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| Kuoni Travel — America & Canada 2008/09 |
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Experience the magic of one of the worlds last true wildernesses.
alaska
pioneers & frontiers
Is it the majestic mountains, the sparkling lakes, the mighty glaciers, or the abundant wildlife that draw people to Alaska? The largest state in the USA is a land of superlatives; its sheer scale and wild, natural beauty overwhelm the senses like few other places on Earth. Covering an area greater in size than England, France, Spain and Italy combined, it is a fifth of the size of the USA with 17 of it's 20 highest mountains, it's third longest river, 5,000 glaciers (including one as big as Switzerland!) and vast areas of back country and natural wilderness to explore.
in a word
The first Alaskans migrated from Asia to North America between 30 and 40 thousand years ago, across a land bridge created between Siberia and Alaska during the ice age. It was one of the last places in the world to be mapped by Europeans, and this led to explorers from several countries attempting to lay claim to the land and it's natural resources. After swapping hands several times, and being explored by the Spanish, Danish, British and Russians, amongst others, Alaska was sold to America, by the Russians, in 1867 for $7.2 million! What bought Alaska into the world limelight however, was the discovery of gold in the 1890's. Many thousands were lured to Alaska by the promise of quick riches and frontier adventures and in 1897, the 156 Klondike gold rush led to the creation of new boom towns like Skagway. Alaska finally became the 49th state of the USA in 1959, under Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. These days the oil industry supplies around 80% of the states revenue and for many years, the greatest debate has been over the balance of resource exploitation versus careful management of some of the worlds most precious wilderness. Alaskan people have always been extremely independent, and tend to be quite individualistic in their lifestyles. This lends a colourful and slightly eccentric character to the population, especially in the smaller towns and more remote areas.
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