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Fast Facts
Alaska
state, United States
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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Capital:
- Juneau
- Population:
- (2020) 733,391; (2022 est.) 733,583
- Governor:
- Michael J. Dunleavy (Republican)
- Date Of Admission:
- January 3, 1959
- U.S. Senators:
- Lisa Murkowski (Republican) Daniel Sullivan (Republican)
Recent News
Jun. 3, 2023, 12:07 AM ET (AP)
Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industry
Jun. 2, 2023, 9:17 PM ET (AP)
Family's Alaska fishing trip becomes nightmare with 3 dead and search over for 2 more
May 24, 2023, 5:23 PM ET (AP)
'Mother Nature has no mercy': Man gets stuck waist-deep in Alaska mud flats, drowns as tide comes in
May 23, 2023, 5:27 PM ET (AP)
'Leap of faith:' Alaska pursues carbon offset market while embracing oil
May 18, 2023, 7:59 PM ET (AP)
Alaska court reconsiders 135-year sentence given to youngest girl ever convicted of murder in Alaska
Alaska, constituent state of the United States of America. It was admitted to the union as the 49th state on January 3, 1959. Alaska lies at the extreme northwest of the North American continent, and the Alaska Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the Western Hemisphere. Because the 180th meridian passes through the state’s Aleutian Islands, Alaska’s westernmost portion is in the Eastern Hemisphere. Thus, technically, Alaska is in both hemispheres. Alaska is bounded by the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north, Canada’s Yukon territory and British Columbia province to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and ...(100 of 8617 words)