Origin of state's name: Based on Eskimo word "Alakshak"meaning "great
lands" or "peninsula"
The blue field is for the sky and the forget-me-not, the state
flower. The North Star is for the future of the state of Alaska --
the most northerly of the Union. The dipper represents a Great
Bear-symbolizing strength.
Entered Union: January 3, 1959; 49th state
Capital: Juneau
Motto: North to the future
Flower: Forget-Me-Not
Bird: willow ptarmigan
Tree: Sitka spruce
Song: Alaska's Flag
A LITTLE HISTORY
Vitus Vering, a Danish explorer working for Russia, was the first European to land in Alaska in 1741. Alexander Baranov, first governor of Russian America, set up headquarters at Archangel, near present Sitka, in 1799. In 1799, Secretary of State William H. Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867, a bargain some called 'Seward's Folly'. In 1896, gold was discovered and the famed Gold Rush was on.
FACTS AND TRIVIA ABOUT ALASKA
The Alaska Highway links Dawson Creek, British Columbia and Fairbanks, Alaska.
Alaska has the longest U.S. border with Canada.
Alaska is the U.S. state which receives the least sunshine.
Alaska was known as Russian America before 1867.
Mount McKinley is located in Alaska. It is the highest point at 20,320 feet.
Alaska is free of houseflies.
The largest city in Alaska is Anchorage.
Juneau is the northernmost U.S. state capital.
The search for gold played a major role in shaping the history of Alaska, from the discovery of
gold in Juneau to the great gold rush at Nome. Gold was named the state mineral in 1968. [Source:
Alaska's Best]
The first settlement in Alaska was established by Russian whalers and fur traders on Kodiak Island
in 1784.
Joe Juneau's 1880 discovery of gold ushered in the gold rush era. Thousands of people flocked to
Alaska, seeking their fortune in the wild frontier.
In 1943, Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands which started the 'One Thousand Mile War,' the first
battle fought on American soil since the Civil War.
Alaska's most important revenue source is the oil and natural gas industry, about 90% of
the state's revenues.
Alaska accounts for 25% of the oil produced in the United States.
Located near Prudhoe Bay, on the northern Alaskan coast, is North America's largest oil field.
Every day, millions of gallons of oil are removed from Prudhoe Bay and pumped through the
Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The pipeline, maintained by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, snakes its
way from Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's northern coast to the southcentral port of Valdez where the oil is
pumped into tankers. One of the largest pipeline systems in the world, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
moves up to 88,000 barrels of oil per hour on its 800 mile journey to Valdez.
Alaska's waters are rich in seafood. Most of
America's salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska.
The term Alaska Native, referring to Alaska's original inhabitants, includes Aleut, Eskimo and
Indian groups who differ from each other in ethnic origin, language and culture. In 1996, Alaska
Natives constituted 16.5% of the state's total population.
