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The northeast corner of Alaska
is covered by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Much of the northwest
is covered by the larger National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska,
The climate of Alaska varies widely by region. The climate in southeast
Alaska is similar to that of Seattle, with a mid-latitude oceanic
climate in the southern sections and a subarctic oceanic climate
in the northern parts This is both the wettest part of Alaska as
well as the warmest it is the only part of the state in which the
average daytime high temperature is above freezing during the winter.
The climate in southcentral Alaska, is generally mild by Alaskan
standards. Especially notable are its populations of large mammals,
including polar bears, wolf, moose and caribou. There are a great
variety of fish, including Pacific salmon. However due to the low
temperatures in much of Alaska there are relatively few species
of reptiles and amphibians.
The Languages
of alaska According to the 2000 U.S residents age 5 and older speak
English at home. The next most common languages are Spanish, Yupik,
Tagalog and Inupiaq. Alaskans speak one of the state's 22 indigenous
languages, known locally as Native languages.
Alaska's Economy
is heavily dependent on increasingly expensive diesel fuel for heating,
transportation, electric power and light. Though wind and hydroelectric
power are abundant and underutilized, proposals for state-wide energy
systems.Alaska's Economy relies heavily on petroleum extraction,
with more than 80 percent of the state's revenues derived from this
industry.
List of cities
in Alaska by population and Alaska locations by per capita income
Alaska's most populous city is Anchorage, home to 260,283 people,
225,744 of whom live in the urbanized area. The richest location
in Alaska by per capita income is Halibut Cove ($89,895). Sitka,
Juneau, and Anchorage are the three largest cities in the U.S. by
area. Also notable is the rapid growth of towns in the Mat-Su Valley.
Wasilla and Palmer are projected to experience over 100% population
growth between 2000 and 2010. Alaska has many smaller towns, especially
in the Alaska Bush, the portion of the state that is inaccessible
by road. Some of Alaska's popular annual events are the World Ice
Art Championships in Fairbanks, the Alaska Hummingbird Festival
in Ketchikan, the Sitka Whale Fest, and the Stikine River Garnet
Fest in Wrangell. The Stikine River features the largest springtime
concentration of American Bald Eagles in the world. |
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