Alaska ACLS Certification and Recertification

ALASKA ACLS CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION

About Alaska

Alaska became the 49th state in 1959. The state capitol of Alaska is Juneau with a population of nearly 40,000 people (2005 Census). The largest city in Alaska is Anchorage which boasts over 275,000 people, which is a significantly higher population than all ten of the largest cities in the state. Alaska’s total population is 663,661 (2005 Census). Alaska is comprised of 571,951 square miles of forest, glaciers, lakes, volcanoes, and other geographical areas.

The state flower of Alaska is the forget-me-not. The state bird is the Willow Ptarmigan. Alaska has no state insect or butterfly; however the state marine mammal is the bowhead whale. Alaska is known for being one of the top sources of fishing and wildlife in the United States. Alaska has an interesting history beginning with its purchase for a mere 2 cents per acre in 1867 by William Seward from the Russians. It couldn’t be known at the time, but this large, unexplored piece of land would soon open the doors to many historical events.

In 1968 near Prudhoe Bay, what is considered to be the largest oil field in North America was discovered. This oil field is home to 10 billion barrels of oil, and nearly 27 trillion cubic feet of gas. This discovery is what led to the completion of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, which transports the oil through 800 miles of pipes from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez. Tourism in Alaska is never dull. Whether it is cruising around the beautiful glaciers on a boat, or exploring the mountains and viewing the wildlife, there is plenty to see in this diverse state.

Alaska is known as the land of the midnight sun because the state sees so much daylight throughout much of the year. In the Arctic Circle portions of Alaska, the sun does not rise for a whole day in the winter, and does not set for a whole day in the summer. The remainder of the state sees an average of nineteen hours of daylight in the summer months, and an average of five hours of daylight in the winter months. There are not as many celebrities from Alaska as many of the other states; however Alaska is unique in that all of its residents are celebrities of survival. Alaska sees some of the harshest, most unpredictable weather of any state.