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Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks, Alaska

Overview
Fairbanks is a Home Rule
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a Sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level...

 City in and the borough seat
County seat
A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...

 of the Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska, United States. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska, Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and is slightly smaller in size than the state of New Jersey. As of 2000 the...

, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....

 region of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,243 municipal residents in 2008 , it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; only New York has a higher percentage...

. It is the principal city of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and is the northernmost Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States.

According to 2008 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 35,132, and the Fairbanks metropolitan area's population was 97,970.
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Encyclopedia
Fairbanks is a Home Rule
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a Sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level...

 City in and the borough seat
County seat
A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...

 of the Fairbanks North Star Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska, United States. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska, Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and is slightly smaller in size than the state of New Jersey. As of 2000 the...

, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....

 region of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,243 municipal residents in 2008 , it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; only New York has a higher percentage...

. It is the principal city of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and is the northernmost Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States.

According to 2008 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 35,132, and the Fairbanks metropolitan area's population was 97,970. Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....

, the oldest college in Alaska.

History



Captain E.T. Barnette founded Fairbanks in August 1901 while trying to set up a trading post at Tanacross
Tanacross, Alaska
Tanacross is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 140...

 (where the Tanana River
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska.Its headwaters are located at the confluence of the Chisana and Nabesna Rivers just north of Northway in eastern Alaska. It flows in a northwest from near the border with the Yukon Territory, and laterally along the...

 crossed the Valdez-Eagle trail). But the steam boat Barnette was aboard, the Lavelle Young, ran aground and he was deposited seven miles (11 km) up the Chena River
Chena River
The Chena River is a 100-mile-long river in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It flows generally west from the White Mountains to the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, which is built on both sides of the river...

. Smoke from the steamer's engines attracted some prospectors, and they met Barnette where he disembarked. The prospectors convinced Barnette to set up his trading post there. The city is named after Charles Fairbanks, a Republican senator from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a U.S. state, the 19th admitted to the Union. It is located in the Great Lakes region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents, is ranked 16th in population and 17th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area, and is the...

 and later the 26th Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term...

, serving in Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States. He is well remembered for his energetic persona, his range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" image. He was a leader of the Republican Party and founder of the short-lived Bull Moose Party...

's second term.

Felix Pedro
Felix Pedro
Felice Pedroni , known best to Americans by his Hispanicized alias Felix Pedro, was an Italian immigrant whose discovery of gold in Interior Alaska marked the beginning of the 1902 Fairbanks Gold Rush.-Early life:...

 discovered gold northeast of town in July 1902 and a swarm of new residents followed. Federal judge James Wickersham
James Wickersham
James Wickersham was a district judge for Alaska, appointed by U.S. President William McKinley to the Third Judicial District in 1900. He resigned his post in 1908 and was subsequently elected as Alaska's delegate to Congress, serving until 1917 and then being re-elected in 1930...

 established government offices in Fairbanks the next year, helping to cement the quickly growing town as an important center of activity in Interior Alaska.

The Tanana Valley is an important agricultural center for Alaska, and during Fairbanks' early days the vicinity of the town was a major producer of agricultural goods. Despite early efforts by groups like the Alaska Loyal League
Alaska Loyal League
The Alaska Loyal League was a small group of Fairbanks businessmen who were instrumental in supporting early Tanana Valley agriculture and enterprise. They included: A. Browning; George Coleman, manager of the Northern Commercial Company; F.S. Gordon, a merchant; H.B. Parkin, Fairbanks Meat Company...

 and the Tanana Valley Agriculture Association, and the editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, W.F. Thompson, to encourage food production, agriculture in the area was never able to fully support the population, although it came close in the 1920s.

Topography


Fairbanks is located in the central Tanana Valley
Tanana Valley
The Tanana Valley is a lowland region in central Alaska in the United States, on the north side of the Alaska Range where the Tanana River emerges from the mountains....

, straddling the Chena River
Chena River
The Chena River is a 100-mile-long river in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It flows generally west from the White Mountains to the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, which is built on both sides of the river...

 near its confluence with the Tanana River
Tanana River
The Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River in the U.S. state of Alaska.Its headwaters are located at the confluence of the Chisana and Nabesna Rivers just north of Northway in eastern Alaska. It flows in a northwest from near the border with the Yukon Territory, and laterally along the...

. Immediately north of the city is a chain of hills that rises gradually until it reaches the White Mountains
White Mountains (Alaska)
The White Mountains is a 115-km-long mountain range in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies between Beaver Creek and Preacher Creek, and was named by prospectors for its composition of white limestone. The range reaches a maximum elevation of 968 m...

 and the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. Over half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska, with most of the other portion lying in and giving its name to Canada's Yukon Territory, and a small part of the river near the source located in British Columbia...

. The southern border of the city is the Tanana River. South of the river is the Tanana Flats, an area of marsh and bog that stretches for more than until it rises into the Alaska Range
Alaska Range
The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast...

, which is visible from Fairbanks on clear days. To the east and west are low valleys separated by ridges of hills up to above sea level.

The Tanana Valley is crossed by many low streams and rivers that flow into the Tanana River. In Fairbanks, the Chena River flows southwest until it empties into the Tanana. A slough of the Chena creates Garden Island, a district connected to the rest of Fairbanks by bridges and culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a conduit used to enclose a flowing body of water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment for example. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...

ed roads.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...

, the city has a total area of 32.7 square miles (84.6 km²); 31.9 square miles (82.5 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (2.48%) is water.

Surrounding municipalities



Climate


Fairbanks' climate is usually classified as Subarctic climate
Subarctic climate
Regions having a subarctic climate are characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...

 (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...

 Dfc). Climate classification Dfc is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers, with most precipitation occurring in the summer. In Fairbanks, winter lasts from late September/early October until late April/early May. On average, the season's first snow falls in Fairbanks on September 21, and the first inch of snow accumulates by October 8, on average. The snowpack
Snowpack
Snowpack forms from layers of snow that accumulate in geographic regions and high altitudes where the climate includes cold weather for extended periods during the year. Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as they melt. Snowpacks are the drinking water source for...

 is established by October 18, on average, and remains until May. Snow occasionally arrives early and in large amounts. On September 13, 1992, of snow fell in the city, bending trees still laden with fall leaves. That September also was one of the snowiest on record, as fell, compared to an average of 2.2 inches in the month. Average winter low temperatures range from to , but extremes can range from to . In summer, temperatures typically range between and ; Fairbanks did not record a temperature between 1994 and 2009. The highest recorded temperature in Fairbanks was , while the lowest was . The warmest year in Fairbanks was 1981, when the average annual temperature was . The coldest year was 1956, which averaged a low of .

These widly varying temperature extremes are due to three main factors: temperature inversions
Inversion (meteorology)
In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to a temperature inversion, i.e., an increase in temperature with height, or to the layer within which such an increase occurs...

, daylight, and wind direction. In winter, Fairbanks' low-lying location at the bottom of the Tanana Valley causes cold air to accumulate in and around the city. Warmer air rises to the tops of the hills north of Fairbanks, while the city itself experiences one of the biggest temperature inversions on Earth. Heating through sunlight is limited because of Fairbanks' high-latitude location. At the winter solstice
Winter solstice
Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice, astronomical event* Winter Solstice , former band* Winter Solstice: North , seasonal songs* Winter Solstice , 2005 American film...

, Fairbanks experiences 3 hours and 43 minutes of sunlight. At the summer solstice, Fairbanks receives 21 hours and 49 minutes of direct sunlight; after sunset, twilight is bright enough to allow daytime activities. During winter, the direction of the wind also causes large temperature swings in Fairbanks. When the wind blows from any direction but the south, average weather ensues. Wind from the south can carry warm, moist air from the Gulf of Alaska, greatly warming temperatures. When coupled with a chinook wind
Chinook wind
Chinook winds, often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is falsely...

, temperatures well above freezing often result.

In addition to the chinook wind, Fairbanks experiences a handful of other unusual meteorological conditions. In summer, dense wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Reflecting the type of vegetation or fuel, other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and wildland fire may be used to describe the same phenomenon...

 smoke accumulates in the Tanana Valley, affecting the weather and causing health concerns. When temperature inversions arise in winter, heavy ice fog often results. Ice fog occurs when air is too cold to absorb additional moisture, such as that released by automobile engines or human breath. Instead of dissipating, the water freezes into microscopic crystals that are suspended in the air, creating fog. Fairbanks' most notable unusual meteorological occurrence is the prevalence of the aurora borealis, commonly called the northern lights, which are visible on average more than 200 days per year in the vicinity of Fairbanks.

Global warming has affected Fairbanks temperatures and climate. Since 1949, Fairbanks' average winter temperature has risen by 7.7 °F (4.3 °C). Its average spring temperature has risen by 3.8 °F (2.1 °C), and its average summer temperature has risen by 2.3 °F (1.3 °C). During the same period, Fairbanks' average autumn temperature has fallen by 0.4 °F (0.2 °C). If only the years 1977–2008 are considered, Fairbanks' average annual temperature has dropped by 1.3 °F (0.7 °C) degrees.

Demographics


As of the census
Census
A "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...

of 2000, there were 30,224 people, 11,075 households, and 7,187 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....

 was 948.7 people per square mile (366.3/km²). There were 12,357 housing units at an average density of 387.9/sq mi (149.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.67% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 12.16% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 9.91% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 2.72% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.54% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 2.45% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 6.57% from two or more races. 6.13% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.

Of the 11,075 households, 39.9% had children under the age of 18, 47.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...

 living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.15.

Median age of the population was 28 years, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,577, and the median income for a family was $46,785. Males had a median income of $30,539 versus $26,577 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...

 for the city was $19,814. About 7.4% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Media


Fairbanks' largest newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns that express the...

 is the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is a morning daily newspaper that serves the city of Fairbanks, Alaska, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the United States state of Alaska. It is the farthest north daily newspaper in the United States, and...

, which also includes a weekly entertainment guide, Latitude 65. A few other periodicals also serve Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough: The Ester Republic
The Ester Republic
The Ester Republic is a small, independent monthly newspaper published in Ester, Alaska, and established January 1999. The paper serves as an alternative media publication for the Tanana Valley. It is the only newspaper that has been published in Ester; the village has been served historically by...

and the University of Alaska Fairbanks student newspaper, the Sun Star
Sun Star
The Sun Star is the student newspaper of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, formed in a merger of the Northern Sun and the Polar Star...

.

Fairbanks is also served by television
Television
Television is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...

 and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

. Leading radio stations include AM Stations KFAR
KFAR
KFAR is a commercial radio station programming news/talk in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, broadcasting on 660 AM. It airs Fox News Radio and carries national radio programs thru the Westwood One radio network.-External links:*...

 660 talk radio, KCBF
KCBF
KCBF is a commercial radio station airing sports programming in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcastingon 820 AM. KCBF obtains its programming from ESPN Radio....

 820 ESPN
ESPN
ESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....

 Radio Network, KFBX
KFBX
KFBX is a commercial radio station programming talk in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 970 AM. It airs hourly news updates thru ABC News Radio. It is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications....

 970 talk radio and KJNP
KJNP (AM)
KJNP and KJHA is a commercial radio station simulcasting in North Pole, Alaska, and Houston, Alaska. The station airs a religious radio format. In addition to the main stations, the broadcast is relayed by an additional 5 translators to widen its broadcast area.These radio stations were founded...

 1170 religious radio. FM stations include 88.5 popular Christian, KUAC
KUAC (FM)
KUAC is a non-commercial radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 89.9 FM. The station is owned by the University of Alaska, and airs public radio programming from the National Public Radio network, Public Radio International, and...

 89.9 National Public Radio, KSUA
KSUA
KSUA is a radio station broadcasting an Educational format. Licensed to Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, , the station serves the Alaska Interior area...

 91.5 University of Alaska, Fairbanks, KDJF
KDJF
KDJF is a radio station licensed to serve Ester, Alaska. The station is owned by Tanana Valley Television Company. It airs a Country music format. Programming on KDJF includes the syndicated Rick and Bubba Show on mornings....

 ("CHET FM") 93.5 everything country KXLR
KXLR
KXLR is a commercial album-oriented rock music radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 95.9 FM.In May 2007, KXLR switched from standard classic rock to album-oriented rock under the branding "X-Rock". The "X-Rock" branding was also on sister station KXLW in Anchorage, which is now...

 95.9 classic rock KYSC
KYSC
KYSC is a commercial adult contemporary music radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska.KYSC obtains its music programming from ABC Radio Networks, with news programming coming from ABC as well...

 96.9 soft rock, KWLF
KWLF
KWLF is a commercial radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska. KWLF airs a Top 40 music format.-External links:*
...

 98.1-"Wolf 98.1", top 40, KJNP-FM
KJNP-FM
KJNP-FM is a radio station licensed to serve North Pole, Alaska. The station is owned by Evangelistic Alaska Missionary Fellowship. It airs a Religious radio format....

 100.3 religious radio, KAKQ-FM
KAKQ-FM
KAKQ-FM is a commercial adult contemporary music radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 101.1 FM.-External links:*...

 101.1-"Magic 101.1" pop music, KIAK-FM
KIAK-FM
KIAK-FM is a commercial country music radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 102.5 FM.-External links:*...

 102.5 country music, KTDZ
KTDZ
KTDZ is a commercial radio station in College, Alaska, broadcasting to the Fairbanks, Alaska, area. KTDZ airs an adult hits format....

 103.9-"K-TED" adult hits, and KKED
KKED
KKED is a commercial active rock music radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting on 104.7 FM.-External links:*...

 104.7 rock music.

Fairbanks' major television affiliates are KATN
KATN
KATN debuted on March 1, 1955 as KFAR-TV, and was Fairbanks' second television station after KTVF. It became KTTU-TV in 1981 and KATN in 1984...

 (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...

)-(KIMO
KIMO
KIMO in Anchorage is part of a trio of ABC and digital CW affiliates covering the "The Last Frontier" under the "Alaska's Superstation" banner, with KATN and KJUD. It is owned by Smith Media.-History:...

 retransmission), KFXF
KFXF
KFXF, channel 7, is the Fox affiliate in Fairbanks, Alaska.-History:KFXF signed on the air on April 20, 1992 as the area's first commercial station since KTVF and KATN both started in 1955; until then, they were the only two major network stations...

 (FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
The Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...

), KUAC-TV (PBS)-"AlaskaONE" with some KMXT
KMXT
KMXT is a non-commercial radio station in Kodiak, Alaska, broadcasting on 100.1 FM. The station airs public radio programming from the National Public Radio network and the BBC World Service. KMXT also airs some locally originated programming....

-only programming, KTVF
KTVF
-History:It signed on the air as the market's first television station in February 1955 and was a CBS affiliate until April 1, 1996.While primarily a CBS station, KTVF also served as secondary affiliates for ABC from 1971 to 1985 -History:It signed on the air as the market's first television...

 (NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...

), K13XD
K13XD
K13XD Channel 13 is the CBS affiliate in Fairbanks, Alaska. It signed on the air on August 7, 1996 as the area's sixth television station, four months after longtime CBS station KTVF dropped the network in favor of NBC...

 (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...

), and UHF station KDMD-LP
KDMD-LP
KDMD-LP is an Ion network affiliate in Fairbanks, Alaska. The station is owned by Ketchikan Television, LLC. It shares its call letters with its sister station in Anchorage....

-(i)-Fairbanks. Cable TV is available from GCI and Denali Television.

Sports


The Carlson Center
Carlson Center
The Carlson Center is a 6443-seat multi-purpose arena in Fairbanks, Alaska. It is home to the University of Alaska Nanooks ice hockey team of the CCHA, the Fairbanks Grizzlies of the Indoor Football League, and is also the site used for the university's commencement exercises as well as ...

 is home to University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....

 Nanooks
Alaska Nanooks
The Alaska Nanooks are the University of Alaska Fairbanks sports teams, derived from the Inupiaq "nanuq." The school colors are blue and gold. The Nanooks compete at the NCAA Division II level for all sports except men's ice hockey...

 men's ice hockey, the Top of the World preseason college basketball tournament, and the Fairbanks Grizzlies
Fairbanks Grizzlies
The Fairbanks Grizzlies are a professional indoor football team in the Indoor Football League. The team will play their home games at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, Alaska...

, a professional arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a sport based upon American football. It is a proprietary game played indoors on a smaller field than American football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game. The sport was invented in 1986, and patented in 1990, by James F. Foster, a former executive of the United States...

 team in the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...

.

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Fairbanks Ice Dogs
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs is a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's West Division. The Ice Dogs play home games at the 2,200-seat Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska.-History:...

, a junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League and the defunct America West Hockey League merged in 2003 to form a 21-team Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League ....

, play at the Big Dipper Ice Arena
Big Dipper Ice Arena
The Big Dipper Ice Arena, colloquially known as "The Big Dipper", is a multi-purpose arena in Fairbanks, Alaska. The arena is owned and operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The Big Dipper was brought to Fairbanks from Tanacross in 1968, and has undergone two major renovations since then...

.

The Alaska Goldpanners and the Fairbanks AIA Fire are summer collegiate baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...

 teams, playing home games at Growden Memorial Park
Growden Memorial Park
Growden Memorial Park is an outdoor baseball park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. It is used for summer collegiate and high school baseball, and has been the home field for the Alaska Baseball League's Alaska Goldpanners since 1960. It's also home to the Athletes in Action Fire. It was also...

. The park is home to the annual Midnight Sun game, an annual tradition since 1906, played without artificial lights starting after ten at night on the summer solstice.

The 2009 Alaska basketball state champions reside in Fairbanks at Hutchison High School.

Facilities, services, utilities, schools, and health care


City water
Water
Water is an ubiquitous chemical substance that is composed of hydrogen and oxygen and is essential for all known forms of life.In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or state, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam. Water covers 71%...

, sanitary sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a type of underground carriage system, , for transporting sewage from houses or industry to treatment or disposal...

, and electric systems are operated by private entities. Water and sewage services are available at most locations within the city limits, but many residents lack them in the surrounding urbanized areas. Fifteen circulating pump stations distribute treated water throughout the greater Fairbanks area.

Electricity is provided by Golden Valley Electric Association. The Chena power site has four steam turbines fueled by coal
Coal
Coal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 and one oil-fueled electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor; motors and generators have many similarities...

. Interior Alaska is not connected to the electrical grid of the contiguous United States and Canada, but a transmission line constructed in 1985 connects Fairbanks with power plants in the coal producing area of Healy
Healy, Alaska
Healy is a census-designated place in and the borough seat of Denali Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 971 at the 2007 census.-Geography:Healy is located at ....

 and the Anchorage area. Fairbanks currently holds the world record for the largest rechargeable battery, which weighs approximately 1,300 tons. The battery was installed to help bridge the gaps that occur during frequent power outages. The battery will provide power for 7 minutes to about 12,000 homes.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks operates its own coal-fired generating station on campus, providing electricity and steam heat to university buildings.

Garbage collection
Waste collection
Waste collection is the component of waste management which results in the passage of a waste material from the source of production to either the point of treatment or final disposal...

 services are provided in some areas of the city, although many Fairbanks residents must haul their own garbage to "transfer stations" where trash and garbage are picked up and taken to the dump. Collected refuse is hauled to the Class 1 Borough landfill on South Cushman Street. Garbage services are funded by a tax that is paid by resident property owners regardless of whether or not they are eligible for garbage collection services in their area. Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area....

 operates its own landfill.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is a public school district based in Fairbanks, Alaska . With a student enrollment of slightly over 14,000, it is the state's second largest public school district....

 has a student enrollment of slightly over 14,000. There are both public and private schools. Most private schools are run by religious organizations (e.g., private Catholic schools).

Local hospital
Hospital
A hospital is an institution for health care providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment, and often but not always providing for longer-term patient stays....

s or health clinics include Fairbanks Memorial Hospital; Interior Community Health Center; Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center; Bassett Army Community Hospital (Fort Wainwright). The hospitals are qualified acute-care facilities and support state-certified Medevac services. Specialized Care: FNA Regional Center for Alcohol & Other Addictions. Long Term Care: Fairbanks Pioneers' Home; Denali Center.

Until 1996, telephone service was provided by the Municipal Utilities Service, a public company. In that year, telephone service was sold to Alaska Communications Systems
Alaska Communications Systems
Alaska Communications Systems, is a telecommunications corporation, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It was the first telecommunications provider in the state of Alaska to maintain a third-generation wireless network and the only provider in Alaska that owns fully incorporated infrastructure...

, a private company. General Communications Inc. has competed against ACS in Fairbanks since 1997. Both companies offer mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone or mobile is a long-range, electronic device used for mobile telecommunications...

 service in Fairbanks, as do national and local providers such as AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is the largest provider of local, long distance telephone services in the United States, and also serves digital subscriber line Internet access. AT&T is the second largest provider of wireless service in the United States, with over 77 million wireless customers, and more than 150...

 and Alaska DigiTel.

A pair of fiber optic cables provide long-distance telephone and Internet service. One parallels the Parks Highway and connects Fairbanks to Anchorage, while the other parallels the Richardson Highway and connects Fairbanks to Valdez. A third, spur fiber optic cable parallels the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and connects Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay. Broadband Internet access is provided by GCI, ACS, and a handful of satellite Internet
Satellite Internet access
Satellite Internet services are used in locations where terrestrial Internet access is not available and also for users who move frequently.Broadband Internet access via geostationary satellite is available almost worldwide, including vessels at sea and mobile land vehicles...

 and wireless Internet services.

Fairbanks is classified as a small city. It is found in EMS Region 1C in the Interior Region. Emergency services have highway, airport, and floatplane access. Emergency service is provided by 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan . It is one of eight N11 codes...

 telephone service, paid EMS service, volunteers, a health aide, and the military. Auxiliary health care is provided by Fairbanks Fire Department; Airport Fire Department; University Fire Department; Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue; Steese Area Volunteer Fire; Guardian Flight Critical-Care Air Ambulance; Warbelow's Air Ambulance; Fort Wainwright Fire/Emergency; Ester Volunteer Fire Department.

Economy



As the regional service and supply center for the Alaska Interior
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....

, Fairbanks offers a diverse economy
Economic system
An economic system is the system of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services of an economy. Alternatively, it is the set of principles and techniques by which problems of economics are addressed, such as the economic problem of scarcity through allocation of finite productive...

, including city, borough, state, and federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the central government entity established by the United States Constitution, which shares sovereignty over the United States with the governments of the individual U.S. states. The federal government has three branches: the legislative, executive, and...

 services; and transportation, communication
Communication
Communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Communication processes are sign-mediated interactions between at least two agents which share a repertoire of signs and semiotic rules. Communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of...

, manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...

, financial
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...

, and regional medical services. Tourism and mining also comprise a significant part of the economy. Including Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base is located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. It is part of the "Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area". As of the 2000 census, the population of the base is 5,400...

 and Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area....

 personnel, over one third of the employment is in government services. The University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....

 is also a major employer. Approximately 325,000 tourists visit Fairbanks each summer. The Fort Knox hardrock gold mine produces 1,200 ounces daily with 360 permanent year-round employees.

Taxes

  • Sales: None
  • Property: 20.777 mills
    Property tax
    Property tax, or millage tax, is an ad valorem tax that an owner is required to pay on the value of the property being taxed. Property tax can be defined as "generally, tax imposed by municipalities upon owners of property within their jurisdiction based on the value of such property."There are...

     (7.171 city/13.606 borough areawide)
  • Special: 5% alcohol tax (city only); 16% tobacco tax (8% city/8% borough); 8% accommodations tax (city only)

Transportation


As the transportation hub for Interior Alaska, Fairbanks features extensive road, rail, and air connections to the rest of Alaska and Outside
Outside (Alaska)
In Alaska, Outside or the Outside refers to any non-Alaska location. Though commonly used by Alaskans to refer to other U.S. states, it may also refer to international locations distant from Alaska, including Canada or Russia...

. At Fairbanks' founding, the only way to reach the new city was via steamboat on the Chena River. In 1904, money intended to improve the Valdez-Eagle Trail was diverted to build a branch trail, giving Fairbanks its first overland connection to the outside world. The resulting Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway
The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles from Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks. It is also connects segments of Alaska Route 1 between the Glenn Highway and the...

 was created in 1910 after Gen. Wilds P. Richardson
Wilds P. Richardson
Wilds Preston Richardson was an officer of the United States Army notable for being an explorer and geographer of Alaska in the early decades of the 20th century. During World War I he was promoted to the rank brigadier general and, because of his cold weather experience, sent to lead the Polar...

 upgraded it to a wagon road. In the 1920s, it was improved further and made navigable by automobiles, but it was not paved until 1957.

Fairbanks' road connections were improved in 1927, when the Steese Highway
Steese Highway
The Steese Highway is a highway in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska that extends from Fairbanks to Circle, a town on the Yukon River about 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The highway was completed in 1927 and is named for U.S. Army General James G. Steese, a former president...

 connected the city to the Yukon River at the gold-mining community of Circle
Circle, Alaska
Circle is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 100....

. In 1942, the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II and connects the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It runs from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon. Completed in 1943, it was long, but is becoming shorter due to rerouting...

 connected the Richardson Highway to the Canadian road system, allowing road travel from the rest of the United States to Fairbanks, which is considered the unofficial end of the highway. Because of WWII, civilian traffic was not permitted on the highway until 1948.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of roads were built to connect Fairbanks to the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. The Elliott Highway
Elliott Highway
The Elliott Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends 152 miles from Fox, about 10 miles north of Fairbanks, to Manley Hot Springs. It was completed in 1959 and is part of Alaska Route 2...

 was built in 1957 to connect Fairbanks to Livengood
Livengood, Alaska
Livengood is a census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 29 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Livengood is located at ....

, southern terminus of the Dalton Highway
Dalton Highway
The James W. Dalton Highway, usually Dalton Highway is a 414-mile road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields...

, which ends in Deadhorse
Deadhorse, Alaska
Deadhorse is an unincorporated community in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States, along the North Slope near the Arctic Ocean. The town consists mainly of facilities for the workers and companies that operate at the nearby Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Deadhorse is accessible via the Dalton Highway...

 on the North Slope. West of the Dalton intersection, the Elliott Highway extends to Manley Hot Springs on the Tanana River. To improve logistics in Fairbanks during construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the George Parks Highway
George Parks Highway
The George Parks Highway , usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles from the Glenn Highway 35 miles north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Interior...

 was built between Fairbanks and Anchorage in 1971.

Until 1940, none Fairbanks' surface streets were paved. The outbreak of WWII interrupted plans to pave most of the city's roads, and a movement toward large-scale paving did not begin until 1953, when the city paved 30 blocks of streets. During the late 1950s and the 1960s, the remainder of the city's streets were converted from gravel roads to asphalt surfaces. Few have been repaved since that time; a 2008 survey of city streets indicated the average age of a street in Fairbanks was 31 years.

Railroad


After large-scale gold mining began north of Fairbanks, miners sought to build a railroad from the steamboat docks on the Chena River to the mine sites in the hills north of the city. The result was the Tanana Mines Railroad, which started operations in September 1905, using what had been the first steam locomotive in the Yukon Territory. In 1907, the railroad was reorganized and named the Tanana Valley Railroad
Tanana Valley Railroad
The Tanana Valley Railroad was a narrow-gauge railroad that operated in the Tanana Valley of Alaska from 1905 to about 1917, when it when into bankruptcy and was liquidated, then purchased by the U.S...

. The railroad continued expanding until 1910, when the first gold boom began to falter and the introduction of automobiles into Fairbanks took business away from the railroad. Despite these problems, railroad backers envisioned a rail line extending from Fairbanks to Seward
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....

 on the Gulf of Alaska, home to the Alaska Central Railway.

In 1914, the U.S. Congress appropriated $35 million for construction of the Alaska Railroad system, but work was delayed by the outbreak of WWI. Three years later, the Alaska Railroad purchased the Tanana Valley Railroad, which had suffered from the wartime economic problems. Rail workers built a line extending northwest from Fairbanks, then south to Nenana
Nenana, Alaska
Nenana is a Home Rule City in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies along the Tanana River. The population was 402 at the 2000 census. "Nenana" means 'a good place to camp between two rivers.'...

, where President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death from a heart attack or stroke in 1923. A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate and later as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S...

 hammered in the ceremonial final spike in 1923. The rail yards of the Tanana Valley Railroad were converted for use by the Alaska Railroad, and Fairbanks became the northern end of the line and its second-largest depot.

From 1923 to 1994, the Alaska Railroad's Fairbanks terminal was in downtown Fairbanks, just north of the Chena River. In May 2005, the Alaska Railroad opened a new terminal northwest of downtown, and that terminal is in operation today. In summer, the railroad operates tourist trains to and from Fairbanks, and it operates occasional passenger trains throughout the year. The majority of its business through Fairbanks is freight. The railroad is planning an expansion of the rail line from Fairbanks to connect the city via rail with Delta Junction
Delta Junction, Alaska
Delta Junction is a city in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 897. The city is located a short distance south of the confluence of the Delta River with the Tanana River, which is at Big Delta...

, about southeast.

Points of interest

  • Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
    Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
    Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is an 1,800 acre bird sanctuary located near Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It consists of wetlands, fields, and forests, which surround the former farm of Charlie Creamer , a local pioneer dairy farmer who saved waste grains from his barn to feed...

  • El Dorado Gold Mine
    El Dorado Gold Mine
    The El Dorado Gold Mine is a gold mine and tourist attraction near Fairbanks, Alaska. Originally founded in the early 1900s, the El Dorado mine underwent a gradual transformation in the latter half of the 20th century into an informational mine and tour destination...

  • Fairbanks Curling Club
  • Georgeson Botanical Garden
    Georgeson Botanical Garden
    The Georgeson Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 117 West Tanana Drive on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. The garden is used for both research and demonstration, and is open to the public during daylight hours, May through September, for a fee. It...

  • Gold Dredge No. 8
  • Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station
  • Pioneer Park
    Pioneer Park
    Pioneer Park is a 44-acre city park in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, run by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Parks and Recreation. It opened in 1967 as Alaskaland to celebrate the centennial of the Alaska Purchase. The name was changed in 2001 out of concern that the park could...

  • Riverboat Discovery
    Riverboat Discovery
    The Riverboat Discovery is a tour company in Fairbanks, Alaska which operates sternwheel riverboats on the Chena and Tanana rivers.-History:...

  • Sternwheeler Tanana Chief
  • University of Alaska Museum of the North
    University of Alaska Museum of the North
    The University of Alaska Museum of the North is housed on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.-Mission:The museum's mission is to acquire, conserve, investigate, and interpret specimens and collections relating to the natural, artistic, and cultural heritage of Alaska and the Circumpolar North...


Sister Cities

Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies near the Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-History:...

, France
France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...

 Erdenet
Erdenet
Erdenet is the second-largest city in Mongolia and the capital of the aimag of Orkhon.Located in the northern part of the country, it lies in a valley between the Selenge and Orkhon rivers about 150 miles northwest of Ulan Bator, the capital...

, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It borders Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only 24 miles from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator,...

 Fanano
Fanano
Fanano is a comune in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 50 km southwest of Bologna and about 50 km south of Modena...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...

 Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...

, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...

 Pune
Pune
Pune , formerly known as Punawadi or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai...

, India
India
India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...

 Tainan
Tainan City
Tainan City is the fourth largest city in Taiwan after Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung. By the end of 2010 the city and the adjacent Tainan County will merge to form a single municipality....

, Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...

 Yakutsk
Yakutsk
Yakutsk is a city in the Russian Far East, located about 4° below the Arctic Circle. It is the capital of the Sakha Republic , Russia and a major port on the Lena River. It is served by Yakutsk Airport as well as the smaller Magan Airport...

, Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...


Additional reading


  • Boswell, John. History of Alaskan Operations of United States Smelting, Refining, and Mining Company. Fairbanks. University of Alaska, Mineral Industries Research Laboratory, 1979.
  • Cashen, William. Farthest North College President. Charles E. Bunnell and the Early History of the University of Alaska. Fairbanks. University of Alaska Press, 1972.
  • Cloe, John and Monaghan, Michael. Top Cover for America. Missoula, Montana. Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1984.
  • Cole, Terrence. The Cornerstone on College Hill: An Illustrated History of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Fairbanks. University of Alaska Press, 1994.
  • Cooley, Richard. Fairbanks, Alaska: A Survey of Progress. Juneau. Alaska Development Board, June 1954.
  • Davis, Neil. The College Hill Chronicles: How the University of Alaska Came of Age. Fairbanks. University of Alaska Foundation, 1992.
  • Dixon, Mim. What Happened to Fairbanks? The Effects of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline on the Community of Fairbanks, Alaska. Boulder, Colorado. Westview Press, 1978.
  • Kirchner, L.D. Flag Over the North, The Story of the Northern Commercial Company. Seattle. Superior Publishing Company, 1954.
  • Kruse, John A. Fairbanks Community Survey. Fairbanks. Institute of Social and Economic Research, 1976.
  • Movius, Phyllis. The Role of Women in the Founding and Development of Fairbanks, Alaska, 1903-1923. Fairbanks. University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1996.
  • Naske, Claus, and Rowinski, L.J. Fairbanks: A Pictoral History. Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Donning Company, 1981.
  • Patty, Ernest. North Country Challenge. New York. David McKay, 1949.
  • Potter, Jean. Alaska Under Arms. New York. Macmillan, 1942.
  • Potter, Jean. The Flying North. New York. Macmillan, 1947.
  • Rickard, T.A. Through the Yukon and Alaska. San Francisco. Mining and Scientific Press, 1909.
  • Robe, Cecil. The Penetration of an Alaskan Frontier, The Tanana Valley and Fairbanks. Ph.D.
    Ph.D.
    Ph.D. or PHD may stand for:* Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group* Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip* PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* Parisada Hindu Dharma, an Indonesian organization...

     dissertation, Yale University
    Yale University
    Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...

    , 1943.
  • Wickersham, James. Old Yukon. Washington, D.C. Washington Law Book Co., 1938.
  • Wold, Jo Anne. This Old House. Anchorage. Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., 1976.
  • Wold, Jo Anne. Fairbanks: The $200 Million Gold Rush Town. Fairbanks. Wold Press, 1971.


External links