The capital of Alaska, Juneau is a beautiful city of water, mountains, and forest. Although Juneau is a modern city, it has no direct road connections with most of the state. It must be reached by air or by water.

Places of interest

The Alaska State Museum in Juneau has exhibits on the state's native peoples and history. Other notable places in the city include the state capitol, the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, and a campus of the University of Alaska. Glacier Bay National Park is in Gustavus, northwest of Juneau. The park features glaciers and snow-capped mountains that reach heights of more than 15,000 feet (4,600 meters).

Economy

Juneau's economy is based on government activities, fishing, mining, forestry, and tourism. The Alaska Marine Highway serves Juneau as well as several other major Alaskan port. Its ferries, carrying both passengers and cars, connect the city with Washington State and British Columbia. Juneau's harbor is ice free year-round.

History

Before Juneau was established as a city, the area was a fish camp for Tlingit Indians. Miners settled the site in 1880, after Joe Juneau (for whom the city is named) and Richard Harris discovered gold there. The settlement was the mining center of Alaska until the Alaska-Juneau gold mine closed in 1944.

Juneau was made the capital of Alaska in 1900. In 1906 the government offices of the territory were moved from Sitka to Juneau. When Alaska was admitted to the Union as the 49th state in 1959, Juneau became the state capital. In 1970 Juneau merged with the town of Douglas on Douglas Island to form the largest city in the United States, with an area of 3,108 square miles (8,050 square kilometers). Population (2000 census), 30,711.