Municipality in southern Alaska and a seaport on the Knik and Turnagain arms
of Cook Inlet, at the base of the Chugach Mountains. Anchorage is the largest
city in the state and serves as the transportation, commercial, and
communications center for much of central and western Alaska. It is connected by
Glenn Highway to the Alaska Highway, a road to Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
It is also served by Anchorage International Airport, which is a major
international hub for air freight. The city’s economy is largely associated with
Alaska’s abundant natural resources, particularly petroleum, natural gas, and
fish. Two nearby United States military bases built during World War II
(1939-1945), Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base, are important local
employers. In addition, tourism has become a mainstay of the economy.
A campus (established in 1954) of the University of Alaska and
Alaska Pacific University (1959) are in Anchorage. Situated in an area of
spectacular beauty, the opportunities in Anchorage for outdoor recreation are
vast but the city also is home to a number of cultural institutions. Museums
include the Anchorage Museum of History and Art; the Alaska Aviation Heritage
Museum, which houses over 20 vintage aircraft dating from 1929 to 1944; and
the Potter Section House Railroad Museum, in nearby Chugach State Park. The
city is also the site of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, the Alaska
Botanical Garden, and the Oscar Anderson House, a restored home built in 1915.
Other places of interest include Portage Glacier, where huge ice blocks can be
seen falling off the glacier’s face into a lake below; Earthquake Park, where
visitors can find depictions of the March 1964 earthquake that destroyed much
of the city; and Eklutna Village Historical Park, with exhibits about the
traditions and culture of the Native Americans and Russians who have lived in
Anchorage for more than 350 years. Annual events include the Anchorage Fur
Rendezvous, in February, commemorating the annual gathering in the past of
trappers and miners, and the Anchorage to Nome Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race,
in March.
The community was established in 1915 as the construction headquarters of the
Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks. Anchorage incorporated in 1920, and engineers of
the U.S. Army laid out the city in a grid during the decade. It grew rapidly
during World War II, when it became the headquarters for the U.S. Alaska
Defense Command. In 1942 the Alaska Highway was built as part of the defense
of the West Coast, connecting the region to the rest of the country. A major
earthquake on March 27, 1964, caused several deaths and extensive damage, but
the city was rebuilt quickly. Anchorage experienced another boom in its
economy in the late 1960s, when oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay and other
oil fields. The Alaska Pipeline, which is used to transport oil, was built in
the mid-1970s.
Anchorage covers a land area of 4,396 sq km (1,697 sq mi), with a mean
elevation of 31 m (101 ft). According to the 2000 census, whites are 72.2
percent of the population, Native Americans 7.3 percent, blacks 5.8 percent,
Asians 5.5 percent, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.9
percent. The remainder are of mixed heritage or did not report ethnicity.
Hispanics, who may be of any race, are 5.7 percent of the people.
