Vitus Bering first visited Alaska in 1741 when it was known as Russian America. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, though many Americans initially criticized it as a waste of money. Alaska became the 49th state in 1958 and is the largest state, over twice the size of Texas, with a cold, mountainous climate and abundant natural resources.

2. The History of Alaska
Alaska’s history began in 1741 when it was first visited by Vitus Bering, the Danish explorer in Russian employ.
At the beginning Alaska was known as ‘’Russian America”. Then later it was bought by the USA from Russia in 1867 for
$7,200,000. People in the US did not like the purchase, because they did not know how wealthy Alaska was in natural
resources. They called it ‘’Seward’s Folly”, but since then the cost of Alaska has been repaid many times, and William
Seward, past Secretary of State, who had arranged the transaction, is known as a great statesman.
• Alaska was taken into the Union as the forty-ninth state in July, 1958. The state is one-fifth as the rest of the
United States. It is twice as large as Texas.
• The name Alaska comes from the Aleut word ‘’Alayeksa” that means ‘’the great country”.
• In 1927 every state of America had a flag except Alaska, so all the Alaska schoolchildren were asked to take part
in a contest and to submit design for a flag. The contest was won by a thirteen-year-old Aleut boy, Benny Benson, who
wrote on its back: ‘’the blue is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, the Alaska flower. The Big Dipper is for the
great bear, a symbol of strength. The North Star is for the future State of Alaska, the greatest State in the Union.”
• Alaska is a cold, forested and largely mountainous state. Three-quarters of Alaska is in the North Temperate
Zone, with Temperatures like those of Scotland and Sweden. Near the town Fairbanks it may be as cold as 66* below
zero in winter, and as not as 100* in summer.
• Alaska is made up of much more than ice and polar bears, or even minerals, furs and fish. Since 1900 pioneers
of every trade and profession have been coming in. Alaska has built up rapidly. The building of the Alaska Highway
across Canada in 1942 has increased Alaska’s commercial importance as a gateway to the Orient.