|Downtown Juneau, the capital city of |
Alaska is located in the northernmost part of North America, west of Canada. Its capital city is Juneau.
This state is documented as the largest state in terms of size among the fifty states of the USA. The state is also considered to be the 7th largest sub-national divisions among national divisions of the world. Not only is the state the largest but it also records the most sparse population density in the USA. The state is rated as third least populous. Among the key factors that drives the prosperity of this mammoth state economically is fishing activities –owing to the fact that it is located along the coast with cool climate that facility breeding of fish, natural gas activities and exploitation of oil not forgetting the advanced military bases.
The capital of Alaska is Juneau which obtained its name from a gold prospector. In Alaska, the capital is the 2 nd most populous city after Anchorage. The city was made Alaska’s capital in 1906 shifting its base from Sitka. The city boasts of a huge municipality geographically, which is formed out of a merger between the Douglas and Juneau Borough. One distinguishing feature that makes Juneau unique from other capitals in the USA is the fact that the capital does not have a road network linking it to the rest of Alaska. Rather, the main means of transportation to other areas in Alaska is by ferry. This scenario can only be attributed to the terrain of the land in the capital which is highly rugged.
Brief Overview of Demographics
The population of Juneau is predominantly young, with many who fall between the age of 18 years and 35 years with the older population being the minority. Generally, the overall age average for the entire population is 35 years. The average per capital income stands at $26,719.
The Economy of Juneau
The main job creator in the capital is the Alaskan government which has most of its administrative offices located in Juneau. In addition to the government, the capital heavily relies on tourism which is a key economy booster, especially in the summers. The fishing industry is worth mentioning among these key economic factors for the capital as not only does its employment to the locals but also taps foreign exchange for the capital and state at large through export of fish and fish products.
Governance of Juneau
The capital is run and operated through the city manager system of government with the mayor being the overall head in the city. The mayor works hand in hand with other elected officials to ensure that the services and activities of the capital are in line with the overall goal and objective of the capital. As per political affiliation, the capital is torn between the democrats and the republicans with one district seen as siding with the democrats and the other district siding with the republicans.
By Chelangat Faith
•culled from www.worldatlas.com