Alaska covers an area of about 1.7 million km², of which about 1.48 million km² is land. Almost 20% of the approximately 710,000 inhabitants of Alaska are of German descent.
The US state of Alaska
After all, almost 300,000 people live in the city of Anchorage, which is not the capital of Alaska.
Only about 32,000 citizens live in the official capital of Juneau .
Alaska was acquired by the United States of America from the then Russian Empire in 1867 .
On January 3, 1959, Alaska became the penultimate territory of the 49th state in the United States.
The name probably comes from the Inuit word “Alyeska”, which means “big country”.
The flag of Alaska
The flag of Alaska features 8 gold stars on a blue background.
The blue describes the sea, the sky, the lakes of the mountains and the wildflowers of Alaska.
The seven stars form the constellation of the Big Dipper .
The eighth star symbolizes the North Star.
The star gold is said to reflect the treasures of Alaska that can be found in the mountains and lakes there.
The ten largest cities
- Anchorage (population 292,000)
- Fairbanks
- Juneau
- college
- sitka
- ketchikan
- Knik Fairview
- kenai
- lakes
- Kodiak (6,100)
Alaska’s economy is on solid ground, and its oil reserves account for around 85 percent of the state’s income. A unique feature is the “Alaska Permanent Fund”, which manages the income from oil sales.
The profit is divided evenly among the residents. Each Alaskan resident received approximately $1,100 from this find around 2006.
The weather and climatic conditions
Alaska has a continental climate in the center and a subpolar climate in the north. Similar to Greenland, it gets bitterly cold in Alaska in winter and the days are shortened due to the proximity to the pole. In summer, on the other hand, it gets warm, with temperatures in the north also in the single-digit positive range.
It rains more frequently both on the south coast, where the glaciers often stretch to the sea, and in the west, where the Pacific is noticeable. The summers are not very warm, but in winter the temperatures there are rarely below -10 degrees Celsius.
Climate change is not standing still in front of Alaska either, the average temperature rose by around 6 degrees Celsius from 1960 to 2010.
The Sights
A moose in the national park in Alaska
With several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, Alaska is one of the few regions in the world where there is still a lot of wilderness to discover and experience.
This has also recently led to the complete development of tourism in the country.
The largest of the national parks is Denali National Park in central Alaska, covering almost 2,500 hectares.
Here is also North America’s highest mountain, Mount McKinley, at 6,193 meters.
About 600,000 visitors come to the national park every year.
This is almost perfect for hiking, mountaineering and viewing Canada’s wildlife. Grizzly bears, caribou, moose and wolves await the visitor. A snowmobile or dog sled ride followed by a drink at a cabin is one of the highlights of a winter trip to Alaska.
In the former gold-mining town of Anchorage , you will find the outskirts that are usual for a big city, with hotels for every budget, a university, shopping malls, cafes and whatever is so common. A museum shows interesting historical information about the city and the state of Alaska.
In Barrow , the northernmost settlement in America with about 4000 souls, you will meet the natives of Alaska, the Inuit. Due to its proximity to the North Pole, you don’t see a ray of sunshine there for more than 60 days in winter.
The town was probably therefore the predestined location for the horror film “30 Days of Night” with Josh Hartnett. In contrast, the sun shines for more than 80 days in summer. Despite this, Florida holds the title of “Sunshine States”. In the town you can book hikes or tours in the area to get to know the flora and fauna there extensively.
Whether by ship on a cruise, by rental car or camper across Alaska, by bus or by plane, which can fly you to remote areas, or by train, you can experience the country and get to know it extensively.