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.

C.

Plants and Animals

Vegetation ranges from lush coniferous forests, located in the Panhandle and on the coast of the Gulf of Alaska, dominated by hemlock, spruce and birch trees, to a treeless tundra. Much of the interior is covered by taiga, or northern forest, consisting largely of spruce and birch. Alaska’s many flowers include fireweed, lupine, and the state flower, forget-me-not.

Alaska has a rich and diverse fauna. Surrounding waters are renowned for whale, northern fur seal, walrus, and sea otter, as well as salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp, and other marine life. Bears, including polar, brown, and black, are well represented. Great herds of caribou still migrate across the Brooks Range, followed by packs of wolves.

D.

Resources, Products, and Industries

Oil from the vast Prudhoe Bay oil field (via the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, opened in 1977) and natural gas are by far Alaska’s most important mineral resources. Oil revenues have enabled the state to abolish its personal income tax and to distribute annual cash dividends to all state residents. However, oil production is now declining steadily, falling from a peak of 2 million barrels a day to 1.4 million in the mid-1990s as the Prudhoe Bay fields near depletion. In 2000 Alaska produced about 13 billion cu m (459 billion cu ft) of natural gas. Other minerals include copper, gold, coal, sand, molybdenum, gravel, stone, and clay.

Forestry is important to the economy, the principal trees being western hemlock, Sitka spruce, cedar, and other softwoods, which are used for timber and paper-making. Fishing is also a thriving industry, with salmon accounting for a major share of the value of the annual catch. In the early 1990s the total catch in the state was 2.6 million tonnes, valued at US$1.6 billion. Farming accounts for less than 1 per cent of the annual gross state product. Greenhouse products, dairy products, potatoes, and cattle dominate agricultural output. Leading manufacturing industries are food processing and fish-processing, timber and wood products, and printing and publishing.