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.

Politics

Alaska is often characterized as a hybrid Republican state with strong Libertarian leanings. Local political communities often work on issues related to land use development, fishing, tourism, and individual rights as many residents are proud of their rough Alaskan heritage.

Related Topics:
Republican - Libertarian - Fishing - Tourism - Individual rights

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Alaska Natives, while organized in and around their communities, are often active within the Native corporations which have been given ownership over large tracts of land, and thus need to deliberate resource conservation and development issues.

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In presidential elections, the state's Electoral College votes have been most often won by a Republican nominee. Only once has Alaska supported a Democrat nominee (Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964), although the 1960 and 1968 elections were close and Alaska was considered a swing state in those elections. President George W. Bush won the state's electoral votes in 2004 by a margin of 25 percentage points with 61.1% of the vote. Juneau stands out as an area that supports Democratic candidates.

Related Topics:
Democrat - Lyndon B. Johnson - 1964 - 1960 - 1968 - George W. Bush - 2004

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