About Alaska, The 49th State

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■ The 49th state, Alaska, officially became a state on January 3rd, 1959. Prior to its affiliation with the United States, Alaska had been discovered and partially settled by Russia beginning in 1741. The colony established never became profitable for Russia, and the United States purchased Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million. Just over twenty years later, the discovery of gold in the Yukon Territory brought thousands of prospectors and settlers to Alaska. During World War II, the Japanese occupied three of Alaska’s outer islands, but were soon flushed out as a matter of national pride. Although the gold-fever had died down, it was replaced in 1968 by the discovery of oil and its subsequent economic boom brought to Alaska, marked by the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1977.

■ The largest state in the United States, Alaska’s area comprises about one-sixth of the country, or over two times the area of Texas. Approximately 16,000 square miles of glacier ice reside in Alaska. Because of its numerous islands that extend to the West, Alaska has about 34,000 miles of coastline and houses numerous active volcanoes in this chain. Moreover, Alaska is the most seismically active state in the United States, but gets little attention compared to highly-populated California.

■ The large area of Alaska explains the diverse climates within the state of Alaska. Southeast Alaska is akin to the climate of Seattle, Washington, being the warmest and wettest location in the state. Because of its coastal proximity, the Southcentral area of Alaska is mild and is home to the majority of Alaska’s population. The interior of Alaska is within extreme subarctic climates, with summertime highs near in the 80s and winter lows in the -60s. Long cold winters and short, cool summers are characteristic of the polar climate that the extreme north of Alaska experiences.

■ A very small region of Alaska is connected by a roadway system. In fact, Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, is not accessible by road. To help connect cities in Southeast Alaska, a ferry system was established, named the Alaska Marine Highway. For locations not served by the limited road system, or by rail or ferry, the common means of ground transportation in summer is an all-terrain vehicle and a snowmobile in winter. This inaccessibility has driven the cost of goods sky high, making it one of the highest in the United States.

■ Currently, Alaska is home to many special attractions and events. Fairbanks hosts the World Ice Art Championships, and the Stikine River is the location of the largest concentration of American Bald Eagles during the springtime. Alaska is home to the Iditarod, a dog-sled race across the interior of Alaska, as well as the largest collection of totem poles, located in Ketchikan. With such an interesting history, location, and culture, it’s no wonder Alaska is known as the frontier state.

Did you know?

  Although pelicans are not indigenous to the State of Alaska, a large fountain featuring bronze statue pelicans stands in front of the Federal Building in Juneau, Alaska. This is because of a mix-up in shipment between two destinations: the intended eagle artwork was delivered to Florida by mistake.

 Juneau, Alaska is approximately equal in size to Puerto Rico.

 Juneau is one of only five state capitals not linked by an interstate highway.

  It isn’t uncommon for Alaskans to refer to rain as “liquid sunshine,” and with great reason: Ketchikan has the heaviest average rainfall in North America and measures its rainfall in feet, not inches.

   Ketchikan in home to the highest ZIP code in the United States: 99950 for its P.O. boxes.

   Alaska is home to 17 out of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the United States.

 The highest temperature recorded in Alaska was 100 degrees in Fort Yukon; the coldest was -80 degrees at Prospect Creek in the Brooks Range.

   Almost one-third of Alaska’s area is within the Arctic Circle.

   Alaska is home to approximately half of the world’s glaciers.

   Only about 50 miles separates Alaska from Russia.

   On March 27th 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake devastated much of Southcentral Alaska. It originally measured 8.6 on the Richter Scale, but was revised to 9.2, making it the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America.

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