Alaska State was the 49th state to join the union of the United States of America on the 3rd of January, 1959 under the leadership of President Eisen Hower.
Alaska is located in the Northwest part of the U.S particularly across the Bering Strait from part of Asia.
Alaska is ranked the largest state by area in the whole of the USA, with a total land area of 663,268 square miles.
Alaska State is popularly called the “Last Frontier”. This state was dominated by the Russians long ago and was eventually sold to the U.S in order for it to be a legitimate part of the U.S. The word Alaska is from the Alcut word which means a Great Land.
Alaska is second on the list of all US states in alphabetical order and it’s the current capital city is Juneau and it is located in the Alaskan Panhandle and the Gastineau Channel.
Gold is the main mineral of Alaska and it is the second-highest gold mining state in the USA.
Alaska State Flag
The first time Alaska State flag was flown was on July 9, 1927.
The flag was designed by a 13-year-old boy called Benny Benson who was a 7th grader from an Orphanage home in Seward, Alaska.
There was a time that arouses the need for a flag in Alaska and competition was conducted in Alaska by the American Legion in 1926. In 1927, the design of benny Benson was selected and approved as the official state flag.
The flag consists of a blue background which represents the sky of Alaska and the Forget-me-not flower of Alaska. It has 8 gold stars which one is bigger and the other 7 stars form a shape of a big dipper.
The big dipper represents the Great Bear or the Ursa Major Constellation.
Land Area and Map
Alaska State is seen at the North West of North America’s West Coast across the Bering Strait from a part of Asia.
It has a total land area of 571,951 square miles and a total area of 663,268 square miles. Out of the total area, only 91,316 square miles is of water.
Alaska is bordered by the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort Sea to the North, Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska to the South, the Bearing Sea and the Bering Strait to the West, the British Columbia province and Canada’s Yukon Territory to the East.
People and Animal Life
Alaska has a population of about 710,249 residents and that is enough to show the continuous lifestyles of the people of Alaska.
Although Alaska is the largest state by area in the USA, it didn’t do so well with its population ranking as it is the 48th most populous state in the United States.
The first set of people to settle in Alaska were the Tlingit and Haida people. Later, the Danish explorer Vitus Bering found Alaska in 1741.
Not long after, the Russian, Spanish, English and French began to live together in Alaska due to the exploration. As a result of this, Christianity religion found its way into Alaska as it was firstly introduced by the Russian- American Company.
The people of Alaska state speak about 20 languages and English is the most common language.
The official state mammal of Alaska is the Moose and it was signed into law on May 1, 1998. There are other notable animals which are; Wolf, brown bears, foxes, caribou, pacific salmons and more. The official state bird of Alaska is the Willow Ptarmigan.
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Interesting Facts about Alaska
Alaska has more than 3,000 rivers and 3,000,000 lakes. Is that fact enough or you want to know more? Check out 5 other interesting facts about Alaska.
- Did you know that Alaska has more coastlines than any of the other US states? The Coastline of Alaska has been marked to be more than 34,000 miles.
- Did you know that Alaska has beautiful Auroras on Fairbanks sky which could be seen at least 243 days in a year? Auroras are also called the Northern Lights.
- Did you know that 17 of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the USA are found in Alaska?
- Did you know that Alaska is one of the largest US states? It has a total area of 571,951 square miles.
- Did you know that Alaska is home to over 100 volcanoes? Over 40 of them are active volcanoes and the last time one of them erupted was in the 1760s.
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5 Most Popular Cities In Alaska
Alaska State has about 149 incorporated cities which about 116 of are regarded as second-class cities. Only the top 5 popular cities will be pointed out briefly.
Anchorage
Anchorage is the most populous city in Alaska with a population of about 285,634 people. Anchorage is located on the west coast of the USA.
Anchorage is officially called the municipality of Anchorage and it has two popular nicknames which are; the city of lights and flowers and Los Anchorage.
Anchorage has a total land area of 17, 06.80 square miles amounting to about 4,420.59 km^2.
Juneau
The second most populous city in Alaska State is Juneau and it is regarded as the state capital city of Alaska.
Juneau is located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan Panhandle.
Juneau has a total land area of 2,703.93 square miles which amounts to about 7,003.26 km^2.
Juneau has a total population of 31,435 people and that makes it the second-most populous city in Alaska.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is a city in Alaska which is located in the East-central of Alaska, USA.
Fairbanks city is the 3rd most populous city in Alaska as it has a total population of about 30,996 people.
Fairbanks city has a land area of about 31.75 square miles amounting to about 82.22 km^2.
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Badger
Badger is a city in Alaska which is popularly called the Badger of Alaska. It is located in the Fairbanks North Star Borough of Alaska.
Badger has a total land area of about 66.71 square miles. Badger city also has a population of 18,782 people and that makes it the fourth most populous city in Alaska.
Knik-Fairview
Knik-Fairview is located in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, USA. Knik-Fairview is usually referred to as a census-designated place.
Knik-Fairview is the 5th most populous city in Alaska State and it has a population of about 17,513 people.
Knik-Fairview has a total land area of 71.0 square miles amounting to 183.9 km^2
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Alaska State (Summary)
For a place like Alaska, Gold is the main production of this state. Alaska is even the second-highest gold mining state in the USA and that shows how rich Alaska is.
Alaska is one of the oldest cities in the entire USA. The city with the highest population in Alaska has about 285,000 people which shows how low the population of Alaska is due to the constant freezing temperature in most parts of Alaska State.
Another surprising thing is that you can’t drive in and out of Juneau because the streets are not connecting to any neighboring city and the only way to move in and out of Juneau is to travel by sea or by air.
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