The Alaska (“unintermitting” in Inuit) is the State the United States more extended, with an total surface area of: 1717854 km ², are three times that of the Metropolitan France. It is populated of: 626932 inhabitants. Like the State of Hawaii, Alaska is separated from the principal geographical block formed by the United States and is located at the North-West of the Canada. Bordered by the Arctic Ocean in north and the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean in the south, this territory is distinct from the Asia by the Bering Strait. One calls his inhabitants Alaskiens and its capital is Juneau. This area, which one called at the 19th century the “Russian America”, car its name of a long peninsula, in the North-West of the American continent, approximately: 1000 km in the south of the Bering Strait, and which binds, south, in the islands Aleutian Islands.

History

Alaska was a Russian territory of America, bought by the United States in 1867 for the sum of 7,2 million dollars.

Eskimo cultures of Alaska

Culture of Denbigh in Alaska (3000 to 1000 before J.C.)

• the territory

People of Denbigh lived in the north of Alaska, 5000 years ago (A.A.). They lived in the tundra with the continuation of animals for food, clothing and the shelters. In 1948, the American archeologist Louis Giddings excavates with the Cape Denbign (Alaska), on the coast of the Bering Sea, of the microlames of Chert and Obsidienne which resembled those found previously in the Gobi Desert (Paléo and Asian Mesolithic era). Giddings also notices that the points of projectiles have similarities with those of Paléoindiens and the antiquated cultures of the New-World. The name of this culture, like much from others besides, thus comes us from the geographical location of this first discovered.

• natural resources and activities of subsistence

They spent the summer on the coasts of the Bering Sea and other season, inside the grounds in the search of caribou and fish anadromes.

• the social organization

This cultural group known for its stone tools is cut like the scrapers, the points of projectile, the tools for the work of the bone, the blades and the gouges.

• origins and descents

Denbighien is very near culturally to the three other entities of what one calls Paléoesquimaux old that we described previously. The exact origins of this culture are not very well-known. Microlithic technology surely took roots in the paleolithic tradition of Alaska and more surely in the culture paléosibérienne. On the other hand, Denbighiens are the ancestors of a whole a series of cultures alaskaines: Old whale-boats, Choris and Norton.

While Paléoesquimaux developed their culture in Arctic Canada and in Greenland, an extremely different evolution continued in Alaska in the area of the Bering Strait. On its side, the Aleutian Islands experienced a gradual development which led to the culture of the Aléoutes of today. The peaceful coast of Alaska, as for it, knew a technological change based on the polished slate which could be at the origin of the Eskimo cultures of this area. The coasts north and west were occupied by microlithic people of the Tradition of the tools of the Arctic, the same culture as those of the Canadian Arctic. Towards 1000 before J.C., there is a stop of several centuries in the human activity in Alaska. After this pause, appears a series of groups like the cultures old Baleinières, Choris and Norton which are a complex mixes microlithism of the Arctic, culture of the coast of the Pacific and groups of the Neolithic of the Eastern Siberia of the same time.

The cultures old Whale-boats (1000 before J.C with???)

We know very few things about the cultures old whale-boats. In fact, there is one village of five houses which was discovered with the course Krusenstern, in the north of the Bering Strait. There were bones of seal in the houses and the bones of whale extended on the surrounding beaches. One can regard this culture as a transitory attempt at co-education, of Aléoutes perhaps, Eskimos or Amerindians.

Culture of Choris (1000 before J.C at year 0)

People of the culture of Choris lived in large oval semi-underground houses and drove out the seal and the caribou. They manufactured also stone tools cut which passably point out those of the microlithic Tradition of the Arctic. As for the cultures old whale-boats, the origin of people of Choris remains nebulous for the moment. These small groups of hunters were perhaps Eskimos of the south of Alaska, or Aléoutes which migrated towards north, or of the Amerindians who had adopted Eskimo habits, and even Siberian immigrants.

The Treats furs

From 1784, the Russian trappers establish permanent counters of draft on the Aleutian Islands and the American coast of the Pacific, until the California (Fort Ross, with less than 160 kilometers in the north of San Francisco). To start, of the coastal stations are established in Attu, Agattu and Unalaska, in the Aleutian Islands, like the island of Kodiak, with broad of the mouth of the Cook handle. Eighteen months later, a colony is established on the continent, opposite the Cook handle. The objective is to drive out the Sea otter, whose fur is sold at ransom price on the Chinese markets. As in Siberia, the Russians engage, alcoholize and seek to convert with orthodoxy the local populations: the orthodoxe community alaskane is Aléoute or Kodiak. One counted approximately: 25000 Aléoutes at the time of the Russians: they are not any more but: 3892 in 1885, after 122 years of Russian domination (to the foot of the volcano Mount Redoubt, high of: 3100 meters, the presence of the orthodoxe Russian church of Ninilchik points out that Alaska was a Russian colony), then American… vodka, bourbon and influenza had here the same effects as elsewhere. As of the end of the 18th century, merchants and missionaries American and English came to compete with the Russian activities.

In 1787, Aleksandr Andreïevitch Baranov (Alexandre Baranov) founds a station of draft in Archanguelsk where it establishes Russian Serf S and aléoutes; from 1799 to 1804, he is the governor and administrator resident of Russian America and decides to build his capital with Arkhanguelsk (today Archangel). The fort is destroyed by the Tlingits in 1802. Baranov takes again the places later two years: the island is renamed Sitka and the capital takes the name of Novo-Arkhanguelsk (New-Archangel). In 1807, the governor resides at the Baranov castle. In 1811, it is him which establishes the station of Fort Ross in California. On the whole, one can count forty strong Russian in America, in first half of the 19th century. Russia declares that the Russian America extends until the Détroit from the Queen-Charlotte (current Canada) and that the foreigners do not have right-of-way. The California being Spanish and the Oregon as well as the British Columbia (still including/understanding current the state of Washington) being English, the access to the Pacific and its furs seems impossible in the United States. Vis-a-vis this blocking, the President of the the United States James Monroe writes his celebrates doctrines which aim at eliminating the European influences from the continent. The United States, the the United Kingdom and Russia end up getting along, and a treaty is signed in 1824, by which the Russian border is moved South (California) towards North (current Alaska), while the English give up Oregon and the south of British Columbia (from now on territory of Washington). By this treaty, the establishment of new Russian forts except Alaska is prohibited and in 1825, the United Kingdom obtains a right-of-way along the narrow coastal strip alaskane. Finally, the Purchase of Alaska by the Americans in 1867 met a term with the Russian presence in Amérique.

See also: Russian America, Purchase of Alaska

An American territory

After its purchase by American in 1867 for approximately 7 million dollars, the area was initially called: Department of Alaska and placed under the jurisdiction of the army until in 1877, of the Treasury until in 1879 and of the Navy until in 1884. In this end of the 19th century, the gold diggers tried per thousands their chance and left there sometimes their life. But the fever of gold falls down very quickly. The other economic activities are given by fishing and the canning facility.

In 1884, Alaska was organized as a District of Alaska . In 1890, Alaska counts approximately: 30000 inhabitants, whose ¾ are of indigenous origin.

August 24th, 1912, where it became the Territoire of Alaska . The only way of railroad then connects the coast to Fairbanks in the center of the territory, was built by the Federal state between 1915 and 1923.

This territory used the Union as a 49e State the January 3rd 1959. During second half of the 20th century, Alaska became a strategic position in the Cold war which opposed the United States to the Soviet Union. About 1975, the discovery of oil-bearing fields involved a massive surge of workers. Today, Alaska attracts the tourists at the beautiful season, come to admire the bears and the fjords!

The destiny of the populations autochtones

In 1971, one could count: 40000 Inuits: 22000 Amerindians and: 7000 Aléoutes. They obtained a privileged statute and accepted legally: 200000 km ² of reserve as well as a billion dollar of allowances. The traditional lifestyle of the autochtones was deeply upset by the arrival of the White: from now on, displacements are done on Motoneige S; the young people benefit from modern comfort but move away from the traditions: they live incomes of the Pétrole.

Geography

See also: Geography of Alaska

Situation and general characteristics

Alaska does not have any common border with another American State. It divides this caratéristique with Hawaii. It is bordered in the east by the territory of the Yukon and the province of British Columbia, two areas of the Canada. The border enters Alaska and Canada measures: 2477 km length. Elsewhere, three maritime units surround Alaska: the Gulf of Alaska, which is in the north of the Pacific Ocean; the Bering Sea and the Sea of Tchouktches, which separates it from the Asia in the west; the Sea of Beaufort finally, which borders the coasts north and fact part of the Arctic Ocean. The Bering Strait naturally separates Alaska from the Russia.

Alaska is the vastest State of the the United States: it measures: 1717854 km ² of which: 1481305 km ² of grounds, which represents 18,7% of the American territory and three times the surface of the Metropolitan France. It is spread out over approximately 70° longitude (130/173°W) and (71/55°N): it is thus in Alaska that are the place more in the west (island Attu) and the place more in north (Barrow) of the United States. The geographical center of the State is at 63°50' northern Latitude and 152°00' of Longitude western.

According to a study of the United States Office off Land Management going back to 1998, approximately 65% of the territory is the property of the Federal government of the United States, which manages the forests, the parks and national natural reserves of Alaska. The remainder belongs to the State of Alaska (25%) and by the indigenous organizations created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (10%).

Littoral and hydrology

The shore alaskien is cut out and indenté: the coastal chains plunge in the ocean. The transgression flandrienne caused an increase of the level of water and formed of the impressive Fjord S. Navigation is made difficult by the presence of permanent obstacles (islands, shelf S) or temporary (Iceberg S). The strong cutting out of the coast allowed the installation of ports. Alaska includes/understands very many islands, in particular in the south (Archipel Alexandre) and in the west (Aleutian Islands), which explains the big length of the Littoral. The largest island is the Île of the Prince de Galles. The archipelago of the aléoutes extends on several hundreds from kilometers. The Interior Passage is used for navigation: it measures 860 km length and account 70 large glaciers between the parallel 55e and 61e, the continent and the Alexandre archipelago. The number of lakes is estimated at more than three million, that of the rivers with: 3000. The glaciers cover more: 41000 km ².

Relief and geology

With its glaciers which calve of the icebergs, its volcanos which carve lunar valleys, its mountains which continue to rise towards the sky, Alaska, with the landscapes into perpetual becoming, is the opposite of a dry land. This corner of planet, ground of election for the geologists, is the theater of vast tectonic movements: faults, eruptions, seisms furrow and shake a fantastic block come besides .

: 3000 cours d' water which furrows Alaska, the Yukon is most famous. It curves in majesty on: 2000 km, of the Canadian border to the Bering Sea, still carting the nuggets of the gold rush: a legendary and historical way. The name of Alaska comes from a word of the language Aléoute which wants to say the large ground ; however, the immense river system and the 3.000.000 of lakes make a watery world rather of it where the seaplane is king.

Alaska is a great zone seismic . Two of the three plus violent one earthquakes ever recorded touched the American State:

• with Prince William Sound, in 1964 (seism of magnitude 9,2)
• in the islands Andreanof, in 1957 (magnitude 9,1)

The peninsula of Alaska counts many active volcanos. We are on the north-eastern part of the Ceinture of fire of the Pacific; one can quote the volcanos Pavlov (: 2518 meters), Augustine (: 1227 meters), Mount Redoubt (: 3108 meters), Spurr (: 3374 meters). The chain of the Aleutian Islands testify to the tectonic shock: she have a pointed form (example: the volcano Shishaldin: 2857 meters) and prolongs the Cordillère chain of the Aleutian Islands. In 1912, a violent explosion décoiffé the Mont Katmai of its last 600 meters. Several tons of sulfur oxide were projected into the atmosphere, with more than 15 kilometers of the ground and disturbed monsoon in Asia. High world place of vulcanology, the valley of “ten thousand smoke” was covered by ashes on a surface with 100  km ².

The Fosse of Kouriles borders the shelf continental of Alaska in the south and reached a maximum depth of: 10498 meters.

Principal assembly lines

Principal assembly lines in Alaska:

Principal tops

• Mount McKinley, 6194 meters: more the high summit of the United States and North America, in the chain of Alaska

Climate

Generally, the climate alaskien is marked by one icy and long winter. The writer Jack London wrote that Alaska was “the country where the whiskey freezes and can be used as clipboard during a good part of the year. ” the ground is cold in-depth and prevents the development of agriculture: it is the Pergélisol or Permafrost which varies few tens to a few hundreds of meters in Alaska. The surface layer, on which the Men walk is the Mollisol which thaws out in spring. In winter, the snowfalls and the Avalanche S can insulate the villages. During spring, the ground thaws out on the surface and causes the formation of Marécage S, often infested Moustique S. Alaska covers hundreds of lakes. The rivers inflate and cart tree trunks. The summer lasts only little of time and around the Solstice, the sun does not lie down beyond the Arctic Circle. The season is marked by the large forest fires caused by the lightning.

On this large territory like approximately three times France, the climates are varied according to the latitude, of altitude, the distance compared to the Pacific Ocean or the provision of the reliefs.

Climatic data for Barrow (9 meters of altitude, 71°3 NR/156°8 W Source ):

Climatic data for Juneau (3 meters of altitude, 58°4 NR/134°6 W Source ):

Consequences of the climate change

For several years, Alaska has recorded a warming of the temperatures: they increased on average 1,6°C since the years 1950. The littoral of the state undergoes the effects of the rise of the sea level and oceans. The Inuit S of Shishmaref, an island of the North-West of Alaska, received a help of 150 million dollars. The animals emblematic of the State are called “Big Five”. There remain nothing any more but 35  000 with 45  000 brown bears, of which 3  000 concentrate in the Archipel Kodiak.

• Birds: Ptarmigan S (kinds of Partridge of snows), Owl harfang, Golden eagle, Snow goose, Swan of Bewick, Crane of Canada, Sea eagle with white head (80% of the sea eagles with white head of the USA live in Alaska)

The Big Five (click on the label to increase) and constituted then the third} State less populated of the United States, behind the Vermont and the North Dakota. The Densité is weakest of the country (0,4 inhabitant by km ²) and the population concentrates especially on the littoral. Close to an inhabitant on two resides in the metropolitan region of Anchorage (: 339286 inhabitants in 2004).

The population is characterized by an imbalance from the sexes: there are more men (50,8%) that women. This situation is explained by the difficult living conditions and the economy based on oil, the mines, sylviculture and fishing. Demography is also marked by a relatively considerable growth (approximately + 6% between 2000 and 2005). The population is rather young with 33,9 years a median age (36,4 years for the whole of the United States); the most 65 years 6,6% of the population represent, which is the national record). Unemployment rate is much higher than in the remainder of the country (8,6% of the active population in 2005. The income per capita rises with: 26310 $, which does of Alaska one of the richest States (the American average is of: 25035 $/hab.). Lastly, Alaska is the first State for the number of autochtones (Amerindian S, Inuit S, etc): they account for 14,2% of the total population compared with 0,8% for the United States. the Republican party largely dominates the local political life.

Pattern of the settlement of Alaska, by ethnicity in 2005 :

Populations autochtones

• 85% of the communities inuits concentrates on the littoral of Alaska. Exportations of products of the sea (total: 2,5 billion dollars in 2006) are done mainly towards the Japan (33% of the total in 2006), towards the European Union (23%) and the China (15%)

The natural environment leaves only few grounds for agriculture: the Matanuska Valley, in the north of Anchorage is cultivated since the years 1930 and gives harvests of potatoes, salads, tomatos, cabbages

Exploitation of hydrocarbons

The basement of Alaska is rich in Natural gas, coal, Or, Zinc and others Minerai S. But especially, this state ensures 17% of the American production of Pétrole, even if this one is in fall since the years 1970. 90% of the budget of Alaska comes from hydrocarbons per day. It ensures 8% of the American total production. In March 2006, the British company BP had discovered an escape on a pipeline of transit of Prudhoe Bay which had let escape between: 760000 and one million liters of oil.

The era of the black gold boulverse Alaska. In the North-East of the State, the discovery of an enormous oil reservoir involved, in 1973, the construction of a pipeline connecting Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, from where the gold rush in 1904 had left.

In November 2005, the Room of the representatives gave up the project of oil exploitation in the territory protected from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Vis-a-vis the growing demand for oil, the president Bill Clinton opened exploitation towards the west of the National Petroleum Reserve. Association ecologist Alaska Wilderness League fights to prevent the extension of the exploitation, by organizing resounding media campaigns ( Save the Arctic ) and by calling with the Boycott Exxon. According to a survey of International Zogby (December 2004), 51% of the Americans are against all new drilling in zone 1002 of L `Alaska.

Secondary industry

The forest represents the great richness of the south of Alaska. The transformation of wood and agribusiness industries related to the products of the sea provide the essence of the secondary industry. The canning facilities employ a seasonal labor to treat salmon. The industry of wood occupies part of industrial manpower.

Tertiary sector

For the tertiary sector, the public services, employment and the trades of transport occupy a dominating place. The military personnel and civilian of the Pentagon represent most of the population. There exist several bases of the army, installed since the Cold war like that of Clear.

Lastly, for a few years, the tourist activity has developed quickly. Indeed, the assets do not miss: expatriation, drives out, fishing, excursions, northern lights…

Culture

Famous characters

• Edward Lewis " Bob" Bartlett (1904-1968) is the first senator of Alaska.

• Ernest Gruening (1886-1974) governor of Alaska in 1939, elected senator in 1958.
• Jay Hammond (1922-2005) governor of the State during the construction of the pipeline.
• Fran Ulmer
• LISA Murkowski
• George Sharrock (1910-2005) mayor of Anchorage which had to face the seism of March 1964.
• LISA Lacy (1980-), journalist.

Museums

• Hatreds: Sheldon Museum and Farming Center
• Juneau: Alaska State Natural history musea
• Sitka: Sheldon Jackson Museum
• Kodiak Island: Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository
• Fairbanks: University off Alaska Museum off the North
• Anchorage: Alaska Native Center Heritage; Anchorage Museum At Rasmuson Center; Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum; Alaska Trooper Museum; National Files Pacific Alaska Area
• Kenai: Kenai Visitors & Farming Center
• Valdez: Valdez Museum & Historical File

Transport

Transport is made difficult by the natural constraints and the distances. Formerly, the Amerindians and Inuits used the Traîneau in winter and the Canoë. Today, the motoneige largely replaced these traditional means of transport. The plane and the Hydravion make it possible to connect the villages to the more important centers. But in winter, the supply is spaced, so that several localities must live isolated. There exist two international airports with Faibranks and Anchorage, relayed by aerodromes of local radiation. The airport of Anchorage is the sixth of the world and the fourth of the United States for the freight, which rose in 2003 to 2,07 million tons.

The maritime transport holds an important place: the Cabotage is practiced on all the coast. The ferries circulate slowly on the Interior Passage. They are managed by the Alaska Marine Highway System since 1963. They start from Seattle, skirt British Columbia between the shelves and the high funds.

The highway network is much less dense than in the remainder of the United States, but it is not completely absent, in particular along the coast. A road connects the south to north, while crossing the center of the State. To take the roads alaskiennes can be dangerous, according to the climatic conditions or of the meetings with fauna: each year, the mooses cause traffic accidents while crossing the roadways. The rail-bound transport was developed at the XIXe century to convey the adventurers in gold search. The railways were often built for the pioneers, under difficult conditions. For example, the Fairbanks-Anchorage-Seward line was arranged in 1917: a building site of 4  500 workmen. It was necessary to bore tunnels and to build metallic bridges to cross the mountains and the collars. The longest bridge of Alaska is Mears Memorial Bridge, it measures 225 meters. Today, these lines are used for transport of freight and the passengers. The Denali Star , long, 757 km was inaugurated in 1923: it makes it possible to the tourists to benefit from the natural wonders of the Park of Denali at fallback speed.

Lastly, it should be noted that the conduits are means of transport of hydrocarbons: the Oléoduc trans-Alaska crosses the State of north to the south on: 1287 km.

Sports

• races of huskies: most known is the Iditarod Race which is held in winter and which takes along the crews on: 1850 km through all Alaska.

Gallery

Random links:

District of Bratislava V | Ministerstvo Gossoudarstvennoï Bezopasnosti | Northwest Smith | James Grierson | Jerome Carion