , is the westernmost of [[Canada|Canada's]... 

, Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the world's largest body of water [i]. ... 

 to the south, the Bering Sea Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a body of water north of, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean [i] by t ... 

, Bering Strait Bering Strait

The Bering Strait is a sea strait [i] between Cape Dezhnev [i], Russia [i], the easternmost point of th ... 

, and Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea

Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea [i] of the Arctic Ocean [i], between Chukotka [i] and Alaska [i] ... 

 to the west, and the Beaufort Sea Beaufort Sea

The Beaufort Sea is a large body of water, part of the Arctic Ocean [i], located north of the Northwest Territories [i] ... 

 and the Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean, located mostly in the Arctic [i] north polar [i] region, is the smallest ... 

 to the north.

Alaska is the largest state in the United States in terms of land area at 570,380 square miles , over twice as large as Texas Texas

Texas is a state [i] in both the Southern [i] and Western [i] ... 

, the next largest state. If a map of Alaska were upon a map of the 48 contiguous states, Alaska would overlap Texas Texas

Texas is a state [i] in both the Southern [i] and Western [i] ... 

, Oklahoma Oklahoma

Name = Oklahoma |
Fullname = State of Oklahoma |
... 

, Kansas Kansas

Kansas is a Midwestern [i] state [i] in the Central [i] United States [i] ... 

, New Mexico New Mexico

New Mexico is a southwestern [i] state in the United States of America [i]. ... 

 and Colorado Colorado

Colorado is a state [i] in the western United States [i].... 

, and if the state's westernmost point were superimposed on San Francisco, California San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California [i] and the fourteenth-lar ... 

, its easternmost point would be in Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the most populous city [i] in the state of Florida [i] and the thirteenth most populous [i]... 

. Alaska also has more coastline Coast

The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the ocean [i]. ... 

 than all of the contiguous U.S. combined.

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 Palmer, Alaska

    Palmer is a city in and the borough seat [i] of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough [i] ... 

    , and Wasilla Wasilla, Alaska

    Wasilla is a city in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough [i] in the U.S. state [i] ... 

    , lie within this area. Petroleum Petroleum

    Petroleum or crude oil is a black, dark brown or greenish liquid [i] found in porous rock formati ... 

     industrial plants, transportation, tourism Tourism

    Tourism is the act of travel [i] for predominantly recreation [i]al or leisure [i] purposes, and also re ... 

    , 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 capitol Juneau, tidewater glacier Glacier

    A glacier is a large, long-lasting river [i] of ice [i] that is formed on land and moves in response to... 

    s and extensive forests. Tourism, fishing, forestry and state government anchor the economy.
  • The Alaska Interior Alaska Interior

    The Alaska Interior covers most of that U.S. state [i]'s territory. ... 

     is home to Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska

    Fairbanks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough [i], ... 

    . The geography is marked by large braided river Braided river

    A braided river is one of a number of channel types [i] and has a channel that consists of a network of ... 

    s, such as the Yukon River Yukon River

    The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America [i].... 

     and the Kuskokwim River, as well as Arctic Arctic

    The Arctic is the area around the Earth [i]'s North Pole [i], opposite the Antarctican [i] ar ... 

     tundra Tundra

    In physical geography [i], tundra is an area where the tree [i] growth is hindered by low temperatures a ... 

     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 Nome, Alaska

    Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula [i] coast of Norton Sound [i] in the Nome Census Area [i] ... 

    , Bethel Bethel, Alaska

    Bethel is a city located in Bethel Census Area [i] in the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i] ... 

    , Kotzebue Kotzebue, Alaska

    [i] in the [[U.S. state]... 

     and, most famously, Barrow Barrow, Alaska

    Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough [i] of the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i] ... 

    , the northernmost town in the United States.


The northeast corner of Alaska is covered by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge covers 19,049,236 acres in northeastern Alaska [i], in the North Slope [i] ... 

, which covers 19,049,236 acres .

With its numerous islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles of tidal shoreline. The island chain extending west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula Alaska Peninsula

The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula [i] extending about 800 km to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska [i] ... 

 is called the Aleutian Islands Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc [i] in t ... 

. Many active volcano Volcano

A volcano is a geological landform [i] on the surface of the Earth [i] where magma [i] from th ... 

es are found in the Aleutians. For example, Unimak Island Unimak Island

Unimak Island is an island [i] in the Aleutian Islands [i] chain of the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i]. ... 

 is home to Mount Shishaldin Mount Shishaldin

Shishaldin Volcano is a moderately active volcano [i] on Unimak Island [i] in the Aleutian Islands [i] c ... 

, a moderately active volcano that rises to 9,980 ft above sea level Sea level

Mean sea level is the average height of the sea [i], with reference to a suitable reference surface. ... 

. The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr Mount Spurr

Mount Spurr is a volcano [i] in the Aleutian [i] Volcanic Arc of Alaska [i], named afte ... 

, west of Anchorage on the mainland.

One of North America's largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm Cook Inlet

The Cook Inlet or Nuti is a large inlet [i] of the Gulf of Alaska [i] in south-central Alaska [i]. ... 

 just south of Anchorage. Tidal differences can be more than 35 feet .

Alaska is home to 3.5 million lake Lake

A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size surrounded by land.... 

s of 20 acres or larger. Marshland Marsh

In geography [i], a marsh is a type of wetland [i], featuring grass [i]es, rush [i]es, ... 

s and wetland permafrost Permafrost

In geology [i], permafrost or permafrost soil is a thermal condition where ground material stays a ... 

 cover 188,320 square miles
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 Extreme points of the United States

This is a list of the extreme points of the United States [i], the points that are farther north [i], south [i] ... 

. The International Date Line International Date Line

The International Date Line, also known as just the Date Line, is an imaginary line on the surface... 

 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 Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior [i] whic ... 

, approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed by the U.S. federal government Federal government of the United States

The government [i] of the United States of America [i], established by the U.S. Constitution [i]... 

 as national forest United States National Forest

U.S. National Forests are protected forests and woodland areas in the United States [i]. ... 

s, national park National park

A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government [i], protected ... 

s, and national wildlife refuge National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States [i] managed b ... 

s. Of these, the Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior [i] whic ... 

 manages 87 million acres , or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge covers 19,049,236 acres in northeastern Alaska [i], in the North Slope [i] ... 

 is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the [[United States Department of the Interior]... 

.

Of the remaining land area, the State of Alaska owns 24.5%; another 10% is managed by thirteen 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%.
Alaska is administratively divided into "boroughs Borough

A borough is an administrative division [i] used in various countries. ... 

," as opposed to "counties." The function is the same, but whereas some states use a three-tiered system of decentralisation — state/county/township — most of Alaska only uses two tiers — state/borough. Owing to the state's low population density, most of the land is located in the Unorganized Borough Unorganized Borough

The Unorganized Borough is that part of the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i] not contained in any of its 16 ... 

 which, as the name implies, has no intermediate borough government of its own, but is administered directly by the state government. Anchorage, uniquely, 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, on the other hand, has a separate borough and municipality .

See also:
  • List of Alaska rivers
  • List of Alaska National Parks
  • Alaska Peninsula Alaska Peninsula

    The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula [i] extending about 800 km to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska [i] ... 

  • Bristol Bay Bristol Bay

    Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea [i], at 57 to 59 North 157 to 162 West. ... 



History

Alaska was first inhabited by humans who came across the Bering Land Bridge Bering land bridge

The Bering land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a land bridge [i] roughly 1,000 miles north to ... 

. Eventually, Alaska became populated by the Inupiaq, Inuit Inuit

Inuit is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous people [i]s inhabiting the Arctic [i] ... 

 and Yupik Eskimo Eskimo

Eskimos, or Esquimaux, are terms used to refer to people [i] who inhabit the circumpolar [i] regio ... 

s, Aleut Aleut

The Aleuts are the indigenous people [i] of the Aleutian Islands [i] of Alaska [i], United States [i]... 

s, and a variety of Native American Native Americans in the United States

American Indian and Alaskan NativesU.S. state [i]s and several of the inhabited insular areas [i] that a ... 

 groups. Most, if not all, of the pre-Columbian population of the Americas probably took this route and continued further south and east.


The first written accounts indicate that the first Europeans to reach Alaska came from Russia. Vitus Bering Vitus Bering

Vitus Jonassen Bering was a Danish [i]-born navigator in the service of the Russian Navy [i], a ... 

 sailed east and saw Mt. St. Elias. Alaska became a Russian colony in 1744, but the first Russian settlement, Nikolaevsk on Kodiak Island Kodiak Island

Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i], separated from t ... 

, was founded only in 1784 by Grigory Shelikhov Grigory Shelikhov

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov, 1795 [i]) was a Russia [i]n seafarer and merchant [i].
... 

. The Russian-American Company hunted sea otter Sea Otter

[i], from northern [[Japan]... 

s for their fur. The colony was never very profitable, because of the costs of transportation. By today the only Russian settlement in Alaska is Nikolayevsk on Kenai Peninsula Kenai Peninsula

[i]
... 

, enpopulated by old believers Old Believers

In the context of Russian Orthodox church history [i], the Old Believers separated after 1666 - 1667 fro ... 

 in 1968.

Spaniards Spanish people

The Spanish people or Spaniards are the ethnic group [i] or nation [i] native to Spain [i], in the ... 

 explored the coast and made some settlements during the 18th century. Remains of this early period are Spanish names such Cordova and Valdez.

The news of the British North America Act, 1867, was nervously received in Washington, DC. It would create, on July 1, 1867, "one dominion under the name of Canada", and this led to expressions of "grave misgivings on the establishment of a monarchial state to the north" in what Canadians then called "the republic to the south". U.S. Secretary of State United States Secretary of State

The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State [i], concerned ... 

 William Seward William H. Seward

William Henry Seward, Sr. was United States Secretary of State [i] under Abraham Lincoln [i] and Andrew Johnson [i] ... 

 thus urged, and the United States Senate United States Senate

he United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States [i], the other b ... 

 thus approved, the treaty authorizing the purchase of Alaska Alaska purchase

[i]
... 

 from Imperial Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

 for US$7,200,000 on April 9, 1867. The United States took possession and the American flag was raised over Alaska on October 18, which is commemorated as Alaska Day.

Russia still used the Julian Calendar Julian calendar

The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC [i] by Julius Caesar [i] and took force in 45 BC [i] . ... 

 in 1867, and the world had not yet been divided into standard time zones; thus, there was no international date line, and the day began in the morning instead of starting at midnight. So, while the American day now ends with sunset in western Alaska, the Russian day then started with sunrise in "eastern" Alaska. Thus, Friday, October 6, 1867, the day before the physical transfer of ownership, was followed by Friday, October 18, 1867—which was Saturday, October 7, 1867 in Russia. The change in date was due to America bringing the Gregorian Calendar Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar is the calendar [i] that is used nearly everywhere in the world.... 

 to Alaska, while the lack of change in day resulted from Alaska's shift from being the starting point of the Russian day to being the ending point of the American day.

The purchase was unpopular in the United States, where it became known as "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox". Alaska celebrates the purchase each year on the last Monday of March, calling it Seward's Day.

Supposedly, the first American administrator of Alaska was Polish Poles

The Poles are a western Slavic [i] people [i] inhabiting the country of Poland [i] and a numb ... 

 immigrant Wlodzmierz Krzyzanowski. However, the Anchorage Daily News Anchorage Daily News

The Anchorage Daily News is a daily newspaper [i] based in Anchorage, Alaska [i], in the United States [i] ... 

was unable to find any conclusive information to support or disprove this claim.

Upon purchase, the area was called the Department of Alaska. Between 1884 and 1912 it was called the District of Alaska. Alaska was granted territorial status in 1912.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was an American [i] soldier and politician.... 

 signed the Alaska Statehood Act on July 7, 1958, and Alaska formally became a state on January 3, 1959.

Alaska suffered one of the worst earthquake Earthquake

An earthquake is a phenomenon [i] that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stored energ ... 

s in recorded history on Good Friday Good Friday

Good Friday is a holy day [i] celebrated by most Christians [i] on the Frid ... 

 1964 .

In 1976, the people of Alaska amended the state's constitution, establishing the Alaska Permanent Fund. The fund invests a portion of the state's mineral revenue, including revenue from the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska P... 

, "to benefit all generations of Alaskans." In March 2005, the fund's value was over $30 billion.

Prior to 1983, the state lay across four different time zone Time zone

A time zone is a region of the Earth [i] that has adopted the same standard time [i], usually referred t ... 

s—Pacific Standard Time in the southeast panhandle, a small area of Yukon Standard Time around Yakutat Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska

Yakutat City and Borough is a unified city-borough [i] in the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i].... 

, Alaska–Hawaii Standard Time in the Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska is a consolidated city-borough [i] in the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i]. ... 

 and Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough [i], ... 

 vicinity, with the Nome Nome, Alaska

Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula [i] coast of Norton Sound [i] in the Nome Census Area [i] ... 

 area and most of the Aleutian Islands Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc [i] in t ... 

 observing Bering Standard Time . In 1983 the number of time zones was reduced to two, with the entire mainland plus the inner Aleutian Islands going to UTC -9 hours , and the remaining Aleutian Islands were slotted into the UTC -10 hours zone, which was then renamed Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time.

Over the years various vessels Ship

A ship is a large, sea-going watercraft [i]. ... 

 have been named USS Alaska, in honor of the state.

During World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

 three of the outer Aleutian Islands—Attu Attu Island

Attu is the westernmost [i] and largest island [i] in the Near Islands [i] ... 

, Agattu and Kiska Kiska

Kiska is an island [i] in the Rat Islands [i] group of the Aleutian Islands [i] of Alaska [i] located at ... 

—were occupied by Japan Japan

is an island country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

ese troops. It was the only territory within the current borders of the United States to have land occupied during the war.

Demographics



As of 2005, Alaska has an estimated population of 663,661, which is an increase of 5,906, or 0.9%, from the prior year and an increase of 36,730, or 5.9%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 36,590 people , and an increase due to net migration of 1,181 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 5,800 people, and migration within the country produced a net loss of 4,619 people.

With a population of 626,932, according to the , Alaska is ranked 48th out of the 50 States. But ranked by population density, Alaska is the least densely populated at 1.1 people per square mile , with the next nearest ranking state, Wyoming, at 5.1 per square mile, and the most densely populated, New Jersey, at 1,134.4 per square mile.

For purposes of the federal census, the state is divided into artificial divisions defined geographically by the United States Census Bureau United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is a part of the United States Department of Commerce [i]. ... 

 for statistical purposes only.

Race and ancestry

The largest ancestry groups in the state are: German German American

German Americans are citizens of the United States [i] of German [i] ancestry. ... 

 , Alaska Native or American Indian , Irish Ireland

Ireland is the third largest [i] island [i] in Europe [i]. ... 

 , British , American United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 , and Norwegian Norwegian American

Norwegian Americans are an ethnic group [i] in the United States [i]. ... 

 . Alaska has the largest percentage of American Indians of any state.

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 Filipino American

The Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American [i] group in the United States, fol... 

 population. Most of the state's black population lives in Anchorage. Fairbanks also has a sizeable black population as well.

As of 2000 2000

2000 was a leap year starting on Saturday [i] of the Gregorian calendar [i]. ... 

, 85.7% of Alaska residents age 5 and older speak only English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 at home and 5.2% speak Native American languages Indigenous languages of the Americas

Indigenous languages of the Americas are spoken by indigenous peoples [i] ... 

. Spanish Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is an Iberian Romance language [i]. ... 

 speakers make up 2.9% of the population, followed by Tagalog Tagalog language

Tagalog is one of the major language [i]s of the Republic of the Philippines [i]. ... 

 speakers at 1.5% and Korean Korean language

The Korean language is the official language of both North [i] and South Korea [i]. ... 

 at 0.8%.

Languages

More than 90 languages are spoken in Alaska, including 20 which are indigenous to Alaska. The indigenous languages, known locally as Native languages, belong to two major language families.
  • Aleut
  • Eskimo family
    • Central Alaskan Yup'ik
    • Siberian Yupik
    • Alutiiq
    • Sirenikski
    • Naukan
    • Inupiaq
  • Athabaksan-Eyak-Tlingit family
    • Tlingit Tlingit

      The Tlingit are an American Indian people.... 

    • Eyak
    • Ahtna Athabascan
    • Dena'ina Athabascan
    • Deg Xinag Athabascan
    • Upper Kuskokwim Athabascan
    • Holikachuk Athabascan
    • Koyukon Athabascan
    • Gwich’in Athabascan
    • Lower Tanana Athabascan
    • Tanacross Athabascan Tanacross language

      Tanacross is an endangered [i] Athabaskan language [i] spoken b ... 

    • Upper Tanana Athabascan
  • Haida Haida

    The Haida are an indigenous people [i] of the west coast of North America [i]. ... 

  • Tsimshian Tsimshian

    The Tsimshian, translated as "People Inside the Skeena River," are a Native American [i] ... 




As the homeland of two of North America's major language families, Eskimo-Aleut Eskimo-Aleut languages

Eskimo-Aleut is a language family [i] native to Greenland [i], the Canadian Arctic [i], Alaska [i], and ... 

 and Athabaskan Athabaskan languages

Athabaskan or Athabascan is the name of a large group of closely related Native American [i] ... 

, Alaska has been described as the crossroads of the continents, providing evidence for the recent settlement of North America via the Bering land bridge Bering land bridge

The Bering land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a land bridge [i] roughly 1,000 miles north to ... 

.

Religion


  • Christian Christianity

    Christianity is a monotheistic [i] religion [i] centered on Jesus of Nazareth [i] ... 

     – 82%
    • Protestant – 68%
      • Baptist Baptist

        A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church or a person who believes in the practice of baptism by immersi... 

         – 11%
      • Lutheran Lutheranism

        Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity [i] that began with the theological [i] insights ... 

         – 8%
      • Methodist Methodism

        Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denomination [i] ... 

         – 6%
      • Pentecostal – 2%
      • Quaker Religious Society of Friends

        The Religious Society of Friends began in England [i] in the 17th century [i] by people who were dissati ... 

         – 1%
    • Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church

      The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian [i] body that encompasses national jurisdictions ... 

       – 8%
    • Catholic – 7%
    • Episcopal Episcopal Church in the United States of America

      The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, or as it is also known, The Episcopa... 

       – 1%
    • LDS Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

      The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the LDS Church or the Mormon C... 

       – 1%
  • Other religion Religion

    Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of belief [i]s or attitudes concerning ... 

    s – 1%
  • Not religious/agnostic – 17%


Notable is Alaska's relatively large Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian [i] body that encompasses national jurisdictions ... 

 Christian Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic [i] religion [i] centered on Jesus of Nazareth [i] ... 

 population, a result of early Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

n colonization and missionary work among indigenous Alaskans.

Economy

The state's 2005 total gross state product was $39.9 billion. Its per-capita GSP for 2005 was $60,079, 3rd in the nation. Alaska's main export is seafood. Agriculture represents only a fraction of the Alaska 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 Natural resource

Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively un... 

 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 Tourism

Tourism is the act of travel [i] for predominantly recreation [i]al or leisure [i] purposes, and also re ... 

 sector. Tourists have contributed to the economy by supporting local lodging.

Alaska's economy is heavily dependent on increasingly expensive diesel Diesel

Diesel or diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate [i] of fuel oil [i] ... 

 fuel for heating Furnace

A furnace is a device used for heat [i]ing.
... 

, transportation Transport

Transport or transportation is the movement [i] of people [i] and goods [i] ... 

, electric power Electric power

Electric power is defined as the amount of work [i] done by an electric current [i] in a unit time [i] ... 

 and light. Though wind Wind power

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into more useful forms, usually electricity using wind turbine [i]... 

 and hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is electricity [i] obtained from hydropower [i]. ... 

 are abundant and underutilized, proposals for state-wide energy systems were judged uneconomical due to low fuel prices, long distances and low population. The cost of a gallon of gas in Alaska today is usually $0.30-$0.60 higher than the national average.

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 Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska is a consolidated city-borough [i] in the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i]. ... 

 and to a lesser extent in Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is a Home Rule City in Fairbanks North Star Borough [i], ... 

, where the cost of living has dropped somewhat in the past five years. Housing costs within the city of Fairbanks have remained almost unchanged . Outside the city limits they are significantly lower .

Federal Government employees, namely United States Postal Service workers, receive a Cost Of Living Allowance usually set at 25% of base pay, owing to the fact that 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 , 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 Costco

Costco Wholesale Corporation is a membership warehouse club [i] chain and headquartered in Issaquah, Washington [i]... 

 and Sam's Club Sam's Club

Sam's Club, spelled 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.

Alaska is one of only six states with no state sales tax and one of seven states that do not levy an individual income tax Income tax

An income tax is a tax [i] levied on the financial income [i] of persons, corporations or other legal en... 

. To finance state government operations, Alaska depends primarily on petroleum Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a black, dark brown or greenish liquid [i] found in porous rock formati ... 

 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, with a range of between 1 percent and 7 percent. Typical sales tax rates are 3 to 5 percent. Other types of local taxes levied include raw fish taxes, hotel Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging [i], usually on a short-term basis. ... 

, motel, and B'n'B "bed" taxes, severance taxes, liquor Distilled beverage

A distilled beverage is a liquid preparation meant for consumption containing ethyl alcohol [i] purified ... 

 and tobacco Tobacco

Tobacco refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade [i] family indigenous to North [i] ... 

 taxes, gaming taxes, tire taxes and fuel transfer taxes. A percentage of revenue collected from certain state taxes and license fees 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 . 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 Distilled beverage

A distilled beverage is a liquid preparation meant for consumption containing ethyl alcohol [i] purified ... 

 and tobacco Tobacco

Tobacco refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade [i] family indigenous to North [i] ... 

. The average per capita property tax paid in all municipalities, excluding oil and gas properties, was US$999 .

Transportation


Alaska is arguably the least-connected state in terms of road transportation. The state's road system covers a relatively small area of the state, linking the central population centers and the Alaska Highway Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway, also the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway, and the Alcan High... 

, the principal route out of the state through Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

. 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 Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain [i], linking the Seward Highway [i] ... 

, which links the Seward Highway Seward Highway

The Seward Highway is a highway in the U.S. state [i] of Alaska [i] that extends 127 miles from Seward [i] ... 

 south of Anchorage with the relatively isolated community of <