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| AdmittanceDate = {{start date and age|1959|01|03|mf=y}} | | AdmittanceDate = {{start date and age|1959|01|03|mf=y}} | ||
| AdmittanceOrder = 49th | | AdmittanceOrder = 49th | ||
| Governor = [[Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Mike Dunleavy]] ( | | Governor = [[Mike Dunleavy (politician)|Mike Dunleavy]] (R) | ||
| Lieutenant Governor = [[Nancy Dahlstrom]] ( | | Lieutenant Governor = [[Nancy Dahlstrom]] (R) | ||
| Legislature = [[Alaska State Legislature]] | | Legislature = [[Alaska State Legislature]] | ||
| Judiciary = [[Alaska Supreme Court]] | | Judiciary = [[Alaska Supreme Court]] | ||
| Senators = {{plainlist| | | Senators = {{plainlist| | ||
* [[Lisa Murkowski]] ( | * [[Lisa Murkowski]] (R) | ||
* [[Dan Sullivan (U.S. senator)|Dan Sullivan]] ( | * [[Dan Sullivan (U.S. senator)|Dan Sullivan]] (R)}} | ||
| timezone1 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska]] | | timezone1 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska]] | ||
| utc_offset1 = −09:00 | | utc_offset1 = −09:00 | ||
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[[Alaska Natives|Indigenous people]] have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as [[Settlement of the Americas|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 [[European colonization of the Americas|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 people|Alaskan Creole]] population.<ref name="lydiablack">{{cite book |title=Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867|first=Lydia|last=Black|publisher=University of Alaska Press|year=2004|pages=217, 218}}</ref> The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted [[Alaska Purchase|its sale to the U.S.]] in 1867 for US$7.2 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|USD|7.2|1867}} million in {{Inflation/year|USD}}). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a [[territories of the United States|territory]] on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.<ref>{{cite AV media|year=1959|title=Video: 49th Star. Alaska Statehood, New Flag, Official, 1959/01/05 (1959)|url=https://archive.org/details/1959-01-05_49th_Star_Alaska_Statehood|publisher=[[Universal Newsreel]]|access-date=February 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515054607/http://archive.org/details/1959-01-05_49th_Star_Alaska_Statehood|archive-date=May 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> | [[Alaska Natives|Indigenous people]] have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as [[Settlement of the Americas|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 [[European colonization of the Americas|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 people|Alaskan Creole]] population.<ref name="lydiablack">{{cite book |title=Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867|first=Lydia|last=Black|publisher=University of Alaska Press|year=2004|pages=217, 218}}</ref> The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted [[Alaska Purchase|its sale to the U.S.]] in 1867 for US$7.2 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|USD|7.2|1867}} million in {{Inflation/year|USD}}). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a [[territories of the United States|territory]] on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.<ref>{{cite AV media|year=1959|title=Video: 49th Star. Alaska Statehood, New Flag, Official, 1959/01/05 (1959)|url=https://archive.org/details/1959-01-05_49th_Star_Alaska_Statehood|publisher=[[Universal Newsreel]]|access-date=February 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515054607/http://archive.org/details/1959-01-05_49th_Star_Alaska_Statehood|archive-date=May 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska— with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest [[list of U.S. states by GDP per capita|per capita incomes]], with [[Commercial fishing in Alaska|commercial fishing]], and the extraction of [[Natural gas in Alaska|natural gas]] and oil, dominating [[Economy of Alaska|Alaska's economy]]. U.S. Armed Forces bases and [[tourism in Alaska|tourism]] also contribute to the economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing [[United States National Forest|national forests]], [[List of national parks of the United States|national parks]], and [[national wildlife refuge|wildlife refuges]]. It is among the [[List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity|most irreligious states]], one of the first [[2014 Alaska Measure 2|to legalize recreational marijuana]], and is known for its [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian-leaning]] political culture, generally supporting the | Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska— with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest [[list of U.S. states by GDP per capita|per capita incomes]], with [[Commercial fishing in Alaska|commercial fishing]], and the extraction of [[Natural gas in Alaska|natural gas]] and oil, dominating [[Economy of Alaska|Alaska's economy]]. U.S. Armed Forces bases and [[tourism in Alaska|tourism]] also contribute to the economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing [[United States National Forest|national forests]], [[List of national parks of the United States|national parks]], and [[national wildlife refuge|wildlife refuges]]. It is among the [[List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity|most irreligious states]], one of the first [[2014 Alaska Measure 2|to legalize recreational marijuana]], and is known for its [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian-leaning]] political culture, generally supporting the Republican Party in national elections. The Indigenous population of Alaska is proportionally the second highest of any U.S. state, at over 15 percent, after only Hawaii.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Alaska |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AK |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229232038/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AK |archive-date=December 29, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2020 |website=census.gov}}</ref> | ||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
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[[File:US troops at the Battle of Attu.jpg|thumb|U.S. troops navigate snow and ice during the [[Battle of Attu]] in May 1943.]] | [[File:US troops at the Battle of Attu.jpg|thumb|U.S. troops navigate snow and ice during the [[Battle of Attu]] in May 1943.]] | ||
During [[World War II]], the [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]] focused on [[Attu Island|Attu]], [[Agattu]] and [[Kiska Island|Kiska]], all of which were occupied by the [[Empire of Japan]].{{efn|These three Aleutian outer islands are about {{convert|460|mi|km}} away from mainland USSR, {{convert|920|mi|km}} from mainland Alaska, {{convert|950|mi|km}} from Japan.}} During the Japanese occupation, an American civilian and two [[United States Navy]] personnel were killed at Attu and Kiska respectively, and nearly a total of 50 Aleut civilians and eight sailors were interned in Japan. About half of the Aleuts died during the period of internment.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cloe |first1=John Haile |title=Attu: the forgotten battle |date=2017 |publisher=United States National Park Service |isbn=978-0-9965837-3-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-t6J21RGruEC |access-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331025223/https://books.google.com/books?id=-t6J21RGruEC |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Unalaska]]/[[Dutch Harbor]] and [[Adak, Alaska|Adak]] became significant bases for the [[United States Army]], [[United States Army Air Forces]] and United States Navy. The United States [[Lend-Lease]] program involved flying American warplanes through Canada to [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]] and then [[Nome, Alaska|Nome]]; Soviet pilots took possession of these aircraft, ferrying them to fight the German invasion of the | During [[World War II]], the [[Aleutian Islands Campaign]] focused on [[Attu Island|Attu]], [[Agattu]] and [[Kiska Island|Kiska]], all of which were occupied by the [[Empire of Japan]].{{efn|These three Aleutian outer islands are about {{convert|460|mi|km}} away from mainland USSR, {{convert|920|mi|km}} from mainland Alaska, {{convert|950|mi|km}} from Japan.}} During the Japanese occupation, an American civilian and two [[United States Navy]] personnel were killed at Attu and Kiska respectively, and nearly a total of 50 Aleut civilians and eight sailors were interned in Japan. About half of the Aleuts died during the period of internment.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cloe |first1=John Haile |title=Attu: the forgotten battle |date=2017 |publisher=United States National Park Service |isbn=978-0-9965837-3-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-t6J21RGruEC |access-date=November 5, 2019 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331025223/https://books.google.com/books?id=-t6J21RGruEC |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Unalaska]]/[[Dutch Harbor]] and [[Adak, Alaska|Adak]] became significant bases for the [[United States Army]], [[United States Army Air Forces]] and United States Navy. The United States [[Lend-Lease]] program involved flying American warplanes through Canada to [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]] and then [[Nome, Alaska|Nome]]; Soviet pilots took possession of these aircraft, ferrying them to fight the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities. | ||
===Statehood=== | ===Statehood=== | ||
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Alaska had never experienced a major disaster in a highly populated area before and had very limited resources for dealing with the effects of such an event. In Anchorage, at the urging of geologist [[Lidia Selkregg]], the City of Anchorage and the Alaska State Housing Authority appointed a team of 40 scientists, including geologists, soil scientists, and engineers, to assess the damage done by the earthquake to the city.<ref name=":0a">Friedel, Megan K. (2010). Guide to the Anchorage Engineering Geology Evaluation Group papers, 1964. UAA/APU Consortium Library Archives and Special Collections. HMC-0051. https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0051/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328165246/https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0051/ |date=March 28, 2019 }}</ref> The team, called the Engineering and Geological Evaluation Group, was headed by [[Ruth A. M. Schmidt]], a geology professor at the [[University of Alaska Anchorage]]. The team of scientists came into conflict with local developers and downtown business owners who wanted to immediately rebuild; the scientists wanted to identify future dangers to ensure that the rebuilt infrastructure would be safe.<ref>"Ruth Anne Marie Schmidt Ph.D." [[Alaska Women's Hall of Fame]]. 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.</ref> The team produced a report on May 8, 1964, just a little more than a month after the earthquake.<ref name=":0a" /><ref>Saucier, Heather (April 2014). "PROWESS Honors Historic Earthquake Survivor". [[American Association of Petroleum Geologists]]. Retrieved July 31, 2018.</ref> | Alaska had never experienced a major disaster in a highly populated area before and had very limited resources for dealing with the effects of such an event. In Anchorage, at the urging of geologist [[Lidia Selkregg]], the City of Anchorage and the Alaska State Housing Authority appointed a team of 40 scientists, including geologists, soil scientists, and engineers, to assess the damage done by the earthquake to the city.<ref name=":0a">Friedel, Megan K. (2010). Guide to the Anchorage Engineering Geology Evaluation Group papers, 1964. UAA/APU Consortium Library Archives and Special Collections. HMC-0051. https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0051/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328165246/https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0051/ |date=March 28, 2019 }}</ref> The team, called the Engineering and Geological Evaluation Group, was headed by [[Ruth A. M. Schmidt]], a geology professor at the [[University of Alaska Anchorage]]. The team of scientists came into conflict with local developers and downtown business owners who wanted to immediately rebuild; the scientists wanted to identify future dangers to ensure that the rebuilt infrastructure would be safe.<ref>"Ruth Anne Marie Schmidt Ph.D." [[Alaska Women's Hall of Fame]]. 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.</ref> The team produced a report on May 8, 1964, just a little more than a month after the earthquake.<ref name=":0a" /><ref>Saucier, Heather (April 2014). "PROWESS Honors Historic Earthquake Survivor". [[American Association of Petroleum Geologists]]. Retrieved July 31, 2018.</ref> | ||
The United States military, which has a large active presence in Alaska, also stepped in to assist within moments of the end of the quake. The U.S. Army rapidly re-established communications with the lower 48 states, deployed troops to assist the citizens of Anchorage, and dispatched a convoy to Valdez.<ref name="Hand">Cloe, John Haile [http://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/helping-hand-military-response-to-good-friday-earthquake/ "Helping Hand" Military response to Good Friday earthquake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027054632/http://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/helping-hand-military-response-to-good-friday-earthquake/ |date=2016-10-27 }} Alaska Historical Society, 3/4/2014</ref> On the advice of military and civilian leaders, President | The United States military, which has a large active presence in Alaska, also stepped in to assist within moments of the end of the quake. The U.S. Army rapidly re-established communications with the lower 48 states, deployed troops to assist the citizens of Anchorage, and dispatched a convoy to Valdez.<ref name="Hand">Cloe, John Haile [http://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/helping-hand-military-response-to-good-friday-earthquake/ "Helping Hand" Military response to Good Friday earthquake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027054632/http://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/helping-hand-military-response-to-good-friday-earthquake/ |date=2016-10-27 }} Alaska Historical Society, 3/4/2014</ref> On the advice of military and civilian leaders, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared all of Alaska a major disaster area the day after the quake. The U.S. Navy and [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] deployed ships to isolated coastal communities to assist with immediate needs. Bad weather and poor visibility hampered air rescue and observation efforts the day after the quake, but on Sunday the 29th the situation improved and rescue helicopters and observation aircraft were deployed.<ref name="Hand" /> A military airlift immediately began shipping relief supplies to Alaska, eventually delivering {{convert|2,570,000|lbs}} of food and other supplies.<ref name="Galvin" /> Broadcast journalist, [[Genie Chance]], assisted in recovery and relief efforts, staying on the [[KENI]] air waves over Anchorage for more than 24 continuous hours as the voice of calm from her temporary post within the Anchorage Public Safety Building.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=When a Quake Shook Alaska, a Radio Reporter Led the Public Through the Devastating Crisis|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-quake-shook-alaska-radio-reporter-led-public-through-devastating-crisis-180974450/|access-date=2020-12-02|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en|archive-date=March 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321054507/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-quake-shook-alaska-radio-reporter-led-public-through-devastating-crisis-180974450/|url-status=live}}</ref> She was effectively designated as the public safety officer by the city's police chief.<ref name=":2" /> Chance provided breaking news of the catastrophic events that continued to develop following the magnitude 9.2 earthquake, and she served as the voice of the public safety office, coordinating response efforts, connecting available resources to needs around the community, disseminating information about shelters and prepared food rations, passing messages of well-being between loved ones, and helping to reunite families.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barbaro |first=Michael |date=May 22, 2020 |title=Genie Chance and the Great Alaska Earthquake |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/podcasts/the-daily/this-is-chance-alaska-earthquake.html?showTranscript=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185032/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/podcasts/the-daily/this-is-chance-alaska-earthquake.html?showTranscript=1 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> | ||
In the longer term, the [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] led the effort to rebuild roads, clear debris, and establish new townsites for communities that had been completely destroyed, at a cost of $110 million.<ref name=Galvin>Galvin, John [http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a1967/4219868/ Great Alaskan Earthquake and Tsunami: Alaska, March 1964] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027062138/http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a1967/4219868/ |date=2016-10-27 }} ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'', 6/29/2007</ref> The [[West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center]] was formed as a direct response to the disaster. Federal disaster relief funds paid for reconstruction as well as financially supporting the devastated infrastructure of Alaska's government, spending hundreds of millions of dollars that helped keep Alaska financially solvent until the discovery of massive oil deposits at [[Prudhoe Bay]]. At the order of the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Defense Department]], the [[Alaska National Guard]] founded the Alaska Division of Emergency Services to respond to any future disasters.<ref name=Hand/> | In the longer term, the [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] led the effort to rebuild roads, clear debris, and establish new townsites for communities that had been completely destroyed, at a cost of $110 million.<ref name=Galvin>Galvin, John [http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a1967/4219868/ Great Alaskan Earthquake and Tsunami: Alaska, March 1964] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027062138/http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a1967/4219868/ |date=2016-10-27 }} ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'', 6/29/2007</ref> The [[West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center]] was formed as a direct response to the disaster. Federal disaster relief funds paid for reconstruction as well as financially supporting the devastated infrastructure of Alaska's government, spending hundreds of millions of dollars that helped keep Alaska financially solvent until the discovery of massive oil deposits at [[Prudhoe Bay]]. At the order of the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Defense Department]], the [[Alaska National Guard]] founded the Alaska Division of Emergency Services to respond to any future disasters.<ref name=Hand/> | ||
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Alaska has had a problem with a "[[brain drain]]". Many of its young people, including most of the highest academic achievers, leave the state after high school graduation and do not return. {{as of|2013}}, Alaska did not have a [[Legal education in Alaska|law school]] or medical school.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 5, 2013 |title=House Bill 43 'University Institutes of Law And Medicine' |work=States News Service |url=http://akdemocrats.org/?bill=hb43 |access-date=December 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230080140/http://akdemocrats.org/?bill=hb43 |archive-date=December 30, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[University of Alaska]] has attempted to combat this by offering partial four-year scholarships to the top 10% of Alaska high school graduates, via the Alaska Scholars Program.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alaska.edu/scholars/faq.xml#scholars_award |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309023826/http://www.alaska.edu/scholars/faq.xml#scholars_award |archive-date=March 9, 2008 |title=UA Scholars Program—Frequently Asked Questions |access-date=December 28, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | Alaska has had a problem with a "[[brain drain]]". Many of its young people, including most of the highest academic achievers, leave the state after high school graduation and do not return. {{as of|2013}}, Alaska did not have a [[Legal education in Alaska|law school]] or medical school.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 5, 2013 |title=House Bill 43 'University Institutes of Law And Medicine' |work=States News Service |url=http://akdemocrats.org/?bill=hb43 |access-date=December 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230080140/http://akdemocrats.org/?bill=hb43 |archive-date=December 30, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[University of Alaska]] has attempted to combat this by offering partial four-year scholarships to the top 10% of Alaska high school graduates, via the Alaska Scholars Program.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alaska.edu/scholars/faq.xml#scholars_award |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309023826/http://www.alaska.edu/scholars/faq.xml#scholars_award |archive-date=March 9, 2008 |title=UA Scholars Program—Frequently Asked Questions |access-date=December 28, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
Beginning in 1998, schools in rural Alaska must have at least 10 students to retain funding from the state, and campuses not meeting the number close. This was due to the loss in oil revenues that previously propped up smaller rural schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/us/26alaska.html|title=Alaska's Rural Schools Fight Off Extinction|newspaper= | Beginning in 1998, schools in rural Alaska must have at least 10 students to retain funding from the state, and campuses not meeting the number close. This was due to the loss in oil revenues that previously propped up smaller rural schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/us/26alaska.html|title=Alaska's Rural Schools Fight Off Extinction|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2009-11-25|access-date=2021-07-15|archive-date=November 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126032742/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/us/26alaska.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, there was a proposal to raise that minimum to 25,<ref>{{cite web|last=Colton|first=Hannah|url=https://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/10/26/proposed-increase-to-minimum-enrollment-threatens-funding-for-dozens-of-small-schools/|title=Proposed increase to minimum enrollment threatens funding for dozens of small schools|agency=[[KLDG]]|publisher=[[Alaska Public Radio]]|date=2015-10-26|access-date=2021-07-15|archive-date=October 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028124742/https://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/10/26/proposed-increase-to-minimum-enrollment-threatens-funding-for-dozens-of-small-schools/|url-status=live}}</ref> but legislators in the state largely did not agree.<ref>{{cite web|last=Colton|first=Hannah|url=https://www.kdlg.org/post/bill-cut-funding-small-schools-finds-little-support-among-alaska-lawmakers|title=Bill to cut funding to small schools finds little support among Alaska lawmakers|publisher=[[KDLG]]|date=2015-11-11|access-date=2021-07-15|archive-date=November 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116180921/https://www.kdlg.org/post/bill-cut-funding-small-schools-finds-little-support-among-alaska-lawmakers|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
[[File:Don Young, official 115th Congress photo portrait (headshot).jpg|thumb|Republican [[Don Young]] held Alaska's sole U.S. House seat for 49 years, from 1973 to 2022.]] | [[File:Don Young, official 115th Congress photo portrait (headshot).jpg|thumb|Republican [[Don Young]] held Alaska's sole U.S. House seat for 49 years, from 1973 to 2022.]] | ||
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{{See also|List of Alaska Routes}} | {{See also|List of Alaska Routes}} | ||
Alaska has few road connections compared to the rest of the U.S. The state's road system, covering a relatively small area of the state, linking the central population centers and the [[Alaska Highway]], the principal route out of the state through Canada. The state capital, Juneau, is not accessible by road, with access only being through ferry or flight;<ref>{{cite web|last=Yardley|first=William|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/06road.html|url-access=subscription|title=In Juneau, Firm Resistance to a Road Out of Isolation|work= | Alaska has few road connections compared to the rest of the U.S. The state's road system, covering a relatively small area of the state, linking the central population centers and the [[Alaska Highway]], the principal route out of the state through Canada. The state capital, Juneau, is not accessible by road, with access only being through ferry or flight;<ref>{{cite web|last=Yardley|first=William|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/06road.html|url-access=subscription|title=In Juneau, Firm Resistance to a Road Out of Isolation|work=The New York Times|date=June 6, 2008|accessdate=May 7, 2023|archive-date=March 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328012425/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/06road.html|url-status=live}}</ref> this has spurred debate over decades about moving the capital to a city on the road system, or building a road connection from [[Haines, Alaska|Haines]]. The western part of Alaska has no road system connecting the communities with the rest of Alaska. | ||
The [[Interstate Highways in Alaska]] consists of a total of {{Convert | 1082 | mi}}. One unique feature of the Alaska Highway system is the [[Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel]], an active [[Alaska Railroad]] tunnel recently upgraded to provide a paved roadway link with the isolated community of [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]] on [[Prince William Sound]] to the [[Seward Highway]] about {{convert|50|mi|km}} southeast of Anchorage at [[Portage, Alaska|Portage]]. At {{convert|2.5|mi|km|1}}, the tunnel was the longest road tunnel in North America until 2007.<ref>completion of the {{convert|3.5|mi|km|adj=on|1}} [[Interstate 93]] tunnel as part of the "[[Big Dig]]" project in Boston, Massachusetts.</ref> The tunnel is the longest combination [[List of road-rail tunnels|road and rail tunnel]] in North America. | The [[Interstate Highways in Alaska]] consists of a total of {{Convert | 1082 | mi}}. One unique feature of the Alaska Highway system is the [[Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel]], an active [[Alaska Railroad]] tunnel recently upgraded to provide a paved roadway link with the isolated community of [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]] on [[Prince William Sound]] to the [[Seward Highway]] about {{convert|50|mi|km}} southeast of Anchorage at [[Portage, Alaska|Portage]]. At {{convert|2.5|mi|km|1}}, the tunnel was the longest road tunnel in North America until 2007.<ref>completion of the {{convert|3.5|mi|km|adj=on|1}} [[Interstate 93]] tunnel as part of the "[[Big Dig]]" project in Boston, Massachusetts.</ref> The tunnel is the longest combination [[List of road-rail tunnels|road and rail tunnel]] in North America. | ||
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These two railroads are connected neither to each other nor any other railroad. The nearest link to the North American railway network is the northwest terminus of the [[Canadian National Railway]] at [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], several hundred miles to the southeast. In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized $6 million to study the feasibility of a rail link between Alaska, Canada, and the [[lower 48]].<ref name="RailLink1">{{cite web|url=http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2010/12/13/transporting-oil-across-b-c.aspx |title=Alaska Oil / BC Tar sands via rail |first=Barbara |last=Yaffe |date=January 2, 2011 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219014658/http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2010/12/13/transporting-oil-across-b-c.aspx |archive-date=December 19, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="RailLink2">{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2138860820070622 | title=Economic study touts Alaska-Canada rail link | first=Allan |last=Dowd | date=June 27, 2007 | access-date=January 2, 2011 | work=Reuters | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713120019/https://www.reuters.com/article/environment-alaska-railway-dc/economic-study-touts-alaska-canada-rail-link-idUSN2138860820070621 | archive-date=July 13, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RailLink3">{{cite web|url=http://alaskacanadarail.com/index.html |title=Alaska Canada Rail Link |website=AlaskaCanadaRail.org |date=January 2, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425025223/http://alaskacanadarail.com/index.html |archive-date=April 25, 2011 }}</ref> As of 2021, the [[Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation]] had been placed into receivership. | These two railroads are connected neither to each other nor any other railroad. The nearest link to the North American railway network is the northwest terminus of the [[Canadian National Railway]] at [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], several hundred miles to the southeast. In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized $6 million to study the feasibility of a rail link between Alaska, Canada, and the [[lower 48]].<ref name="RailLink1">{{cite web|url=http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2010/12/13/transporting-oil-across-b-c.aspx |title=Alaska Oil / BC Tar sands via rail |first=Barbara |last=Yaffe |date=January 2, 2011 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219014658/http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2010/12/13/transporting-oil-across-b-c.aspx |archive-date=December 19, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="RailLink2">{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2138860820070622 | title=Economic study touts Alaska-Canada rail link | first=Allan |last=Dowd | date=June 27, 2007 | access-date=January 2, 2011 | work=Reuters | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713120019/https://www.reuters.com/article/environment-alaska-railway-dc/economic-study-touts-alaska-canada-rail-link-idUSN2138860820070621 | archive-date=July 13, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RailLink3">{{cite web|url=http://alaskacanadarail.com/index.html |title=Alaska Canada Rail Link |website=AlaskaCanadaRail.org |date=January 2, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425025223/http://alaskacanadarail.com/index.html |archive-date=April 25, 2011 }}</ref> As of 2021, the [[Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation]] had been placed into receivership. | ||
Some private companies provides [[car float]] service between [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]] and | Some private companies provides [[car float]] service between [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]] and Seattle. | ||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px"> | <gallery mode="packed" heights="150px"> | ||
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Although in its early years of statehood Alaska was a | Although in its early years of statehood Alaska was a Democratic state, since the early 1970s it has been characterized as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]-leaning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://election.nationaljournal.com/states/ak.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115144037/http://election.nationaljournal.com/states/ak.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 15, 2006 |title=National Journal Alaska State Profile |publisher=Election.nationaljournal.com |access-date=June 2, 2010 }}</ref> Local political communities have often worked on issues related to land use development, fishing, tourism, and individual rights. [[Alaska Natives]], while organized in and around their communities, have been active within the [[Alaska Native Regional Corporations|Native corporations]]. These have been given ownership over large tracts of land, which require stewardship. | ||
Alaska was formerly the only state in which possession of one ounce or less of marijuana in one's home was completely legal under state law, though the federal law remains in force.<ref name=seattle_times>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003118645_webpot10.html |title=Judge rules against Alaska marijuana law |access-date=May 22, 2008 |last=Volz |first=Matt |date=July 11, 2006 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617044034/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003118645_webpot10.html |archive-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | Alaska was formerly the only state in which possession of one ounce or less of marijuana in one's home was completely legal under state law, though the federal law remains in force.<ref name=seattle_times>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003118645_webpot10.html |title=Judge rules against Alaska marijuana law |access-date=May 22, 2008 |last=Volz |first=Matt |date=July 11, 2006 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617044034/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003118645_webpot10.html |archive-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
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The state has an independence movement favoring a vote on secession from the United States, with the [[Alaskan Independence Party]].<ref name="AIPqa">{{cite web|url=http://www.akip.org/faqs.html|title=Questions And Answers—About Alaskan Independence|year=2006|publisher=Alaskan Independence Party|access-date=January 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104011721/http://www.akip.org/faqs.html|archive-date=January 4, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> | The state has an independence movement favoring a vote on secession from the United States, with the [[Alaskan Independence Party]].<ref name="AIPqa">{{cite web|url=http://www.akip.org/faqs.html|title=Questions And Answers—About Alaskan Independence|year=2006|publisher=Alaskan Independence Party|access-date=January 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104011721/http://www.akip.org/faqs.html|archive-date=January 4, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
Six [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and four | Six [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and four Democrats have served as governor of Alaska. In addition, Republican governor [[Wally Hickel]] was elected to the office for a second term in 1990 after leaving the Republican party and briefly joining the Alaskan Independence Party ticket just long enough to be reelected. He officially rejoined the Republican party in 1994. | ||
Alaska's [[2014 Alaska Measure 2|voter initiative making marijuana legal]] took effect on February 24, 2015, placing Alaska alongside Colorado and Washington, as well as Washington D.C., as the first three U.S. states where recreational marijuana is legal. The new law means people over 21 can consume small amounts of cannabis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388673136/marijuana-is-now-legal-in-alaska-the-third-u-s-state-to-ok-pot |title=Marijuana Is Now Legal in Alaska, The 3rd U.S. State With Legal Pot |access-date=February 25, 2015 |last=Chappel |first=Bill |date=February 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224213811/http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388673136/marijuana-is-now-legal-in-alaska-the-third-u-s-state-to-ok-pot |archive-date=February 24, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The first legal marijuana store opened in Valdez in October 2016.<ref>Andrews, Laurel,[https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2016/10/29/anticipation-builds-as-alaskas-first-marijuana-store-set-to-open-to-the-public/ Marijuana milestone: Alaska's first pot shop opens to the public in Valdez] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116020638/https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2016/10/29/anticipation-builds-as-alaskas-first-marijuana-store-set-to-open-to-the-public/ |date=November 16, 2016 }} ''[[Alaska Dispatch News]], October 29, 2016''</ref> | Alaska's [[2014 Alaska Measure 2|voter initiative making marijuana legal]] took effect on February 24, 2015, placing Alaska alongside Colorado and Washington, as well as Washington D.C., as the first three U.S. states where recreational marijuana is legal. The new law means people over 21 can consume small amounts of cannabis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388673136/marijuana-is-now-legal-in-alaska-the-third-u-s-state-to-ok-pot |title=Marijuana Is Now Legal in Alaska, The 3rd U.S. State With Legal Pot |access-date=February 25, 2015 |last=Chappel |first=Bill |date=February 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224213811/http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388673136/marijuana-is-now-legal-in-alaska-the-third-u-s-state-to-ok-pot |archive-date=February 24, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The first legal marijuana store opened in Valdez in October 2016.<ref>Andrews, Laurel,[https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2016/10/29/anticipation-builds-as-alaskas-first-marijuana-store-set-to-open-to-the-public/ Marijuana milestone: Alaska's first pot shop opens to the public in Valdez] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116020638/https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2016/10/29/anticipation-builds-as-alaskas-first-marijuana-store-set-to-open-to-the-public/ |date=November 16, 2016 }} ''[[Alaska Dispatch News]], October 29, 2016''</ref> | ||
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|- | |- | ||
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (US)}} | | {{party color cell|Democratic Party (US)}} | ||
| | | Democratic | ||
| align=center | 73,598 | | align=center | 73,598 | ||
| align=center | 12.38% | | align=center | 12.38% | ||
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{{See also|Arctic Policy of the United States}} | {{See also|Arctic Policy of the United States}} | ||
[[File:Presidential Vote in Alaska, 1960-2020.svg|thumb|A line graph showing the presidential vote by party from 1960 to 2020 in Alaska]] | [[File:Presidential Vote in Alaska, 1960-2020.svg|thumb|A line graph showing the presidential vote by party from 1960 to 2020 in Alaska]] | ||
Alaska regularly supports [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] in presidential elections and has done so since statehood. Republicans have won the state's [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral college]] votes in all but one election that it has participated in ([[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]). No state has voted for a | Alaska regularly supports [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] in presidential elections and has done so since statehood. Republicans have won the state's [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral college]] votes in all but one election that it has participated in ([[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]). No state has voted for a Democratic presidential candidate fewer times. Alaska was carried by Democratic nominee Lyndon B. Johnson during his landslide election in [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]], while the [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]] and [[1968 United States presidential election|1968]] elections were close. Since [[1972 United States presidential election|1972]], Republicans have carried the state by large margins. In [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]], Republican [[John McCain]] defeated Democrat [[Barack Obama]] in Alaska, 59.49% to 37.83%. McCain's running mate was [[Sarah Palin]], the state's governor and the first Alaskan on a major party ticket. Obama lost Alaska again in [[2012 United States presidential election|2012]], but he captured 40% of the state's vote in that election, making him the first Democrat to do so since 1968. In [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]], [[Joe Biden]] received 42.77% of the vote for president, marking the high point for a Democratic presidential candidate since Johnson's 1964 victory. | ||
The [[The Bush (Alaska)|Alaska Bush]], central Juneau, midtown and downtown Anchorage, and the areas surrounding the [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]] campus and Ester have been strongholds of the Democratic Party. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the majority of Fairbanks (including North Pole and the military base), and South Anchorage typically have the strongest Republican showing. | The [[The Bush (Alaska)|Alaska Bush]], central Juneau, midtown and downtown Anchorage, and the areas surrounding the [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]] campus and Ester have been strongholds of the Democratic Party. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the majority of Fairbanks (including North Pole and the military base), and South Anchorage typically have the strongest Republican showing. | ||