 Flag of Alaska
Alaska is a state in the United
States of America, in the northwest of the North American
continent. It is the largest U.S. state by area, and the 6th
wealthiest (per capita income).
The area that became Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire
after Congress concluded its resources could be vitally important
to the nation's future growth. The United States completed the
purchase on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at 2 U.S. cents per
acre, about 5 U.S. cents per hectare. When adjusted for inflation,
the total sum paid equates to approximately $360 million in 2008
dollars. The land went through several administrative changes
before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912 and the
49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" was
already introduced in the Russian colonial time, when it was only
used for the peninsula and is derived from the Aleut alaxsxaq,
meaning "the mainland," or more literally, "the object towards
which the action of the sea is directed." It is also known as
Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same
root.
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