Alaska : The Last Frontier

ENCYCLOPÆDIA

Britannica

DISCOVER

AMERICA Alaska

The Last Frontier

CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS

SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO

EB STAFF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This edition published 2008 by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Editors Anthony L. Green William L. Hosch Michael I. Levy Robert M. Lewis Amy Tikkanen Jeffrey Wallenfeldt

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-59339-745-6 (Set) International Standard Book Number: 978-1-59339-748-7 (Volume)

Copy Editors Michael Anderson Andrea R. Field Lorraine Murray Cover Design and Art Kurt Heintz Steve Kapusta

WEIGL STAFF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Project Coordinators Rennay Craats Jennifer Nault Substantive Editor Janice Parker

© 2008, 2002 by Weigl Publishers Inc. Additional material © 2008, 2005 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica: DISCOVER AMERICA Volume 2: Alaska 2008, 2005 Britannica.com may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica, Britannica, and the Thistle logo are registered trademarks of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Copy Editors Heather Kissock Michael Lowry Designers Warren Clark Terry Paulhus Photo Researchers Julie Pearson Mark Bizek

Photograph Credits Every reasonable effort has been made to trace ownership and to obtain permission to reprint copyright material. The publishers would be pleased to have any errors or omissions brought to their attention so that they may be corrected in subsequent printings.

All photos provided by Clark James Mishler unless otherwise noted. Cover: Brown bears fishing in Alaska, © Kennan Ward/CORBIS; Corel Corporation: pages 6, 25; Flavin Photography: page 13 (Frank Flavin); Alaska Purchase Centennial Commission – Alaska State Library: pages 17, 18, 19, 21.

CONTENTS Introduction .......................................... 4 Land and Climate ................................. 8 Natural Resources................................ 9 Plants and Animals ........................... 10 Tourism ............................................... 12 Industry ............................................... 13 Goods and Services ........................... 14 Alaska Natives ................................... 16 Explorers and Missionaries .............. 17 Early Settlers ...................................... 18 Population .......................................... 20 Politics and Government ................. 21 Cultural Groups .................................. 22 Arts and Entertainment .................... 24 Sports .................................................. 26 Brain Teasers...................................... 28 Facts and Resources .......................... 30 Glossary .............................................. 31 Index.................................................... 32

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INTRODUCTION Alaska is the most northerly state in the United States. It has a cold climate, rough land, open tundra, and few inhabitants. Alaska is sometimes called the Land of the Midnight Sun. During the summer months the sun sets very late in the day. In the northernmost regions the sun does not go below the horizon for almost three months at a time. In the winter, however, daylight is very limited in these areas.

Alaska has many glaciers and ice fields.

“North to the Future” was adopted in 1967 as Alaska’s state motto.

Alaska’s land forms the largest peninsula in the Western Hemisphere. The state is not connected to the other 48 states of the mainland United States. Instead it juts westward from Canada into the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea. Southwest of Alaska’s mainland stretches the state’s long island chain, the Aleutians. To the southeast is a strip of land called the panhandle, which borders the Canadian province of British Columbia.

The state bird is the willow ptarmigan. A small Arctic bird, it lives on the tundra and changes color from white in winter to light brown in summer.

The Sitka spruce was named the state tree in 1962. These trees are common throughout the central and southeastern parts of the state.

Although many people think that Alaska is always cold, it has five different climatic zones: Arctic, continental, transitional, and two maritime.

INTRODUCTION Alaska is a remote state, making it difficult for people to travel to or within the state. Travelers reach the state either through a couple of highways through Canada or by plane. There are few highways that run through the state. The capital city, Juneau, can only be reached by boat or plane. This is also true of many of the smaller cities and towns. Nevertheless, the largest city in the state, Anchorage, has all the amenities of a large city: planes, trains, roads, museums, universities, and numerous recreational activities.

Seaplanes equipped with pontoons are known as floatplanes. Floatplanes are often the way people get into and out of Alaska’s remote regions.

Alaska Location Map The state flag shows the Big Dipper constellation and the North Star. The Big Dipper, also known as Ursa Major or the Great Bear, stands for strength.

Alaska’s state flag was designed by 13-year-old Benny Benson, from Chignik, Alaska. It was chosen from more than 140 entries and became Alaska’s territorial flag in 1927.

Capital: Juneau

Population: 626,932

Interstate highways: none

Size: 587,875 square miles Highest peak: Mount McKinley, 20,320 feet

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ALASKA Despite its distance from the U.S. mainland, Alaska has played an important part in the history of the nation. Alaska was purchased from Russia nearly a century before it became the 49th state in 1959. Miners from the U.S. mainland traveled to Alaska in search of gold in the 1800s. Many of these settlers fell in love with the wilderness and chose to stay. These new settlers lived among the Alaska Natives, who had inhabited the region for thousands of years. Alaska’s immense rain forest contains trees that are hundreds of feet tall and up to a thousand years old.

Alaska’s official nickname is the Last Frontier.

The state takes its name from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning “Great Land.”

The Alaska Highway was designed during World War II as an emergency measure to provide an overland military supply route to Alaska. It runs more than 1,500 miles through Canada’s Yukon Territory to Fairbanks.

INTRODUCTION

Boating is a popular recreational activity in Alaska.

The king salmon is the state fish. Sometimes weighing more than 100 pounds, the king salmon was designated the state fish in 1962.

Alaska adopted the forgetme-not as the state flower in 1949. This flower grows throughout the state.

Alaska’s scenic beauty offers wonderful outdoor opportunities for residents and tourists alike. Among the popular pastimes are hiking in the mountains, sailing past glaciers, and enjoying the dazzling northern lights. Alaska also attracts adventure seekers who glide over the icy tundra in dogsleds. Alaska’s landscape contains many mountains and includes 17 of North America’s 20 tallest peaks. Mount McKinley, at 20,320 feet, is North America’s tallest peak, attracting expert mountain climbers to scale its snowfield-covered rock. Every spring, king salmon swim upstream to spawn. Adult salmon may swim as far as 2,000 miles.

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LAND AND CLIMATE Alaska is by far the biggest state in the United States. At 587,875 square miles, it is more than twice the size of Texas, the second largest state. It measures 1,420 miles from north to south and 2,400 miles from east to west. The land varies from flat, bush-covered areas to mountain ranges. Alaska’s ice fields are composed of brittle, compacted snow with many deep crevices.

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park is the country’s largest national park. Measuring more than 20,000 square miles, it is larger than nine states. It includes the second highest peak in the United States, one of the largest active volcanoes in North America, and numerous massive glaciers.

The beauty of the Alaskan landscape makes up for the sometimes less than pleasant climate. Alaska boasts the tallest mountain peak in North America, the largest number of glaciers, and the largest national parks in the United States. The temperatures in the south are quite mild in summer. The west, which borders the ocean, receives more rain and snow and is often cooler than the rest of the state. In the north temperatures can hover near the freezing point in July. However, the majority of people living in and visiting Alaska are in the south and central regions of the state. They may experience –40˚ F temperatures in the winter, but they enjoy an average summer temperature of about 55˚ F.

Alaska’s coastline extends for more than 6,600 miles. Including islands, the state has nearly 34,000 miles of shoreline.

The layout of Alaska’s land makes it one of the most majestic-looking places in the world.

GEOGRAPHY

NATURAL RESOURCES

Fort Knox is Alaska’s largest gold mine.

About one fourth of the oil produced in the United States comes from Alaska.

Alaska produces more zinc than any other state.

Alaska is rich in natural resources. There are fish in the water, trees covering the land, and minerals in the ground. Gold was the first natural resource that brought prosperity and settlers to Alaska. Large amounts of gold were discovered beginning in the 1870s, drawing thousands of prospectors to the area in search of the precious metal. Gold mining still exists today, but it does not employ as many workers as before. There are also mines for coal, silver, and zinc. Alaska’s two main foreign exports are timber and fish. In fact, the state is the nation’s top exporter of fish. Leading catches include salmon, halibut, and shellfish such as crab. Fishing contributes more than $1 billion to the state’s economy each year. Oil and gas are the state’s most important natural resources. More than 80 percent of the income earned by the state comes from the oil and gas industry. The huge Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which extends 800 miles, transports most of the oil produced in the state. An average male Alaskan king crab often weighs more than 10 pounds.

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PLANTS AND ANIMALS Alaska is home to a wide variety of animals in the sky, on land, and in water. There are about 400 different bird species in Alaska. The eagle is the largest species in the state. Several thousand bald eagles flock to the Chilkat River in the southeast each winter to feast on salmon. Other common birds include owls, hawks, and falcons. Some birds found in Alaska migrate to the state from South America for the summer. The Arctic tern, found in Alaska and other parts of the Arctic Alaska is home to many foxes. during the summer, spends the winter in Antarctica, some 10,000 miles away.

Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was established in 1982. The preserve’s nearly 50,000 acres accommodate the largest concentration of bald eagles anywhere in the world.

Alaska is home to far more animals than people.

Alaska’s state land mammal is the moose. The bowhead whale is the state’s official marine mammal.

About 1 million northern fur seals migrate to the Pribilof Islands of Alaska each year. The islands have the world’s largest colony of seals.

Bears are common in Alaska. Grizzly, black, and polar bears make their home in the state. The Kodiak brown bear is the largest carnivore in the world. Also found in Alaska are beavers, reindeer, wolverines, wolves, deer, elks, bison, foxes, moose, mountain sheep, mountain goats, and lynx. Alaska’s waters are home to many fish and marine mammals. More than a dozen different species of whales can be seen off Alaska’s coast. They include the gray whale, the beluga whale, the humpback whale, the killer whale, and the narwhal. Other sea animals include otters, walruses, and seals. Moose, the largest member of the deer family, are a common site throughout Alaska. They shed and regrow their antlers annually.

GEOGRAPHY

A poisonous berry found in Alaska is the baneberry. Baneberries may be either red or white.

Berries are one of the traditional foods of the Inuit people.

From forest to marsh, Alaska has a variety of plant life. Among Alaska’s plant life are bushes that produce juicy berries. The most common berry is the lowbush cranberry. Others include strawberries, blueberries, and cloudberries. Pine forests are found in many of Alaska’s highlands and along the coast. Other trees that are common in Alaska are spruce, cottonwood, Alaska birch, and larch. Tongass National Forest, in southeastern Alaska, and Chugach National Forest, in south-central Alaska, are the two largest national forests in the United States. Alaska’s small human population and untouched wilderness areas keep the state’s environment pristine and healthy. Compared to many places, the air and water are very clean. Plants and animals that have been in Alaska for thousands of years continue to exist. However, as more people have moved to Alaska and have sought to make use of the many resources found in the state, some of these plants and animals have become threatened. The town of Sitka is surrounded by many local wildflowers.

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TOURISM Tourism is a highly profitable industry in Alaska that has grown in the last several decades. Most visitors come from the United States. Because of Alaska’s cold winters and mild summers, most tourists come to the state during summer. Cruise ships sail along Alaska’s coast and bring passengers to the state. Many of these cruise ships begin in Canada or Seattle, Wash., and sail along the Inner Passage, passing by Alaska’s southern islands. A favorite part of these trips is Glacier Bay, where visitors admire the beautiful ice forms.

Skagway’s Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park attracts many tourists.

Alaska welcomes about 1.5 million visitors each year. About half of all tourists come by plane, and about one third travel to the state by cruise ship.

More than 30,000 Alaskans work in the tourism industry during the peak season.

Some of the most popular tourist destinations in Alaska are Portage Glacier, Mount McKinley, Skagway’s historical gold rush district, and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. The Ketchikan Totems and Sitka’s Russian church and dancers also draw large numbers of tourists. The New Archangel Dancers, based in Sitka, represent a part of Alaska’s colorful Russian history.

ECONOMY

INDUSTRY Alaska’s first major industry was the fur trade. Russian explorers took furs back to Russia to sell. Though fur trapping still exists in Alaska, it now occurs on a much smaller scale. The gold industry brought the next big flow of money into the state. This was followed by the oil and gas industry in the 1970s. A large oil field was discovered near Prudhoe Bay in 1968. Geologists guessed that it was twice as large as any other oil field in North America at Tongass and Chugach national forests contain the time. Several oil companies joined together much of Alaska’s timber resources. to build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which was then the largest privately funded construction project in history. The About 70,000 workers pipeline, which cost $8 were involved in building billion to build, is operated the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. by the Alyeska Pipeline The pipeline, which has a Service Company. It is diameter of 48 inches, runs from Prudhoe Bay to the one of the top tourist port of Valdez. attractions in the state. The largest oil spill in Today more Alaskans U.S. history occurred off the Alaska coast. On March 24, work in the service 1989, a tanker called the sector than in any other Exxon Valdez spilled 11 part of the economy. million gallons of oil into Tourism and the Prince William Sound. The spill stretched for more government are leading than 450 miles. service employers. Timber and fishing are other major industries in the state. The 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs underground for about half its length. The other half of the pipeline is aboveground, held up by supports.

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GOODS AND SERVICES About 2 percent of Alaskans are registered pilots.

Much of Alaska’s employment is seasonal. During summer the unemployment rate is much lower than it is in winter.

According to some studies, four of the top 10 most expensive U.S. cities to live in are found in Alaska. These cities are Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Kodiak.

Few goods and services can be found outside the major population centers in Alaska. The best place for people to find what they need is in Anchorage. Most goods found in Anchorage have been flown into the city from elsewhere in the United States. The state’s largest airport also is in Anchorage. It is one of the leading handlers of cargo in the United States. Some Alaskans are dependent on air travel for the distribution of goods because not all areas have roads or railroads. In fact, Alaska has more registered pilots per capita than any other state.

All the conveniences of modern life can be found in Anchorage’s shopping centers.

ECONOMY

Alaska has fewer than 14,000 miles of highway—less than all other states except Rhode Island, Delaware, and Hawaii.

The government is a large employer in Alaska. About one fourth of Alaskans work for the federal, state, or local governments.

The University of Alaska has a main campus in Fairbanks as well as campuses in Anchorage and Juneau. First known as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, the Fairbanks campus opened its doors in 1922.

Because so many goods and materials have to be brought into the state, Alaska has a high cost of living. Providing services and medical care to remote areas in Alaska is expensive. Also, the cost of goods is high because there is little or no competition. In some smaller towns food may cost up to double what it costs in other places in the United States. Although the cost of living in Alaska is high, so are most of the salaries people earn. By charging more for their services, Alaskans can offset the high cost of living.

Salmon caught in Alaska is shipped fresh to many parts of the world.

Alaskan crabs fetch high prices from consumers.

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ALASKA NATIVES Several peoples had been living in Alaska for thousands of years before the arrival of Russian explorers. Some scientists think that these groups came to North America from Asia as early as 10,000 BC. At that time a land bridge joined western Alaska to eastern Russia. These early migrants are thought to have followed food sources such as the woolly mammoth across this land bridge. Blanket tossing is an activity in which hunters are tossed into the air for whale-spotting purposes.

The Aleutian Islands are named after the Aleut people.

When the ocean is frozen, people can walk from Alaska to eastern Russia.

The totem poles found in Alaska are made by the Northwest Coast Indians. These people also still practice the potlatch, which is the ceremonial distribution of property and gifts.

The peoples who first settled the Alaska region brought with them their own beliefs about their origins. These beliefs explain how the land was created and how they came to live on it.

Today there are three separate native groups in Alaska. They are the Aleut, the Inuit (or Eskimo), and the Indians. The Indians include a number of peoples in central and northern Alaska who speak related Athabascan languages as well as the Northwest Coast peoples of southeastern Alaska, including the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. The cultures of these peoples are still rich and alive in Alaska. Many still rely on traditional methods of hunting and fishing for food and many tell the stories, sing the songs, and dance the dances that have come down to them from their ancestors.

In 1998 a group of Haida people made a ceremonial canoe trip from Masset, in British Columbia, to Juneau. They traveled more than 300 miles by canoe.

THE PAST

EXPLORERS AND MISSIONARIES In the 1720s Tsar Peter I the Great of Russia sent Vitus Bering to explore the North Pacific Ocean. His goal was to find a northeastern sea route to China around Siberia. Because of bad weather, Bering was unable to see the North American coast on this trip. In 1741, during the reign of Empress Anna, he made a second voyage, and this time he came upon what is now Alaska. This was the first of many Russian voyages to the area in search of fur. Bering died soon after his discovery and was buried on an island off the Alaskan coast. The island was named Bering Island for him. James Cook commanded three discovery voyages for Great Britain and sailed around the world twice.

Though Vitus Bering

In 1784 the first permanent settlement was built on Kodiak Island. From there Aleksandr Baranov controlled the trapping and trading posts on the mainland. Although Russians controlled Alaska during the late 1700s, explorers from other countries also traveled the area, including Captain James Cook and George Vancouver of England and Juan Perez of Spain.

explored Alaska on behalf of Russia, he was actually born in Denmark.

In 1784 Grigory Shelekhov founded the first Russian settlement on Kodiak Island.

Cook Inlet and Mount Cook are both named for the English explorer James Cook.

Aleksandr Baranov was employed by the RussianAmerican Company. Russian tsar Paul I gave the company the right to all trading privileges in Russian America, a stretch of land extending from the Aleutian Islands down to 55˚ N latitude.

The fur trade dominated the economy of Alaska for more than 150 years. Trappers brought their sea otter pelts to trading posts in return for clothing or other necessary items.

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EARLY SETTLERS In the mid-1800s Russia lost interest in Alaska because it was not seeing enough of a profit to make having the colony worthwhile. Russia offered to sell the land to the United States. The U.S. secretary of state, William Seward, wanted to purchase the territory and negotiated a treaty with the Russian minister to the United States. The treaty, signed in 1867, paid the Russian government $7.2 million for the region—less than two cents an acre. Religion played an important role in the lives of early settlers in Alaska.

In 1912 Alaska earned territorial status within the United States.

Industries developed as the population grew. The first salmon canneries were built in Klawock and Sitka in 1878.

Newspapers in the United States strongly criticized Seward for the purchase. Many believed Alaska had little to offer the United States and referred to the deal as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox.” Despite the objections, the U.S. Senate approved the treaty. Seward’s critics quickly forgave him when gold was discovered in the region in the 1870s and 1880s. William Seward

The discovery of gold brought many settlers to Alaska.

THE PAST The Treaty of Cessation between the United States and Russia was signed on March 30, 1867. William Seward (second from left) played a key role in the negotiations.

Hudson’s Bay Company, a fur-trading corporation, founded Fort Yukon in 1847.

A year after the United States bought Alaska, the U.S. Army was sent to keep control of the area.

In 1891 the first oil claims were made in Cook Inlet.

The discovery of gold encouraged many settlers to come to Alaska in search of fortune. Large gold deposits were found near Nome, Juneau, and Fairbanks. Many of the early settlers were not prepared for Alaska’s cold climate. Those who came unprepared faced starvation and exposure to freezing temperatures. Settlers came so quickly that there were few government laws to control the masses. Alaska became known as the Wild North. Gold discoveries were made in the neighboring Yukon Territory as well. Traffic through Alaska increased as prospectors made their way to Canada. Settlements grew into communities with churches, newspapers, and other services. In 1900 Juneau replaced Sitka as Alaska’s capital. In the same year Alaska adopted a code of laws and a court system.

Alaska’s first newspaper was the Sitka Times, published in 1869.

During the Alaskan gold rush, many prospectors returned home with small fortunes.

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POPULATION Although Alaska’s population is small, it has steadily increased over the past several decades. In 1980 Alaska’s population was just over 400,000. By 2000 the state had more than 625,000 residents, an increase of more than 50 percent in those 20 years. About 260,000 people live in the state’s largest city, Anchorage. Fairbanks and Juneau, the capital city, are home to about 30,000 people each. No other cities in the state have more than 10,000 residents, and numerous cities have fewer than 150 residents.

Alaska Native festivals are common throughout the state.

Only 6 percent of Alaskans are age 65 or older. This figure is less than half the U.S. national average.

Some Alaska Natives use fur fans in dance ceremonies.

Many of today’s Alaskans are descendants of early Russian settlers or of Americans and Canadians who came in search of gold in the 1800s. Native peoples account for about 16 percent of Alaska’s population. Although some Alaska Natives live in cities, most live in smaller towns and villages. The state’s population also includes small numbers of Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians. Most of these people live in cities.

Alaska is a sparsely populated state. The population density—the average number of people per unit of land area—is just over 1 person per square mile. This is far lower than the U.S. average of 80 residents per square mile. About one third of Alaska’s population is under the age of 18.

CULTURE

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT The Alaska State Capitol was completed on Feb. 2, 1931.

On Jan. 3, 1959, Alaska

Like each state in the Union, Alaska is governed on local, state, and federal levels. The state has a governor and a lieutenant governor, both of whom are each elected to four-year terms. The governor appoints the head of each of the 14 state departments. The state legislature has two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Forty representatives are elected to the House every two years. Twenty senators are elected every four years. Local government is not divided into counties as in other states. Instead, the state is divided into cities and boroughs.

became the 49th state to join the Union. The only state admitted to the Union after Alaska was Hawaii.

Alaska is represented in Washington, D.C., by two members of the U.S. Senate and one member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The first state legislature sat in Juneau in 1959.

In 1971 the U.S. Congress approved the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. This act granted 44 million acres of land and more than $950 million to Alaska’s native peoples.

The Federal Office Building is in Juneau.

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CULTURAL GROUPS Alaska Natives make up the largest minority group in Alaska. Long before Russians or other explorers first traveled to the region, these peoples (Inuit, Aleut, and Indians) had their own rich cultures. They had their own belief systems, ceremonies, and arts and crafts. They used the resources available to them for practical and ceremonial purposes. For example, they carved ivory from walrus tusks to make harpoon heads and knife handles. They also carved dolls and sculptures from it. Jade and soapstone were also used in carvings. Many of the ancient arts and crafts traditions of Alaska Natives continue today.

Igloo means “snowhouse.” Animals important to the Northwest Coast peoples are shown on their totems. Totems often feature eagles, whales, wolves, bears, ravens, beavers, and frogs.

The Haida people of Alaska used copper as a sign of wealth. Copper plaques were etched and shaped into shields. “Coppers” were given names and histories and were considered very powerful.

CULTURE The Northwest Coast Indians who live in the southeastern part of the state continue to build totem poles. Totem poles are carved from huge cedar trees. They record the history, culture, and life events of the people who carve them. Totem poles include symbols for ancestors or clans. They are painted with vegetable or mineral dyes.

Many people who live in Gambell hunt marine mammals for food.

Often, when people think of living in Alaska, igloos come to mind. Very few people, if any, live in igloos anymore. However, igloos are still used by Inuit hunters out on the frozen ocean or tundra. They are built as temporary shelters for the period of the hunt.

Some traditional foods of Alaska Natives are meat, fish, and berries.

Beadwork is a common craft among Indian women.

The Aleut are known for their excellent basket weaving.

The expression “low man on the totem pole” is misleading. The bottom 10 feet of a totem pole are usually carved by a master carver, while apprentices complete the rest. The characters at the bottom of the totem pole are usually the most significant.

Totem poles still play an important role in the lives of some Alaskan people.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT The northern lights are a spectacular display in Alaska’s skies.

Fairbanks celebrates Golden Days in late July. This event honors the discovery of gold with parades, parties, and sports.

Nome holds an annual “polar bear” swim in June. Each year up to several hundred brave participants jump into the freezing Bering Sea.

Although the northern lights are not an art form, they could be. Also called the aurora borealis, these dancing lights provide one of the best forms of entertainment in the state. Northern lights are naturally occurring colored lights in the upper atmosphere. They are most visible near Earth’s magnetic poles. Fairbanks is considered one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. Anchorage is an excellent place to be immersed in Alaskan culture. The city boasts art galleries, museums, theaters, a symphony orchestra, and an opera house. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art houses a gallery showing works of art from Alaska and around the world. The museum also displays artifacts from several Alaskan cultures.

CULTURE The Heritage Library and Museum in Anchorage features artwork by Alaska Natives and other Alaskans, including tools, paintings, costumes, and beadwork. Anchorage has the largest museums, but many other fine museums can be found across the state. Alaska hosts numerous festivals, fairs, and celebrations throughout the year. Many festivals occur during the summer months, when the sun shines almost around the clock. Most towns have activities to celebrate the summer solstice.

The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics were founded in Fairbanks in 1961. High kicking, blanket tossing, and stick pulling are just a few of the events.

Alaska celebrates the German festival called Oktoberfest in the fall.

Inuit ice cream, known as akutaq, is a popular treat across Alaska. Traditionally it is made from ingredients such as whipped berries, seal oil, and freshly fallen snow.

Traditional carvings made from sea mammal ivory are still made by Alaska Natives.

Jade, the state gem, is a traditional stone used in carving. The stone comes in many colors—green, black, yellow, brown, white, and red.

Native Alaskan carvings of animals were traditionally given as toys to children.

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SPORTS

Dog mushing is a popular pastime in Alaska.

The first woman to win the Iditarod was Libby Riddles in 1985. Bad weather made her winning time run to 18 days. Susan Butcher then won the race for the next three years and again in 1990.

Libby Riddles

The size of a dogsled team usually ranges from 7 to 20 dogs. Iditarod teams have 12 to 16 dogs.

The Iditarod partially follows an old dogsled mail route blazed from Knik to Nome in 1910.

One of the most popular sports in Alaska is dog mushing, or dogsled racing. In fact, it was adopted as Alaska’s official state sport in 1972. Hundreds of races ranging from local matches to world championships are held every year. There are different kinds of races, from sprint mushing to long-distance racing. Winners of sprint races are determined by speed, often over distances of 12 to 15 miles. Long-distance races can take many days, even weeks, as the racers travel great distances.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of the oldest races run in Alaska. First held as a 56-mile race in 1967, the Iditarod was made into a much longer 1,100-mile race in 1973. The race starts in Anchorage and goes up and across the state, ending in Nome. Today winners often take about nine days to finish the course.

CULTURE

The Iditarod is nicknamed the Last Great Race on Earth.

Other popular sports in Alaska are skiing, kayaking, and baseball.

The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics begin with a race called the Race of the Torch. The race winner lights the Olympic torch that year.

For four days in July, native peoples from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada gather in Fairbanks for the World EskimoIndian Olympics. Traditional Alaskan competitions are held, including ear-pulling, a four-man carry, knuckle hopping, and high kicking. For nature lovers, kayaking, country skiing, and white-water rafting are great ways to see the state.

In the town of Ketchikan, kayakers paddle along historic Creek Street. White-water rafting is a great way to see Alaska’s magnificent countryside.

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Answer: Alaska has more than 70 volcanoes. Several of these have erupted in the past century. In 1912 the volcanoes Novarupta and Mount Katmai erupted, creating the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The valley is now part of Katmai National Park and Preserve and is a popular tourist attraction.

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How was the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes created? Answer: Seventeen out of the 20 highest peaks in the United States are in Alaska.

Answer: Mount McKinley was known by Alaska Natives as Denali, meaning “The High One,” and by the Russians as Bolshaya Gora, meaning “Great Mountain.” It was named Densmores Peak in 1889 after a prospector, but in 1896 it was renamed Mount McKinley in honor of U.S. President William McKinley.

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By what other names has Mount McKinley been known?

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s Answer: At it t, highest poin ley is Mount McKin ve bo 20,320 feet a sea level.

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Mount the McKinley is k in highest pea . How ica North Amer high is it?

How many of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the United States are in Alaska?

ALASKA

Is it possible to experien ce an earthqua ke in Alaska?

Answer: Juneau is the only capital city in the United States that can be reached only by boat or airplane. There are no roads leading into or out of Juneau.

An s w e r: Y e s . A laska has approxim a te ly 4 ,0 0 0 earthquake every yea s r. M o s t o f th ese are so sm they can a n o t b e fe lt . However, som ll of the w e o rl d ’s s tr o n gest earthqu have bee akes n re c o rd e d in Alaska, including a q ua k e c e n te re d on Prince W il li a m S o u n d that measu re th e R ic h te r s cale in 1964 d 9.2 on .

7

What is the only U.S. capital that cannot be reached by road?

8

Answer: Several thousand bald eagles gather along the Chilkat River each year to feast on salmon.

Answer: There are more than 3 million lakes in the state. There are also more than 3,000 rivers.

5

How many lakes does Alaska have?

6

Alaska is host to the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. Where does this take place?

ACTIVITIES

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ALASKA

FACTS AND RESOURCES About Alaska Flag

Nickname

The Last Frontier

Capital

Motto

North to the Future

Song

“Alaska’s Flag,” words by Marie Drake and music by Elinor Dusenbury

Population (2000 census). 626,932—rank, 48th state

Seal

Bird

Willow Ptarmigan

Tree

Sitka Spruce

Flower

Entered the Union

Juneau

Jan. 3, 1959, as the 49th state

Forget-me-not

Books

Web Sites

Brown, Tricia. Children of the Midnight Sun. Anchorage: Alaska Northwest Books, 1998.

You can also go online and have a look at the following Web sites:

Fremon, David K. The Alaska Purchase in American History. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, 1999. Johnston, Joyce. Alaska. Minneapolis, Minn.: Lerner Publications, 2002. Stefoff, Rebecca. Alaska. New York: Benchmark Books, 1998.

Alaska Kids’ Guide http://www.state.ak.us/kids/ Alaska Statewide Library Electronic Doorway http://sled.alaska.edu/kids.html Alaska Tourism Development http://www.travelalaska.com/ Some Web sites stay current longer than others. To find other Alaska Web sites, enter search terms such as “Alaska,” “Anchorage,” “Iditarod,” or any other topic you want to research.

GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY amenities: services and features that help make living convenient

land bridge: a strip of land that connects two continents

ancestors: ancient relatives

masses: large groups of people

appoints: names officially, often used within the government

per capita: in relation to the size of a population

apprentices: people who learn by working under the guidance of a skilled master

pontoons: floating devices attached to seaplanes

boroughs: living areas within a city

pristine: in a natural and undeveloped state

cargo: goods transported by ships and airplanes carnivore: meat-eating animal clans: groups of families constellation: a group of stars that has been given a name etched: engraved exports: shipments to other countries glaciers: large, slow-moving blocks of ice high kicking: an Inuit sporting activity in which competitors jump up and kick a hanging object

prospectors: individuals who search for precious metals such as gold remote: far away soapstone: a soft, oily stone used for carving spawn: to give birth summer solstice: the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere tanker: a large ship designed to transport liquid, especially oil. tundra: large, treeless plains in the Arctic with a top layer that remains frozen throughout the year

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ALASKA

INDEX Alaska Natives 6, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25 Anchorage 5, 12, 14, 15, 20, 24, 25, 26 art galleries 24 bald eagles 10, 29 Bering, Vitus 17 Canada 4, 5, 12, 19, 27 climate 4, 8, 19 Cook Inlet 17, 19 crafts 22 dog mushing 26 exports 9 Fairbanks 6, 15, 19, 20, 24, 25, 27 fur trade 13, 17

glaciers 4, 7, 8, 12 gold 6, 9, 12, 13, 18, 19, 24

oil 9, 13, 19

Iditarod 26, 27 igloos 22, 23 ivory 22, 25

Russia 6, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22

jade 22, 25 Juneau 5, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 29

plants 11

salmon 7, 9, 10, 15, 18, 29 Seward, William 18, 19 Sitka 11, 12, 18, 19 Skagway 12

land 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 18, 21 minerals 9 mining 9 Mount McKinley 5, 7, 12, 28 museums 5, 12, 24, 25 Nome 19, 24, 26 northern lights 7, 24

temperature 8, 19 totem poles 12, 16, 22, 23 Trans-Alaska Pipeline 9, 13 tundra 4, 7, 23 wildlife 10 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics 25, 27