A Freezing Adventure In Alaska
All the way up the Yukon Trail, beyond the borders of the USA with Canada lies a bit (or rather, a lot, judging by the size of it) of Uncle Sam’s land. Alaska is somewhat of a forgotten American state. It is also the last one. Lands that are mostly in the Artic Circle, mountains as high as the Himalayas, Alaska is an ice-paradise on Earth.
Alaska is the 49th state of the USA. It was incorporated on January 3, 1959. The Alaskan population is 626,932 according to the 2000 US census. “Alaska” derives from the Aleut Alyeska (‘greater land’). Its borders meet British Columbia and the Yukon Territory to the east, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Alaska to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort Sea to the north. Alaska is the largest state in the United States area-wise and the 18th largest territory on the planet.
The first Alaskan inhabitants came across the Bering Land Bridge. This extinct stretch of land used to link Russia to Alaska during the Ice Age, but today it is submerged. Its first settlers were the Inuit, Yupik Eskimos, Aleuts, Inupiaq, and many other American Indian tribes. This route is widely believed to be the one taken by all pre-Columbian settlers of America.
Alaska over the centuries became part of Russia. On April 9, 1867, the US Senate purchased it from Russia for around seven million dollars at the time (around 134 million today counting inflation).
Alaska is not bordered by any other US state. A land stretch of 500 miles of Canadian soil separate Alaska from its homeland. Alaska is, again, the largest state in area in the USA with its 570,374 square miles. Its also has the longest coastline of the other 49 states. Since it has many islands, its shoreline is very tidal. There are some areas that have a 35-foot difference between high and low tide. Alaska is also a very wet state. It has three-and-a-half million lakes just counting the ones that are 20 or more acres large. There are also enormous marshland and wetland permafrost areas, all covering 188,320 square miles, mostly in the northern, western, and south western lowlands. Sixteen thousand square miles of the land are in the form of frozen water, or glacier ice.
Alaska’s main export is seafood. Agriculture there is only a fraction of the industry. It mostly attends to its internal needs within the state as it is difficult for Alaskans to import food from mainland USA. This difficulty comes from the poor transportation infrastructure to and within Alaska. This makes food prices soar compared to the food prices in mainland USA. There is also a strong military pole that grosses high on Alaskan income. They industrialize crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, etc.
The alcoholism rate is very high in Alaska. People there tend to get depressed due to the intense cold and isolation. There is also a high suicide, domestic abuse, and violent crime rate probably due to the alcohol. There is also something called “brain-drain”. When students achieve recognition in the academic field they usually flee to mainland USA and never go back, leaving behind the not-so-successful students. Nevertheless, the University of Alaska has been successful in taking care of this problem. It offers the best 10 percent of high school graduates a four-year scholarship.
So you see, Alaska grows year by year in the tourism field due to the magic of its arctic land. Don’t let the downside of it keep you away from seeing the beautiful side of it! You might die without ever seeing the Aurora Borealis!
About the Author
Find tips about types of spiders and types of stitches at the Types Of Things website.
Eskimos: Winter in Western Alaska [1950]
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Inupiat Eskimo Birch Alaska Cutlery Ulu Knife Bear in River Fishing $15.98 These larger handle ULUs with the open blade are very popular with the avid ULU user. The golden Alaska Birch is laser etched with Alaskan scenes to look great in any kitchen. Each knife comes with a convenient Birch storage stand and a history/instruction booklet…. |
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Inupiat Eskimo Birch Alaska Cutlery Ulu Knife Harpooning $13.98 These larger handle ULUs with the open blade are very popular with the avid ULU user. The golden Alaska Birch is laser etched with Alaskan scenes to look great in any kitchen. Each knife comes with a convenient Birch storage stand and a history/instruction booklet…. |
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Inupiat Eskimo Birch Alaska Cutlery Ulu Knife Salmon School Fish $15.98 These larger handle ULUs with the open blade are very popular with the avid ULU user. The golden Alaska Birch is laser etched with Alaskan scenes to look great in any kitchen. Each knife comes with a convenient Birch storage stand and a history/instruction booklet…. |
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Eskimos of Hudson Bay & Alaska $13.19 The barren region ranging from Siberia across Alaska and Canada into Greenland presents a constant struggle for survival for the people of the Far North who call it home. Their music includes dance songs, hunting songs, game songs, animal calls, animal stories, and story songs. Most have no instrumental accompaniment. Laura Boulton (1899-1980), an American ethnomusicologist who recorded the music … |
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Eskimo Songs from Alaska $16.95 Recorded on St Lawrence Island by Miriam C. Stryker in 1966 this album features songs from the “Yupik” Eskimos that have long occupied the Island and who live in two separate villages Savoonga and Gambell. Eskimo legend tells of the Island’s formation: “The Sea Goddess, picking up a handful of ooze from the bottom of the sea, squeezed it between her fingers, forming mountains that are part of its … |
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Eskimo Songs from Alaska $8.99 … |
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Rand McNally Videotrip Guide To Alaska $14.95 Host Lorne Green (from TV’s Bonanza, Battlestar Galactica) handles the tour duties of this majestic and scenic wonderland, through the inside passage of the panhandle in the lower part of the state, then moves on to cover the area’s principal cities and their environs: Anchorage and Central Alaska, inland to Fairbanks and finally over to Nome. You’ll see lush unspoiled wilderness, Russian folkdanc… |
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America’s Wilderness: River, Glacier, Meadow $1.97 Eskimos call Alaska “The Great Land.” With its raw beauty and immense size, this is some of the most glorious wilderness on the planet…. |
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The Country Mouse and the City Mouse: Mice on Ice $1.43 Join this adorable mouse duo as they travel the world in search of exciting, fun-filled adventures. Watch Emily, the clever Country Mouse and her sophisticated City Mouse cousin, Alexander, as they travel the world visiting wondrous new lands, making new friends and experiencing fantastic adventures – all set in the late 1800′s………..MICE ON ICE………….In this chilling adventure, the Coun… |
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Blue Q Eskimo Zipper Pouch $3.75 (7×9) Eskimo Zipper Pouch by Blue Q… |
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