| Alaskans take pride in their state's natural | | | | all commonly found in southeastern Alaska. |
| resources. Three of them-- gold, fish and | | | | Go up further north and grizzly bears start |
| fur-- are well known. These three resources | | | | to appear. As you go into the interior |
| have been worth many times the sum that the | | | | lands, caribou begin to replace deer in |
| United States paid Russia for this piece of | | | | numbers. It is not uncommon to see caribou |
| land. However, for the future, Alaska is | | | | travel in herds of thousands. Polar bears |
| beginning to look to other resources, | | | | are found in the far north and spend most of |
| especially oil and petroleum.Alaska is rich | | | | their time out on the ice packs hunting food. |
| in vegetation resources. There are two kinds | | | | Exotic animals that have been introduced to |
| of forests in the state: the interior forest | | | | Alaska include the reindeer found in the |
| and the coastal forest. The interior forests | | | | Arctic areas, elk on some islands, musk oxen |
| are found around the river valleys of the | | | | and bison. To conserve animal life on the |
| interior area and as far north as the central | | | | peninsula, these animals are protected in |
| and eastern parts of the Brooks Range. Most | | | | wildlife ranges under the federal government. |
| of the timber harvested is mainly willow and | | | | Wolves and foxes are also found in many |
| aspen but much of the forest growth is | | | | parts of the state. Animals hunted for fur |
| stunted because of the short growing season | | | | include the mink and beaver. A number of |
| and permafrost. The coastal forests on the | | | | bird species also make Alaska their summer |
| other hand, begin in the Panhandle and spread | | | | home or remain all year. Some of these |
| throughout the coast of the Gulf of Alaska | | | | include ducks, geese and grouse. The common |
| well into Kodiak Island. These forests are | | | | game fishes are Grayling and rainbow trout. |
| usually dense and made up of hemlock, cedar | | | | Commercial fish harvests depend mainly on |
| and spruce trees. Tundra vegetation is also | | | | cod, halibut and salmon. In fact, the king |
| common to much of Alaska. Most of it is made | | | | salmon is the state fish. Shellfish is also |
| up of lichens, grasses, various mosses, | | | | plentiful and a large industry is built on |
| cranberry vines and crowberries. When these | | | | harvesting shrimp, crabs and clams.Deposits |
| plants die, they decay at a very slow rate | | | | of gold and silver are known to exist in |
| mainly because of the dampness and low | | | | almost every region of Alaska. So much has |
| temperature of the area. Year after year, | | | | been said about the gold that people are |
| old plants pile up and new plants struggle to | | | | sometimes surprised to learn that Alaska has |
| grow through them. The tundra vegetation in | | | | also other mineral riches, like natural gas |
| other parts of Alaska may also include dwarf | | | | and petroleum. Geologists are still |
| species of trees and a number of bushes. The | | | | surveying the area for other petroleum sites. |
| only extensive lands for grazing are found on | | | | The Panhandle is known to contain important |
| the Aleutian Islands. If you're looking for | | | | minerals such as nickel, zinc and lead. |
| true arctic tundra with absolutely no trees | | | | Mineral deposits of the Gulf of Alaska |
| or shrubs, then you can check out the Arctic | | | | include mercury, platinum and copper. |
| slope and Seward Peninsula.There is also a | | | | Alaska, with its many bodies of water, also |
| wide variety of animal life in an area the | | | | generates power through the production of |
| size of Alaska. The usual animals would be | | | | hydroelectricity. |
| deer, mountain goats, black bears and moose, | | | | |