Alaska

I

Introduction

Alaska, one of the Pacific coast states, and the northernmost state of the United States, occupying the north-western extremity of North America. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean; on the east by Canada (the Yukon Territory and British Columbia); on the south-east, south, and south-west by the Pacific Ocean; and on the west by the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Arctic Ocean. The state includes two major island groups: the Aleutian Islands, which extend in an arc west from the south-western corner of the mainland, and the Alexander Archipelago, adjacent to the south-eastern coast of the mainland.

Sometimes known as the “Last Frontier”, Alaska entered the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state. The wild grandeur of the state has fascinated people for several hundred years. Its economy, traditionally dominated by the exploitation of natural resources, entered a new phase in 1977, when oil production began at the vast Prudhoe Bay oilfield on the Arctic coast. The name of the state is derived from an Aleut word meaning “mainland”.

II

Land and Resources

With a total area of 1,593,438 sq km (615,230 sq mi), Alaska is the largest state in the United States, with an area equal to about one fifth of that of the contiguous 48 states. The state is roughly square in shape with two major projections: the Alaska Peninsula, with its geographical extension, the Aleutian Islands; and the Panhandle, which extends from the south-eastern body of the state along the border of British Columbia, Canada. Its extreme dimensions are about 2,240 km (1,390 mi) from north to south and about 3,550 km (2,210 mi) from east to west. Alaska has the greatest relief range of any state; elevations begin at sea level and extend up to 6,194 m (20,320 ft) in Mount McKinley , the highest peak in North America. Alaska has about 8,980 km (5,580 mi) of shoreline on the Pacific Ocean and 1,706 km (1,060 mi) of shoreline on the Arctic Ocean.

A

Physical Geography

Alaska is divided into three main regions: the Pacific Mountains along the entire southern coastal area; the Interior, a central belt of plateaux and plains; and the Alaska North Slope, or Arctic Slope.

The Pacific Mountain system is a group of ranges set in a geologically unstable belt surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic and earthquake activity is much in evidence here. The south-eastern part of the Pacific Mountain system, or Panhandle, is a region of fiords and glaciers comprising the rugged Boundary Range and the offshore Alexander Archipelago, which in turn contains the sheltered Inside Passage—one of the most scenic natural waterways in the world. At the north-western corner of the Panhandle is the St Elias Range, which contains the spectacular Malaspina Glacier, the largest in the state. Just north of the St Elias Mountains are the volcanic Wrangell Mountains, which include Mount Wrangell, Mount Sanford, and Mount Drum. Other ranges in the Pacific Mountains include the arc-shaped Alaska Range, which includes Mount McKinley, and the Chugach and Kenai mountains.

The Interior comprises the Brooks Range—a complexly folded sedimentary mass extending across the entire width of Alaska—the Tanana Hills and Kuskokwim Mountains, and the wide flat valley and delta of the Yukon River. The Alaska North Slope, also known as the Arctic Lowland or Arctic Plain, slopes gradually downwards from the base of the Brooks Range to the Arctic Ocean.

Alaska’s major river, the Yukon, is one of the longest on the North American continent; it flows across the state from east to west, emptying into the Bering Sea. About two thirds of its 3,185-km (1,979-mi) course lies within Alaska. The Yukon’s tributaries include the Porcupine, Koyukuk, and Tanana rivers. The state has thousands of small lakes, of which the largest (Iliamna, Becharof, and Ugashik) are located on the Alaska Peninsula.

B

Climate

Alaska can be divided into three major climate zones: a region of maritime influences (a marine west coast climate), a region of continental (or subarctic) climate, and a region of tundra (or arctic) climate.

The region of maritime climate comprises the Panhandle, the coast of the Gulf of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. Summers are cool, and winters relatively mild. The region of continental climate comprises Interior Alaska, the area north of the Alaska Range and south of the Brooks Range, where there are mild, brief summers and harsh winters. The average January temperature is -22.8° C (-9° F), with extremes of -51.1° C (-60° F) or colder. A record low temperature of -62.2° C (-80° F) was measured at Prospect Creek Camp, in north-western Alaska, in 1971. The area north of the Brooks Range has an arctic climate, with weeks of continuous darkness in winter and of daylight in summer.