Alaska

Alaska is the 49th state of the United States. It was admitted on January 3, 1959. The population of the state is 626,932, as of 2000, according to the census. The name "Alaska" is most likely derived from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning great country, mainland or great land. It is bordered by Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska is the largest state by area in the United States. It is larger in area than all but 18 of the world's nations.

Geography

Alaska is the only state that is both in North America and not part of the 48 contiguous states; about 500 miles (800 kilometers) of Canadian territory separate Alaska from Washington. (It is thus an exclave.) Alaska is the largest state in the United States in terms of land area, 570,374 square miles (1,477,261 km²). If a map of Alaska were superimposed upon a map of the Lower 48 states, Alaska would overlap Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado.

Related Topics:
North America - Canadian - Exclave - Lower 48 - Texas - Oklahoma - Kansas - New Mexico - Colorado

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

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• South Central Alaska is the southern coastal region and is the population center for the state. The Municipality of Anchorage and many small but growing towns (Palmer, Wasilla, etc.) lie within this area. Petroleum industrial plants, transportation, tourism, and two military bases form the core of the economy here.
• The Alaska Panhandle, also known as Southeast Alaska, is home to Juneau, many small towns, tidewater glaciers and extensive forests. Tourism, forestry and state government anchor the economy.
• The Alaska Interior is home to Fairbanks. The geography is marked by large braided rivers, such as the Yukon River and the Kuskokwim River, as well as Arctic tundra lands and shorelines. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, two military bases, tourism, and the Alaska Petroleum pipeline form the core of the economy.
• The Alaskan Bush is the remote, less crowded part of the state, encompassing native villages and small towns such as Nome.

Alaska, with its numerous islands, has nearly 34,000 miles (54,700 km) of tidal shoreline. The island chain extending west from the southern tip of Alaska is called the Aleutian Islands. Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians. For example, Unimak Island is home to Mount Shishaldin, a moderately active volcano that rises to 9,980 ft (3,042 m) above sea level. The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr, west of Anchorage on the mainland.

Related Topics:
Aleutian Islands - Volcano - Unimak Island - Mount Shishaldin - Sea level - Mount Spurr

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North America's second largest tides occur in Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage, which often sees tidal differences of more than 30 feet.

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Alaska is the westernmost state in the Union. The Aleutian Islands actually cross longitude 180°, although the International Date Line doglegs around them to keep the whole state in the same day.

Related Topics:
State - Union - International Date Line

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According to the October 1998 report of the United States Bureau of Land Management, approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed by the U.S. Federal Government as national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges. Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres, or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Related Topics:
United States Bureau of Land Management - U.S. Federal Government - National forest - National park - National wildlife refuge - Bureau of Land Management - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - US Fish and Wildlife Service

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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 ANCSA. Various private interests own the remaining land, totaling less than 1%.

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See: List of Alaska rivers

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