Alaska Case Study

Question 1

Describe the location of Alaska (3)

Answer 1

1. Alaska is the most northern American state.
2. It lies to the northwest of Canada.
3. It covers a vast area (2 million km²)

Question 2

State the opportunities for development in Alaska. (4)

Answer 2

1. Minerals
2. Energy
3. Fishing
4. Tourism

Question 3

State the challenges for development in Alaska. (3)

Answer 3

1. Extreme temperatures
2. Inaccessibility
3. Buildings and infrastructure

Question 4

Describe how energy could be a development opportunity for Alaska. (6)

Answer 4

1. Alaska has vast reserves of oil and gas in the north of the state.
2. The industry employs 10,000 people.
3. The industry accounts for a third of the state’s income.
4. Oil is transported 1,300km from Prudhoe Bay in the north to the port of Valdez in the South by the Trans-Alaskan pipeline.
5. From Valdez it can be transported by tanker through ice free waters.
6. However, there are huge concerns over this continued extraction in the pristine wilderness in the north of the state.

Question 5

Describe how fishing could be a development opportunity for Alaska. (5)

Answer 5

1. The 3,000 rivers, 3 million lakes and 10686km of Alaskan coastline provide many fishing jobs within the Commercial Fishing Sector.
2. Commercial fishing is done purely for profit and since the 1870s has grown to employ 1in 10 Alaskans.
3. 78,500 jobs are provided here, though they are seasonal.
4. The fishing industry is worth US$6 billion annually.
5. Native American communities rely on fish for food, oil for fuel, clothing and making tools. This is Subsistence Fishing. Both industries are considered to be sustainable.

Question 6

Describe how tourism could be a development opportunity for Alaska.

Answer 6

1. Alaska’s mountains, national parks and untouched wilderness attracts 2 million tourists a year.
2. Cruises account for 60% of visitors.
3. Adventure tourism is on the increase.

Question 7

Describe how inaccessibility could be a development challenge in Alaska.

Answer 7

1. Alaska has a population density of less than one person per square kilometre.
2. This makes it unfeasible to provide roads.
3. This means that anyone wanting to travel must do so over unsurfaced, rutted roads across the Tundra.
4. This means that for many