Alaska State Overview

Alaska is the largest state in the United States and is located in the northwest corner of North America. It is bordered by Canada to the east, Russia to the west, and has a long coastline along the Pacific Ocean. Alaska is known for its breathtaking natural beauty, including majestic mountains, glaciers, fjords, and a variety of wildlife. It is also home to many unique cultures and vibrant cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks. The climate in Alaska ranges from cold tundra in the north to temperate rainforest in the south.

Only explored in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the region was initially controlled by the Russo-American Company, to which in 1799 Tsar Paul I granted the monopoly of the fur trade and the exercise of sovereign powers north of the 51st parallel. Meanwhile, the territory began to interest the British Hudson’s Bay Company and US merchants. Two successive agreements (with the United States in 1824 and England in 1825) extended the survival of the Russian enclave, but in 1867 it was sold to the United States for $ 7,200,000. In 1884 it became a district of the State of Oregon and in 1912 a territory, which in 1959 became the forty-ninth State of the Union.

The capital city of Alaska is Juneau. It is nestled between the Gastineau Channel and the Tongass National Forest and is the second largest city in Alaska. It has a population of 33,277 as of 2020 and is known for its spectacular views of mountains, glaciers, and wildlife. The city also offers a variety of outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, kayaking, and skiing. Juneau’s economy relies heavily on tourism and government services. The state legislature meets here in the Capitol Building, which was constructed in 1931.

• Cities in Alaska: Alphabetical list of all cities and towns in the state of Alaska. Provided by Countryaah.com.

List of Alaska FAFSA School Codes

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Federal School Code is an 6-digit code assigned by the U.S. Department of Education to each college or university. Students with financial aids can enter this code on an FAFSA form to apply for federal financial aids, including loans and work-study programs. This page lists Federal School Codes for all colleges and universities in Alaska. Also included are transfer rate, retention rate, and graduation rate for each school within the state of Alaska.

Note: What does AK stand for? It means Alaska in geography.

ALASKA BIBLE COLLEGE
BOX 289 COLLEGE ROAD
GLENNALLEN, AK
Federal School Code: 014325

ALASKA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
35109 ROYAL PLACE
SOLDOTNA, AK
Federal School Code: 041386

ALASKA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
4101 UNIVERSITY DRIVE
ANCHORAGE, AK
Federal School Code: 001061

Graduation Rate: 33%
Retention Rate: 79%

AVTEC
809 SECOND AVENUE
SEWARD, AK
Federal School Code: 031603

Graduation Rate: 84%
Retention Rate: 90%

CAREER ACADEMY
1415 E TUDOR RD
ANCHORAGE, AK
Federal School Code: 017066

Graduation Rate: 73%
Retention Rate: 64%
Transfer Rate: 12%

CHARTER COLLEGE
2221 E NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD
ANCHORAGE, AK
Federal School Code: 017377

Graduation Rate: 17%
Retention Rate: 77%

ILISAGVIK COLLEGE
PO BOX 749
BARROW, AK
Federal School Code: 034613

Graduation Rate: 17%
Retention Rate: 50%

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
PO BOX 141608
ANCHORAGE, AK
Federal School Code: 011462

Graduation Rate: 22%
Retention Rate: 70%
Transfer Rate: 14%

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
3RD FLOOR SIGNER’S HALL
FAIRBANKS, AK
Federal School Code: 001063

Graduation Rate: 23%
Retention Rate: 73%
Transfer Rate: 14%

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST
11120 GLACIER HIGHWAY
JUNEAU, AK
Federal School Code: 001065

Graduation Rate: 16%
Retention Rate: 55%
Transfer Rate: 13%

Inupiat Heritage Center

In the very north of Arctic Alaska is the town of Barrow, with a population of about 4,500, about 95% of whom are Inupiat Eskimos. According to the archeological excavations that have been found here, this tribe has lived here for many millennia, so the state still supports their culture and contributes considerable sums to the preservation of their heritage. In Barrow, a relatively modern Inupiat Heritage Center was created, where Eskimos meet, engage in old crafts, introduce their children to Eskimo traditions and revive the original language. Here you can get acquainted with their traditional old dances or with the production of ornaments and weapons. It is actually a kind of still-living museum, where you can also see historical photos and found excavations.

There is no overland road to the town, which is surrounded by smaller Eskimo settlements. So if you are interested in visiting it, you must use air transport. There is also a port for boats, but it is frozen most of the year. People who are here for the first time feel like they are at the end of the world. Barrow is located just 1,800 miles south of the North Pole and 530 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The nearest civilized city is 720 km away Fairbanks. Between him and Barrow are just mountains, tundra and ice. The climate here is Arctic and relatively harsh for Central Europeans. The icy wind is constantly blowing, everything is covered with snow. Summer occurs here in July, but the weather does not change significantly for the better.

The landscape is frozen for most of the year, and in summer the surface is constantly wet with numerous lakes, wetlands and water areas. The interesting thing about this area is that in summer the sun does not set here for 82 days and on the contrary it does not rise in winter for 64 days. At that time, it is possible to observe a breathtaking aurora borealis.

Local Eskimos are allowed by the government to hunt a certain number of whales a year. However, this is conditional on them not being able to use firearms and motorboats when hunting. If they want to catch a whale, they have to go to the water in rowboats and with harpoons in hand, just as they did many years ago. However, if the numbers of whales caught are somehow controlled, this could be debated.

Today, Barrow has a school for 400 children, a state-of-the-art gym, police station, hospital, Will Rogers / Wiley Post Memorial Airport, hotels and banks. There are 8 pubs for entertainment, one of which is even Mexican – it is considered to be the northernmost Mexican restaurant in the world. The local residential houses are built on stilts, they are mostly battered from planks and various boards, and pieces of sheet metal serve as a roof. What must be the temperature in Eskimo dwellings when it is -40 ° C outside?

Near Barrow is Fresh Water Lake, which serves residents as a source of drinking water. Behind the city there is also a large cemetery Imaiqsaun, where both current residents and people who were found during archaeological excavations, for example, are buried. In 1994, a prehistoric girl was discovered near the town, and in the 1980s, the so-called Frozen Family.