Tag Archives: Alaska

According to Homethodology, Alaska is one of 50 states in the United States of America. It is located in the northwest corner of the continent and is bordered by the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Yukon. Alaska is the largest state in the US, covering an area of 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km2). Its capital city is Juneau and its largest city is Anchorage. Alaska’s population as of 2019 was 731,545 people. Alaska has a varied landscape that includes mountains, glaciers, tundra, boreal forests, and numerous rivers and lakes. It also has a long coastline along the Arctic Ocean to its north and the Pacific Ocean to its south. The state’s economy relies heavily on fishing and oil production as well as tourism. Alaska is known for its natural beauty with many national parks including Denali National Park & Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park and Wrangell-St Elias National Park & Preserve. Modern history of Alaska began in the late 19th century, when the United States purchased the territory from Russia for $7.2 million dollars. In 1912, Alaska officially became a U.S. territory and in 1959, it was granted statehood. During World War II, Alaska served as a strategic location for military operations due to its proximity to Japan and Russia and its valuable resources such as oil and minerals. After the war, the state’s economy diversified as oil production increased and new industries such as tourism developed. In 1968, an oil pipeline was constructed that connected Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope with Valdez on the south coast of Alaska; this pipeline has been crucial to the state’s economic prosperity since then. In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed into law The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which provided land rights to native Alaskans after centuries of displacement and exploitation by non-native settlers. The 1980s saw a period of economic growth in Alaska due to increased tourism from cruise ships and increased investment from oil companies in search of new reserves in northern regions of the state. This period also saw a rise in environmental activism that led to several important pieces of legislation protecting Alaskan wildlife habitats from exploitation by corporate interests. Since then, Alaska has experienced periods of both economic growth and recession due to fluctuations in oil prices; however, it remains an important source for energy production for both domestic consumption and export purposes today. It is also home to some of the most pristine wilderness areas in North America that attract visitors from around the world every year. Check topschoolsoflaw.com for more about Alaska history.