Alaska State...
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Alaska Almanac: Facts and FiguresQuick Facts and Figures on the State
Alaska Almanac furnishes facts and figures on the state, its geography, climate and weather, elevation, land area, bordering states, and other statistical data pertaining to the state of Alaska that can be found online.
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Alaska is one of the Pacific states in the northernmost state of the US, occupying the Northwest extremity of North America. The tremendous land mass of Alaska - equal to one-fifth of the continental US only a few miles from the Russian Far East.
The state includes two major island groups, the Aleutian Islands, which extend in an arc West from the Southwest corner of the mainland, and the Alexander Archipelago, adjacent to the Southeast coast of the mainland.
In 1867 the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for just over $7,000,000. It was one of the greatest land deals every recorded.
The Gold Rush of the late 19th century put the state on the map, then followed by the Prudhoe Bay oil and gas reservoir discovery in 1968, Alaska quickly began its incredible economic contribution to the US economy.
Alaska Almanac: Facts and Figures
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| Official Name |
Alaska
|
| Capital |
Juneau
|
| Nick Name |
The Last Frontier |
| Motto |
North to the Future (Official) |
| Location & Region |
58.38858 N, 134.13342 W |
Alaska |
| Constitution Ratified |
April 24, 1956 |
| Statehood |
January 03, 1959 |
49th State |
| Population |
626,932 |
1.10 sq mi. |
48th |
Largest City
(by population) |
Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Sitka, Ketchikan, Kenai, Kodiak, Bethel, Wasilla, and Barrow |
| Bordering States |
North: Arctic Ocean
East: Yukon Territory and British Columbia
Southeast, South, and Southwest: Pacific Ocean
West: Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Arctic Ocean
Coastline: 5580 mi. |
| Number of Boroughs |
27 Boroughs and 11 Geographical Census Areas in Alaska |
Largest Borough
(by population) |
Anchorage |
260,283 |
1,698 sq mi. |
| Electoral Votes |
3 |
| US Congress |
2 Senators; 1 Representative |
| Time Zone |
Alaska Standard Time
On September 15, 1983, Secretary Elizabeth Dole signed a plan to reduce the number of time zones in Alaska from four to two; two weeks later, the plan became effective. Since that date, 90 percent of Alaska residents set their clocks to Alaska Standard Time (same as Yukon), only one hour behind the West Coast. The far reaches of the Aleutian Islands and St. Lawrence Island are in the next zone, Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time. Alaska does participate in the Daylight Savings program from April to October along with most other states in the US.
Before this change, Alaska's time zones were Pacific time (southeastern Alaska), Yukon time (Yakutat), Alaska time (from just east of Cold Bay and west of Yakutat northward, including Nome), and Bering time (the north coast of Alaska and the Aleutian chain). |
Alaska Climate and Weather
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| Extremely varied weather throughout the state. Damp, rainy and somewhat mild conditions south, southeast and central, while the far north is extremely dry with very cold (Arctic) winter conditions. Heavy winter snows common central and north. |
| Highest Temperature |
100 degrees
June 27, 1915 - Fort Yukon |
| Lowest Temperature |
-80 degrees
January 23, 1971 - Prospect Creek Camp |
| Avg Temp: High - Low |
71.8 degrees |
-21.6 degrees |
Alaska Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet)
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| Mean Elevation |
1,900 |
| Highest Point |
Mt. McKinley |
20,320 |
| Lowest Point |
Pacific Ocean |
Sea level |
Alaska Land Area (Square Miles)
|
| Geographic Center |
60 miles NW of Mt. McKinley |
| Total Area |
663,267.26 |
1st |
| Land Area |
571,951.26 |
66.24% |
| Water Area |
91,316.00 |
13.76% |
| Forested Land Area |
34.9% |
Dimensions
(Length - Width) |
1,480 miles |
810 miles |
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Source: (US Census, April 1, 2000)
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