Alaska is rich with Native, Russian, gold rush and natural history.  The earliest human migration to Alaska is believed to have taken place from Siberia across a land bridge some 20,000 years ago.

    The Russians discovered Alaska in 1741.  Much of their influence remains in many Southwest and Southeast Alaskan communities today.

    The U.S. bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, for $7.2 million.  It was considered a waste of money at the time but it wasn’t long before gold was discovered and the rush was on.

    Alaska also has a place in World War II history.  In 1942, Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Chain was bombed and surrounding islands occupied by Japanese forces.

    Alaska became a state on January 3rd, 1959 and is the largest state in the union, with over 586,412 square miles,  or approximately 365 million acres.  It’s one-fifth the size of the entire lower 48 states and two-and-one-half the size of Texas.

    Alaska’s economy is driven by the oil, tourism and fishing industries.  Timber and mining industries also play their part.

    The oil and gas industry is by far the major player in the Alaskan economy.  Nearly 85 percent of the state budget is supplied by oil revenues and more than 20 percent of all jobs in the state are directly dependent on state government spending.  The fortunes of Alaska’s oil industry, and therefore many sectors of the economy, are dependent on the world oil prices.

    Tourism is a major player in Alaska’s economy.  Each year, the industry attracts over one million visitors, reporting an annual growth of 7 percent in recent years.