Portal:Alaska

Introduction The flag of Alaska Location of Alaska The seal of Alaska Alaska (/əˈlæskə/ ⓘ ə-LASS-kə) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost (the Aleutian Islands cross the 180th meridian into the eastern hemisphere) state in the United States. It borders the Canadian territory of Yukon and the province of British Columbia to the east. It shares a western maritime border, in the Bering Strait, with Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas of the Arctic Ocean lie to the north, and the Pacific Ocean lies to the south. Technically, it is a semi-exclave of the U.S., and is the largest exclave in the world. Alaska is the largest U.S. state by area, comprising more total area than the following three largest states of Texas, California, and Montana combined, and is the seventh-largest subnational division in the world. It is the third-least populous and most sparsely populated U.S. state; however, with a population of 740,133 as of 2024, it is the most populous territory in North America located mostly north of the 60th parallel, with more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland. The state contains the four largest cities in the United States by area, including the state capital of Juneau. The state's most populous city is Anchorage, and approximately half of Alaska's residents live within its metropolitan area. Indigenous people have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as the entry point for the initial settlement of North America by way of the Bering land bridge. The Russian Empire was the first to actively colonize the area beginning in the 18th century, eventually establishing Russian America, which spanned most of the current state and promoted and maintained a native Alaskan Creole population. The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted its sale to the U.S. in 1867 for US$7.2 million (equivalent to $162 million in 2024). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska— with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest per capita incomes, with commercial fishing, and the extraction of natural gas and oil, dominating Alaska's economy. U.S. Armed Forces bases and tourism also contribute to the economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing national forests, national parks, and wildlife refuges. It is among the most irreligious states and one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana. The Indigenous population of Alaska is proportionally the second highest of any U.S. state, at over 15 percent, after only Hawaii. (Full article...) Recognized content - Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards. Cannikin warhead being lowered into test shaft Amchitka (/æmˈtʃɪtkə/; Aleut: Amchixtax̂;) is a volcanic, tectonically unstable and uninhabited island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island, with a land area of roughly 116 square miles (300 km2), is about 42 miles (68 km) long and 1 to 4 miles (1.6 to 6.4 km) wide. The area has a maritime climate, with many storms, and mostly overcast skies. Amchitka was populated for more than 2,500 years by the Aleut people, but has had no permanent population since 1832. The island has been part of the United States since the Alaska Purchase of 1867. During World War II, it was used as an airfield by US forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign. Amchitka was selected by the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to be the site for underground detonations of nuclear weapons. Three such tests were carried out: Long Shot, an 80-kiloton (330 TJ) blast in 1965; Milrow, a 1-megaton (4.2 PJ) blast in 1969; and Cannikin in 1971 – at 5 Mt (21 PJ), the largest underground test ever conducted by the United States. The tests were highly controversial, with environmental groups fearing that the Cannikin explosion, in particular, would cause severe earthquakes and tsunamis. Amchitka is no longer used for nuclear testing. It is still monitored for the leakage of radioactive materials. (Full article...) List of recognized articles 2008 Tanana Valley flood Akutan Zero Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System History of Fairbanks, Alaska Klondike Gold Rush Maritime fur trade Mike Gravel Mount Redoubt Military history of the Aleutian Islands Rampart Dam Trans-Alaska Pipeline System Yukon Quest List of National Natural Landmarks in Alaska Last voyage of the Karluk List of cities in Alaska Bob Marshall (wilderness activist) List of Yukon Quest competitors Alaska-class cruiser List of governors of Alaska Alaska Airlines Willow ptarmigan Joseph Hazelwood Eskimo (film) Portage Glacier Highway Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Jean Keene Binky (polar bear) Curtis Glencross Mount Cleveland (Alaska) Wyatt Earp Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council USS Alaska (CB-1) Rika's Landing Roadhouse Hope Highway Glacier Bay Basin Alaska marmot Topics Categories Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories Alaska Alaska-related lists Alaska Native Alaska culture Economy of Alaska Education in Alaska Environment of Alaska Geography of Alaska Government of Alaska Health in Alaska History of Alaska Military in Alaska Organizations based in Alaska People from Alaska Politics of Alaska Alaska society Transportation in Alaska Works about Alaska Images of Alaska Alaska stubs Selected article - Aerial view of a motorboat on the Kobuk River The Kobuk River (Iñupiaq: Kuuvak; Koyukon: Hʉlghaatno), also known by the names Kooak, Kowak, Kubuk, Kuvuk, and Putnam, is a river located in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska in the United States. It is approximately 280 miles (451 km) long. Draining a basin with an area of 12,300 square miles (32,000 km2), the Kobuk River is among the largest rivers in northwest Alaska, with widths of up to 1,500 feet (460 m) and flows reaching speeds of 3–5 miles per hour (5–8 km per hour) in its lower and middle reaches. The average elevation for the Kobuk River Basin is 1,300 feet (400 m) above sea level, ranging from sea level at its mouth on the Bering Sea to 11,400 feet (3,475 m) near its headwaters in the Brooks Range. Topography along the river includes low, rolling mountains, plains and lowlands, moderately high rugged mountainous land, and some gently sloped plateaus and highlands. The river contains an exceptional population of sheefish (Stenodus Nelma), a large predatory whitefish within the salmon family, which spawns in the river's upper reaches during the autumn. A portion of the vast Western Arctic caribou herd utilize the Kobuk River valley as winter range. (Full article...) List of selected articles 1925 serum run to Nome Anchorage, Alaska Exxon Valdez oil spill Climate of Alaska Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Juneau, Alaska History of Alaska Nome, Alaska Alaska Purchase Sitka, Alaska Ted Stevens Fairbanks, Alaska Kodiak bear Arctic Refuge drilling controversy Cordova, Alaska Morse v. Frederick Star Air Service Minnesota Drive Expressway Siberian Yupik Deadliest Catch Augustine Volcano McGee Airways William Moore (steamship captain) Tlingit language Legal education in Alaska Salmon Creek Dam Ruth A. M. Schmidt Sand Point, Alaska Northwest Passage Governorship of Sarah Palin Skagway, Alaska Eielson Air Force Base Cook Inlet Shootout on Juneau Wharf Alaska Railroad Henry Tureman Allen George Alexander Parks Alaska Road Commission Jewel (singer) Ice Road Truckers Alaskan king crab fishing Distant Early Warning Line Juneau Mountain Rescue Inuit Seward Highway Hubbard Glacier Caines Head State Recreation Area Alaska Native religion Inuit languages Fairway Rock Wrangell Bombardment Tanana Athabaskans Volcanic history of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province Richard Proenneke Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport Tom Anderson (politician) Yup'ik clothing Red Dog mine Utqiagvik, Alaska St. Lawrence Island Wildlife of Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Highway Diomede, Alaska Denali National Park and Preserve COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska LGBT rights in Alaska Alaska marmot Eskimo Selected picture - Cruise ship tourists observing Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay. Photo credit: User:Nvvchar General images The following are images from various Alaska-related articles on Wikipedia. Spanish contact in British Columbia and Alaska (from History of Alaska) Alaska has more acreage of public land owned by the federal government than any other state. (from Geography of Alaska) Alaska's area compared to the 48 contiguous states (from Geography of Alaska) Matanuska glacier (from Geography of Alaska) Buildings burning after the first Japanese attack on Dutch Harbor, June 3, 1942. (from History of Alaska) Earthquake damage in Anchorage (from History of Alaska) Köppen climate types of Alaska (from Geography of Alaska) Map of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (from History of Alaska) Mount Sanford in the Wrangell Mountains (from Geography of Alaska) Miners and prospectors climb the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush. (from History of Alaska) Nushagak River in Southwest Alaska (from Geography of Alaska) Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). The boundary of southeastern Alaska shown is that claimed by the United States before the conclusion of the Alaska boundary dispute. (from History of Alaska) An Inupiaq woman, Nome, Alaska, c. 1907 (from History of Alaska) 1860 map of Russian America (from History of Alaska) Calving glacier (from Geography of Alaska) Propaganda poster, World War II, depicting Alaska as a death trap for Japan. (from History of Alaska) Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska (from Geography of Alaska) The check that paid for Alaska (from History of Alaska) Oil pooled on rocks on the shore of Prince William Sound after the oil spill. (from History of Alaska) Kenai River on the Kenai Peninsula (from Geography of Alaska) Aleksandr Baranov, "Lord of Alaska" (from History of Alaska) St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka. The original structure, built in 1848, burned down in a fire on January 2, 1966. The cathedral was rebuilt from plans of the original structure and contains artifacts rescued from the fire. (from History of Alaska) Ketchikan, one of the places affected by COVID-19 during the 2020 outbreak in Alaska (from History of Alaska) Recognized content Featured articles Akutan Zero Alaska-class cruiser Cutthroat trout Inuit clothing Bob Marshall (wilderness activist) Polar bear Rainbow trout Rampart Dam Last voyage of the Karluk Good articles 1973 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election 2008 Tanana Valley flood USS Alaska (CB-1) Alaska marmot Typhoon Ampil (2024) Mount Aniakchak Lake Atna Balto Laura Bergt Binky (polar bear) Frederick Russell Burnham Mount Churchill Mount Cleveland (Alaska) Coeur Alaska, Inc. v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System Wyatt Earp Eskimo (1933 film) Espenberg volcanic field Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Glacier Bay Basin Curtis Glencross Mike Gravel Joseph Hazelwood History of Fairbanks, Alaska History of Inuit clothing Hope Highway Kaktovik numerals Jean Keene Klondike Gold Rush KYUR Maritime fur trade Military history of the Aleutian Islands Mount Okmok Colton Parayko Portage Glacier Highway The Proposal (2009 film) Mount Redoubt Research on Inuit clothing Rika's Landing Roadhouse Salmon Creek Dam Stikine River Jeremy Swayman Kenneth M. Taylor Trans-Alaska Pipeline System White-tailed ptarmigan Willow ptarmigan Featured pictures 1971-CANNIKIN-2 2010-kodiak-bear-1 Alaska Purchase (hi-res) Alaska wild berries Anchorage White Raven Heinrich Berann NPS Panorama of Denali without labels Malaspina-panorama-no-type MtRedoubtedit1 Parque estatal Chugach, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-22, DD 94 Russian-American Co - 1 Ruble (7559) Whales Bubble Net Feeding-edit1 Yukon Delta Former featured pictures Grizzly Denali edit Related Portals  Alaska •  Puerto Rico •  Hawaii •   Oklahoma •  Arizona •  California  •  Florida •  Illinois  •  Indiana •  Kansas •  Maryland •  Michigan •  Mississippi •  Nevada •  New Jersey •  New York •  Ohio •  Oregon •  Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) •  Texas •  Utah •  Virginia American football • Baseball •  • North America  Canada •  Russia Related WikiProjects Alaska U.S. States  Alaska Project Divisions People Physical geography History Economy Communities Government Transportation Culture Alaska Natives State facts Nicknames: The Last Frontier, Land of the Midnight Sun, Land of the Noonday Moon, Seward's Folly Capital: Juneau Governor: Michael J. Dunleavy (R) Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer (R) Attorney General: Kevin G. Clarkson Senators: Dan Sullivan (R), Lisa Murkowski (R) Representatives: Mary Peltola (D) Total area: 663,268 mi2 Land: 571,936 mi2 Water: 91,332 mi2 Highest elevation: 20,310 ft (Denali) Population 741,894 (2016 est) Admission to the Union: January 3, 1959 (49th) State symbols: Dog: Alaskan Malamute Bird: Willow Ptarmigan Insect: Four-spot Skimmer Dragonfly Colors: None Fish: King Salmon Flower: Alpine Forget-me-not Gem: Jade Sport: Dog Mushing Songs: Alaska's Flag Tasks Open tasks for Wikipedia:WikiProject Alaska. Edit or discuss these tasks. Shortcuts: Recent changes | Categories | History Urgent: An editor in Alaska able/willing to actively work with the Wikipedia Ambassador Program to provide direction/oversight for any articles within the project which are being improved upon under the program. To Rate: Unassessed Alaska articles, Unknown-importance Alaska articles To Nominate at WP:FAC: To Improve to Featured standard: Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, Juneau, Alaska, History of Alaska Collaboration: To Expand: Category:Alaska stubs, Alaskeros, Sheldon Jackson, Scouting in Alaska Governor articles: Steve Cowper, Bill Sheffield, Keith Harvey Miller, Waino Edward Hendrickson To Clean up: Diomede Islands To Merge: To Destub: See: Category:Alaska stubs To Deorphan: To Categorize: To Create: Articles on incoming (2019) legislators (and updating outgoing ones), Articles for new 2010 Census CDPs: Badger, Alaska, Chena Ridge, Alaska, Eureka Roadhouse, Alaska, Farmers Loop, Alaska, Goldstream, Alaska, Loring, Alaska, Point Possession, Alaska, South Van Horn, Alaska, Steele Creek, Alaska, Whitestone, Alaska Lists to de-redlink: List of mayors of Anchorage DoneDavid chamberlain (talk) 20:49, 2 February 2014 (UTC) Lists to complete: List of mayors of Fairbanks, Alaska Wanted Pics/Graphics: Wanted New Pics: See Category:Wikipedia requested photographs in Alaska Common mistakes to avoid (and correct): Knik, Alaska, the ghost town, and Knik River, Alaska, the CDP, are not the same place. In fact, they are approximately an hour's drive away from each other. Despite its name of "City and Borough of Yakutat," this entity is a borough, not a consolidated city-borough. See the talk page (or archives of same) of WP:ALASKA, or of the articles in question, for more information. Maintain: add {{WikiProject Alaska}} to the talk pages of Alaska-related articles and add the articles to Wikipedia:WikiProject Alaska/Recent changes (if not done already by a bot) so related changes link works. 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