Outline of Alaska
Alaska is the largest state of the United States in area. It is almost a fifth as large as all the rest of the United States, and more than twice the size of Texas, the second largest state. But Alaska has a relatively small population. According to the 2000 census, Alaska ranks 48th among all the states in population. Only Wyoming and Vermont have fewer people than Alaska.
Juneau is Alaska's capital. Anchorage is the state's largest city in terms of population. Sitka, Juneau, and Anchorage-in that order-rank as the largest cities in the United States in terms of area.
When Alaska entered the Union in 1959, it was the first new state in 47 years. About 500 miles (800 kilometers) of Canadian territory separate Alaska from Washington. Alaskans often refer to the rest of the continental United States as the ''lower 48.''
The Alaskan mainland's most western point is only 51 miles (82 kilometers) from Russia. Alaska's Little Diomede Island, in the Bering Strait, is about 21/2 miles (4 kilometers) from Russia's Big Diomede Island. No other part of North America is closer to Asia.
Almost a third of Alaska lies north of the Arctic Circle. However, Point Barrow, the northernmost point, is almost 1,300 miles (2,090 kilometers) south of the North Pole. The state has a wide range of temperatures-as low as -80 °F (-62 °C), and as high as 100 °F (38 °C). The climate and soil as far north as the Arctic Circle permit farmers to raise livestock and grow barley, potatoes, and other crops. The summer sun shines about 20 hours a day in Alaska, and crops grow rapidly there. At Point Barrow, from May 10 to August 2, the sun never sets.
Secretary of State William H. Seward bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7,200,000-only about 2 cents per acre (5 cents per hectare). Some Americans thought the region was a wasteland of ice and snow. They called it Seward's Folly, Seward's Icebox, and Icebergia. However, Alaska proved to be rich in fish, minerals, timber, and potential water power. The value of resources taken from the region has paid back the purchase price hundreds of times. Huge oil reserves at Prudhoe Bay along the Arctic coast rank as Alaska's chief source of wealth.
Alaska is famous for its towering mountains and beautiful scenery. Mount McKinley, which rises 20,320 feet (6,194 meters) above sea level, is the highest peak in the United States. In addition, Alaska has the 15 next highest peaks and almost all of the active volcanoes in the United States.
The name Alaska comes from a word used by the people of the Aleutian Islands. The word meant great land or mainland. It sounded like A-la-a-ska to early Russian settlers. Today, Alaska is often called the Last Frontier because much of the state is not fully settled.
