Alaska - the Land of the Midnight Sun (From the United States Series)

Statehood:

Known as the Last Frontier, and the Land of the Midnight Sun, Alaska, the largest State of the United States in terms of area, and surrounded by the Artic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Strait, the Yukon Territory, the Gulf of Alaska, the Chukchi Sea, and Canada to the east, was organized as a Territory on May 11, 1912, and became the 49th State on January 3, 1959.

Seward's Folley:

Located three miles from Russia, containing approximately 663,268 square miles, and found in the Upper Extreme North American continent, US Secretary of State William H. Seward purchased what became known as "Seward's Folley" on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million dollars.

"The Great Land":

Derived from the Aleut Indians and meaning "the mainland," or "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed," and also known as Alyeska, meaning "the great land," Alaska remains the least densely populated of all fifty United States and is the westernmost, easternmost, and northernmost State.

Coastline:

The only non-contiguous State on the North American continent, and separated from the state of Washington by about 500 miles of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, making Alaska an Exclave Territory, the coastline of Alaska is longer than all other US States combined.

South Central Alaska:

The South Central Alaska Region, consisting of the shorelines and uplands of the central Gulf of Alaska, including the Kenai Peninsula, Prince William Sound, the Copper River Valley, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and Cook Inlet, with fishing and petroleum production the major industries, is the home of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city.

Alaska Panhandle:

Consisting of the Tongass National Forest, the largest National Forest in the United States, the Panhandle is the wettest and warmest part of the State. Cresting the Boundary Ranges, the largest and most northerly part of the Coast Mountains, from the southwestern Yukon Territory through the Alaska Panhandle, the International Border can be found in what is also known as Southeast Alaska.

Southwest Alaska:

Southwest Alaska contains a huge, complex terrain, a large coastal area, thousands of miles of boreal forests, swamps, highlands, the southern Alaska-Aleutian Mountain Barrier, the Ring of Fire, and Alaska's volcanoes consisting of Mount Novarupta, Mount Redoubt, Mount Katmai, Mount Iliamna, the Augustine Volcano, and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Southwest Alaska also has the Pribilof Islands, Nunivak Island, and many Bering Sea islands, the Yukon River Delta, the Kuskokwim River, the ninth largest river in the United States, Goodnews Bay, Bristol Bay, Lake Clark, and the Kodiak Archipelago, including Kodiak Island, the second largest island in the United States.

Alaska Interior:

The Alaska Interior is mostly wilderness, Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America at 20,320 feet tall, the Tanana Valley, the Ray Mountains, Fairbanks, Alaska's second largest city, and the Wrangell Mountains. The North Pole, where hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa Claus are mailed each year, and the home of the world's largest fiberglass statue of Santa, is also found in the Alaska Interior.

Alaskan Bush:

Commonly referred to as any part of the State that is not Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula, or the Mat-Su Boroughs containing the Matanuska and Susitna Rivers, and not connected by North America's interconnected roadways, the Alaskan Bush has the biggest majority of Alaska's geography, and is reachable by small airplanes, snowmobiles, boats, snowmachines, or dogsleds.

Artic National Wildlife Refuge:

Found in the Alaska North Slope Region of the Brooks Mountain Range, along the Artic and Chukchi Seas on the western side of Point Barrow, and east of the Beaufort Sea, where only the surface of the tundra thaws each year, the Artic National Wildlife Refuge contains the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

3 Million Lakes:

Alaska has more than three million lakes, wetland permafrost, half of the world's glaciers including the Bering Glacier, and one of the world's largest tides that occurrs in Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage.

Industries:

Very little farming is done in Alaska, however, fishing, particularly for salmon, and hunting, mainly moose, caribou, Dall sheep, reindeer, and seal, are major Alaskan industries.

Climate:

The Alaska climate varies from a Mid-Latitude Oceanic Climate in Juneau, to a Subartic Climate in Anchorage and South Central Alaska, with a Continental Subartic Climate in the northern part of the State, and a Subartic Climate in the Interior around Fairbanks and extreme Northern Alaska.

Popular Activities:

Popular activities in Alaska include the world famous Iditarod Trail Dogsled Races from Anchorage to Nome, the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, the Ketchikan Alaska Hummingbird Festival, the Wrangell Stikine River Garnet Festival, the Sitka Whale Festival, the largest Springtime collection of Bald Eagles in the world observations, and performances and art displays by Eskimo and Native Alaskans from the Inuit, Yupik, and Inupiaq Tribes.

Anchorage:

Known as Ship Creek Landing when it was Incorporated on November 23, 1920, and beginning as a railroad construction port for the Alaska railroad that was built between 1915 and 1923, Alaska's largest, and most heavily populated town, has been named on four different occasions by the National Civic League as an All-American City.

On March 27, 1964 Anchorage suffered what has become known as the second largest earthquake in the recorded history of the world.

In 1968 the discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay, the unofficial northern terminal of the Pan-American Highway, made Anchorage a boom town.

Petroleum resource mining is the leading industry in Anchorage, which is also commonly the first stop for tourists visiting the State.

The home of the world's third busiest airport for cargo traffic, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and the Port of Anchorage, transportation is another leading industry in Anchorage.

Black bears, grizzly bears, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, beavers, and foxes populate the Anchorage area. Mount Redoubt and Mount Spurr are nearby volcanoes.

Many parks and recreational facilities can be found in the Anchorage area including the Alaska Botanical Gardens, the Alaska Zoo, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Kincaid Park that is known for its Nordic skiing trails, the undeveloped Point Woronzof Park and its popular back country skiing, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and the Tour of Anchorage Cross Skiing Marathon on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.

Fairbanks:

Founded in 1901, Fairbanks, the largest city in the Interior Region of Alaska, and the second largest city in the State, experienced a Gold Rush in 1902,

Located in the central Tanana Valley, an important agricultural center for Alaska, Fairbanks is surrounded by the White Mountains, the Yukon River, the Chena River, Tanana Flats, the Tanana River, and is the home of the Trans-Atlantic Pipeway.

The transportation hub for Interior Alaska, Fairbanks features the Richardson Highway, the Steese Highway, the Alaska Highway, the Dalton Highway, and the Elliott Highway, all providing routes of travel from Fairbanks throughout the State.

The early 1900s El Dorado Gold Mine, the Georgeson Botanical Gardens, the Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, the 44-acre Pioneer Park, the Alaskaland Theme Park, the Riverboat Discovery Tour Company, and steamwheel river boats, are popular tourist Attractions in Fairbanks.

Juneau:

Located on the Gastineau Channel in Alaska's Panhandle, Juneau has been the State's capital city since 1906, and is larger than the area of Rhode Island and Deleware, almost combined.

Nestled at the base of Mount Juneau, across from Douglas Island, Juneau was originally known as Harrisburg, and then Rockwell, and is derived from the Native Tlingit word meaning "river where the flounders gather".

With an elevation at sea level, and below the Juneau Icefield containing about thirty glaciers, including the Lemon Creek Glacier, and the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau was the first town founded in Alaska after the State was purchased by the US, and is the only State capital to border another country, having British Columbia on its eastern boundary.

Fishing, real estate, mining, and cruise ships are major industries found in Juneau. The Preserverance Theater is Alaska's only Performing Arts Theater and hosts the annual Juneau Jazz and Classic Music Festivals, the Alaska Folk Festival, the Juneau Symphany, and Gallery Walks.

With less than 200 miles of paved roads, and one of five State capital cities not to have an Interstate Highway System, Juneau is accessible only by the Juneau International Airport, or by the sea.

Mendenhall Glacier is a very popular Attraction in Juneau with dogsleds delivery tourists to the ice caps. Mount Roberts Aerial Tramway provides services from the cruise ship docks to the southwestern ridge of Mount Roberts.

Wasilla:

Located on the northern point of Cook Inlet, in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Wasilla is the fourth largest city in Alaska.

Early Wasilla was a fur trapper and gold mining town that supplied a base for Hatcher Pass and developed into an agricultural area around 1935.

The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry is located in Wasilla and houses remnants of the machines that opened Alaska up to exploration.

Sitka:

Founded in 1799, and derived from the Tlingit word meaning "people on the outside of Shee," Sitka is located on the west side of Baranof Island, in the Alexander Archipelago, off Alaska's southeastern coast, and was designated the capital of Russian America, a permanent Russian settlement, established and controlled by the Russians at Sitka, between 1790 and 1818, that resulted in a vast maritime trade being established.

Sitka was the location where the American flag was first raised in Alaska after the United States purchased the State, a ceremony reenacted every year on October 18, which is known as Alaska Day.

Containing approximately 4811 square miles of land, and 1937 square miles of water, Sitka is currently ranked by the United States Census Bureau as being the second largest incorporated city by area in the United States.

Nationally Protected Areas found in Sitka include the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and the Saint Lazaria Wilderness, which are wellknown for a variety of seabirds, the Sitka National Historical Park, dating back to June 21, 1890, Alaska's oldest Federally designated cultural and historic park, and the Tongass National Forest.

Sitka is the sixth largest seaport, in value of harvested seafood, in the United States, and is Alaska's largest harbor with about 1347 permanent slips available for ships.

The Rocky Guierrez Airport on Japonski Island, Alaska Marine Highway System ferries, and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska's bus service provide transportation to Sitka although inclement weather, frequent delays, slack tides, and being located on the outer coast of the Alexander Archipelago can make traveling difficult.

There are many Attractions found in Sitka including the Alaska Raptor Center, Saint Michael's Cathedral, the Sitka Jazz Festival, the Sitka Summer Music Festival, Swan Lake, the Whale Fest Celebrations, the Baronof Warm Springs, the dormant volcano Mount Edgecumbe, and the Russian Bishop House, built in 1842, and remaining as only one of four surviving examples of Russian Colonial-Style Architecture in the Western Hemisphere.

Series:

The United States Series I am writing here on associatedcontent.com provides an indepth look at all fifty States that make up this GREAT Country of ours and their five largest cities.

The current list of Articles for the UnitedStates Series I have published to date include:

So This Is Sweet Home Alabama
Arizona - The Valley of the Sun
Arkansas - People of the South Wind
California - The Golden Gate, Earthquakes and Grizzly Bears
Colorful Colorado - The Rocky Mountains, Skiing, and High Technology
Connecticut - The Land of Steady Habits
Delaware - The Small Wonder
Florida - The Snowbirds R Us State
Georgia - Goobers, Peaches, and Buzzards
Hawaii - Luaus, Pineapples, and Beaches
Idaho - The Gem of the Mountains and Potatoes State
Illinois - Mining, Factories, and Labor Unions
Indiana - Land of Steel and Ducks
Iowa - the Ethanol and Food Capital of the World
Bleeding Kansas America's Flattest State
Kentucky - The Land of Tomorrow
Louisiana - The Child of the Mississippi
Maine - Lobsters, Lighthouses, and Black Bears
Maryland - The "Oh Say Can You See" State
Massachusetts - The Cradle of Liberty
Michigan - The Automotive State
Minnesota - The Bread and Butter State
Mississippi - Where Cotton Was King

Comments from readers are always welcome so let me know what you think about these Articles.

Sources:

This article was compiled from websites that provide much more information on Alaska including:

alaska.com, travelalaska.com, alaska.org, anchorage.net, and explorefairbanks.com.