State Overview - Alaska

State Number: 49th

Date of Admission: January 3, 1959

Capital: Juneau (Established as capital in 1906)

Largest city: Anchorage

Number of Counties: 0 because it uses Boroughs (19)

Largest Borough: Yukon

State Nickname: The Last Frontier

State Motto: North to the Future

Size: 665,384 mi2 (Biggest)

State Government

State Governor: Mike Dunleavy (R)

Senators: Lisa Murkwoski (R) and Dan Sullivan (R)

US House Delegation: 1 Republican, 0 Democrats, 0 Others

Before a quick history lesson of Alaska, you need to know that Alaska has a very interesting history before it became part of the United States but sadly, Wikipedia does not have much information on the era of Pre-Colonization.

An important note is that my source is Wikipedia, although I am not copying it word for word. I am summarizing the page.

Many indigenous peoples had occupied Alaska for thousands of years before Russia colonized Alaska. Many of those indigenous peoples are generally thought to have arrived from Siberia in Russia, crossing the Bering Strait by an extinct land bridge called the Bering land bridge. Remains of a 6 week old infant have been found that, when scientists examined her DNA, was discovered that she belonged to a group of people who were genetically separate from other New World native groups.

Some researchers believe that the first Russian settlement in Alaska was established in the 17th century, specifically in 1648. The first European vessel to reach Alaska is generally thought to be the St Gabriel, a Russian ship, during a 1732 expedition. The first permanent European settlement in Alaska is currently thought to be founded in 1784.

Between 1774 and 1800, Spain sent several expeditions over to Alaska to create and assert their claim over the Pacific Northwest. In 1784, Spain built its first settlement in the Nootka Sound. Even with the Spanish claim, Alaska was Russian colony, although Russia never profited from Alaska and never fully colonized the area.

In 1867, the United States Secretary of State, William H. Seward worked out a deal with Russia attempting to buy Alaska for $7.2 million. This deal was called Seward's Folly as people believed that Alaska was good for nothing and was just a barren wasteland of snow and ice. The deal went successful and on October 18, 1867, the Russian flag was lowered from Fort Sitka and the American flag was raised. This made Alaska a US Territory for 82 years before becoming a State.

Starting in the 1890s and continuing throughout the 1910s, Alaska experienced a gold rush. This gold rush brought the US over $400,000,000 (over $7 billion in todays money). People from Norway and Sweden began arriving in Alaska for lodging and fishing.

During WWII, Japan attacked several islands in Alaska. These attacks killed several people. The United States established several military bases in Alaska. These bases contributed to the growing population of Alaska.

Alaska is bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined

Alaska is the largest exclave

Alaska contains the largest cities by Area in the United States

Alaska is the Northernmost, Westernmost, and Easternmost US State

The Alaskan flag was designed by a 13 year old boy