Alaska, State of The United States Of America
The importance of Alaska, one of the federal units that make up the United States, is in its oil reserves and its strategic location: less than one hundred kilometers separate it from Russia across the Bering Strait.
Alaska is limited to the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south and east Canada. It is located in the north-western tip of the American continent and has a 1.530.693km2 surface. The capital is Juneau.
Physical geography. are distinguished in Alaska three major areas: (1) the mountainous area of south extensions of the Rocky Mountains, where Mount McKinley, the highest in North America (6.192m); (2) the interior plateau, between the southern hills and the Brooks Range to the north, an area of relatively small broad valleys and elevations, where are located the mountains Ray and the Seward Peninsula; and (3) the coastal plain, separated from the Yukon Valley by Brooks chain, rich in oil resources, which at the Canadian border reaches 2,700m altitude.
In the south the rivers are rare and small. The interior is dominated, however, by the Yukon River, which rises in Canada, runs to the north-west to find the Porcupine in Fort Yukon. The main river of the northern plain is Colville, but it there are numerous salt lakes.
The regions bordering the Pacific, mitigated by the presence of the warm Kuroshio current, enjoy a temperate climate; inside the predominant continental climate of high latitudes, with strong temperature variations. The southeast coast these variations do not reach 15 C within reach 60º C, and the strict and dry winters. On the north coast are frequent temperature of -40o C.
The Forest of Tongass National Park includes hemlock, fir and cedar. inland forests are mostly made of spruce mixed with birch and poplars. To the west of this area grow poplars, while in wetlands dominate the forests of alders and willows. In the coastal plain and the Aleutian dominates the tundra.
The main representatives of marine fauna are the sole, salmon, whale and sea otter. Inside and on the south coast there are bears, moose and caribou. Among the animals with valuable fur stand out foxes, sables, ermine, otters, beavers and muskrats.
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| Anchorage |
Economy. Fishing has been the source of more steady income of the state, and the salmon the main product. The Alaskan economy becomes increasingly dependent on oil and natural oil industry. Since the inauguration of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline in 1977, the state became the second largest producer of crude oil in the United States, second only to Texas. also stands out the production of coal, gold and copper.
The long days of summer Alaska are suitable for growing wheat, oats, rye, barley and potato and other vegetable cold weather. The excellent pastures favor livestock. Industrial activity, closely linked to the natural resources of the state, covers, in addition to oil and gas, food processing (especially fish), processing of leather and wood.
Internal and external connections are made mainly by air. A ferry service operates between most coastal communities. The cities of the south-central region are connected by roads to the west of Canada and the rest of the US territory.
Population. Alaska's indigenous population half consisted of Tlingit, Haida and tinnehs, the other half Eskimo and Aleut. The latter decreased number during the Russian occupation. Before World War II the Scandinavian element was considerable among whites. When Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867, its population was thirty thousand inhabitants, of which only a thousand were white. A century later the white population amounted to 79% of the total; Indians and Eskimos formed 18%; and black, three percent. Besides the capital, the main cities are: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan and Spenard.
History. Alaska was discovered by Vitus Jonassen Bering in 1741. But its colonization only started from the last quarter of the eighteenth century, Russia, which aimed to capture skins. In 1867, however, feeling difficulty in keeping the territory because of the wars in Europe, the Russian government sold Alaska to the United States, the amount of 7.2 million dollars. Incorporated as a district of the country, Alaska had its border issues with Canada settled by arbitration (1903) and the controversy surrounding fishing in the Bering Sea, by agreement signed in 1911 by the United States, Canada and Japan. In 1912 He passed the territory of the United States and July 7, 1958 became the 49th state of the US federation.
