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Alaska "The Last Frontier"

Abbreviation: AK

To the Aleut peoples, Alaska was "Alyeshka", meaning the great land. Alaska, the 49th state, officially became a state on January 3, 1959. It was purchased from Russia for $7 million in 1867 and was made a territory of the United States in 1912. It is the largest state in area, almost a fifth as large as all the rest of the United States. It remained largely unexplored until the Gold Rush in the 1880s. Fur trade was the main economic activity in Alaska for more than 150 years after 1741. In the 1880s and 1890s major gold deposits were discovered. In addition, other minerals, particularly copper, tin, mercury, and silver, were also mined. During the 1940s and 1950s large military bases were built. Beginning in the late 1970s, the economy underwent a fundamental change as the state's enormous oil deposits were exploited. Almost a third of Alaska is north of the Arctic Circle. At Point Barrow, Alaska's northernmost point, the sun never sets between May and August. Tourists come to see Alaska's mountain scenery, historic coastal towns and the state's vast areas of untamed wilderness. Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range is North America's highest peak at 20,320 feet and one of the greatest challenges for mountain climbers.

GOVERNMENT

Capital City: Juneau
Governor: Frank Murkowski, R (to Jan. 2007)
Senators: Lisa Murkowski, R (to Jan. 2011); Ted Stevens, R (to Jan. 2009)
House of Representatives: 1 district | Search by zip code

STATISTICS

Population (April 2000): 626,932; National Rank: 48; Percent change since 1990: 14%; State Rank based on Percent Growth (Growth Rate): 17
Land Area: 570,833 sq. mi.(131,443 sq km): Largest state
Largest Cities (1999 est.): Anchorage, 257,808; Fairbanks, 32,769; Juneau, 30,192; Sitka, 8,193; Kenai, 8,184; Ketchikan, 7,861; Kodiak, 7,680; Bethel, 6,517; Wasilla, 6,118; Homer, 4,887

ECONOMY

Total Gross State Product 2001 (millions of dollars): 28,581; National rank: 46; Percent Change (Growth Rate) since 1990: 51%; National Rank based on Growth Rate: 51 (Including Washington, DC)
Per Capita Personal Income 2001: $31,027; National Rank: 14 (102% of national average)
State Exports 2002 (millions of dollars): 2,516; National Rank: 36
Agriculture: Seafood, nursery stock, dairy products, vegetables, livestock.
Industry: Petroleum and natural gas, gold and other mining, food processing, lumber and wood products, tourism.

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