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Alaska is the largest state
of the United States of
America by area; it is
situated in the northwest
extremity of the North
American continent, with
Canada to the east, the
Arctic Ocean to the north,
and the Pacific Ocean to the
west and south, with Russia
further west across the
Bering Strait. As of 2007,
the population was 683,478
with approximately 50%
residing along the Anchorage
metropolitan areas.
The area that became Alaska
was purchased from the
Russian Empire after Western
Union discontinued
construction of its first
electric telegraph line
which ran from California,
up the coast of North
America, across the Bering
Strait, continuing to Moscow
and into the European
Telegraph network. Despite
$3 million in U.S.
investment for the
Russian-American telegraph
expedition, work ceased upon
the completion of the
competing Transatlantic
telegraph cable. The U.S.
realized the potential of
continuing the line to
Moscow and sent Secretary of
State William H. Seward to
negotiate with the Russian
Ambassador to fund the
remaining phases of the
telegraph line. Russia
didn't see the potential in
funding so Alaska was
offered in exchange for the
value of the
Russian-American telegraph.
The Russians feared that if
they did not sell Russian
North America, it would be
taken from them by the
westward expansion of the
United States and Canada.
They tried to play one
potential purchaser off
against the other to start a
bidding war, but this was
largely unsuccessful.
The U.S. Senate approved the
purchase of Alaska from the
Russian Empire on March 30,
1867, for $7.2 million at 2
cents per acre, about 5
cents per hectare. When
adjusted for inflation, the
total sum paid equates to
approximately $360 million
in 2008 dollars.
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