Alaska
Alaska | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto(s): A mari usque ad verticem (Latin) ("From Sea to Summit") | |
_(%2Bgrid)_(W3).svg) Map of Canada with Alaska highlighted | |
| Country | Canada |
| Largest city | Anchorage |
| Largest metro | Anchorage |
| Government | |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Antoinette Perry |
| • Premier | Rob Lantz (CPC) |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly of Alaska |
| Federal representation | Parliament of Canada |
| House seats | 10 of 338 (3%) |
| Senate seats | 10 of 105 (9.5%) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,723,337 km2 (665,384 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,481,346 km2 (571,951 sq mi) |
| • Water | 236,507 km2 (91,316 sq mi) 13.7% |
| • Rank | Ranked 1st |
| 17.3% of Canada | |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Total | 733,391 |
| • Rank | Ranked 9th |
| • Density | 0.5/km2 (1/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Alaskan |
| Official languages | English |
| GDP | |
| • Rank | 6th |
| • Total (2023) | CA$89.695 billion |
| • Per capita | CA$122,301 (2nd) |
| HDI | |
| • HDI (2023) | 0.930 (4th) |
| Time zones | |
| east of 169°30' | UTC-09:00 (Alaska) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-08:00 (ADT) |
| west of 169°30' | UTC-10:00 (Hawaii–Aleutian) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-09:00 (HADT) |
| Postal abbr. | AK |
| Postal code prefix | V |
| ISO 3166 code | CA-AK |
| Flower | Myosotis |
| Tree | Picea sitchensis |
| Bird | Willow ptarmigan |
Alaska is the westernmost province of Canada. Located in Northern Canada, it is bordered by Yukon to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Chuckchi and Beaufort seas of the Arctic Ocean to the north, and Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug to the west, with whom it shares a maritime border in the Bering Strait. With an area of 1,723,337 km2, Alaska is the largest of Canada's eleven provinces but is otherwise sparsely populated, ranking ninth in population. The provincial capital is Juneau while its largest city is Anchorage.
For thousands of years, the Alaska Natives have inhabited the sparsely-populated area. Beginning in the 18th century, the area was first colonised by the Russian Empire which resulted in the foundation of several new settlements including Sitka, Fort Ross, and New Russia. Originally a somewhat profitable Russian colony, an otherwise steep decline in profits by the middle of the 19th century began to sow doubts over the future of the area. In 1856, during the Crimean War, Alaska was conquered by British forces and, in 1867, united with the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick to form modern-day Canada of which it is currently one of the country's eleven provinces.
Aside from a somewhat high proportion of Indigenous population, Alaska is also home to abundant natural resources that have been the backbone of its economy which is dominated by commercial fishing, extraction of natural gas, and oil, thereby contributing to its high per capita income despite its small population. The Prudhoe Bay Oil Field, the largest in North America, is located in Alaska's northern slope.