The most populous region of
Alaska, containing
Anchorage, the
Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the
Kenai Peninsula.
Rural, mostly unpopulated areas south of the
Alaska Range and west of the
Wrangell Mountains also fall within the definition of
Southcentral, as well as the
Prince William Sound area and the communities of
Cordova and Valdez.
Southeast
Main article:
Southeast Alaska
Also referred to as the
Panhandle or
Inside Passage, this is the region of Alaska closest to the rest of the
United States. As such, this was where most of the initial non-indigenous settlement occurred in the years following the
Alaska Purchase. The region is dominated by the
Alexander Archipelago as well as the
Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States. It contains the state capital,
Juneau, the former capital,
Sitka, and
Ketchikan, at one time Alaska's largest city.[10] The
Alaska Marine Highway provides a vital surface transportation link throughout the area, as only three communities (Haines, Hyder and
Skagway) enjoy direct connections to the contiguous
North American road system.
Interior
Main article:
Alaska Interior
Mount McKinley is both the highest peak in Alaska and in all of
North America.
The largest region of Alaska, much of the interior is uninhabited wilderness.
Fairbanks is the only large city in the region. Small towns and
Native villages are scattered throughout, mostly along the highway and river systems.
Denali National Park and Preserve is located here, home to Mount McKinley (also widely known by its local name of
Denali), the highest
point in North America.
Southwest
Main article:
Southwest Alaska
Grizzly bear fishing for salmon at
Brooks Falls.
Southwest Alaska is a sparsely inhabited region stretching some
500 miles (800 km) inland from the
Bering Sea. Most of the population lives along the coast.
Kodiak Island is also located in Southwest. The massive Yukon--Kuskokwim
Delta, one of the largest river deltas in the world, is here. Portions of the
Alaska Peninsula are considered part of Southwest, with the remaining portions included with the
Aleutian Islands (see below).
North Slope
Main article:
Alaska North Slope
The North Slope is mostly tundra peppered with small villages. The area is known for its massive reserves of crude oil, and contains both the
National Petroleum Reserve--Alaska and the
Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.[11]
Barrow, the northernmost city in the United States, is located here.
The Northwest Arctic area, anchored by
Kotzebue and also containing the
Kobuk River valley, is often regarded as being part of this region. However, the respective
Inupiat of the North Slope and of the
Northwest Arctic seldom think of themselves as one.
Aleutian Islands
Main article: Aleutian Islands
More than
300 small, volcanic islands make up this chain, which stretches over 1,
200 miles (1,900 km) into the
Pacific Ocean.
The International Date Line was drawn west of
180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire
North American continent, within the same legal day. However, because some of these islands fall in the
Eastern Hemisphere, this makes Alaska the northernmost, easternmost and westernmost state in the union, with the southernmost state being
Hawaii. Two of the islands,
Attu and Kiska, were occupied by
Japanese forces during
World War II.
Natural features
Augustine Volcano erupting on
January 12,
2006.
With its myriad islands, Alaska has nearly 34,
000 miles (54,
720 km) of tidal shoreline. The Aleutian Islands chain extends west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula. Many active volcanoes are found in the
Aleutians and in coastal regions.
Unimak Island, for example, is home to
Mount Shishaldin, which is an occasionally smoldering volcano that rises to 10,000 feet (3,048 m) above the
North Pacific. It is the most perfect volcanic cone on
Earth, even more symmetrical than
Japan's
Mount Fuji. The chain of volcanoes extends to
Mount Spurr, west of Anchorage on the mainland. Geologists have identified Alaska as part of
Wrangellia, a large region consisting of multiple states and
Canadian provinces in the
Pacific Northwest which is actively undergoing continent building.
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- published: 10 Feb 2013
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