Alaska population, geographical location, history

Alaska is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, the Last Frontier, the Great Land. Who discovered Alaska and how much did the land cost the US? Who now lives on its territory?

Alaska on the world map

Alaska is located in the north-west of the United States and is the largest state in the country. Bering Strait separates it from the Russian territory - the Chukchi Peninsula. In the east, the state borders on Canada.

This state is an exclave. It is separated from the rest of the US by Canadian lands. To get from Alaska to the nearest US state, you need to overcome 800 kilometers of Canadian territory.

The total area of the state is 1 717 854 sq. M. Km, and the coastline stretches for 10,639 km. The territory of Alaska is represented by the mainland and numerous islands. These include the Aleutian Islands, the Alexander Archipelago, the islands of Kodiak, Pribylovova and St. Lawrence.

Alaskan Cape Barrow is the northernmost point of the United States, and the island of Attou, which is part of the Aleutian Islands, is the westernmost.

Natural conditions

Alaska is washed by the Pacific and Arctic oceans, creating different climatic conditions. The interior of the state is characterized by a subarctic climate with cold winters and a relatively warm summer. In the northern part, the climate is arctic: severe cold winters and cold summers. The temperature in the summer rarely rises above zero. On the Pacific coast (southeast of the state), the climate is mild, with a lot of precipitation.

The north of Alaska is covered with tundra, and the south - dense forests. There are many volcanoes and glaciers in this region. The largest is the Bering glacier, its area is 5800 square meters. M. The volcanic mountain ranges of Alaska are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Shishaldin volcano is on Unimac Island and is considered one of the largest Alaskan volcanoes.

The largest rivers in the state are Yukon and Kuskokwim. In total, Alaska has more than 10 thousand rivers and more than 3 million lakes. In the north-eastern part of the state is the Arctic National Reserve, and in the northwest is the territory of the US oil reserve.

Opening of Alaska

There is an opinion that for the first time Alaska was discovered by Semyon Dezhnev in the 17th century. But this fact has no official confirmation. Therefore, the discovery of the Great Land is attributed to the crew of the ship "Saint Gabriel". The expedition group, whose members were MS Gvozdev, I. Fedorov, DI Pavlutsky and AF Shestakov, landed on the territory of Alaska in 1732.

In 9 years the second expedition on the ships "Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul" went here. The ships were headed by Alexey Chirikov and the well-known researcher Vitus Bering.

Dense fog was a significant obstacle for research. In the beginning, the lands of Alaska were seen from the side of St. Paul, it was the island of the Prince of Wales. Researchers noticed that there are a lot of beavian otters, fur of which at that time was considered the most valuable. This was the main impetus for the development of new lands.

Sale

In 1799 a Russian-American company was opened, headed by Alexander Baranov. The active hunting with beaver fur (which subsequently led to a significant reduction in the number of animals) is developing.

New settlements and ports are founded, schools and hospitals are opened, the Orthodox Church conducts educational work, the object of which is the population of Alaska. True, the development of land is limited to fur mining and missionary activity.

In addition, relations with Britain were strained, and the proximity of Russian Alaska to British Columbia made it irascible in the event of a military conflict between countries. So in 1857, the thought of selling it to America was born.

In March 1867, Washington signed an agreement on the sale of the territory for 7,200,000 dollars. In October, the official transfer of purchased land in the city of Sitka (then it was called Novo-Arkhangelsk) was held.

American Alaska

For a long time, the newly acquired lands were under the control of US military forces and were not particularly developed. In 1896, there is a real golden boom, when deposits of gold are found on the Klondike river, on the territory of Canada. It was easiest to get to the Canadian territory through Alaska, which provoked a rapid growth of settlements.

In 1898 gold was found near the town of Nome and the modern city of Fairbanks in Alaska. Gold rush contributed to the economic development of the region. The population of Alaska has grown significantly. Railways were built, minerals were actively mined.

The Great Depression in the 20th century also affected Alaska. Here resettled the inhabitants of the northern states to raise the economy of the region. During the Second World War, supplies of military equipment to the Soviet Union through Alaska go.

In 1959, Alaska received the status of the 49th state of the United States. Later here, they discover significant oil reserves, which again raises its development.

The population of Alaska

The number of people in the state is about 700,000 people. This indicator puts the state on 47th place in the country. The population density of Alaska is the lowest and is 0.4 people per square kilometer.

The largest increase in population in the state was observed after the discovery of oil deposits. Then the population of Alaska increased by 36%. The largest city in the state is Anchorage, where more than 300,000 people live.

About 60% of the population is white, the indigenous population is about 15%, Asians are about 5.5%, the rest is in other races. The most numerous national group living in Alaska is the Germans. Irish and English have 10% each, followed by Norwegians, French and Scots.

Missionary work of the Russian Orthodox Church has not passed without a trace - now in Alaska about 70% of residents are Christians. Protestantism is considered the second largest religion, although in general, Alaska is the least religious state of America.

Indigenous population of Alaska

Russians, of course, are considered pioneers, but people began to populate the region long before the arrival of researchers. According to scientists, the first inhabitants of Alaska came here from Siberia about 30 thousand years ago, during the freezing of the Bering Strait.

The first peoples who found themselves on the "Earth of the Midnight Sun" were Tlingit, Tsimshians, Hyla and Atapaski. They are the ancestors of modern American Indians. Tribes had their own language and beliefs, engaged mainly in fishing.

Much later (almost 8 thousand years ago), people belonging to the Eskimos or the Inuit arrived on the lands of Alaska. These were the tribes of the Aleuts, Alutians and Inupiates.

With the discovery of Alaska, Russian researchers brought their faith and traditions to the world of the indigenous population. Many local residents worked for the Russians. Now in Alaska the largest percentage of the indigenous population in the United States, but this figure is gradually decreasing. Therefore, special programs have recently been implemented to preserve the culture of the indigenous people.

Conclusion

Alaska (America) is a rich region with a unique but harsh nature. There are many volcanoes, glaciers, rivers and lakes here. It is the largest American state, separated from the US territory by Canada. The population of Alaska is represented by numerous ethnic groups and nationalities. Here the descendants of Indians and Eskimos still live, continuing their traditions and culture.