ALAS KA. 



I. 



Location, Area, and Population. 



The Territory of Alaska, lying in the extreme northwestern 

 corner of the North American Continent, on the Bering Sea and 

 North Pacific, comprises an area of about 577,390 statute square 

 miles, with a seacoast of 26,000 miles, or nearly two and one-half 

 times the seacoast of the balance of the United States. The 

 Territory was acquired by purchase by the United States from 

 Russia, and the boundaries, as laid down in the treaty of cession 

 of March 30, 1867, are: Commencing from the southernmost 

 point of the island called Prince of Wales Island, which point 

 lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, and 

 between the 131st and the 133d degree of west longitude 

 (meridian of Greenwich), the said line shall ascend to the north 

 along the channel called Portland Channel as far as the point of 

 the continent where it strikes the 56th degree of north latitude; 

 from this last-mentioned point, the line of demarcation shall fol- 

 low the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast 

 as far as the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west 

 longitude (of the same meridian) ; and finally, from the said point 

 of intersection, the said meridian line of the 141st degree, in its 

 prolongation as far as the Frozen Ocean. 



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