I know that some reasons are oil, gold, and natural resources, but name some of the natural resources.
National Parks, sea harvesting, tourism, oil, natural gas, cruise ship destination, etc... Very large chunk of land.. I m sure the govt makes a good amount from taxes up there.
Deposits of gold and silver are known to exist in almost every region of Alaska. So much has been said about the gold that people are sometimes surprised to learn that Alaska has also other mineral riches, like natural gas and petroleum. Geologists are still surveying the area for other petroleum sites. The Panhandle is known to contain important minerals such as nickel, zinc and lead. Mineral deposits of the Gulf of Alaska include mercury, platinum and copper. Alaska, with its many bodies of water, also generates power through the production of hydroelectricity.gold, fish and fur-- are well known. These three resources have been worth many times the sum that the United States paid Russia for this piece of land. However, for the future, Alaska is beginning to look to other resources, especially oil and petroleum.Alaska is rich in vegetation resources. There are two kinds of forests in the state: the interior forest and the coastal forest. The interior forests are found around the river valleys of the interior area and as far north as the central and eastern parts of the Brooks Range. Most of the timber harvested is mainly willow and aspen but much of the forest growth is stunted because of the short growing season and permafrost. The tundra vegetation in other parts of Alaska may also include dwarf species of trees and a number of bushes. The only extensive lands for grazing are found on the Aleutian Islands.There is also a wide variety of animal life in an area the size of Alaska. The usual animals would be deer, mountain goats, black bears and moose, all commonly found in southeastern Alaska. further north,grizzly bears start to appear, in the interior lands, caribou replace deer in numbers. Polar bears are found in the far north . Exotic animals that have been introduced to Alaska include the reindeer found in the Arctic areas, elk on some islands, musk oxen and bison. Wolves and foxes are also found in many parts of the state. Animals hunted for fur include the mink and beaver. A number of bird species also make Alaska their summer home or remain all year. Some of these include ducks, geese and grouse. The common game fishes are Grayling and rainbow trout. Commercial fish harvests depend mainly on cod, halibut and salmon. In fact, the king salmon is the state fish. Shellfish is also plentiful and a large industry is built on harvesting shrimp, crabs and clams.EDIT : http://www.alaskadenalitours.com/alaska_��
Strategically valuable, especially during the Cold War, due to its proximity to Russia and the Far East. It allows for military bases to sit closer to where they need be.Besides gold and oil Alaska is a major producer of copper, platinum, galena, and molybdenum all used for construction and wiring, etc.Fishing is a major industry, even ranks higher than oil in the importance it has played in the states development.It also has a cleaner burning coal that is mined and exported (as well as kept domestically).Lumber is also a fairly large industry here.We are also one of the last states that fur is still viable. By that I mean it is needed at a way to keep warm, not just as a fashion statement.currently Alaska is turning an eye beyond the coal and oil. there are plans to expand wind and geothermal resources. We have plenty of both.
The natural resources located in Alaska and the surrounding seas make up the majority of Alaska s value. These include the fishing industry and of course oil, but also the flora and fauna, mountains, rivers and coastlines provide priceless and unique beauty not found in the lower 48.In addition, Alaska has been of key military and strategic value. During World War II the only battles on American soil took place in Alaska and during the cold war, Alaska provided a buffer zone between the lower 48 states and Russia and served as a potential launching point to retaliate against the USSR either via submarines under the polar ice cap or across the Bering Sea.
Quite a lot of natural resources and being close to Russia
Probably because it is by far the largest and northern-most state of all.
uh gold and oil
OIL. thats the only reason
u just did