Transcript The Arctic
Regions of Alaska The Arctic Northernmost Alaska Climate Permafrost “The Alaskan Arctic has an average January temperature of –13 °F (–25 °C). Its average July temperature is 44 °F (7 °C). Annual precipitation is low.” - World Book Encyclopedia Online Permafrost No Trees Tundra (carpeted with wild flowers and course grasses) Geography: Northernmost Communities • Prudhoe Bay • Point Hope • Barrow Prudhoe Bay These communities center around science and natural resources. Geography: Physical Features Brooks Range is approximately 700 miles long. Brooks Range and the Arctic Ocean are the most commonly known physical features of the Alaskan Arctic. Brooks Range as seen by one of the North’s largest populations--caribou. Population The two areas in the Alaskan Arctic with the highest populations contain 2-5 people per square mile. These communities are Barrow and Prudhoe Bay. Approximately 10500 people live in the Arctic of Alaska. Gender Demographics males Race females Iñupiat Caucasian Other Employment Employment Permanent full-time Temporary seasonal Part-time Unemployed Retired Industry and Economy The Arctic’s most popular traded goods are: • Oil • Gas • Coal • Reindeer • Various Metals Fun Facts! More Fun Facts! In Barrow, Alaska, the sun doesn’t set for about 80 days in the summer. During the winter, it stays below the horizon for about two months. Alaska’s famous pipeline starts in the Arctic at Prudhoe Bay A hot summer day in the Arctic would peak at 59⁰ F. The Interior Average highs and lows settle around 70⁰F and -20⁰F, however temperatures can be much more drastic than this—often peeking at 90⁰ F in the summer and dropping to -45⁰ F in the winter. The Interior sets the records for both the coldest winters (-79.8⁰ F) and hottest summers (100⁰F) recorded in the state of Alaska. Geography: Interior Communities Interesting Facts: •Fairbanks is the 2nd largest city in Alaska and the largest city in the Interior. •Much of the Interior is referred to as the Tanana Valley. •The cities of Interior Alaska were mostly founded on the Gold Rush. Tanana Fairbanks Nenana Geography: Physical Features Denali National Park is home to North America’s highest mountain: Mount McKinley The Yukon rates as the nation’s third longest river. Population and Demographics Race White Native American African American Asian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Gender Age Under 10 years 10-20 years male female 20-50 years 50-70 years 70+ years Industry and Economy Natural Resources: • Mining Gold • Oil and Gas • Forestry • Local Agriculture Gold mining has played a key role in Interior Alaska’s History. Industries of Fairbanks: Fairbanks local farmers at Rosie Creek Farm •Military •University and Government Jobs •Tourism •Service Industries •Construction Fun Facts! Interior Alaska is home to Denali National Park, which contains North America’s tallest mountain—Mount McKinley. Interior Alaska experiences drastic temperature changes, and can easily swing over eighty degrees Fahrenheit in less than a week. Interior Alaska has many tourist attractions, including riverboats, gold mines, ice carving, and festivals. South Central Daylight hours during the winter and summer do not vary as much along the Southern boarder of Alaska as they do further north. Still, the length of days vary from season to season. The climate of the South Central is mild, ranging from the low 60⁰s in the summer to low 20⁰s in the winter. Geography: South-central Communities Communities of South-central Alaska include: •Glennallen •Palmer •Anchorage •Valdez •Cordova •Kenai •Homer •Kodiak South-central Alaska is home to the state’s largest city: Anchorage. Geography: Physical Features The Alaska Range acts as a boarder between Interior and Southcentral Alaska. Lake Iliamna is the largest lake in Alaska. Kodiak Island is Alaska’s largest island. Population and Demographics White Gender Native American Male African American Asian Female Pacific Islander Two or More Races South-central Alaska has a population of approximately 473400 persons. Under 20 years 20-40 years 40-70 years 70+ years Industry and Economy • • • • • Anchorage Top Industries Government Transportation Oil Military Tourism Interesting Facts! Valdez is the northernmost ice-free port in the U.S. Fifty years ago South-central Alaska was hit with the U.S.’s biggest earthquake in history, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale. 131 people were killed. Kodiak Island’s grizzlies are among the world’s largest bears. West and South-west Climate Temperatures range from about 0⁰s in the winter to the low 60⁰s in the summer. Further up in the NorthWest portion of Alaska, such as Kotzebue and Nome, the temperatures are much colder. South-west Alaska’s climate is known for being rather wet and windy due to the collision of warm and cold ocean currents nearby. This often causes the south-west islands to be shrouded in fog. Geography– West and Southwest Communities There are no big cities located in West and South-west Alaska. •Kotzebue •Nome •Unalakleet •Bethel •Dutch Harbor •Attu Geography— The Aleutian chain is about 1,100 miles long and consists of fourteen large islands and more than fifty-five small ones. The Diomede Islands are located within the Bering Strait and act as a mark of separation between the boarders of Alaska and Russia. Population and Demographics Pie charts cover Gender only the South-west population. Male Female Age Under 20 20-40 40-70 70+ Race African American Asian Pacific Islander White Native American Two or More Races Industry and Economy South-west Industries: • Seafood • Oil • Gas • Tourism Western Industries (Primarily Nome): •Gold mining •Tourism Fun Facts! In Western Alaska there are very few roads, making transportation difficult. The most practical way to travel in this area would be to fly. South East Climate Southeast Alaska is known for having a wet and rainy climate. Temperature differences vary little, seldom dropping below 10⁰ in the winter or rising above 60⁰ in the summer. Geography—South-east Communities •Skagway •Haines •Yakutat •Juneau •Sitka •Petersburg •Wrangell •Ketchikan *Juneau is Alaska’s state capital. Geography: Physical Features Tongass National Forest is America’s northernmost rainforest. The Inside Passage is a maze of ocean pathways that weave around the various islands of South-eastern Alaska. Population and Demographics White Asian Under 15 African American Native American Pacific Islander 15-30 30-50 50-70 70+ Two or More Races Approximately 73500 people live in Southeast Alaska Male Female Industry and Economy • • • • • • Tourism Fishing Forestry Mining Maritime Transportation Government Fun Facts! Though often thought of as all over Alaska, the Southeast is the primary spot for Native American totem poles. Whales and sea otters are popular wildlife viewed by tourists in this area. Southeast Alaska is home to puffins! The End Thanks for Watching!