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Alaska (/?'læsk?/&_160;(help·info), Russian ?????? Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent. As of 2007, the population was 683,478 with approximately 50% residing along the Anchorage metropolitan areas.[3] The area that became Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire after Western Union discontinued construction of its first electric telegraph line which ran from California, up the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, continuing to Moscow and into the European Telegraph network. Despite $3&_160;million in U.S. investment for the Russian-American telegraph expedition, work ceased[4] upon the completion of the competing Transatlantic telegraph cable. The U.S. realized the potential of continuing the line to Moscow and sent Secretary of State William H. Seward to negotiate with the Russian Ambassador to fund the remaining phases of the telegraph line. Russia didn't see the potential in funding so Alaska was offered in exchange for the value of the Russian-American telegraph. The U.S. Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2&_160;million at 2 cents per acre, about 5 cents per hectare. When adjusted for inflation, the total sum paid equates to approximately $360&_160;million in 2008 dollars.The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912 and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" was already introduced in the Russian colonial time, when it was only used for the peninsula and is derived from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland", or more literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed."[5] It is also known as Alyeska, the "great land", an Aleut word derived from the same root. Alaska is one of two U.S. states not bordered by another state, Hawaii being the other. Alaska has more coastline than all the other U.S. states combined.[6] It is the only non-contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500&_160;miles (800&_160;km) of Canada separate Alaska from Washington State. Alaska is thus an exclave of the United States. It is technically part of the continental U.S., but is often not included in colloquial use; Alaska is not part of the contiguous U.S., often called "the Lower 48".[7] Juneau, Alaska's capital city, though located on the mainland of the North American continent, is inaccessible by land—no roads connect Juneau to the rest of the North American highway system.
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