The main river is the Yukon. the Arctic Coastal Plain and the most northern part of the Rocky Mountains, the Brooks Range, make up the northern part of the state. The highest point in North America is Mount McKinley, located in Denali National Park.
Although it was not a state at the time, the United States had a naval base at Pearl Harbor, in the Pacific Ocean. On December 7th,1941, the Japanese attacked this base, plunging the U.S. into World War II. The USS Arizona Memorial is a floating memorial to the sailors who died there.
The most important minerals include oil, natural gas, gold and coal. Oil is transported 800 miles by pipeline to Valdez where it is put on big ships called tankers.
In 1989 the supertanker, Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound, killing much wildlife.
It is famous for pineapple and sugarcane crops. Ten million tons of sugarcane are grown on plantations a year. One half of the state is covered by tropical forests.
This state is made up of many volcanic islands. There are eight major islands.
The first people here sailed form the Tahiti Islands. Captain James Cook was the first European to land in 1778. The last reigning monarch was Queen Lil’uokalani.
A popular sport is dog sled racing. 16% of the population are Native Americans, Inutis, and Aleuts. They feed themselves and make money by catching fish and sea mammals and by herding reindeer.
The hula dance was performed as a form of religious rite to honor the goddess’ and the leaders. It was usually dedicated to its patroness Laka, goddess of the Hula. For decades this authentic native dance was only performed secretly because non-Hawaiians did not approve of it. The ancient dance was performed by both men and women.
Mount Waialeale, on the island of Kauai, is one of the wettest places on Earth, getting about 480 inches of rain annually. The weather stays fairly consistent from day to night and from summer to winter.
The “Land of the Midnight Sun” got its name because around the summer solstice, the sun barely sets before it rises again. Even so, it is light at night. In the middle of the winter, the sun barely sets again, which means it’s dark outside all day. This is because it is so close to the North Pole.