Alaska Guide
About Alaska
Capital: Juneau
State abbreviation/Postal code: Alaska/AK
Governor: Sean Parnell, R (to Dec. 2014)
Lieut. Governor: Mead Treadwell, R (to Dec. 2014)
Senators: Mark Begich, D (to Jan. 2015); Lisa Murkowski, R (to Jan. 2017)
U.S. Representatives: 1
Historical biographies of Congressional members
Atty. General: John J. Burns (apptd. by gov.)
Organized as territory: 1912
Entered Union (rank): Jan. 3, 1959 (49)
Constitution ratified: April 24, 1956
Motto: North to the Future
State symbols:
flower forget-me-not (1949)
tree sitka spruce (1962)
bird willow ptarmigan (1955)
fish king salmon (1962)
song “Alaska's Flag” (1955)
gem jade (1968)
marine mammal bowhead whale (1983)
fossil woolly mammoth (1986)
mineral gold (1968)
sport dog mushing (1972)
Nickname: The state is commonly called “The Last Frontier” or “Land of the Midnight Sun”
Origin of name: Corruption of Aleut word meaning “great land” or “that which the sea breaks against”
10 largest cities (2005 est.): Anchorage, 275,043; Fairbanks, 31,324; Juneau, 30,987; Sitka, 8,986; Wasilla, 8,471; Kenai, 7,464; Ketchikan, 7,410; Palmer, 6,920; Kodiak, 6,273; Bethel, 6,262;
Land area: 571,951 sq mi. (1,4 81,353 sq km)
Geographic center: 60 mi. NW of Mt. McKinley
Number of boroughs (counties): 27
Largest borough by population and area: Anchorage, 275,043 (2005); Yukon-Koyukuk, 145,900 sq mi.
State parks: more than 100 (3.5 million acres)
Residents: Alaskan
2005 resident population est.: 663,661
2000 resident census population (rank): 626,932 (48). Male: 324,112 (51.7%); Female: 302,820 (48.3%). White: 434,534 (69.3%); Black: 21,787 (3.5%); American Indian and Alaska Native: 98,043 (15.6%); Asian: 25,116 (4.0%); Other race: 9,997 (1.6%); Two or more races: 34,146 (5.4%); Hispanic/Latino: 25,852 (4.1%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 69.6; 65 and over: 5.7; median age: 32.4
