Population of Alaska, geographical location, history. Open left menu Alaska What state does Alaska belong to?

The first Europeans to visit Alaska were Russians - participants in the Second Kamchatka Expedition under the command of Vitus Bering (1681-1741). The ship "St. Peter", on which Commander Bering himself was, reached the southern coast of Alaska on July 17, 1741. The name then given by Bering to what was visible from the shore high mountain, - Saint Elijah, and today on the map.
Later, many more Russian names appeared on the map of Alaska. New lands were gradually studied and described. In 1785, by decree of Catherine II, the North-Eastern Expedition was organized, the task of which was to determine the coordinates and map the coast of Chukotka, the Aleutian Islands and Alaska, and collect botanical, zoological and ethnographic collections. Russian expeditions of the 18th-19th centuries. collected a huge amount of material for studying Alaska.
However, the development of new territories was carried out by Russian merchants and industrialists, who, in order to extract furs, equipped expeditions, fought, traded and negotiated with local residents, and also created their own settlements. The Russian authorities pursued a policy of assigning new lands to the Russian Empire, mainly relying on the capabilities of private Russian companies.
Thus, Irkutsk Governor-General I.V. Jacobi in 1787 gave “secret instructions” to the managers of the Northeast Company to secretly bury 10 metal “boards” with the image of a cross and the inscription “Land of Russian Dominion” in the soil of Alaska. Entrepreneurs were also ordered to install 15 copper coats of arms of the empire on Alaskan soil. And finally, it was pointed out that it is in Russia’s interests to discover and map new islands and territories.
“Russian Alaska” arose in 1784, when entrepreneur Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (1747-1795) founded the first permanent Russian settlement on Kodiak Island. He also invited an Orthodox spiritual mission to Kodiak. The Russian-American Company, created by Shelikhov and approved by Emperor Paul I in 1799 after his death, actually managed the affairs of “Russian Alaska” until the sale of Alaska.
Shelikhov's heirs were his daughter Anna and son-in-law Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov (1764-1807). On the ships "Juno" and "Avos", Rezanov, who was sent to inspect the Russian colonies in Alaska, delivered food to the settlement of Novoarkhangelsk on the island of Sitkha, where the inhabitants were literally dying of hunger.
The main reasons why the Russian Empire decided to sell Alaska were the constant threat of famine, the need to import food and the inability to defend vast territories with colonial forces. The number of Russian settlers never exceeded several hundred, and there was no way to increase the Russian population of Alaska. The maintenance of the colony required constant subsidies from the government, and communication with it was difficult. All these arguments allowed Emperor Alexander II to decide to sell Alaska to the United States for 7 million 200 thousand dollars. In 1867, the agreement was signed and came into force. He did not leave any room for further territorial disputes.

The northernmost state of the United States, Alaska, at first glance is a kingdom of ice inaccessible to humans. However, this is a very rich region, where there are important mineral deposits and significant Natural resources- forest, fish, hunting grounds. Alaska is of considerable importance for the United States in strategic military terms and as a transport base.

Former Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickle, speaking in Russia, said: “As far as I know, Alaska is the only property that belonged to both Russia and America. We are your former colony. In 1867, the United States bought Alaska from Russia, the resources began to be mercilessly exploited, and our people remained illiterate. That is, Alaska was the worst example of capitalism. However, over the past 50 years, we have built an unconventional economic and political system that began in 1959 when Alaska joined the federal union as a state.”
In fact, the real development of Alaska did not begin after the United States purchased it from Russia, or even after the discovery of gold deposits on its territory. The “Gold Rush” in Alaska occurred after the discovery of gold placers in the Canadian Klondike River in 1896. Findings of large gold deposits directly in Alaska occurred in 1898 in Nome and in 1902 near Fairbanks, but even before that a stream of gold miners poured into Alaska, walking through its territory to the Klondike region. The customs of this time are reflected in the works of the writer Jack London (1876-1916), who visited these places in 1897-1898. As you know, London did not find gold, but his northern stories made the writer famous.
Many heroes of Jack London's stories are ready to commit any crime in pursuit of wealth and certainly do not take into account the interests of the local population of Alaska. Today, however, Alaska has other priorities. In 1980, the Alaska Land Act was adopted, according to which a third of the land belongs to the state, 12% to native associations, only about 1% to private landowners, and 60% of the land is federal. This National parks, nature reserves, national forests, recreational areas, natural monuments, etc. Today Alaska contains 71% of all territories wildlife USA federal subordination.
At the same time, the rights of the indigenous population to traditional environmental management - hunting and fishing - were specifically stipulated. They have the “priority of traditional natural resource management”, which allows them to engage in unlimited hunting and hunting within the framework of personal consumption (subject to compliance with environmental requirements). fishing in unprotected areas.
Bears, moose, caribou or other animals that are not particularly afraid of being close to people and calmly go about their business are now a common sight in Alaska. And tourists are explained the rules of conduct and safety when observing wildlife. Of course, there are also the interests of oil producing companies, which are being intensively lobbied. Thus, in 2005, the US Congress allowed drilling to begin in the National arctic reserve. However, the activities of the companies are under strict control. When British Petroleum was found guilty of violating environmental regulations in 2006, it was forced to close the development of more than half of its fields.

general information

Official name: Alaska, state in the USA.

Administrative division: 15 baros (home rule areas) and the City of Anchorage. In addition, there are 11 more “unorganized baros”, so-called census zones, where the number of inhabitants does not allow the formation of local authorities.

Capital: Juneau, 30,988 people. (2008).

Languages: English, Indian languages, Aleut, Eskimo.

Religions: according to various sources, Orthodox - 8-10%, the largest community in the USA; Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists.

Currency unit: U.S. dollar.

Largest cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau.

Main sea ports: Seward, Juneau, Nom.
Major airports: international Airport Anchorage named after Ted Stevens, Fairbanks International Airport, Juneau International Airport.

The most important rivers: Yukon, Susitna, Kuskokuim.

Largest lakes: Iliamna, Teshekpuk, Selavik,

Neighboring countries: Canada, Russia (via ).

Numbers

Area: 1,717,854 km2, including: land - 1,481,347 km2, water - 236,507 km2.
Population: 690,955 people (2007).
Population density: 0.47 people/km 2 .
Ethnic composition: about 75% of the population are white Americans, approximately 88 thousand people. - indigenous people- Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, there are a small number of descendants of Russian settlers.

Length of borders: 2474 km (with Canada).

Length coastline: 10,638 km.

The most high point: Mount McKinley, 6194 m.

Economy

A third of budget revenues come from oil production and production of petroleum products.
Mining of natural gas, coal, copper, zinc, iron and gold.
Fishing and processing of fish and seafood.
Logging and wood processing.
Hunting farm.
Breeding reindeer.
Tourism.

Climate and weather

The vast territory of the state explains the diversity of climate - from arctic and subarctic continental in the north to temperate on the Pacific coast.
Temperatures in summer can rise to +32ºС, and in winter drop to -45ºС.

The average annual temperature ranges from +4ºС in the south of the state to -12ºС on the northern spurs of the Brooks Range (Arctic zone).

The average annual precipitation ranges from 5080 mm in the maritime southeastern zone to 152 mm in the Arctic zone.

Attractions

■ National Park Denali;
■ Mount Wrangel and Mount St. Elijah National Park;
■ Kenai Fjords National Park;
■ Glacier Bay National Park;
■ Katmai National Park;
■ Yukon-Charlie River Nature Reserve;
■ Bering Land Bridge Preserve;
■ Gates of the Arctic National Park;
■ Anchorage: Museum of History and Art, Alaska National Native Heritage Museum, Alaska Museum of Natural History;
■ Fairbanks: Museum of the North;
■ Juneau: Alaska State Museum;
■ Unalaska: Museum of the Aleuts;
■ Barrow: Center and Museum cultural heritage Eskimos.

Curious facts

■ Recently, calls have appeared in the US press to sell Alaska “back”, that is, to Russia. As Washington Post columnist Steven Perlstein writes, in Alaska, “federally subsidized roads are being built that require federally subsidized bridges to carry people and cargo to federally subsidized airports served by federally subsidized airlines.” " According to Pearlstein, by selling Alaska (for about a trillion dollars), it is possible to replenish the US budget and get rid of the need to subsidize the state's economy.
■ Data for 2003 from the independent analytical organization Tax Foundation, cited by the Washington Post, indicate that for every dollar that residents and legal entities Alaskans paid into the budget in the form of taxes and fees, the state received $1.89 in the form of federal contracts, subsidies and subventions to maintain revenue levels. According to the Washington Post, Alaska ranks last in the United States in the amount of state and local taxes it levies on its residents: the state has no sales tax or income tax, and the per capita property tax is the lowest. in USA. Alaska's additional revenues from rising oil prices are spent within the state itself.

Alaska is a state located in the northwest of North America. It ranks first among other states in terms of area (1,523 thousand km²). Includes the peninsula of the same name, the continental part, Aleutian Islands, part of the Pacific coast, islands of the Alexander Archipelago. The population is 690,955 people (2007), with the indigenous inhabitants being Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos and Russians. The state capital is Juneau. Big cities: Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka. Alaska was discovered by Russians in the 17th-18th centuries. In 1867, the Russian Empire sold the territory of Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million. However, state status (49th) was awarded only in 1959.

State attractions

The city of Anchorage is home to the Well Fargo State Heritage Museum and Library, with a huge collection of costumes, tools and weapons; an art gallery where, in addition to the usual exhibitions, a state-of-the-art exhibition of three-dimensional paintings is presented; the Elmendorf Wildlife Museum with a very interesting collection of local flora and fauna; Fort Richardson Wildlife Center; Alaska Native Heritage Center. Lake Hood is home to one of the largest water airfields on the planet, with several thousand seaplanes. The Aviation Museum (AANM) is located on the shore.

Magnificent Chugach Park with a huge number of hiking trails any level. On west side The city is home to Earthquake Park, famous for the aftermath of a tragic earthquake, when 600 meters of land on which 75 houses were located “slipped” into the sea.

And of course, the main attraction of Alaska is nature. Sky-blue glaciers, mysterious fjords, forests, lakes, 300-meter waterfalls.

Geography and climate

The state's territory in the west is bordered by Russian Federation, to the east with Canada. Consists of several islands and mainland. It is washed by the Pacific and Arctic oceans. The eastern part of the plateau reaches 1200 meters in height, the western - 600 meters. In the north of the state are the Brooks Range and the Arctic Lowlands. The highest mountain in North America McKinley (6194 m). The southern part of the state is covered with forests, and the northern part is covered with tundra. There are several active volcanoes. The Pacific coast has a mild, temperate climate. In other regions, the climate is subarctic continental, with cold winters.

Economy

Since the 1970s, much attention has been paid to oil production, pipelines have been laid (Kenai Peninsula, Prudhoe Bay). The Alyeska oil pipeline extends for 1250 km. Prudhoe Bay produces 8% of American oil. Overall, 20% of American oil is produced in Alaska. There are deposits of natural gas, copper, gold, platinum, tin, and asbestos here. There are also several military bases here. Due to harsh natural conditions, agriculture is developing poorly and only south side state. There are several farms here where vegetables are grown, cattle and deer are raised. Fishery is developed. Caught salmon, cod, pollock, crabs and other seafood are exported.

Population and religion

In 2005, the population increased by 5,906 people (0.9%) compared to 2004. The development of the oil industry attracted immigrants from other countries, but Alaska ranks last among US states in population density. About 75% of the population is white. By religious faith there are Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists, Orthodox, Methodists. The highest ratio of Orthodox Christians (8-10%) in the country. The largest national groups among the population: Germans - 20%, Irish - 13% and English - 11%.

Did you know...

The Alaska flag was designed by a thirteen-year-old boy in 1927.

Alaska- the largest US state by territory, on the northwestern edge of North America. Includes the peninsula of the same name, the Aleutian Islands, a narrow strip of the Pacific coast along with the islands of the Alexander Archipelago along western Canada and the continental part.

The state is located in the extreme northwest of the continent, separated from the Chukotka Peninsula (Russia) by the Bering Strait, and borders Canada in the east. It consists of the mainland and a large number of islands: the Alexander Archipelago, the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, Kodiak Island, St. Lawrence Island. It is washed by the Arctic and Pacific oceans. On the Pacific coast - the Alaska Range; the inner part is a plateau with a height of 1200 m in the east to 600 m in the west, turning into a lowland.In the north is the Brooks Range, behind which is the Arctic Lowland.

Flag	Coat of arms	Map

Mount McKinley (Denali) (6194 m) is the highest in North America. Eat active volcanoes. There are glaciers in the mountains (Malespin).

In 1912, a volcanic eruption created the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The northern part of the state is covered by tundra. To the south are forests. The state includes Little Diomede Island in the Bering Strait, located 4 km from Great Diomede Island (Ratmanov Island), which belongs to Russia.

On the Pacific coast the climate is temperate, maritime, relatively mild; in other areas - arctic and subarctic continental, with harsh winters.

Around highest mountain USA McKinley is home to the famous Denali National Park.

The largest city in Alaska is Anchorage.

The capital of the state of Alaska is the city of Juneau.

Unlike most other US states, where the main lower-level administrative unit of local government is the county, the name of the administrative units in Alaska is borough ("self-government area"). An even more important difference is that the 15 baroes and the municipality of Anchorage only cover part of Alaska. The rest of the territory does not have enough population (at least interested) to form local self-government and forms the so-called unorganized baro, which for the purposes of the population census and for ease of administration was divided into so-called census areas (census area). There are 11 such zones in Alaska.

Groups of Siberian tribes crossed the isthmus (now the Bering Strait) 16 - 10 thousand years ago. Eskimos began to settle on the Arctic coast, and Aleuts settled the Aleutian archipelago.

Discovery of Alaska

In Western tradition, it is generally accepted that the first white man to set foot in Alaska was G. W. Steller. Bernhard Grzimek's book From Cobra to Grizzly Bear states that Steller was the first to spot the mountainous outline of the Alaskan Islands on the horizon, and he was eager to continue his biological research. However, the captain of the ship, V. Bering, had other intentions and soon ordered to weigh anchor and return back. Steller was extremely outraged by this decision and in the end insisted that the ship's commander give him at least ten hours to explore Kayak Island, where the ship still had to land to replenish fresh water supplies. Steller titled the article about his research foray “Description of plants collected in 6 hours in America.”

However, in fact, the first Europeans to visit Alaska were on August 21, 1732, members of the team of the boat “St. Gabriel” under the command of surveyor M. S. Gvozdev and navigator I. Fedorov during the expedition of A. F. Shestakov and D. I. Pavlutsky 1729 -1735 In addition, there is fragmentary information about Russian people visiting America in the 17th century.

Russian America and the sale of Alaska

From July 9, 1799 to October 18, 1867, Alaska and its adjacent islands were under the control of the Russian-American Company. However, after serfdom was abolished in Russia, in order to pay compensation to the landowners, Alexander II was forced in 1862 to borrow 15 million pounds sterling from the Rothschilds at 5% per annum. However, the Rothschilds had to return something, and then Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich - the Sovereign’s younger brother - offered to sell “something unnecessary.” The most unnecessary thing in Russia turned out to be Alaska.

In addition, the fighting on Far East during the Crimean War they showed the absolute insecurity of the eastern lands of the Empire and especially Alaska. In order not to lose it in vain, it was decided to sell the territory, which could not be protected and developed in the foreseeable future.

On December 16, 1866, a special meeting was held in St. Petersburg, which was attended by Alexander II, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, the ministers of finance and the naval ministry, as well as the Russian envoy in Washington, Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl. All participants approved the idea of sale. At the proposal of the Ministry of Finance, a threshold amount was determined - at least 5 million dollars in gold. On December 22, 1866, Alexander II approved the border of the territory. In March 1867, Steckle arrived in Washington and formally approached Secretary of State William Seward. The signing of the treaty took place on March 30, 1867 in Washington. An area of 1 million 519 thousand square meters. km was sold for $7.2 million in gold, that is, $0.0474 per hectare.

Alaska as a US state

When did Alaska become a US state? Since 1867, Alaska has been under the jurisdiction of the US War Department and was called the District of Alaska, from 1884 to 1912. district, then territory (1912 - 1959), since 1959 - US state.

Five years later gold was discovered. The region developed slowly until the start of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896. During the years of the gold rush in Alaska, about one thousand tons of gold were mined.

Alaska was declared a state in 1959. Since 1968, various mineral resources have been exploited there, especially in the Prudhoe Bay area, southeast of Point Barrow. In 1977, an oil pipeline was laid from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill caused severe environmental pollution.

In the north, crude oil production (in the area of Prudhoe Bay and the Kinai Peninsula; the Alyeska oil pipeline 1250 km long to the port of Valdez), natural gas, coal, copper, iron, gold, zinc, fishing, reindeer farming; logging and hunting, air transport, military air bases.

Oil production has played a huge role since the 1970s. after the discovery of fields and the construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline. The Alaskan oil field has been compared in importance to oil fields in Western Siberia and on the Arabian Peninsula.

Population

Although the state is one of the least populous in the country, many new residents moved here in the 1970s, attracted by jobs in the oil industry and transportation, and in the 1980s the population grew by more than 36 percent.

Population growth in recent decades:

1990 - 550,000 inhabitants;

2004 - 648,818 inhabitants;

2005 - 663,661 inhabitants;

2006 - 677,456 inhabitants;

2007 - 690,955 inhabitants.

In 2005, Alaska's population increased by 5,906 people, or 0.9%, over the previous year. Compared to 2000, the population increased by 36,730 people (5.9%). This figure includes a natural population increase of 36,590 people (53,132 births minus 16,542 deaths) since the last census, as well as an increase due to migration of 1,181 people. Immigration from outside the United States increased Alaska's population by 5,800 people, while domestic migration decreased it by 4,619 people. Alaska has the lowest population density of any US state.

About 75 percent of the population is white and US-born. The state has about 88,000 indigenous people - Indians (Athabascans, Haidas, Tlingits, Simshians), Eskimos and Aleuts. A small number of Russian descendants also live in the state. Major religious groups include Catholics, Orthodox, Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists. The share of Orthodox Christians, estimated at 8-10%, is the highest in the country.

Over the past 20 years, residents of the state have traditionally voted Republican. Former Republican governor Sarah Palin was John McCain's 2008 vice presidential candidate. Currently Governor Sean Parnell.

Includes the territory of North America west of the 141st meridian of western longitude, including the peninsula of the same name with adjacent islands, the Aleutian Islands and the territory of North America proper north of the peninsula, as well as a narrow strip of the Pacific coast along with the islands of the Alexander Archipelago along the western border of Canada.

The territory area is 1,717,854 km², of which 236,507 km² is on the water surface. Population - 736,732 people. (2014). The state capital is the city of Juneau.

Etymology

Symbolism

Geography

Opening

The first Europeans to visit Alaska on August 21, 1732 were members of the St. Gabriel" under the command of surveyor M. S. Gvozdev and navigator I. Fedorov during the expedition of A. F. Shestakov and D. I. Pavlutsky of 1729-1735. In addition, there is fragmentary information about Russian people visiting America in the 17th century.

Sale

From July 9, 1799 to October 18, 1867, Alaska and its surrounding islands were under the administration of the Russian-American Company. The fighting in the Far East during the Crimean War showed the absolute insecurity of the eastern lands of the Russian Empire and especially Alaska. In order not to lose the territory in vain, which could not be protected and developed in the foreseeable future, a decision was made to sell it.

The signing of the agreement for the sale of Alaska took place on March 30, 1867 in Washington. A territory with an area of 1 million 519 thousand km² was sold for 7.2 million dollars in gold, that is, $4.74 per km² (the much more fertile and sunnier French Louisiana, purchased from France in 1803, cost the US budget slightly more - approximately 7 dollars per km²). Alaska was finally transferred to the United States on October 18 of the same year, when Russian commissioners led by Admiral Alexei Peschurov arrived at Fort Sitka. The Russian flag was ceremonially lowered over the fort and the American flag was raised. On the American side, this ceremony was attended by 250 soldiers in full dress uniform under the command of General Lavella Russo, who provided Secretary of State William Seward with a detailed report of this event. Since 1917, October 18 has been celebrated as Alaska Day.

Golden fever

New story

Since 1867, Alaska was under the jurisdiction of the US War Department and was called the “District of Alaska”, in the years 1884-1912 “district”, then “territory” (1912-1959), from January 3, 1959 - a US state.

Recent history

Alaska was declared a state in 1959. Since 1968, various mineral resources have been exploited there, particularly in the Prudhoe Bay area, southeast of Cape Barrow.

In 1977, the Prudhoe Bay oil pipeline was built to the port of Valdez.

In March 2017, the Spanish Oil Company announced its discovery: 1.2 billion barrels of oil in Alaska. The firm says it is the largest land discovery in the United States in 30 years. Oil production work in this region is planned for 2021. According to expert estimates, production volumes will amount to up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

As a result of a referendum among state residents, a special oil fund was created in 1976, into which 25% of the funds received by the Alaska government from oil companies are allocated and from which all permanent residents (except prisoners) receive an annual subsidy (maximum in 2008 - $3269 , in 2010 - $1281).

Population

Population of Alaska in recent decades:

1990 - 560,718 inhabitants;
2004 - 648,818 inhabitants;
2005 - 663,661 inhabitants;
2006 - 677,456 inhabitants;
2007 - 690,955 inhabitants.

About 75 percent of the population is white and US-born. There are about 88 thousand indigenous people in the state - Indians (Athabascans, Haidas, Tlingits, Tsimshians), Eskimos and Aleuts. A small number of Russian descendants also live in the state. Major religious groups include Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists. The share of Orthodox Christians, which according to various estimates is 8-10%, is the highest in the country.

Over the past 20 years, residents of the state have traditionally voted Republican. The state's former Republican governor, Sarah Palin, was John McCain's 2008 vice presidential candidate. The current governor of Alaska is Mike Dunleavy.

Languages

According to a 2011 study, 83.4% of people over the age of five speak only English at home. English is spoken “very well” by 69.2%, “good” by 20.9%, “not very well” by 8.6%, “not at all” by 1.3%.

Alaska Language Center University of Alaska Fairbanks states that there are at least 20 Alaskan native languages and their dialects. Most languages belong to the Eskimo-Aleut and Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit macrofamilies, but there are also isolated ones (Haida and Tsimshian language).

In some places, dialects of the Russian language have been preserved: the Ninilchik dialect of the Russian language in Ninilchik (Kenai Borough), as well as a dialect on Kodiak Island, and, presumably, in the village

State of Alaska

Name

Like most American state names, the name Alaska comes from ethnic sources. In fact, the name of the peninsula, and then the state, was given by the Aleut word “alah’sah’” or “ala’sh’a”. Translated, it means “whale place” or “whale abundance.” There is another version of the origin of the name of the peninsula - “ big land", "continent", "peninsula". In addition to the official geographical name The state of Alaska also has two nicknames. The first of them is “The Last Stand”, and the second is “Land of the Midnight Sun”. Both reflect the characteristics geographical location State of Alaska.

Geography

The state of Alaska is located in the extreme northwest of the continent. The Bering Strait separates it from the Chukotka Peninsula. The US border with Russia runs here. In the east, Alaska borders Canada. The state includes the mainland and a large number of islands. These include the Alexander Archipelago, the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, Kodiak Island, and St. Lawrence Island. The shores of Alaska are washed by the Arctic and Pacific oceans. On the Pacific coast is the Alaska Range, to the north is the Brooks Range, and behind it is the Arctic Lowland.

Alaska is home to the highest Mount McKinley in North America – 6914 m. In addition, there are active volcanoes. For example, in 1912, after the eruption of one of them, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes appeared. In northern Alaska there is tundra. To the south are forests. The state also includes Little Diomede Island, located in the Bering Strait. It is located only 4 km from the already Russian territory - the Great Diomede Island.

Climate

The state of Alaska is located in the subarctic climate zone. Permafrost reigns in the northern third of the state. In addition, the state is divided into 5 climatic zones:

Marine zone – south-eastern part Alaska, South coast and southwestern islands.
Marine continental zone - western Bristol Bay and western extremity of the central zone.
Transition zone between maritime and continental regions – South part Copper River Basin, Cook Inlet, northern reaches of the southern coastal zone.
Continental zone - the upper reaches of the Copper River and its basin, as well as the interior of Alaska.
The Arctic zone is the territory north of the Arctic Circle.

The highest amount of precipitation is observed in the marine zone of the southeastern part of Alaska - 5080 mm. The smallest amount of precipitation – up to 152 mm – is in the Arctic zone. The average annual temperature in Alaska ranges from +4 degrees Celsius in the south to -12 degrees Celsius in the Arctic zone. Temperature changes are most typical for the central and eastern parts continental interior regions. In the summer, temperatures in Alaska can rise to +32 degrees Celsius. In winter, in the absence of sunlight, temperatures can drop to -10 degrees Celsius.

Story

It is generally accepted that the first people on the territory of the present state of Alaska were Siberian tribes who appeared there more than 10 thousand years ago. The Arctic coast was inhabited by the Eskimos, and the Aleutian archipelago by the Aleuts. There are two versions of the first appearance of Europeans in Alaska. According to the Western version, the first was the German naturalist Steller. In the 10 hours that Bering spent studying one of the islands of the archipelago during the forced stop of his ship, Steller managed to collect a serious collection of plants.

The second version says that the first Europeans on the shores of Alaska were members of the crew of the ship "St. Gabriel" under the command of surveyor Gvozdev and navigator Fedorov. They visited Alaska as part of the Shastakov-Pavlutsky expedition of 1729–1735. In addition, historians have found fragmentary information about the visit of Russian people to Alaska in the 17th century. One way or another, from 1799 to 1867, Russian Alaska and the adjacent islands were under the control of the Russian-American Company. Further redistribution of Russian-American borders was caused by the abolition of serfdom in Russia.

Russian Alaska has been mastered and developed for more than half a century. Fur trade and shipbuilding were established here, the first settlements appeared, and gold was discovered. But after the abolition of serfdom, Alexander, in order to pay compensation to the landowners, was forced to borrow 15 million pounds sterling from the Rothschilds. And the Crimean War of 1853-1856 showed that if Alaska is not sold, it can be lost in vain. So, at a special meeting in St. Petersburg, it was unanimously decided to sell Alaska for no less than 5 million dollars in gold.

In fact, Russian Alaska was sold to the Americans for $7.2 million in gold and in 1867 came under the jurisdiction of the US War Department, becoming the District of Alaska. In 1896, the Klondike Gold Rush began. During its time, about 1 thousand tons of gold were mined here, which is about 13-14 billion modern dollars. In 1959, Alaska was officially declared a state. Today, in addition to solving military problems, a variety of mineral resources are being developed in Alaska. There are especially many of them in the Prudhoe Bay area, southeast of Point Barrow.

Population

Besides local residents, there are also many visiting Americans in Alaska, who began arriving here in the 1970s. They were attracted by vacancies in the oil industry and transport. 75% of the population of Alaska is white, natives of the United States. About 80 thousand indigenous people live here, including Indians (Athabascans, Haidas, Tlingits, Simshians), Eskimos and Aleuts. Descendants of Russians also remained in Alaska. True, their diaspora here is by no means numerous. But Alaska has the highest proportion of Orthodox Christians in America. Other religious groups active here include Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists.

Cities

It must be said that the state of Alaska has the lowest population density in America. However, there are some big ones here settlements. First of all, this is, of course, the city of Anchorage with a population of more than 100 thousand people. Other prominent cities in Alaska include Juneau, the state capital, as well as the cities of Fairbanks and College. It is worth noting that Administrative division in the state of Alaska differs from that adopted in most of America. Instead of districts, there are so-called baros - districts with self-government. There are fifteen such districts. But there is also an unorganized baro. It includes areas with extremely low population densities.

Economy

Today, the economy of the state of Alaska is primarily the extraction and processing of minerals. Thus, crude oil production is carried out in the north of the state. The richest deposits are located in the area of Prudhoe Bay and the Kinai Peninsula. It is no coincidence that the Alyeska oil pipeline, 1,250 km long, was built here to the port of Valdez. In general, oil production has played an important role here since the 1970s, when the Trans-Alaska Pipeline began operating.

The Alaska oil field has been compared to fields in Western Siberia and the Arabian Peninsula. But in addition to oil, natural gas, coal, copper, iron, gold, and zinc are also produced in Alaska. Along with mining, Alaska has developed fishing, reindeer farming, logging and hunting. All conditions for the operation of air transport have been created here, and there are military bases. Also one of the important sources of income for the state is tourism.

Culture

Despite its relative distance from the central regions of the United States, the state of Alaska is not inferior to many states either in terms of the level of education of the civilized population or in the number of cultural attractions. For example, there are 4 universities in Alaska: the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the University of Alaska-Anchorage, the University of Alaska Southeast, and the Alaska Pacific University. There are many museums here that are dedicated to the national traditions of the region: the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, the State Museum of Alaska in Juneau, the Aleut Museum, the Museum of History and Art in Anchorage, the Eskimo Heritage Center and Museum in Barrow. The state of Alaska is also known for its Sitka National Historical Park.

Peculiarities

The Alaskan flag features the famous dipper of stars, the Big Dipper, and the North Star in the upper right corner. The Big Dipper is, of course, the power of Alaska, but the North Star symbolizes the northernmost territory of America. Interestingly, this flag, unlike any other flag of American Alaska, was designed back in 1926 by a 13-year-old named Benny Benson. It is also symbolic that, as historical documents testify, this young author of the flag was of Russian-Aleutian-Swedish origin.