Alaska
| Alaska (fr) | |
 | The seal of Alaska |
|---|---|
 | |
Alaska Map with red. | |
| Nickname | |
| "The Last Frontier" and "The Land of the Midnight Sun" In French : "The last frontier" and "Land of the Midnight Sun" | |
| Currency | |
| North to the Future North to the Future | |
| Administration | |
| Country |  United States |
| Capital | Juneau |
| Governor | Sean Parnell (R) (2009 -) |
| Union membership | January 3, 1959 (49th state) |
| Geography | |
| Area | 1,717,854 km 2 ( 1 ) |
| - Land | 1,481,305 km 2 |
| - Water (%) | 236 548 km 2 (13.77%) |
| Maximum altitude | 6194 m Mount McKinley |
| Average elevation | 3060 m |
| Minimum altitude | 0 m |
| Latitude | 51 20'N 71 50 'N 1300 km |
| Longitude | 130 W to 173 E 2380 km |
| Demography | |
| Population (2008) | 686 293 inhab. ( 47th ) |
| Density | 0.46 inhabitants / km 2 |
| Largest city | Anchorage |
| Language (s) Official | English |
| Politics | |
| Senators | Mark Begich (D) Lisa Murkowski (R) |
| Number of Representatives | Don Young (R) |
| Other information | |
| ISO 3166-2 | US-AK |
| Time Zone | -9 To -10 |
| Official site | www.alaska.gov |
change  | |
The Alaska ("continent" in Aleut , the equivalent of the French department of Gard Origin of name Alaska is the Russian version () Aleutian Alakshak the word, which means that land or large peninsula. The Aleuts are people who live in the Aleutians and western Alaska, closely related physically and culturally to the Eskimos. Alaska is a former territory of Russian America, purchased by the United States in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars . People lived in Denbigh northern Alaska, there are 5000 years (AA). Their main resource was the animals they hunted in the tundra , for food, clothing and shelter. In 1948, the American archaeologist Louis Giddings excavated at Cape Denbigh (Alaska), on the coast of the Bering Sea , microblades of chert and obsidian , which resembled those previously found in the Gobi Desert (Paleo and Asian Mesolithic ). Giddings also notes that the projectile points have similarities with those of the Paleo-Indians and Archaic cultures of the New World. The name of this culture, like many others besides, we receive the location of this first discovery. They spent the summer on the shores of the Bering Sea and in other seasons, with the interior in search of caribou and fish anadromous. This cultural group is known for its stone tools such as scrapers, projectile points, tools for working bone, blades and cutters. The Denbighien is culturally very close to the three other entities that are called Palaeo old as we described previously. The exact origins of this culture are not very well known. Microlithic technology has certainly taken root in the Paleolithic tradition of Alaska and more reliably in culture Paleoasian. In contrast, Denbighiens are the ancestors of a whole series of Alaskan cultures: ancient whaling, Choris and Norton. While Palaeoeskimos developed their culture in Arctic Canada and Greenland, a very different trend continued in Alaska in the Bering Strait region. For their part, the Aleutian Islands have experienced a gradual development that led to the cultivation of Aleuts today. The Pacific coast of Alaska, meanwhile, has seen a technological change based on ground slate, which has been at the origin of Eskimo cultures of this region. The north and west coasts were occupied by people of the traditional tools microlithic Arctic, the same culture as those of the Canadian Arctic. C. 1000 BC. AD, human activity in Alaska has had an interruption of several centuries. After the break, appears a series of groups such as whaling cultures ancient Choris and Norton are a complex mixture of microlithism Arctic culture of the Pacific Coast and groups of Neolithic of Eastern Siberia from the same period. We know very little about the old whaling cultures. In fact, there is only one village of five houses which was discovered at Cape Kruzenstern , north of the Bering Strait. There were bones of seals in the houses and whale bones lying on beaches. We can consider this culture as a brief attempt to mix, the Aleutians , perhaps, the Eskimos or Indians. People of culture Choris lived in large pit houses oval and hunted seals and caribou. They also made chipped stone tools somewhat reminiscent of those of the Arctic Small Tool Tradition. As the old whaling cultures, the origin of people Choris remains unclear for now. These small groups of hunters were perhaps the Eskimos of southern Alaska, or Aleut who migrated northward, or Indians who had adopted customs Eskimo, or Siberian immigrants. From 1784 , trappers Russian establish permanent trading posts on the Aleutian Islands and the U.S. Pacific coast, to the California ( Fort Ross , at least 160 miles north of San Francisco ). To begin, coastal stations are established at Attu, Agattu and Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands and the island of Kodiak , off the mouth of Cook Inlet. Eighteen months later, a colony is established on the continent, across Cook Inlet. The objective is to hunt the sea otters , whose fur is sold for high prices in Chinese markets. As in Siberia , the Russians employ, alcoolisent and seek to convert to Orthodoxy local populations: the Orthodox community is Alaskan Aleut and Kodiak. There were approximately 25,000 Aleuts on the arrival of Russians, but only 3 892 in 1885 , after 122 years of Russian rule (at the foot of the volcano, Mount Redoubt , 3,100 meters high, the presence of the Russian Orthodox Church Ninilchik remember that Alaska was a Russian colony) and American ... vodka, bourbon and influenza have been here the same effect elsewhere . From the late eighteenth century , merchants and missionaries came to compete with American and British activities in Russia. In 1787, Aleksandr Andreevich Baranov founded a trading post in Arkhangelsk , where he implements serfs Russian and Aleut; from 1799 to 1804 he was the governor and resident director of Russian America and decided to build its capital in Arkhangelsk (today ' Today Archangel ). The fort was destroyed by the Tlingit in 1802. Baranov resumed the site two years later the island was renamed Sitka and the capital is called the Novo-Arkhangelsk (Archangel-New). In 1807, the Governor is the castle Baranov. In 1811, it was he who established the post of Fort Ross in California. In total, we can count forty Russian forts in America, in the first half of the nineteenth century. Russia declares that the Russian America extends to the Strait and Queen Charlotte Islands (now Canada) and that foreigners have no right of way. The California is Spanish and Oregon and the British Columbia (including even the current Washington State ) is English, access to the Pacific and his fur seems impossible for the United States. Faced with this deadlock, the president of the United States James Monroe wrote his famous doctrine that aims to eliminate the influences of the European continent. The United States, the United Kingdom and Russia finally agree, and a treaty was signed in 1824, through which the Russian border was moved from the south (California) to the north (now Alaska), while the English give up the Oregon and southern British Columbia (now Washington Territory). By this treaty, the establishment of new Russian forts outside Alaska is prohibited and in 1825, the United Kingdom obtained a right of way along the narrow coastal Alaskans. Finally, the purchase of Alaska in 1867 by the Americans put an end to the Russian presence in America. Territory of Russian origin, after its purchase by the Americans in 1867 to seven million dollars (purchases made during the creation of a telegraph line to cross the Russia and the Bering Strait , connecting the territories of the United States to of Europe ), the area was first known as: Alaska Department and placed under the jurisdiction of the army until 1877 , the Treasury until 1879 and the Navy until 1884. In the late nineteenth century, gold seekers tried their luck in the thousands and left behind sometimes their lives. But the gold fever drops rapidly. Other economic activities are given by the fishing and canning. In 1884, Alaska was organized as the District of Alaska. In 1890, Alaska has about 30,000 inhabitants, of which three quarters are of indigenous origin . On 24 August 1912 , he became the Territory of Alaska. The only way of railway linking the coast then to Fairbanks in the center of the territory, was built through the federal government between 1915 and 1923. This territory entered the Union as 49th state on 3 January 1959. During the second half of the twentieth century, Alaska became a strategic position in the Cold War which pitted the United States to the Soviet Union. By 1975, the discovery of oil fields led to a massive influx of workers. Today, Alaska attracts tourists in the summer, came to admire the bears and fjords and practice the sport fishing ( salmon and trout ). In 1971 , we could identify 40 000 Inuit and Yupik, 22 000 7000 American Indians and Aleuts. They obtained a privileged status and legally received 200 000 sq km reserve and a billion dollars in compensation. The traditional lifestyle of the indigenous was deeply upset by the arrival of whites: now the trips are on snowmobiles , young people enjoy modern amenities, but away from traditions and live revenues oil. Alaska has no common border with another U.S. state. It shares this characteristic with Hawaii. It is bordered to the east by the territory of Yukon and British Columbia , two provinces of Canada. The border between Alaska and Canada covers 2 477 km . Elsewhere, three sets surrounding maritime Alaska: the Gulf of Alaska , which lies north of the Pacific Ocean , the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea , which separates it from the Asia to the west, the Beaufort finally, bordering the north coast and is part of the Arctic Ocean. The Bering Strait separates Alaska from naturally Russia. Alaska is the largest state of the United States : an area of 1,717,854 km 1,481,305 km of land, representing 18.7% of U.S. territory and three times the size of metropolitan France . It takes about 43 longitude (130 / 173 W) and 16 (71/55 N), so it's in Alaska are the place most in the west ( Attu Island ) and place the northernmost ( Barrow ) of the United States. The geographic center of the state is 63 50 ' latitude north and 152 00 ' longitude west . A study by the United States Bureau of Land Management from 1998, about 65% of the land is owned by the Federal Government of the United States , which manages forests, parks and national nature reserves in Alaska. The rest is managed by the State of Alaska (25%) and indigenous organizations created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (10%). The Alaskan shoreline is rugged and cut: the coastal ranges plunge into the ocean. The Flandrian transgression caused a rise in water level and formed fjords impressive. Navigation is made difficult by the presence of permanent barriers (islands, reefs ) or temporary ( icebergs ). The fact that the coast is heavily indented allowed to install multiple ports. Alaska has many islands, especially in the south ( Alexander Archipelago ) and west ( Aleutian Islands ), which explains the large length of coastline. The largest island is the Prince of Wales. The Aleutian archipelago extends over several hundred kilometers. The Inside Passage is used for navigation: it measures 860 km long and has 70 major glaciers between 55th and 61st parallels, the mainland and the Alexander Archipelago . The number of lakes is estimated at over three million, one stream at 3000 . Glaciers cover over 41 000 km. With its glaciers that produce icebergs, volcanoes sculpt the lunar valleys, mountains that continue to rise towards the sky, Alaska, the landscape in perpetual becoming, is the opposite of a land. This corner of the planet, the land chosen for geologists, was the scene of vast movements tectonic faults, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and criss shake this "fantastic block from elsewhere" . Major mountain ranges in Alaska: In general, the Alaskan climate is marked by a long and cold winter. The writer Jack London wrote that Alaska was "the land where whiskey freezes and can serve as a clipboard for much of the year. "The ground is deeply frozen and prevents the development of agriculture: the permafrost (or permafrost) that varies from tens to hundreds of meters in Alaska For several years, Alaska has experienced a warming of temperatures: they have increased on average 1.6 C since the 1950s . The coastline of the State suffers the effects of rising sea levels and ocean. The Inuit people of Shishmaref, an island in northwest Alaska have received aid from 150 million to address coastal erosion and damage caused by waves, and the Yupik of Newtok will be moved on a hill. The early melting of sea ice disrupts the lifestyles of indigenous and threatened several animal species such as the polar bear. In the medium term, the northern sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans could be ice-free five months a year. The permafrost is quickly reduced, causing the formation of swamps and deformation of transport infrastructure. Melting glaciers swell the torrents that damage roads and bridges. Part of the forests of taiga are destroyed by the proliferation of insect borers (16 000 sq km between 1990 and 2006 ); fires have also become more frequent. Global warming could allow the development of new farmland. Population of cities in Alaska (2007) The fauna and flora are protected in parks and nature reserves. There are seven major national parks : Denali National Park , Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve , Katmai National Park , Kenai Fjords National Park , Kobuk Valley National Park , Lake Clark National Park and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park , also inscribed on the List of World Heritage of Humanity since 1979. But experts say a thousand the number of animal species in Alaska with 115 mammal and 400 bird . Animals emblematic of the state are called the "Big Five" : This category includes the grizzly , the caribou , the elk , the wolves and Dall sheep. Many other mammals, adapted to difficult natural conditions, also live in Alaska: red fox , lemmings , beaver , musk ox , arctic hare , marten , otter , walrus. Some of these mammals hibernate or migrate during the winter. The polar bear hunting north of the region: one quarter of 20 to 25,000 polar bears in the world live in Alaska . There are only 35 000 to 45 000 brown bears, of which 3 000 are concentrated in the Kodiak archipelago. The humpback whale spends the winter in the tropical waters of Hawaii and Mexico and Alaska back in the summer (650 individuals ) The Big Five (click thumbnail to enlarge) Despite the harsh winter climate, the flora of Alaska is very diverse. The north and northwest are covered by tundra. Humid temperate forest covers the southern coastal wilderness bordered by the current Alaska . The interior, marked by the continental, is the area of the boreal forest or taiga . Finally, vegetation depends on the altitude. In 2007 , Alaska had 683 478 inhabitants and was then the third least populated state in the United States, behind Vermont and North Dakota. The density is the lowest in the country (0.46 inhabitant per km ) and the population is concentrated along the coast. Nearly one in two people residing in the metropolitan area of Anchorage (359 180 inhabitants in 2007). The population is characterized by an imbalance of the sexes: there are more men (50.8%) than women. This is due to the difficult living conditions and economy based on oil, mining, forestry and fishing. Demography is also characterized by relatively high growth (approximately + 6% between 2000 and 2005). The population is relatively young with a median age of 33.9 years (36.4 years for all U.S. ) over 65 years represent 6.6% of the population, which is the national record) . The unemployment rate is much higher than in the rest of the country (8.6% of the workforce in 2005 . The income per capita is 26 310, making Alaska the one of the richest states (the U.S. average was 25 035 per capita).. Finally, Alaska is the first state in the number of natives ( Indians , Inuit , etc..): they represent 14.2% of the total population as against 0.8% for the United Unis.Le Republican Party dominates local politics. Distribution of the population of Alaska, by ethnic group in 2005 : Since 1960 , presidential election, voters in Alaska have always opted for the Republican candidate with the exception of the year 1964 when they chose Lyndon Johnson in the ultra-conservative Barry Goldwater. In 2004 , George W. Bush has obtained 61.07% of the votes against 35.52% for John Kerry. From 6 December 2006 to 26 July 2009, the governor is Sarah Palin , a Republican, first woman elected to this position and youngest governor (42 years) in the history of Alaska. She was selected August 29, 2008 by John McCain , Republican candidate for the 2008 U.S. presidential election to be his running mate and candidate for Vice-Chair. This is the first Alaskan elected to appear on a ticket of a major American parties for the presidential election. She resigned in July 2009 and was replaced by Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. At the local legislature 2007 - 2008 , the Alaska Senate is composed of 11 Republican senators and Democratic senators from 9 while the meeting is composed of 23 Republican representatives and 17 Democratic representatives. In 2000, GDP per capita was 30,064 dollars, placing Alaska in the fifteenth among the 50 U.S. states. In 1976, an amendment to the Constitution of the State shall establish the Alaska Permanent Fund , which distributes a universal benefit to all state residents, funded by oil revenues. This has made the state the least egalitarian of the United States . The main primary industries are fishing , exploitation of timber , of raw materials and hydrocarbons. Most manufactured goods are imported, which increases the cost of people's lives. In 2003, the commercial fleet has fished more than 5 million pounds of fish and shellfish for a total of over one billion dollars / Sup>. Exports of marine products (total: 2.5 billion in 2006) are mainly to Japan (33% of the total in 2006), towards the European Union (23%) and China (15%) . The basement of Alaska is rich in natural gas , coal , gold , zinc and other minerals. Most importantly, this state provides 17% of U.S. production of oil , although it has declined since the 1970s . 90% of Alaska's budget comes from oil . The Upstate is a significant reserve of oil: one part is used by several companies such as British Petroleum , Exxon and Arco. This is the National Petroleum Reserve. Black gold is also drawn from an area offshore, despite the polar weather conditions. The area of Prudhoe Bay produces half of Alaskan oil and 400,000 barrels per day. It provides 8% of the total U.S. production . In March 2006, the British company BP had discovered a leak in a transit pipeline at Prudhoe Bay had been leaking between 760,000 and one million liters of oil . The era of black gold upsets Alaska. North-eastern state, the discovery of a huge oil field has resulted, in 1973 , construction of a pipeline between Prudhoe Bay to Valdez , which was part of the gold rush in 1904. In November 2005, the House of Representatives has given up the oil exploration project in the protected territory of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Faced with the growing demand for oil, President Bill Clinton opened operations west of the National Petroleum Reserve. The environmental Alaska Wilderness League strives to prevent further exploitation, organizing high-profile media campaigns (Save the Arctic) and calling for a boycott of Exxon. According to a survey by Zogby International (December 2004), 51% of Americans are against any new drilling in the Alaska Area 1002 . The forest is the wealth of southern Alaska. Wood processing and food industries related to marine products provide the bulk of the secondary sector. The canneries employ seasonal labor to treat salmon. The wood industry occupies part of the industrial workforce. For the tertiary sector, services, jobs and public transport professions dominate. Military personnel and civilian Pentagon represents a large portion of the population. There are several army bases, installed since the Cold War such as Clear. Finally, in recent years, tourism is growing rapidly. Indeed, the advantages are numerous: scenery, hunting, fishing, hiking, auroras , etc.. Transportation is made difficult by the natural constraints and distances. Historically, American Indians and Inuit used the sled in winter and canoeing. Today, the snowmobile has largely replaced the traditional means of transportation. The aircraft and the aircraft are used to connect villages with larger centers. But in winter, feeding is spaced so that several communities have to live in isolation. There are two international airports in Anchorage and Faibranks, relayed by local radiation airfields. The Anchorage airport is the sixth of the world and the fourth of U.S. freight, which amounted in 2003 to 2.07 million tons . Maritime transport plays an important role: the cabotage takes place on the coast. The ferry moves slowly on the Inside Passage. They are managed by the Alaska Marine Highway System since 1963. They depart from Seattle , along the British Columbia between the reefs and shoals. The road network is much less dense than the rest of the United States, but it is not completely absent, especially along the coast. A road linking the south to north through the center of the state. Borrow Alaskan roads can be dangerous, depending on weather or wildlife sightings: Each year, the moose causing traffic accidents while crossing roads. Rail transport has been developed in the nineteenth century to transport adventurers in search of gold. The railroads were often built for the settlers, under difficult conditions. For example, the line Fairbanks - Anchorage - Seward was constructed in 1917: a 4500 yard workers . It took a drill tunnels and building steel bridges to cross the mountains and passes. The longest bridge in Alaska is the Mears Memorial Bridge, it measures 225 meters. Today, these lines are used to transport cargo and passengers. The Denali Star, 757 km long, was inaugurated in 1923: it allows tourists to enjoy the natural wonders of Denali Park at reduced speed. The pipes are a means of transport of hydrocarbons: the Trans-Alaska Pipeline crosses the state from north to south of 1 287 km . It was built in 1977, crosses 70 rivers and can withstand winds of 160 km / h and temperatures of -70 C . The Turnagain Arm in Cook Inlet. Wonder Lake Lost Lake Alaska has the code: History
The Inuit cultures of Alaska
Culture of Denbigh in Alaska (3000 to 1000 BC.)
The old whaling cultures (1000 BC. to??)
Choris culture (1000 BC. the year 0)
The Fur Trade
A U.S. territory
The fate of indigenous peoples
Geography
Location and general characteristics
Coast and hydrology
Relief and geology
Major mountain ranges
Major peaks
Climate
months January February March April May jul. jul. Aug. September October November December year Average minimum temperature ( C ) -28,1 -25,8 -18,7 -6,4 3,3 9,7 11,4 8,4 2,3 -7,7 -20,9 -26,0 -8,2 Mean Temperature ( C) -23,4 -19,8 -11,7 -0,7 9,2 15,4 16,9 13,8 7,5 -3,8 -16,3 -21,4 -2,8 Average maximum temperature ( C) -18,7 -13,8 -4,6 5,0 15,2 21,2 22,4 19,1 12,7 0,0 -11,7 -16,8 2,5 Rainfall ( mm ) 11,9 10,2 9,4 8,1 15,5 34,8 47,5 49,8 24,1 22,9 20,3 21,6 276,1 months January February March April May jul. jul. Aug. September October November December year Average minimum temperature ( C ) -28,5 -30,9 -29,5 -22,8 -9,8 -1,3 0,9 0,7 -2,8 -12,9 -21,6 -27,3 -15,4 Mean Temperature ( C) -25,2 -27,7 -26,2 -19,0 -7,1 1,1 4,1 3,3 -0,8 -10,3 -18,7 -24,0 -12,5 Average maximum temperature ( C) -21,9 -24,3 -22,8 -15,2 -4,3 3,5 7,2 5,7 1,0 -7,7 -15,8 -20,7 -9,6 Rainfall ( mm ) 4,3 3,8 4,3 5,1 4,1 7,1 23,9 24,4 15,2 11,4 6,4 4,1 114,1 Consequences of Climate Change
Cities
Ecosystems
Fauna
Flora
Demographics
General
Population by year 1950 128 643 1960 226 167 1970 300 382 1980 401 851 1990 550 043 2000 626 932 2005 641 724 2006 676 778 2007 683 478 
Indigenous Peoples
Politics and administration
Economy
Primary Sector
Exploitation of Hydrocarbons
Secondary Sector
Tertiary
Culture
Famous People
Museums
Film takes place in Alaska
Transportation
Sports
Gallery
Codes
See also
Notes
Related articles
External Links
Loading ...