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Alaska
(ə las′kə)
- state of the U.S. in NW North America, separated from Asia by the Bering Strait: land bought from Russia in 1867: admitted, 1959; 571,951 sq mi (1,481,348 sq km); pop. 627,000; cap. Juneau: abbrev. AK or Alas
- inlet of the Pacific in the S coast of Alaska between the Alaska Peninsula and the Alexander Archipelago
Origin: prob. via Russ Aliaska < Aleut Alasxa, name of the Alaska Peninsula
See Alaska in American Heritage Dictionary 4
A state of the United States in extreme northwest North America including the Aleutian Islands and Alexander Archipelago. It is separated from the other mainland states by British Columbia, Canada. Alaska was admitted as the 49th state in 1959 and is the largest state of the Union. The territory was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7,200,000 and was known as Seward's Folly (after Secretary of State William H. Seward, who negotiated the purchase) until gold was discovered in the late 1800s. Juneau is the capital and Anchorage the largest city. Population: 683,000.
Related Forms:
- A·lasˈkan adjective & n.
, Gulf of
An inlet of the Pacific Ocean between the Alaska Peninsula and Alexander Archipelago.
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