Alaska is the land of gold and oil: what is known about the meeting place between Putin and Trump

The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American leader Donald Trump, which has already been called historic, will take place on August 15 in Alaska. For almost 70 years, this northern region was part of the Russian Empire and was the most important center of fur trade and fishing. At the end of the 19th century, when it was already an American state, another valuable resource was discovered in Alaska — gold, and later oil, which consolidated the peninsula's status as an important industrial territory. Today, Alaska remains the point of intersection between Russia and the United States, retaining its exceptional geopolitical and historical significance as a bridge between the two countries. Read more about Alaska's past and present in the Izvestia article.

Alaska: the capital, where to look on the map

Alaska is the northernmost and largest state of the United States, located in the extreme northwest of North America, on the peninsula of the same name. The area of the state is about 1.72 million square kilometers, which makes it almost twice as large as any other state in the United States.

Geographically, Alaska borders the Canadian province of Yukon and British Columbia to the east, is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south and the west coast, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Through the narrow Bering Strait, it is located in close proximity to the Russian Far East, which historically has given it special importance and the role of a "bridge" between Russia and America. On the map, Alaska is most often depicted in the northwestern corner of the North American continent, separated from the main states of the United States.

The capital of the 49th state is the city of Juneau, located in the southeastern part of Alaska, on the shores of Fjord Bay. It can only be reached by air or sea, as there are no highways connecting the city with the rest of the state. The largest city is Anchorage.

A Song of Ice and Fire: how Alaska became Russian

The American lands of the empire were successfully developed by immigrants

The history of the northern territory: when and who discovered Alaska

In 1648, the Russian navigator and explorer Semyon Dezhnev rounded the Chukchi Peninsula and passed through the Strait, which was later called the Bering Strait, thus opening the way between Asia and North America. However, there were no exact records of his arrival on the coast of Alaska, and his discovery remained little known for a long time.

Systematic exploration of unknown lands began in 1732, when the ship "Saint Gabriel" under the command of surveyor Mikhail Gvozdev and navigator Ivan Fedorov first reached the shores of Alaska. They managed to study the coastline in some detail in order to determine the coordinates of the peninsula and put them on the map.

The key stage was the Second Kamchatka Expedition of 1741, which was led by the Russian navigator Vitus Bering together with Captain Alexei Chirikov. They conducted a thorough exploration of the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands on two ships, the St. Peter and the St. Paul. Russian Russian industrialists and traders began actively colonizing Alaska after these expeditions, which led to the creation of Russian America, a territory under the control of the Russian Empire.

Grigory Shelekhov also played an important role in the development of Alaska, founding in 1799 a Russian-American company that was engaged in trade, colonization and management of the region. The contribution of merchant Alexander Baranov, who has been leading the company's activities since the 1790s, founded settlements, including the first permanent Russian settlement in Alexandrovskaya Harbor, and developed the fur trade, is also significant. Furs of the fur seal and the sea beaver (sea otter) were especially appreciated.

In the 1880s, starting with the first gold finds on the Fortimile River in the central part of the state, the influx of gold prospectors and the development of the mining industry began. In 1896, the famous Klondike Gold Rush began, which spurred interest in Alaska and neighboring regions. The discovery of rich gold deposits in Nome, Fairbanks and other areas led to the establishment of new settlements and infrastructure development.

Expectations from the meeting between Trump and Putin on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. What is known

When Alaska was Russian

Russian Russian American territory, which includes Alaska and adjacent islands, has been under the control of a specially established monopoly, the Russian—American Company (RAC), since 1799. However, in 1867, the Russian Empire sold Alaska to the United States of America for $7.2 million in gold.

The key participants in the deal from the Russian side were Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov, Emperor Alexander II, as well as the Russian envoy to Washington, Eduard Steklov. On the U.S. side, the negotiations and signing of the treaty were provided by President Andrew Johnson.

The reasons for the sale of Alaska were both economic and political. After the Crimean War, Russia was experiencing financial difficulties, and maintaining a remote and poorly protected territory was expensive.

In addition, there was a real threat of the capture of Alaska by British troops in the event of war with Great Britain, since the peninsula bordered on the territory of British Canada. The sale was also motivated by a desire to strengthen relations with the United States. Russia viewed America as its biggest ally and sought to avoid a potential conflict with Britain.

Learn more about how the first Russian expeditions explored Alaska, how it was developed, and why it was sold to America in the Izvestia podcast.

Climate and population of Alaska

The climate of Alaska is diverse: the Pacific coast is dominated by moderate temperatures with mild winters and warm summers (up to +22-24 degrees Celsius), while the northern and inland regions experience severe winters with temperatures up to -40 degrees.

The population of the state is approximately 740 thousand people. These are mainly descendants of European immigrants, as well as numerous indigenous peoples: Aleuts, Eskimos (Inuit), Tlingit and other Native American tribes.

Despite its remoteness and extreme natural conditions, Alaska attracts people with opportunities in oil production and fishing. Oil has been actively produced here since the late 1960s, when the first gushing well was drilled, and the region quickly became one of the key energy suppliers. In the 1990s, oil production reached a historic peak, providing about 85% of the state's revenue.

The fishing industry is equally important: Alaska is one of the world's largest fishing and seafood centers, and its products are exported to major international markets. The cold waters of the Arctic are rich in crabs, salmon, cod and other valuable fish species.

In addition, the mining industry in the region has become more complex in the modern era.: not only gold is mined here, but also zinc, lead, copper, silver and coal. The largest modern mines provide thousands of jobs and significant contributions to the state's economy, generating billions of dollars in revenue.