Alaska (Listeni/əˈlæskə/) is a U.S. state situated in the northwest extremity of the Americas. The Canadian administrative divisions of British Columbia and Yukon border the state to the east; it has a maritime border with Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, the southern parts of the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southwest. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, the 3rd least populous and the least densely populated of the 50 United States. Approximately half of Alaska's residents (the total estimated at 738,432 by the Census Bureau in 2015[3]) live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. Alaska's economy is dominated by the fishing, natural gas, and oil industries, resources which it has in abundance. Military bases and tourism are also a significant part of the economy.
The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km2). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.[5]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 Geography
2.1 Regions
2.1.1 South Central
2.1.2 Southeast
2.1.3 Interior
2.1.4 Southwest
2.1.5 North Slope
2.1.6 Aleutian Islands
2.2 Natural features
2.3 Land ownership
2.4 Climate
3 History
3.1 Alaska Natives
3.2 Colonization
3.3 U.S. Territory
3.4 Statehood
3.5 Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
4 Demographics
4.1 Race and ancestry
4.2 Languages
4.3 Religion
5 Economy
5.1 Energy
5.1.1 Permanent Fund
5.2 Cost of living
5.3 Agriculture and fishing
6 Transportation
6.1 Roads
6.2 Rail
6.3 Marine transport
6.4 Air transport
6.5 Other transport
6.6 Data transport
7 Law and government
7.1 State government
7.2 State politics
7.3 Taxes
7.4 Federal politics
8 Cities, towns and boroughs
8.1 Cities and census-designated places (by population)
9 Education
10 Public health and public safety
11 Culture
11.1 Music
11.2 Alaska in film and on television
12 State symbols
13 See also
14 References
15 External links
Etymology
The name "Alaska" (Аляска) was introduced in the Russian colonial period when it was used to refer to the peninsula. It was derived from an Aleut, or Unangam idiom, which figuratively refers to the mainland of Alaska. Literally, it means object to which the action of the sea is directed.[6][7][8] It is also known as Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same root.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Alaska
Alaska is the northernmost and westernmost state in the United States and has the most easterly longitude in the United States because the Aleutian Islands extend into the eastern hemisphere. Alaska is the only non-contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500 miles (800 km) of British Columbia (Canada) separates Alaska from Washington. It is technically part of the continental U.S., but is sometimes not included in colloquial use; Alaska is not part of the contiguous U.S., often called "the Lower 48". The capital city, Juneau, is situated on the mainland of the North American continent but is not connected by road to the rest of the North American highway system.
The state is bordered by Yukon and British Columbia in Canada, to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska's territorial waters touch Russia's territorial waters in the Bering Strait, as the Russian Big Diomede Island and Alaskan Little Diomede Island are only 3 miles (4.8 km) apart. Alask