A place called Alaska

Factsheet 4×1

Date: 25/09/2012

Local: Fairbanks, AK (introduction to Alaska)

Where to sleep: We camped in the parking lot of Safeway in North Pole, ao plate Fairbanks.

What we eat good: A truly delicious salmon fishery in Alaska!

Filled Tire : A visit or Museum of the North University of Alaska.

Tire murcho: Fairbanks was passing by quickly, Then had no

Was no give 24 September 2012 we reached a major goal of the Expedition 4×1: Alaska!

After crossing the border we go through the last few miles of that magical 24 September. Would be more 450 miles to our first stop in Alaska: the city North Pole. We had just finished dinner at Delta Junction and we were quite tired. The initial idea was to go to Fairbanks (would only 20km more) but decided to stop in the friendly city where is Santa's house! That's it, taking advantage of the name North Pole (or the North, in Portuguese), the city has a home of Santa Claus with Christmas themed stuff, é clear! One curiosity is that, thanks to all that, couriers city annually receive hundreds of thousands of letters from American children to send, all year, Your request to the jolly old elf! With all the campgrounds in the area closed because of winter, decided to set up our tents in the parking lot of Safeway! And he Tao true that just repeating the dose the next night. (Although the temperature was already below 5 degrees at night)

But what is really Alaska? What's so special about this place and why so many people think is crazy drive there? And because many adventurers and explorers dream of the day of the meeting with that territory? (Some may even be wondering Sergio Chapelin uttering these questions in any call Globo Reporter, nor? hehehehe)

Well, individual expectations and dreams aside, Alaska comprises one of the largest wildlife refuges in the world. Men, animals and plants, adapted to the rigorous Arctic winter coming, establish an incredibly deep relationship existence. The high mountains, I huge glaciers, the spectacle of the Aurora Borealis, Everything there becomes something special for those who have the privilege of knowing him; specially for us, inhabitants two tropics!

Name Alaska emerged since before colonization, and is derived from the Russian word 'alaxsxaq’, in that Aleutian (native language of the Inuit of Aleutian Islands - the South West of the state) principal means on the ground (the mainland); or in a more literal interpretation of the original word, the meaning would be: 'The object to which the action of the sea is directed " (in a translation-free 'the object towards which the action of the sea is directed’). But the most widely accepted origin, including the Government of the State of Alaska, is also the source Aleutian, Sendo from palavra 'Aleyska'This means' great land' (free translation of great land). Now known by its citizens as'Last Frontier’ (Last Frontier) is at once the most (em area) populated and less state North American!

But who are the Aleut? Are those who know how Eskimos! Dependent sea, the Aleut are Alaska natives who occupied and still occupy the Aleutian Islands and the southwest regions of the state. They were the first to have contact and being exploited by the first Europeans to arrive to Alaska: Russians! Yes, Russians were the first to assail the region in the late 17.

Theories suggest that some independent Russian expedition, or interested in research, came and dwelt among some Alaskan islands 1650 and early 1700. But it was in 1728 the Russians made the first official expedition to discover what in fact had its east Siberia. So, ‘Peter The Great’ enviou Vitus Bering (this same, the guy who gave the name of the famous narrow! to discover whether Asia and North America were one continent. And as we know today, Bering proved not! Some expeditions were made and later, besides some islands, discovered the mainland of what is now Alaska.

Reports of the abundance of marine animals like seals and otters, among other furry animals attracted many traders animal skin for the region and, from 1794, some Russian colonies were founded in the south and west coasts of Alaska. In this start-up, Russians treated the Aleut brutally! And did not stop there! In 1799, with the promise of profits to the Russian government, stability in the region and the expansion of Christianity among the natives was established Russian-American Company which held the monopoly of the fur trade in the region. (any similarity to the beginning of our colonization is coincidental )Then, cities and povoados foramen founded in southeast Alaska that was where he lived another people native to Alaska, based on a matriarchal society and even more populous than the Aleut: os Tlingit.

Unhappy with the Russian occupation, in 1802 the Tlingit destroyed the ancient city of Sitka, erected by the Russians to expand the business by. In 1804 a cidade de New Archangel (atual Sitka) is built on the site.

But, a dramatic decline in the number of otters and increasing competition from American traders overthrow the company's revenue. The financial losses and other political factors influenced the then sale of Alaska to the United States em 1867 by 7,2 milhões dollars (or equivalent 120 million dollars today, adjusted for inflation).

The transition from Russian to American control also allows a change in the role of Alaska Native. Some of those people are to cooperate with the Americans in hunting and other activities. But along with this new role, Americans also brought alcohol and racial intolerance that led to the gradual decline of these peoples and their cultures. Us 45 following years the state has yielded good fruits to the U.S. economic.

With the discovery of gold mines and other minerals in the state, numerous investments have been made, as the construction of railways. With that thousands of people came to the state and to the Yukon region (neighboring, Canada not) in pursuit of the dream of becoming rich with the discovery of gold! (Remember the story of Seattle as a springboard? No? is quiser, look here) So, Juneau (Alaskan capital to do) and much of Canada's Northwest cities were founded during this period. Many miners worked there until the beginning of the century. But the Great Depression (1929) and early World War II (causing the departure of many men for combat) eventually undermine and close most operations in the region and its gradual depopulation.

Alaska lives today, basically, exploitation of oil and natural gas (oil exploration is 80% the state's economy) and some of the export of fish (especially salmão, cod and crab). But the neglect of the US central government to the state and the physical distance of the main production centers of the US are some of the reasons why many Alaskans claim to desire emancipation of the state and the creation of a new country indepedente!

And it was there in Fairbanks - more precisely the Museum of the North - From inside University of Alaska we could learn more in depth about this "world" so far from our reality! It happens that, the morning after the night's North Pole (was our second day in Alaska) we went to Fairbanks to meet with the Karen (Rebekah friend gives Seattle) and Shelly - both born and raised in Alaska and who paid us a delicious lunch of salmon!!! They gave us many tips on roads, places and recommend a visit to this museum, that might give us a BELA introduced to what we were about to face that (before) Strange unknown.

With its magnificent structure in the form of external angles, curves and edges that draw attention, the design of the Museum of the North seeks to refer to the natural contours of Alaska: its slopes, mountains and glaciers! And beyond the state's history, The museum covers in detail the native Alaskans (their traditions and habits), typical animals and studies the changes in climate on a global scale and, mainly, the impact of these changes on the evolution of flora and fauna! Muito interesting!

We were ready! We left there in late afternoon and spent our last night, again, in the parking lot of Safeway (was prático, it was just wake up and go buy bread and cold cuts for breakfast!).

It was time to brave Alaska!!! And the next stop was just one of the harshest environments on Earth: or Ártico!!!!

EXTRA: Curiosities of Alaska!

Climate:

Alaska is known as one of the coldest regions of the planet. But it's cool to clarify some doubts:

Concerned about the perception of tourists, Alaska's government conducted a survey that found that more than a third of visitors to state claim that temperatures found were better than expected. (And if we were part of this research would say the same! But do not take the winter, nor!) During the 3 summer months, temperatures are milder and oscillate at around 20 ° C in the main cities (south of the Arctic Circle) and gradually approaching 0 ° C even in early fall.

Many wonder if there the sun shines all day in summer. Well, u curiosity is that Barrow, the town further north of Alaska (and consequently U.S.) comes to stay 85 consecutive days without the sun goes down!!! But, That does not happen in every state, é clear! No entanto, regions within the Arctic Circle receive at least a day with 24 hours of sunshine a year!

Já no winter, Can I get quietly temperatures to -50 ° C in the interior and north of the state, with the sun appearing in most regions, no minimum, in some hours of the day. Only in the far north the sun is not appear for a few days. At that time, Barrow can stay up 2 months without seeing the sun! One thing that caught our attention was the knowledge that the interior region (and not far north) is where are recorded the coldest temperatures of the state, in which 1971, temperature was recorded at -62.2 ° C.

Towns:

Despite having one of the largest wildlife refuges in the world, Alaska is not composed only of igloos :). The state has large cities like, for example, Anchorage, almost 300.000 people. A city of contrasts most cities of the state, having "air" of the great American cities of equal size, com Modern ônibus, large networks of fast-food and first world infrastructure. Following the order of the largest cities, Fairbanks has - the second highest - almost 98 thousand inhabitants in the metropolitan area, followed by Juneau (a capital) with 31 thousand and the towns of Sitka and Ketchikan both around 8 thousand inhabitants each uma. Since these 3 latest within Inside Passage (the Inside Passage - details below).

Altitude:

Alaska also has 17 two 20 highest peaks in the U.S. and its highest point, o Monte McKinley (or Denali is also known as) over 6.196 meters is also the highest point in all of North America.

Area:

It is the largest American state is twice larger than the second placed, Texas. The state is divided into 6 regions: Encosta North, Interior, South-west, Centro-Sul, Southeast - which is better known as Panhandle ("Cable pot" - due to its shape with the rest of the state) or Inside Passage (interior passage) - And the Aleut islands. As ilhas Aleútes, extending west from the southern state, come so close to Russia that the distance from Alaska to Russian territory is only 4.8 km!!! The Expedition was 15 days in Alaska and went through 4 these 6 regions! Follow the next posts to know about!!