Alaska, USA Flashcards
(64 cards)
Alaska
USA
The Living World
cold environments
Key facts:
• One of the most sparsely populated places on earth.
• Nearly half of its 750
000 residents live in the city of Anchorage
• Alaska’s indigenous people include the Inupiat tribes.
•
Varied landscapes from temperate rainforests to tundra.
18°C -35°C
Development opportunities:
• Mineral extraction: Mining is one of Alaska’s biggest industries. E.g. Gold.
• Oil and gas: Trans- Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). More than 90% of taxes raised by Alaskan
state come from this sector.
• Renewable energy: HEP provides 21% of the state’s energy.
• Fishing: 3000 rivers
3 million lakes and 11
US$6 billion to the state economy annually.
• Tourism: over 2 million tourist per year. Generates around US$2.5 billion a year.
Development challenges:
• Extreme climate: temperatures reaching -30°C. Icy cold winds and blizzards create harsh
conditions that inhibit farming. In the north of the state
they experience 60 days of
darkness.
• Inaccessibility: Many places are sparsely populated because of harsh environments and
remote location. Snow and ice make roads unusable for most of the year. Often rely on
planes and boats for access.