Portal:Alaska

Introduction The flag of Alaska Location of Alaska The seal of Alaska Alaska (/əˈlæskə/ ə-LASS-kə) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost (the Aleutian Islands cross the 180th meridian into the eastern hemisphere) state in the United States. It borders the Canadian territory of Yukon and the province of British Columbia to the east. It shares a western maritime border, in the Bering Strait, with Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas of the Arctic Ocean lie to the north, and the Pacific Ocean lies to the south. Technically, it is a semi-exclave of the U.S., and is the largest exclave in the world. Alaska is the largest U.S. state by area, comprising more total area than the following three largest states of Texas, California, and Montana combined, and is the seventh-largest subnational division in the world. It is the third-least populous and most sparsely populated U.S. state, but is, with a population of 736,081 as of 2020, the continent's most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel, with more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland. The state contains the four largest cities in the United States by area, including the state capital of Juneau. The state's most populous city is Anchorage, and approximately half of Alaska's residents live within its metropolitan area. Indigenous people have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as the entry point for the initial settlement of North America by way of the Bering land bridge. The Russian Empire was the first to actively colonize the area beginning in the 18th century, eventually establishing Russian America, which spanned most of the current state and promoted and maintained a native Alaskan Creole population. The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted its sale to the U.S. in 1867 for US$7.2 million (equivalent to $157 million in 2023). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska— with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest per capita incomes, with commercial fishing, and the extraction of natural gas and oil, dominating Alaska's economy. U.S. Armed Forces bases and tourism also contribute to the economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing national forests, national parks, and wildlife refuges. It is among the most irreligious states, one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana, and is known for its libertarian-leaning political culture, generally supporting the Republican Party in national elections. The Indigenous population of Alaska is proportionally the second highest of any U.S. state, at over 15 percent, after only Hawaii. (Full article...) Recognized content - Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards. The construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System included over 800 miles (1,300 km) of oil pipeline, 12 pump stations, and a new tanker port. Built largely on permafrost during 1975–77 between Prudhoe Bay and Valdez, Alaska, the $8 billion effort required tens of thousands of people, often working in extreme temperatures and conditions, the invention of specialized construction techniques, and the construction of a new road, the Dalton Highway. The first section of pipe was laid in 1975 after more than five years of legal and political arguments. Allegations of faulty welds drew intense scrutiny from local and national observers. A culture grew around the unique working conditions involved in constructing the pipeline, and each union that worked on the project had a different function and stereotype. Thirty-two Alyeska Pipeline Service Company employees and contract workers were killed during the project. The main construction effort lasted until 1977; the first barrel of oil was delivered on July 28 of that year. Several more pump stations, added as oil flow increased, were completed through 1980. (Full article...) List of recognized articles 2008 Tanana Valley flood Akutan Zero Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act Amchitka History of Fairbanks, Alaska Klondike Gold Rush Maritime fur trade Mike Gravel Mount Redoubt Military history of the Aleutian Islands Rampart Dam Trans-Alaska Pipeline System Yukon Quest List of National Natural Landmarks in Alaska Last voyage of the Karluk List of cities in Alaska Bob Marshall (wilderness activist) List of Yukon Quest competitors Alaska-class cruiser List of governors of Alaska Alaska Airlines Willow ptarmigan Joseph Hazelwood Eskimo (film) Portage Glacier Highway Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Jean Keene Binky (polar bear) Curtis Glencross Mount Cleveland (Alaska) Wyatt Earp Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council USS Alaska (CB-1) Rika's Landing Roadhouse Hope Highway Glacier Bay Basin Alaska marmot Topics Categories Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories Alaska Alaska-related lists Alaska Native Alaska culture Economy of Alaska Education in Alaska Environment of Alaska Geography of Alaska Government of Alaska Health in Alaska History of Alaska Military in Alaska Organizations based in Alaska People from Alaska Politics of Alaska Alaska society Transportation in Alaska Works about Alaska Images of Alaska Alaska stubs Selected article - The Iditarod 2020 start line in Anchorage The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod (/aɪˈdɪtərɒd/), is an annual long-distance sled dog race held in Alaska in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of between 12 and 16 dogs, of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 8–15 days or more. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into today's highly competitive race. Teams often race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach −100 °F (−73 °C). A ceremonial start occurs in the city of Anchorage and is followed by the official restart in Willow, a city 80 miles (129 km) north of Anchorage. The restart was originally in Wasilla through to 2007, but due to too little snow, the restart has been at Willow since 2008. The trail runs from Willow up the Rainy Pass of the Alaska Range into the sparsely populated interior, and then along the shore of the Bering Sea, finally reaching Nome in western Alaska. The trail is through a rugged landscape of tundra and spruce forests, over hills and mountain passes, across rivers and even over sea ice. While the start in Anchorage is in the middle of a large urban center, most of the route passes through widely separated towns and villages, and small Athabaskan and Iñupiat settlements. The Iditarod is regarded as a symbolic link to the early history of the state and is connected to many traditions commemorating the legacy of dog mushing. The race is an important and popular sporting event in Alaska, and the top mushers and their teams of dogs are local celebrities; this popularity is credited with the resurgence of recreational mushing in the state since the 1970s. While the yearly field of more than fifty mushers and about a thousand dogs is still largely Alaskan, competitors from fourteen countries have completed the event including Martin Buser from Switzerland, who became the first foreign winner in 1992. Fans follow the race online from all over the world, and many overseas volunteers also come to Alaska to help man checkpoints and carry out other volunteer chores. (Full article...) List of selected articles 1925 serum run to Nome Anchorage, Alaska Exxon Valdez oil spill Climate of Alaska Juneau, Alaska History of Alaska Nome, Alaska Alaska Purchase Sitka, Alaska Ted Stevens Fairbanks, Alaska Kodiak bear Arctic Refuge drilling controversy Cordova, Alaska Morse v. Frederick Star Air Service Minnesota Drive Expressway Siberian Yupik Deadliest Catch Augustine Volcano McGee Airways William Moore (steamship captain) Tlingit language Legal education in Alaska Salmon Creek Dam Ruth A. M. Schmidt Sand Point, Alaska Northwest Passage Governorship of Sarah Palin Skagway, Alaska Eielson Air Force Base Cook Inlet Shootout on Juneau Wharf Alaska Railroad Henry Tureman Allen George Alexander Parks Alaska Road Commission Jewel (singer) Ice Road Truckers Alaskan king crab fishing Distant Early Warning Line Juneau Mountain Rescue Inuit Seward Highway Hubbard Glacier Caines Head State Recreation Area Alaska Native religion Kobuk River Inuit languages Fairway Rock Wrangell Bombardment Tanana Athabaskans Volcanic history of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province Richard Proenneke Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport Tom Anderson (politician) Yup'ik clothing Red Dog mine Utqiagvik, Alaska St. Lawrence Island Wildlife of Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Highway Diomede, Alaska Denali National Park and Preserve COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska LGBT rights in Alaska Alaska marmot Eskimo Selected picture - Bull moose in Chugach State Park. Photo credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service General images The following are images from various Alaska-related articles on Wikipedia. Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). The boundary of southeastern Alaska shown is that claimed by the United States before the conclusion of the Alaska boundary dispute. (from History of Alaska) An Inupiaq woman, Nome, Alaska, c. 1907 (from History of Alaska) Oil pooled on rocks on the shore of Prince William Sound after the oil spill. (from History of Alaska) St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka. The original structure, built in 1848, burned down in a fire on January 2, 1966. The cathedral was rebuilt from plans of the original structure and contains artifacts rescued from the fire. (from History of Alaska) The check that paid for Alaska (from History of Alaska) Map of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (from History of Alaska) Alaska's area compared to the 48 contiguous states (from Geography of Alaska) Matanuska glacier (from Geography of Alaska) Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska (from Geography of Alaska) Mount Sanford in the Wrangell Mountains (from Geography of Alaska) Spanish contact in British Columbia and Alaska (from History of Alaska) Kenai River on the Kenai Peninsula (from Geography of Alaska) Nushagak River in Southwest Alaska (from Geography of Alaska) Köppen climate types of Alaska (from Geography of Alaska) Aleksandr Baranov, "Lord of Alaska" (from History of Alaska) Buildings burning after the first Japanese attack on Dutch Harbor, June 3, 1942. (from History of Alaska) Alaska has more acreage of public land owned by the federal government than any other state. (from Geography of Alaska) Propaganda poster, World War II, depicting Alaska as a death trap for Japan. (from History of Alaska) Ketchikan, one of the places affected by COVID-19 during the 2020 outbreak in Alaska (from History of Alaska) Earthquake damage in Anchorage (from History of Alaska) Calving glacier (from Geography of Alaska) Miners and prospectors climb the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush. (from History of Alaska) 1860 map of Russian America (from History of Alaska) Recognized content Featured articles Akutan Zero Alaska-class cruiser Cutthroat trout Inuit clothing Bob Marshall (wilderness activist) Polar bear Rainbow trout Rampart Dam Last voyage of the Karluk Yukon Quest Good articles 1973 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election 2008 Tanana Valley flood USS Alaska (CB-1) Alaska marmot Mount Aniakchak Lake Atna Balto Laura Bergt Binky (polar bear) Frederick Russell Burnham Mount Churchill Mount Cleveland (Alaska) Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System Wyatt Earp Eskimo (1933 film) Espenberg volcanic field Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Glacier Bay Basin Curtis Glencross Mike Gravel Joseph Hazelwood History of Fairbanks, Alaska History of Inuit clothing Hope Highway Kaktovik numerals Jean Keene Klondike Gold Rush Maritime fur trade Military history of the Aleutian Islands Mount Okmok Colton Parayko Portage Glacier Highway The Proposal (2009 film) Mount Redoubt Research on Inuit clothing Rika's Landing Roadhouse Salmon Creek Dam Stikine River Jeremy Swayman Kenneth M. Taylor Trans-Alaska Pipeline System White-tailed ptarmigan Willow ptarmigan Featured pictures 1971-CANNIKIN-2 2010-kodiak-bear-1 Alaska Purchase (hi-res) Alaska wild berries Heinrich Berann NPS Panorama of Denali without labels Malaspina-panorama-no-type MtRedoubtedit1 Parque estatal Chugach, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-22, DD 94 Russian-American Co - 1 Ruble (7559) Whales Bubble Net Feeding-edit1 Yukon Delta Former featured pictures Grizzly Denali edit Related Portals  Alaska •  Puerto Rico •  Hawaii •   Oklahoma •  Arizona •  California  •  Florida •  Illinois  •  Indiana •  Kansas •  Maryland •  Michigan •  Mississippi •  Nevada •  New Jersey •  New York •  Ohio •  Oregon •  Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) •  Texas •  Utah •  Virginia American football • Baseball •  • North America  Canada •  Russia Related WikiProjects Alaska U.S. States  Alaska Project Divisions People Physical geography History Economy Communities Government Transportation Culture Alaska Natives State facts Nicknames: The Last Frontier, Land of the Midnight Sun, Land of the Noonday Moon, Seward's Folly Capital: Juneau Governor: Michael J. Dunleavy (R) Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer (R) Attorney General: Kevin G. Clarkson Senators: Dan Sullivan (R), Lisa Murkowski (R) Representatives: Mary Peltola (D) Total area: 663,268 mi2 Land: 571,936 mi2 Water: 91,332 mi2 Highest elevation: 20,310 ft (Denali) Population 741,894 (2016 est) Admission to the Union: January 3, 1959 (49th) State symbols: Dog: Alaskan Malamute Bird: Willow Ptarmigan Insect: Four-spot Skimmer Dragonfly Colors: None Fish: King Salmon Flower: Alpine Forget-me-not Gem: Jade Sport: Dog Mushing Songs: Alaska's Flag Tasks Open tasks for Wikipedia:WikiProject Alaska. Edit or discuss these tasks. Shortcuts: Recent changes | Categories | History Urgent: An editor in Alaska able/willing to actively work with the Wikipedia Ambassador Program to provide direction/oversight for any articles within the project which are being improved upon under the program. To Rate: Unassessed Alaska articles, Unknown-importance Alaska articles To Nominate at WP:FAC: To Improve to Featured standard: Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, Juneau, Alaska, History of Alaska Collaboration: To Expand: Category:Alaska stubs, Alaskeros, Sheldon Jackson, Scouting in Alaska Governor articles: Steve Cowper, Bill Sheffield, Keith Harvey Miller, Waino Edward Hendrickson To Clean up: Diomede Islands To Merge: To Destub: See: Category:Alaska stubs To Deorphan: To Categorize: To Create: Articles on incoming (2019) legislators (and updating outgoing ones), Articles for new 2010 Census CDPs: Badger, Alaska, Chena Ridge, Alaska, Eureka Roadhouse, Alaska, Farmers Loop, Alaska, Goldstream, Alaska, Loring, Alaska, Point Possession, Alaska, South Van Horn, Alaska, Steele Creek, Alaska, Whitestone, Alaska Lists to de-redlink: List of mayors of Anchorage DoneDavid chamberlain (talk) 20:49, 2 February 2014 (UTC) Lists to complete: List of mayors of Fairbanks, Alaska Wanted Pics/Graphics: Wanted New Pics: See Category:Wikipedia requested photographs in Alaska Common mistakes to avoid (and correct): Knik, Alaska, the ghost town, and Knik River, Alaska, the CDP, are not the same place. In fact, they are approximately an hour's drive away from each other. Despite its name of "City and Borough of Yakutat," this entity is a borough, not a consolidated city-borough. See the talk page (or archives of same) of WP:ALASKA, or of the articles in question, for more information. Maintain: add {{WikiProject Alaska}} to the talk pages of Alaska-related articles and add the articles to Wikipedia:WikiProject Alaska/Recent changes (if not done already by a bot) so related changes link works. 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