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Purchase of Alaska: Alaska
was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million
by then Secretary of State William H. Seward. |
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Entered the Union: Jan.
3, 1959, as the 49th state |
|
Per Capita Personal Income: $30,675
in 2000 |
|
Heaviest Annuam Snowfall: 974.5
inches at Thompson Pass near Valdez, during the winter
of 1952-53 |
|
Tallest Mountain in North America: Mount
McKinley at 20,320 feet |
Most Glaciers in the Nation: 29,000+
square miles or 5% of the State |
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Largest Cabbage: 98
Pounds in 1990 |
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Highest Point: Mount
McKinley, 20,320 ft |
Shoreline: 33,904
miles |
Land Area: Alaska
is the largest state in the union at 586, 412 square
miles (approx. 365,000,000 acres). It's about 1/5 the
size fo teh contiguous 48 states. Alaska is about 1390
miles tall and 2210 miles wide. The mean elevation is
1900 ft. The aleutian Islands are 1100 miles long. Alaska
has both the eastern, western, northern most points in
the U.S. |
Largest Glacier: The
Maslaspina Glacier at 850 sq miles is the largest. There
are more active glaciers and ice fields in Alaska than
all the remaining states combined - 100,000 glaciers
in all. |
| Longest Day: Barrow, 800 miles south
of the North Pole, has the longest and hortest day. When
the sun rises on May 10th, it don't set for nearly 3 months.
When it sets on November 18th, Barrow residents do not
see the sun again for nearly two months. The langest day
in Anchorage is about 20 hours and the shortest is about
4.5 hours. |
| Temperature Extremes: The highest air
temperature recorded in Alaska was 100 degrees F at Fort
Yukon in 1915. The lowest temperature, -80 degrees F, was
recorded at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971. |
| Earthquakes: America's biggest earthquake,
on March 27th 1964, devastated much of Southcentral Alaska.
The Good Friday earthquake measured 8.6 on the Richter
Scale. This has since revised upward to 9.2 - the strongest
ever recorded in North America. |
| Mountains: Alaska has 17 of the 20 highest
mountains in North America. Mt McKinley is the highest
at 20,320 ft, second is Mt Saint Elias, near Glennallen,
at 18,008 ft. |
| National Parks: Alaska has 15 National Parks |
| Tides: Turnagain Arm, near Anchorage,
has tides as much as 30 feet. Tidal bores occur just as
the tide changes from outgoing to incoming. |
| Population: The 1990 census lists Alaska's
population as 550,043. 1996 estimates place the population
at 607, 007, with approx. half in Anchorage, 80,000 in
Fairbanks, 27,000 in Juneau and the rest distributed about
the state in a few small towns and numerous villages. This
gives Alaska a population density of 2.6 people per square
mile (less rivers, lakes, etc.). |
| Alaska is closer to Russia than the 48 contiguous US
states. Little Diomede Island (US) is 2.5 miles from Big
Diomede Island (Russia). The mainland is only 51 miles
from Russia across the Bering Strait. |
| Alaska is almost as close to Tokyo, Japan (3,520 miles)
as New York City (3,280 miles) |
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| Barrow - locate
on the Beaufort Sea, is the northernmost settlement in
the United States, and has 82 days between May and August
when the sun never drops below the horizon. |
| Prudhoe Bay - is the origination of
the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The insulated pipeline pumps
about 1.2 million barrels of oil a day from the North Slope
fields to Valdez. Prudhoe Bay, Alaska population - 7 |
| Kotzebue -
on the northwest coast, lies just above the Arctic Circle,
as does nearly one-third of Alaska. Kotzebue,
Alaska population - 3,107 |
| Nome - was a
gold-fever boom town in 1900. Today Nome is
the finish line for the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Nome,
Alaska population - 3493 |
| Bethel - in the largest community in
the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, most of the population is Yup'ik
Eskimos. It is the regions commercial and air transportation
hub. The Kuskokwim 300, the world's premier middle-distance
sled dog race, begins and ends here. Bethel, Alaska population
- 5,736 |
| Dutch Harbor (Unalaska) -
set amid the stunning scenery of the Aleutian Islands,
is a top commerical fishing port renowned for its unique
history, plentiful bird watching and world-class sport
fishing opportunities. Dutch Harbor,
Alaska population - 4,051 |
| Fairbanks -
has the widest temperature spread of any city on earth,
from -66 to 99 degree F. Fairbanks,
Alaska - population - 29,670 |
| Dillingham -
began life as a Russian trading center in 1818. Located
on Bristol Bay, it is now a commercial and sport fishing
center and the gateway to Wood-Tikchik State Park. At 1.6
million acres, it is the largest state park in the nation. Dillingham,
Alaska population - 2,475 |
| King Salmon - on the Alaska Peninsula,
is a fishing hub and gateway to Katmai National Park, a
4-million-arce protected area since 1918. Nearby Bristol
Bay is home to the world's largest red salmon fishery.
King Salmon, Alaska population - 392 |
| Anchorage -
is Alaska's largest city, located on Cook Inlet which has
the second-highest tidal range in the country. Thanks to
long daylight hours, the nearby Matanuska Valley raises
giant vegetables, such as cabbages the size of basketballs. Anchorage,
Alaska population - 269,070 |
| Valdez - is
the southern terminus for the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline,
and the northernmost ice-free port in the Western Hemisphere.Valdez,
Alaska population - 4,171 |
| Cordova- takes
its name from a nearby strait, named Puerto Cordova by
Spanish explorer Dan Salvador Fidalgo in 1970. The town's
fishing fleet is the source for much of the famed Copper
River salmon that gourmet seafood lovers anxiously await
each spring. Cordova, Alaska
population - 2,434 |
| Ch'aak' |
eagle |
| Du tlaa |
his mother |
| Eesh |
father |
| Gooch |
wolf |
| Gunakadeit |
sea monster |
| Heen |
water |
| Ixsixan |
I love you |
| Keet |
killer whale |
| Kooteeyaa |
totem pole |
| Neigoon |
nagoonberry |
| Neil si goot |
welcome |
| S'eek |
black bear |
| Shaawat |
woman |
| Sha |
head |
| Sit |
glacier |
| T'a |
king salmon |
| T'aaku |
wind |
| Tleikw |
berry |
| Woosh-Jee-een |
working together |
| Xaat |
salmon or fish |
| Xaatl |
iceberg |
| Xoots |
brown bear |
| Yeil |
Raven |
| Aklu |
little lake |
| Auk nu |
little lake fort |
| Dzantik'i Heeni |
where the flounder gather |
| Kitschkin |
eagle-wing river, now Ketchikan |
| Klumu Gutta |
spirits' home, tlingit name for Taku Glacier |
| Khutz-n-hu |
bear fort, on Admiralty Island |
| Skagua |
home of the north wind, now Skagway |
| Sumdum |
booming sound when icebergs clave from a glacier |
| Alaskan Horse |
Mosquitoes, big ones and lots of them |
| Blue Cloud |
Southern term for a break in a cloudy sky. |
| Breakup |
The time in spring with ice begins to melt and the rivers
start to flow, signaling the end of winter. |
| The Bush |
Any part of Alaska inaccessible by road. |
| Bush Pilot |
A pilot who services remote areas in a small plane, which
is commonly equipped with floats or skis. |
| Cabin Fever |
The state of being housebound, typically in cramped quarters,
due to inclement weather and darkness. |
| Cache |
Small structure built on stilts to protect food from
animals; also used colloquially to refer to small corner
stores. |
| Calve |
The action by which glacial ice breaks off, or calves,
from a glacier to form icebergs. |
| Cheechako |
A newcomer to Alaska; the opposite of a sourdough or
old-timer. |
| Chum |
Another name for dog salmon. |
| Iditarod |
The thousand-mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome
held annually in March. |
| Lower 48 |
Local reference to the continental United States minus
Hawaii, which is also normally excluded in special shipping
rates. |
| Midnight Sun |
The sun above the horizon at midnight on the longest
day of the year. |
| Mukluks |
Sealskin or reindeer-skin boots traditionally worn by
the Inuit. |
| Outside |
Any place not in Alaska. |
| Pay Dirt |
A mining term referring to placer gold that was sure
to bring a profit to a miner. |
| Quiviut |
Wool from the Alaskan musk ox. |
| Southeast |
A local term for Southeast Alaska. |
| Southeast Sneaker |
Brown rubber boots residents tend to wear often; whether
it is raining or just in case. |
| Sourdough |
This term applies to anyone who has managed to weather
an Alaskan winter, or an old-time resident who is "sour
on the country but without enough dough to get out." |
| Taku Wind |
A sudden, powerful wind gusting up to 100 mph, which
can cause rain to fall sideways. |
| Termination Dust |
The first snowfall marking the beginning to winter. |
| Ulu |
A fan-shaped knife used for chopping meat. |
More
on the official motto of the State of Alaska
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| , North to the Future, was adopted by the legislature
during Alaska's Purchase Centennial in 1967. Created by
veteran newsman Richard Peter, the motto is meant to represent
Alaska as a country of promise. According to Peter, the
motto "...is a reminder that beyond the horizon of
urban clutter there is a Great Land beneath our flag that
can provide a new tomorrow for this century's 'huddled
masses yearning to be free.' " |
More
on the official State of Alaska seal.
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When Congress provided for civil government for Alaska
in 1884, the first go
vernor designed, and had made, a seal for the District of Alaska. The seal
was used until 1910 when Governor Walter E. Clark decided the design placed
too much emphasis on icebergs, northern lights and Native people. The governor
had a draftsman in Juneau sketch a new seal that incorporated the original
features, plus symbols for mining, agriculture, fisheries, fur seal rookeries,
and a railroad.
The design was approved by the acting attorney general of the United
States. A more refined drawing was made by an unknown person in the Department
of the Interior, and the new seal was ready for use early in 1911. When
Alaska changed from district to territorial status in 1912, the new designation
was substituted on the seal.
The Constitution of the State of Alaska provides that the territorial
seal shall be the seal for the State of Alaska, with the word "territory" changed
to that of "state." The seal is 2 1/8 inches in diameter.
The seal of the State of Alaska may be used only with the permission
of the Lt. Governor.
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More
on the State of Alaska flag.
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| The Alaska Legislature adopted the design as the official
flag for the Territory of Alaska on May 2, 1927. Later
the drafters of the Alaska constitution stipulated that
the territorial flag would become the official flag of
the State of Alaska.
The words to the song Alaska's Flag were written by
Marie Drake, a long-time employee of the Alaska Department
of Education, and first appeared as a poem in 1935.
The poem was set to music composed by Elinor Dusenbury,
whose husband was commander of Chilkoot Barracks at
Haines from 1933-1936. The Territorial Legislature
adopted Alaska's Flag as Alaska's official song in
1955.
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