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STATE
NICK NAME
"The
Last Frontier" - The
name Alaska is derived from the Aleut word "Alyeska," meaning
"great
land."
| OFFICIAL
STATE HOLIDAYS |
| Seward's
Day |
Last
Monday in March |
Seward's
Day commemorates
the signing of
the treaty by
which the United
States bought
Alaska from Russia,
signed on March
30, 1867. |
| Alaska
Day |
October
18 |
Alaska
Day is the anniversary
of the formal
transfer of the
territory and
the raising of
the US. flag
at Sitka on October
18, 1867. |
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STATE
SEAL
 The
state seal was originally designed in 1910 while
Alaska was a territory and not a state. The rays
above the mountains represent the Northern Lights.
The smelter symbolizes mining. The train stands
for Alaska’s railroads, and ships denote
transportation by sea. The trees symbolize Alaska’s
wealth of forests, and the farmer, his horse,
and the three shocks of wheat represent Alaskan
agriculture. The fish and the seals signify the
importance of fishing and wildlife to Alaska’s
economy. |
FLAG
The
blue field is
for the sky and
the forget-me-not,
the state flower.
The North Star
is for the future
of the state
of Alaska, the
most northerly
of the Union.
The dipper is
for the Great
Bear, symbolizing
strength. Larger view of flag.
Click here for information on the Alaska State Song |
FLOWER
The
forget-me-not,
which
grows
well throughout Alaska, is the
state flower.
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|
 GEM
Alaska’s
state gem
is jade.
Alaska has
large deposits
of the gem,
including
an entire
mountain
of jade on
the Seward
Peninsula. |
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TREE
 The
tall,
stately
Sitka
spruce
is the
state
tree.
It is
found
in southeastern
and central
Alaska.
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FISH
The
giant king salmon,
which weighs
up to 100 pounds, is the state fish.
MINERAL
Gold
is the state mineral.
Gold has
played a major role in Alaska’s history.
FOSSIL
Wooly
Mammoth per the 14th
Legislature - 1986.
|
THE
PURCHASE
Secretary
of State
William
H. Seward
arranged
for the
United
States
to purchase
Alaska from Russia in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars, or 2 cents per acre." Check
this link out from the National Archives -- it shows the actual cancelled
check for the purchase!
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?
flash=true&doc=41
SPORT
Dog
mushing is the
state sport. It
was once a primary
form of transportation
in many areas of
Alaska.
BIRD
The
pheasant-like willow
ptarmigan is the
state bird. This
bird changes color
from light brown
in summer to snow
white in winter.
LAND
MAMMAL
The
moose was made the official Alaska land mammal
when Governor Tony Knowles signed SB 265 into law
on May 1, 1998. Moose can be found from the Unuk
River in Southeast to the Arctic Slope, but are
most abundant in second-growth birch forests, on
timberline plateaus and along major rivers of Southcentral
and Interior. They are not found on islands in
Prince William Sound or the Bering *Sea, on most
major islands in Southeast, on Kodiak, or the Aleutians
groups.
 |
INSECT
Photo
by: Bill Morgenstern,
more photos
can be found
at: http://dragonflywebsite.com
 The
four spot skimmer dragonfly, per legislation (HB
239) introduced by Senator Georgianna Lincoln on
behalf of elementary students in her district, and
passed by the 19th Legislature in 1995
(Ch 49 SLA 95). |
MARINE
MAMMAL
Bowhead
whale per the
13th Legislature - 1983 |
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