Anchorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Fairbanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Juneau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Nickname: Land of the Midnight Sun
Motto: North to the future
Flower: Forget-me-not
Bird: Willow ptarmigan
Area: 663,267 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 1st)
Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 20,320 feet above sea level
Climate: Summers are short and hot, winters long and intensely cold
Admitted to Union: January 3, 1959
Capital: Juneau
Head Official: Governor Frank H. Murkowski (R) (until 2006)
Population
1980: 402,000
1990: 570,000
2000: 626,932
2004 estimate: 655,435
Percent change, 1990–2000: 14.0%
U.S. rank in 2004: 47th
Percent of residents born in state: 38.1% (2000)
Density: 1.1 people per square mile (2000)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 27,745
Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)
White: 434,534
Black or African American: 21,787
American Indian and Alaska Native: 98,043
Asian: 25,116
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 3,309
Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 25,852
Other: 9,997
Age Characteristics (2000)
Population under 5 years old: 47,591
Population 5 to 19 years old: 160,526
Percent of population 65 years and over: 5.7%
Median age: 32.4 years (2000)
Vital Statistics
Total number of births (2003): 10,071
Total number of deaths (2003): 3,158 (infant deaths, 67)
AIDS cases reported through 2003: 271
Economy
Major industries: Oil, government, commercial fishing, food processing, lumber, mining
Unemployment rate: 7.4% (January 2004)
Per capita income: $33,254 (2003; U.S. rank: 14th)
Median household income: $55,143 (3-year average, 2001-2003)
Percentage of persons below poverty level: 9.0% (3-year average, 2001-2003)
Income tax rate: None
Sales tax rate: None