Alaska By: Morgan Palmer Mrs. Smith’s Class

Alaska State Capital: Juneau Population: 718,202 State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan Nickname: “The Last Frontier” State Flower: Forget - Me - Not State Tree: Sitka Spruce Major Cities: Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Sitka, and Ketchikan Flag:

Outline of Alaska

Famous People Sarah Palin Sarah Palin is a politician from Alaska. She was the ninth governor of Alaska. She was chosen to be the Republican Vice Presidential candidate of the United States in Tommy Moe Tommy Moe was an alpine skier from Alaska. He was a gold medalist in the 1994 Winter Olympics. He was the first American man to win two medals in skiing in one Olympics. He was entered in the National Ski Hall of Fame. Benny Benson Benny Benson was an Alaskan Native who created Alaska’s flag. When he was thirteen, he won a contest to design the Alaskan flag. The new flag was introduced in 1959.

History Alaska has a very fascinating history. Its history includes native people, Russians, gold, and a Japanese invasion. These are just a few of Alaska’s historical events. As far back as 8000 B.C., American Indians lived in what is now Alaska. The Russians discovered Alaska in 1741 A.D. and claimed the land for Russia. In 1867, Russia decided to sell the land to the United States. Gold was discovered in This event lead to the famous Klondike Gold Rush. This tremendous find led to 100,000 prospectors trying to find gold. The gold rush ended in Alaska’s next big event was becoming a United States territory in Then, a terrifying thing happened. Two of the Aleutian Islands were briefly controlled by the Japanese troops in 1948 during World War II. After the war ended, Alaska finally became the 49 th state in 1959.

Economy The economy in Alaska keeps the state working and running smoothly. Alaska’s economy is guided by the mining, fishing, and service industries. Other industries include timber and agriculture. Mining for oil is the biggest industry in Alaska. Prudhoe Bay, AK is one of the most active oil producing places in the world. There are many oil companies that work in Prudhoe Bay. Gold is mined near Nome and Fairbanks, AK. Mined items such as coal, zinc, silver, and tin are found in Alaska. Fishing is a big part of the Alaskan economy. People near the coast fish for salmon, herring, shrimp, halibut, and crabs. The fishing industry employs many people to package and clean the seafood. The service industry is an important part of Alaska’s economy. Many people have jobs helping the many tourists who come to explore Alaska’s wildlife and culture. Other service jobs include teachers, nurses, and doctors. Farmland and forests impact Alaska’s economy too. Alaska’s forests provide lumber and pulp for building and paper products. Because of the long summers, Alaska’s produce can grow fast and big making agriculture an important industry for Alaska.

Geography and Climate Alaska is the biggest state in the United States. The state is divided into six geographic regions. The weather and climate vary depending on the region. The Arctic region is very flat with treeless tundra and lots of rivers. The Interior region is surrounded by mountain ranges. Between the mountains there are many rivers, forests, and rolling hills. Western Alaska borders the Bering Sea. There are many small villages that live off the ocean. Another region is Southwestern Alaska which is known for its volcanoes. Most people live in Southcentral Alaska. This region contains mountains and the ocean. The sixth region is Southeast Alaska. This region has rainforests and tons of islands. Alaska’s climate ranges from mild and dry weather to wet and cold weather. The Southeast region has lots of precipitation about 220 inches of rain and snow per year. The Interior region has dry, long,cold winters. But, the summers can get as high as 90◦F. The Arctic region stays cold all year. Its average temperature is 47◦F. In Southcentral Alaska, the most populated region, it is mildly cool in the summer and cold during the winter. The climate differences among the regions are not surprising because Alaska is such a big state.

Travel and Culture The culture of Alaska makes it a very unique state. It is unique because there is Russian culture along with Alaskan Native culture. There are a lot of different Alaskan Native groups with their own artwork and traditions. Alaska is a very interesting state to visit. Many people visit for the beautiful scenery and the wilderness adventures. Alaska is well known for its steep mountains and gorgeous scenery. Skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and boating are a few of the magnificent activities tourist enjoy in Alaska.

Facts and Trivia Did you know that three of the top ten strongest earthquakes in the world happened in Alaska? Did you know that Alaska’s Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America? Did you know that Alaska’s Malaspina Glacier is the biggest glacier in North America? It is larger than the state of Rhode Island. Did you know that seventeen of the twenty highest peaks in the United States are in Alaska? Did you know that the sky lights up with Aurora Borealis otherwise known as the Northern Lights?

Pictures of Alaska Alaska Flag Willow Ptarmigan Salmon Forget-Me-Not Sitka Spruce Mount McKinley Northern Lights

Resources oggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&ilc=1&fr=yfp-t oggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&ilc=1&fr=yfp-t Johnston, Joyce. Alaska: Hello U.S.A. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company,