An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment . This is the core of a metropolitan statistical area in the United States, if it contains a population of more than 50,000.
117-829: The Eagle River is a stream, 40 miles (64 km) long, in Anchorage , Alaska . Heading at Eagle Glacier in Chugach State Park , it flows northwest into Eagle Bay on the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet , 9 miles (14 km) northeast of downtown Anchorage. Beginning at Eagle Glacier in Chugach State Park , the river soon intersects the Iditarod National Historic Trail , which follows the Eagle River Valley from near Crow Pass in Chugach National Forest to
234-500: A Built-up area (BUA) as an area of built-up land of at least 20 hectares (0.077 sq mi), separated from other settlements by at least 200 metres (660 ft). For 2011 census data there are 5,493 built-up areas, of which 501 are divided into Built-up area sub-divisions (BUASD) for which data is also available. Each built-up area is named algorithmically, using Ordnance Survey place-name data. The ONS has produced census results from urban areas since 1951, since 1981 based upon
351-413: A high school diploma or higher with 36.1% having a Bachelor's degree or higher. 8.4% of the population under the age of 65 had a disability with 11.1% of the same age group having no health insurance . 68.5% of the population were in the civilian labor force. The median household income was $ 84,928 and the per capita income from May 2019–April 2020 was $ 41,415. The poverty rate was 9.5%. According to
468-457: A human impact on the environment . In 1950, 764 million people or about 30 percent of the world's 2.5 billion people lived in urban areas. By 2014, it was 3.9 billion or about 53 percent of the world's 7.3 billion people that lived in urban areas. The change was driven by a combination of increased total population and increased percent of population living in urban areas. In 2009, the number of people living in urban areas (3.42 billion) surpassed
585-725: A "critical part" of its global network of services. Anchorage has won the All-America City Award four times: in 1956, 1965, 1984–85, and 2002, from the National Civic League . Kiplinger has named it the United States' most tax-friendly city. Archaeological evidence discovered at Beluga Point just south of Anchorage proper, along the Turnagain Arm, suggests that habitation of the Cook Inlet began 5,000 years ago by
702-601: A Chamber Intensive program for young musicians. The Sitka Summer Music Festival presents an "Autumn Classics" festival of chamber music for two weeks each September on the campus of Alaska Pacific University . Orchestras include the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra and the Anchorage Youth Symphony . Urban area Urban areas originate through urbanization , and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs . In urbanism ,
819-480: A building at least every 200 m (660 ft) and at least 200 people. To be considered a town or a city ( kaupunki ) for statistical purposes, an urban area must have at least 15,000 people. This is not to be confused with the city / town designation used by municipalities . In France , an urban area ( Fr: aire d'attraction d'une ville ) is a zone encompassing an area of built-up growth (called an "urban unit" ( unité urbaine ) – close in definition to
936-646: A densely settled core created from census blocks and contiguous qualifying territory that together have at least 2,000 housing units or 5,000 persons." There were 2,646 urban areas identified by the Census Bureau for 2020. 511 of these had a population of 50,000 or more. For the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the Census Bureau differentiated between two kinds of urban areas: urbanized areas and urban clusters. The term urbanized area denoted an urban area of 50,000 or more people. Urban areas under 50,000 people were called urban clusters . Urbanized areas were first delineated in
1053-533: A density requirement of 4,000 inhabitants per square kilometre (10,000/sq mi). Seoul is the largest urban area in South Korea . For the Census of India 2011, the definition of urban area is a place having a minimum population of 5,000 of density 400 persons per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi) or higher, and 75% plus of the male working population employed in non-agricultural activities. Places administered by
1170-488: A frost-free growing season that averages slightly over 101 days. According to local folklore, when a native plant called fireweed goes to seed after a full bloom, the first snowfall of winter is 6 weeks away. Average January low and high temperatures at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) are 11 to 23 °F (−12 to −5 °C) with an average winter snowfall of 75.5 in (192 cm). The 2011–2012 winter had 134.5 in (341.6 cm), which made it
1287-475: A group of Alutiiq people who arrived by kayak . As this population moved on, they were followed by a second wave of Alutiiq occupation beginning roughly 4,000 years ago, followed by a third wave around 2,000 years ago. Around 500 AD the Chugach Alutiiq were displaced by the arrival of Dena'ina Athabaskans , who entered through the mountain passes. The Dena'ina had no fixed settlements, migrating throughout
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#17330848196171404-514: A large majority of the population, typically 75%, is not engaged in agriculture and/or fishing is sometimes used. Since 2000, China 's cities have expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. It is estimated that China's urban population will increase by 292 million people by 2050, when its cities will house a combined population of over one billion. The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 46.6% between 1978 and 2009. Between 150 and 200 million migrant workers work part-time in
1521-599: A military reservation, to Eagle Bay on Cook Inlet. Parts of the Eagle River are floatable in a variety of watercraft. These sections are rated from Class I (easy) to Class III (difficult) on the International Scale of River Difficulty . Reaching a put-in place on the main stem west of the visitor center involves an arduous portage . A more accessible put-in place lies along the North Fork and Eagle River Road not far above
1638-567: A municipal corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee are automatically considered urban areas. The Census of India 2011 also defined the term "urban agglomeration" as an integrated urban area consisting of a core town together with its "outgrowths" (contiguous suburbs). In Pakistan , an area is a major city and municipality if it has more than 100,000 inhabitants according to census results. Cities include adjacent cantonments . Urbanisation in Pakistan has increased since
1755-403: A nearly $ 1 billion bond issue to fund construction of the new capitol building and related facilities ($ 4 billion in 2023 dollars). . Later attempts to move the capital or the legislature to Wasilla , north of Anchorage, also failed. Anchorage has over twice as many state employees as Juneau, and is to a considerable extent the center of Alaska's state and federal government activity. Anchorage
1872-571: A new influx of prospectors, and small towns such as Spenard, Hope, Rainbow, Bird, Indian, and Girdwood began to spring up. Alaska became an organized incorporated United States territory in 1912. Anchorage, unlike every other large town in Alaska south of the Brooks Range , was neither a fishing nor mining camp. The area surrounding Anchorage lacks significant economic metal ores. A number of Dena'ina settlements existed along Knik Arm for years. By 1911
1989-501: A number of large cities . The largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr region (11 million in 2008 ), including Düsseldorf (the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia ), Cologne , Bonn , Dortmund , Essen , Duisburg , and Bochum . The Netherlands is the 30th-most densely populated country in the world, with 404.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,048/sq mi)—or 497 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,287/sq mi) if only
2106-504: A place he called "Anchor Point" (later named "Anchorage" as another Anchor Point existed to the south near Homer, Alaska ), near a creek he dubbed "Ship Creek" nestled between two large arms (waterways). Cook spent ten days exploring the inlet named after him. He first sent William Bligh to scout the north arm, where he met with the Dena'ina Natives of the Eklutna area, who told him the name of
2223-627: A population centre remains unchanged from that of an urban area: a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per km . Mexico is one of many countries where the urbanization rate is at least 80%. Mexico City , its capital, is the largest urban area in the country. In the United States , the Census Bureau defines urban areas and delineates urban area boundaries after each census. The Bureau defines an urban area as "a statistical geographic entity consisting of
2340-530: A railroad-construction port for the Alaska Engineering Commission . The area near the mouth of Ship Creek , where the railroad headquarters was, quickly became a tent city . Anchorage formed at a time when proponents of Prohibition were gaining traction, and as part of an effort to stem the flow of the alcohol trade, at the direction of President Woodrow Wilson and with the symmetry of the US Army,
2457-649: A significant amount of general aviation traffic. Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army's Fort Richardson were constructed in the 1940s, and served as the city's primary economic engine until the 1968 Prudhoe Bay discovery shifted the thrust of the economy toward the oil industry. The Good Friday earthquake of March 27, 1964, hit Anchorage hard at a magnitude of 9.2, killing 115 people and causing $ 116 million in damages ($ 750 million in 2023 dollars). The earth-shaking event lasted nearly five minutes; most structures that failed remained intact for
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#17330848196172574-459: A site closer to Anchorage. The motivation is straightforward: the "railbelt" between Anchorage and Fairbanks contains most of Alaska's population. Robert Atwood, owner of the Anchorage Times and a tireless booster for the city, championed the move. Alaskans rejected attempts to move the capital in 1960 and 1962, but in 1974, as Alaska's center of population moved away from Southeast Alaska and to
2691-506: A substantial presence in the city, most notably Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and CH2M Hill . Four small airlines, Alaska Central Express , Era Aviation , Hageland Aviation Services , and PenAir , are headquartered in Anchorage. Alaska Airlines (at one point headquartered in Anchorage, but now headquartered in the Seattle area), has major offices and facilities at TSAIA, including
2808-409: A suburb of another urban area rather than as a self-contained urban entity, or is geographically remote from other urban communities. Accordingly, the new definition set out three distinct types of population centres: small (population 1,000 to 29,999), medium (population 30,000 to 99,999) and large (population 100,000 or greater). Despite the change in terminology, however, the demographic definition of
2925-517: A town site was mapped out on higher ground to the south of the tent city, with the condition that a person's land could be repossessed if caught breaking the alcohol laws. Anchorage has been noted in the years since for its order and rigidity compared with other Alaska town sites. In 1915, territorial governor John Franklin Alexander Strong encouraged residents to change the city's name to one that had "more significance and local associations". In
3042-428: Is 'irreversibly urban in character', meaning that they are characteristic of a town or city. They include areas of built-up land with a minimum of 20 hectares (200,000 m ; 49 acres). Any areas [separated by] less than 200 metres [of non-urban space] are linked to become a single built-up area. Argentina and Japan are countries where the urbanization rate is over 90% while Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico and
3159-489: Is an area with a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi). If two or more urban areas are within 2 km (1.2 mi) of each other by road, they are merged into a single urban area, provided they do not cross census metropolitan area or census agglomeration boundaries. In the Canada 2011 Census , Statistics Canada redesignated urban areas with
3276-421: Is considered to be rural by the Census Bureau. The largest urban area in the United States is that of New York City and its surrounding suburbs. The New York– Jersey City – Newark , NY–NJ urban area had a population of 19,426,449 as of 2020, while the larger metropolitan area had a population of 20,140,470, and the combined statistical area had a population of 23,582,649. The next five largest urban areas in
3393-668: Is divided into 5 regions for planning purposes by the URA, even though as a city state Singapore is defined as a single continuous urban area. It is further subdivided into 55 urban planning areas , which acts as the boundaries of planned towns within the country. In Vietnam , there are six types of urban areas: Bangkok is the largest urban area in Thailand . As in other Nordic countries , an urban area ( taajama in Finnish ) in Finland must have
3510-533: Is highly urbanized. The ten largest metropolitan areas account for half of the population, and fewer than one in ten live in rural areas. About 3 million people live in Buenos Aires City and the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area totals around 15 million, making it one of the largest urban areas in the world, with a population of 18 million all up. Córdoba has around 1.5 million people living in
3627-651: Is in Southcentral Alaska . At 61 degrees north , it lies slightly farther north than Oslo , Stockholm , Helsinki and Saint Petersburg , but not as far north as Reykjavík or Murmansk . It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula , Kodiak Island , and Cook Inlet , due north of the Kenai Peninsula , northwest of Prince William Sound and the Alaska Panhandle , and nearly due south of Denali . The city
Eagle River (Cook Inlet) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-533: Is on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains . Point Campbell, the westernmost point of Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Cook Inlet near its northern end, at which point it splits into two arms . To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on
3861-941: Is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with more than 50% of the population residing in Australia's three biggest urban centres. Statistics New Zealand defines urban areas in New Zealand, which are independent of any administrative subdivisions and have no legal basis. There are four classes of urban area: major urban areas (population 100,000+), large urban areas (population 30,000–99,999), medium urban areas (population 10,000–29,999) and small urban areas (population 1,000–9,999). As of 2021, there are 7 major urban areas, 13 large urban areas, 22 medium urban areas and 136 small urban areas. Urban areas are reclassified after each New Zealand census , so population changes between censuses does not change an urban area's classification. According to Statistics Canada , an urban area in Canada
3978-506: Is the largest city by population and area, with a population of 19.10 million. In Bangladesh , there are total 11 City Corporations and 329 Municipal Corporations and 203 Small towns , which serves as the center for Upazilas . According to 2011 population census, Bangladesh has an urban population of 28%, with a growth rate of 2.8%. At this growth rate, it is estimated that the urban population of Bangladesh will reach 79 million or 42% of total population by 2035. In 2020, 54 percent of
4095-535: Is the world's fourth busiest airport for cargo traffic, surpassed only by Memphis , Hong Kong , and Shanghai Pudong . This traffic is strongly linked to Anchorage's location along great circle routes between Asia and the lower 48. In addition, the airport has an abundant supply of jet fuel from in-state refineries in North Pole and Kenai . This jet fuel is transported to the Port of Anchorage , then by rail or pipeline to
4212-627: The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is a three-part complex that hosts numerous performing arts events each year. The facility can accommodate more than 3,000 people. In 2000, nearly 245,000 people visited 678 public performances. It is home to eight resident performing arts companies and has featured mega-musicals performed by visiting companies. The center also hosts the International Ice Carving Competition as part of
4329-533: The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has to kill some individual aggressive moose in the city every year. Dall sheep are often viewed quite close to the road at Windy Point. Approximately thirty northern timber wolves reside in the Anchorage area. In 2007, several dogs were killed by timber wolves while on walks with their owners. There are also beaver dams in local creeks and lakes, and sightings of foxes and kits in parking lots close to wooded areas in
4446-469: The Alaska North Slope and south of Anchorage around Cook Inlet , the majority of offices and administration are found in Anchorage. The headquarters building of ConocoPhillips Alaska , a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips , is in downtown Anchorage. It is also the tallest building in Alaska . Many companies who provide oilfield support services are likewise headquartered outside of Anchorage but maintain
4563-646: The Alaska North Slope , and the resulting oil boom spurred further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough (which includes Eagle River , Girdwood , Glen Alps, and several other communities) merged into the geographically larger Municipality of Anchorage The city continued to grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place. Several attempts have been made to move Alaska's state capital from Juneau to Anchorage, or to
4680-736: The Bank of America Center (which it renamed the Robert B. Atwood Building ) to house most of its offices, after several decades of leasing space in the McKay Building (now the McKinley Tower ) and later the Frontier Building. The resource sector, mainly petroleum, is arguably Anchorage's most visible industry, with many high-rise buildings bearing the logos of large multinationals such as Hilcorp and ConocoPhillips . While field operations are centered on
4797-516: The Fur Rendezvous festival in February. The Anchorage Concert Association brings 20 to 30 events to the community each year, including Broadway shows like Disney 's The Lion King , Les Misérables , Mamma Mia! , The Phantom of The Opera , West Side Story , and others. The Anchorage Chamber Music Festival draws international guest artists and faculty to perform a summer concert series, and teach
Eagle River (Cook Inlet) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-655: The Knik Arm and that it was not the Northwest Passage, but rather an outlet for two rivers (the Knik and Matanuska Rivers ). Cook then sailed south to scout the other arm, and in a bad mood after running the Resolution aground on a sandbar on his way back out of the shallow waters, called it "River Turnagain", having found no sign of the passage there either. In the 19th century, Russian presence in South-Central Alaska
5031-506: The Swedish -born general manager of the railroad for nearly two decades, became a symbol of residents' contempt due to the firm control he maintained over the railroad's affairs, which by extension became control over economic and other aspects of life in Alaska. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military became increasingly important. Aviation operations in Anchorage commenced along
5148-565: The U.S. Department of Agriculture 's natural resources inventory , urban areas are officially known as developed areas or urban and built-up areas. Such areas include cities, ethnic villages, other built-up areas of more than 10 ac (4 ha), industrial sites, railroad yards, cemeteries, airports, golf courses, shooting ranges, institutional and public administration sites, and similar areas. The 1997 national resources inventory placed over 98,000,000 ac (40,000,000 ha) in this category, an increase of 25,000,000 ac (10,000,000 ha) since 1982. Argentina
5265-419: The United States , Canada , Brazil , Mexico , Argentina , Chile , Japan and Australia and many other countries where the urbanization rate is over 80%. Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area, but also satellite cities plus intervening rural land that is socio-economically connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through commuting , with
5382-549: The snowiest winter on record, topping the 1954–1955 winter with 132.8 in (337.3 cm). The coldest temperature ever recorded at the original weather station at Merrill Field on the East end of 5th Avenue was −38 °F (−38.9 °C) on February 3, 1947. Summers are mild (although cool compared to the contiguous US and even interior Alaska ), and it can rain frequently, although not abundantly. Average July low and high temperatures are 52 to 66 °F (11 to 19 °C) and
5499-456: The urban core , a joint military base , several outlying communities , and almost all of Chugach State Park . Because of this, less than 10 percent of the Municipality (or Muni) is populated, with the highest concentration of people in the 100 square-mile area that makes up the city proper , on a promontory at the headwaters of the inlet, commonly called Anchorage, the City of Anchorage, or
5616-451: The 2010 census, Anchorage had a population of 291,826 and its racial and ethnic composition was as follows: According to the 2010 census, the largest national ancestry groups were as follows: 17.3% German , 10.8% Irish , 9.1% English , 6.9% Scandinavian (3.6% Norwegian , 2.2% Swedish , 0.6% Danish ) and 5.6% French / French Canadian ancestry. According to the 2010 American Community Survey, approximately 82.3% of residents over
5733-414: The 2020 census, Anchorage had 291,247 people. Racial makeup was 63.8% White (57.1% were non-Hispanic or Latino), 10.0% Asian, 9.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.0% African American, and 8.4% from two or more races; 9.4% of the people were Hispanic or Latino. The age distribution was 6.9% of the population under the age of 5; 24.0% under 18; 64.3% aged 18–64; and 11.7% aged 65 and up. Males were 50.9% of
5850-669: The Alaskan coastline, and many of the geographical features (mountains, islands, rivers, waterways, etc.) still bear the names he gave them. Cook was searching for the fabled Northwest Passage , a route that would provide a shorter means of reaching the Pacific from Europe than the difficult Northeast Passage around the north of Asia, or south around South America. On May 15, 1778, after enduring weeks of hard weather, Cook turned into an inlet between two landmarks he called Cape Douglas and Mount St. Augustine . He anchored his ship, HMS Resolution , at
5967-470: The Anchorage Bowl. Due to its location, almost equidistant from New York City , Tokyo , and Murmansk, Russia (straight over the North Pole ), Anchorage lies within 10 hours by air of nearly 90 percent of the global north. For this reason, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a common refueling stop for international cargo flights and home to a major FedEx hub, which the company calls
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#17330848196176084-590: The Eagle River Nature Center and ends near the town of Girdwood , remains a favorite backpacking trip. Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage ( Tanaina : Dgheyay Kaq'; Dgheyaytnu ), officially the Municipality of Anchorage , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska . With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census , it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area , which includes Anchorage and
6201-485: The Lower 48 have been building new hotels along C Street from International Airport Road to just north of Tudor Road, with two more to open in 2017, making this half-mile stretch of C Street a new "hotel row". From Anchorage people can easily head south to popular fishing locations on the Kenai Peninsula or north to locations such as Denali National Park and Fairbanks . Located next to Town Square Park in downtown Anchorage,
6318-447: The Municipality of Anchorage are Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough to the south and Chugach Census Area to the east. The Chugach National Forest , a national protected area , extends into the southern part of the municipality, near Girdwood and Portage . A diverse wildlife population exists within urban Anchorage and the surrounding area. Approximately 250 black bears and 60 grizzly bears live in
6435-648: The North American urban area) and its commuter belt ( couronne ). Americans would find the INSEE definition of the urban area to be similar to their metropolitan area . The largest cities in France, in terms of urban area population (2017), are Paris (12,628,266), Lyon (2,323,221), Marseille (1,760,653), Toulouse (1,360,829), Bordeaux (1,247,977), Lille (1,191,117), Nice (1,006,201), Nantes (972,828), Strasbourg (790,087) and Rennes (733,320). Germany has
6552-652: The Northern and Western ones. Urban areas in Sweden ( tätorter ) are statistically defined localities, totally independent of the administrative subdivision of the country. There are 1,956 such localities in Sweden , with a population ranging from 200 to 1,372,000 inhabitants. In 2013 the United Kingdom 's Office for National Statistics (ONS) published 2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance which sets out its definition of
6669-605: The Philippine population lived in urban areas. With an estimated population of 16.3 million, Metro Manila is the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and the 11th in the world . However, the greater urban area is the 5th largest in the world with a population of 20,654,307 people (2010 estimate). As an island city-state , about 5.6 million people live and work within 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi). With 64 islands and islets , Singapore Island makes up
6786-407: The U.S. are those of Los Angeles , Chicago , Miami , Houston , and Dallas . 80.0 percent of the population of the United States lives within the boundaries of an urban area as of the 2020 census. The concept of Urbanized Areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau is often used as a more accurate gauge of the size of a city, since in different cities and states the lines between city borders and
6903-414: The United States are countries where the urbanization rate is between 80% and 90%. There are two measures of the degree of urbanization of a population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country. The second measure, rate of urbanization, describes the projected average rate of change of the size of the urban population over
7020-565: The United States in the 1950 census, while urban clusters were added in the 2000 census. The distinction between urbanized areas and urban clusters was removed for the 2020 census. Urban areas consist of a densely-settled urban core, plus surrounding developed areas that meet certain density criteria. Since urban areas are composed of census blocks and not cities, counties, or county-equivalents, urban area boundaries may consist of partial areas of these political units. Urban areas are distinguished from rural areas : any area not part of an urban area
7137-420: The age of five spoke only English at home. Spanish was spoken by 3.8% of the population; speakers of other Indo-European languages made up 3.0% of the population; those who spoke Asian and Pacific Islander languages at home were 9.1%; and speakers of other languages made up 1.8%. In 2010, there were 291,826 people, 107,332 households and 70,544 families residing in the municipality. The population density
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#17330848196177254-465: The airport. The Port of Anchorage receives 95 percent of all goods destined for Alaska. Ships from Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Horizon Lines arrive twice weekly from the Port of Tacoma in Washington . Along with handling these activities, the port is a storage facility for jet fuel from Alaskan refineries, which is used at both TSAIA and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). The existing port
7371-458: The area with the seasonal changes, fishing along coastal streams and rivers in the summer, hunting moose, mountain goats, and Dall sheep in early fall, and picking berries in late fall. They tended to winter near trading junctions along common travel routes, where they traded with other Dena'ina and Ahtna tribes from nearby areas. Captain James Cook was among the first European explorers to map
7488-469: The area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose are also a common sight; in the Anchorage Bowl, there is a summer population of approximately 250 moose, increasing to as many as 1,000 during the winter. They are a hazard to drivers, with over 100 moose killed by cars each year. Two people were stomped to death, in 1993 and 1995, in Anchorage. Cross-country skiers and dog mushers using city trails have been charged by moose on numerous occasions;
7605-446: The borderline of Dfb , Trewartha Eolo bordering on Dclo ) but with strong maritime influences that lead to a relatively moderate climate, in contrast to the much more continental Fairbanks . Most of its precipitation falls in late summer. Average daytime summer temperatures range from approximately 55 to 78 °F (13 to 26 °C); average daytime winter temperatures are about 5 to 30 °F (−15.0 to −1.1 °C). Anchorage has
7722-402: The boundaries of these towns. This distinction may give a misleading impression in some cases, since some localities with only village status may have acquired larger and denser populations than many many smaller towns with most excessive example of Poznań , most spread urban area of the country with population of the city app. 534 thousand and metropolitan area around 1 million inhabitants. On
7839-443: The branching off of the U.S. Air Force from the U.S. Army following World War II. In a cost-cutting effort initiated by the 2005 BRAC proceedings , the bases were combined. JBER was created, which also incorporated Kulis Air National Guard Base near TSAIA. The combination of these three bases employ approximately 8,500 civilian and military personnel. These individuals along with their families comprise approximately ten percent of
7956-603: The capital and largest city of Russia , has a population estimated at 12.4 million residents within the city limits, while over 17 million residents in the urban area, and over 20 million residents in the Moscow Metropolitan Area . It is among the world's largest cities , being the most populous city entirely within Europe , the most populous urban area in Europe, the most populous metropolitan area in Europe, and also
8073-407: The city's police chief, was instrumental in Anchorage's relief and recovery efforts as she coordinated response efforts, connected urgent needs with available resources, disseminated information of available shelters and food sources, and passed messages among loved ones over the air, reuniting families. Because the city and surrounding suburban area was built on top ground consisting of glacial silt,
8190-520: The city. The clean-up of ash resulted in excessive demands for water and caused major problems for the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility. The average temperature of the sea ranges from 35.8 °F (2.1 °C) in February to 53.1 °F (11.7 °C) in August. Anchorage first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census. It incorporated that same year and in 1975 it was consolidated with its borough. At
8307-560: The community of Eagle River . Downstream of the trail crossing, the river flows by, but at considerable distance from, the Eagle River Nature Center , the visitor center for the park. The nature center lies along the North Fork Eagle River, which runs roughly parallel to the main stem for several miles. Eagle River Road, like the North Fork, lies to the right of the main stem, facing downstream. Eagle River Road links
8424-532: The confluence with the main stem. Dangers include Class II (medium) and Class III rapids near Eagle River Campground, overhanging or submerged vegetation, and logjams. The Eagle River Nature Center, which sits at an entrance to Chugach State Park , is 12 miles (19 km) up Eagle River Road. The center (in conjunction with "friends of") run numerous educational programs aimed at bringing people closer to nature through education and outdoor excursions. The historic Crow Pass Trail, which runs 26 miles (42 km) from
8541-426: The distance between each building has to be of less than 50 m, although exceptions are made due to parks, industrial areas, rivers, and similar. Groups of houses less than 400 m from the main body of an urban area are included in the urban area. In Poland , official "urban" population figures simply refer to those localities which have the status of towns ( miasta ). The "rural" population is that of all areas outside
8658-404: The east form a boundary to development, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park . The city's sea coast consists mostly of treacherous mudflats . Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine glacial silt . Unwary victims have walked onto the solid seeming silt revealed when
8775-563: The extent of irreversible urban development indicated on Ordnance Survey maps. The definition is an extent of at least 20 ha and at least 1,500 census residents. Separate areas are linked if less than 200 m (220 yd) apart. Included are transportation features. The UK has five Urban Areas with a population over a million and a further sixty nine with a population over one hundred thousand . The Australian Bureau of Statistics refers to urban areas as Urban Centres, which it generally defines as population clusters of 1,000 or more people. Australia
8892-416: The families of J. D. "Bud" Whitney and Jim St. Clair lived at the mouth of Ship Creek and were joined there by a young forest ranger, Jack Brown, and his bride, Nellie, in 1912. The city grew from its happenstance choice as a site for railroad construction to begin in 1914. The waters near Ship Creek were deep enough for barges and small ships to dock, and under the direction of Frederick Mears , it became
9009-403: The firebreak south of town (today's Delaney Park Strip ), which residents also used as a golf course . An increase in air traffic led to clearing of a site directly east of town site boundaries starting in 1929; this became Merrill Field , which served as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s, until Anchorage International Airport superseded it in 1951. Merrill Field still sees
9126-407: The first census. In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward brokered a deal to purchase Alaska from Imperial Russia for $ 7.2 million, or about two cents an acre ($ 129.1 million in 2023 dollars). His political rivals lampooned the deal as " Seward's folly ", "Seward's icebox" and "Walrussia". In 1888, gold was discovered along Turnagain Arm just south of modern-day Anchorage, leading to
9243-522: The first few minutes then failed with repeated flexing. It was the world's fourth-largest earthquake in recorded history . Broadcaster Genie Chance has been credited with holding Anchorage together, as she immediately rushed to the Anchorage Public Safety Building and stayed on the KENI airwaves for almost 24 continuous hours. Chance, effectively designated as the public safety officer by
9360-650: The given period of time. According to Urbanization by sovereign state article, the world as a whole is 56.2% urbanized, with roughly one-quarter of the countries reported as greater than 80% urbanized. Data is taken from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook estimates from 2020. According to Demographia, these are the 200 largest urban areas in the world by population (as of 2023): The UN publishes data on cities, urban areas and rural areas, but relies almost entirely on national definitions of these areas. The UN principles and recommendations state that due to different characteristics of urban and rural areas across
9477-573: The global urban population comprised 3.9 billion. The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs at that time predicted the urban population would occupy 68% of the world population by 2050, with 90% of that growth coming from Africa and Asia. Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization. They are measured for various purposes, including analyzing population density and urban sprawl . Urban areas are also mostly found in
9594-403: The globe, a global definition is not possible. European countries define urbanized areas on the basis of urban-type land use , not allowing any gaps of typically more than 200 metres (220 yd), and use satellite imagery instead of census blocks to determine the boundaries of the urban area. In less-developed countries , in addition to land use and density requirements, a requirement that
9711-432: The highest reading ever recorded was 90 °F (32.2 °C) on July 4, 2019. The average annual precipitation at the airport is 16.63 in (422 mm). Anchorage's latitude causes summer days to be very long and winter daylight hours to be very short. The city is often cloudy during the winter, which further decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents. The coldest daily maximum recorded in Anchorage
9828-489: The land area is counted. The Randstad is the country's largest conurbation located in the west of the country and contains the four largest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam , The Hague , and Utrecht . The Randstad has a population of 7 million inhabitants and is the 6th largest metropolitan area in Europe. Norway defines urban areas ("tettsteder") similarly to the other Nordic countries . Unlike in Denmark and Sweden,
9945-520: The largest city by land area on the European continent. Saint Petersburg , the cultural capital, is the second-largest city, with a population of roughly 5.4 million inhabitants. Other major urban areas are Yekaterinburg , Novosibirsk , Kazan , Nizhny Novgorod , and Chelyabinsk . Spain is a very highly urbanized country. Madrid is its largest urban area. The Southern and Eastern coasts with Barcelona , Valencia and Málaga are more urbanised than
10062-545: The largest urban area in the country. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , the country has the highest urbanised population in Southeast Asia, with 100 percent of its population living in an urban area. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is responsible for the urban land-use planning, which designates land use and urban density of the country. The country
10179-489: The local economy depend on Anchorage's geographical location and surrounding natural resources . Anchorage's economy traditionally has seen steady growth, though not quite as rapid as many places in the lower 48 states . With the notable exception of a real estate-related crash in the mid-to-late 1980s, which saw the failure of numerous financial institutions, it does not experience as much pain during economic downturns. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (TSAIA)
10296-661: The local population. During the Cold War , Elmendorf became an important base due to its proximity to the Soviet Union , particularly as a command center for numerous forward air stations established throughout the western reaches of Alaska (most of which have since closed). While Juneau is the official state capital of Alaska, more state employees reside in the Anchorage area. Approximately 6,800 state employees work in Anchorage compared to about 3,800 in Juneau. The State of Alaska purchased
10413-422: The major cities, returning home to the countryside periodically with their earnings. China has more cities with one million or more long-term residents than any other country, including the three global cities of Beijing , Hong Kong, and Shanghai ; by 2025, the country will be home to 221 cities with over a million inhabitants. The figures in the table below are from the 2008 census, and are only estimates of
10530-620: The mall's structure. In 2013, Forbes named Anchorage among its list of Best Places for Business and Careers. Five Alaska Native regional corporations are based in Anchorage: The Aleut Corporation , Bristol Bay Native Corporation , Calista Corporation , Chugach Alaska Corporation , and Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Anchorage does not levy a sales tax . However, it charges a 12% bed tax on hotel stays and an 8% tax on car rentals . Since about 2000, in response to strong revenue and occupancy rates, major hotel developers from
10647-690: The median income for a family was $ 85,829. The per capita income for the municipality was $ 34,678. About 5.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line. Of the city's population over the age of 25, 33.7% held a bachelor's degree or higher, and 92.1% had a high school diploma or equivalent. In 2010, 83.7% (220,304) of Anchorage residents aged five and older spoke only English at home, while 4.5% (11,769) spoke Spanish, 2.5% (6,654) Tagalog , 1.6% (4,108) various Pacific Island languages , 1.4% (3,636) various Native American/Alaska Native languages , 1.1% (2,994) Korean , 0.6% (1,646) German, 0.6% (1,502) Hmong , 0.5% (1,307) Russian, and Japanese
10764-532: The most urbanised nation in South Asia. Furthermore, 50% of Pakistanis live in towns of 5,000 people or more. Karachi is the most populated city in Pakistan closely followed by Lahore according to the 2017 Census . In Bangladesh , there are total 532 urban areas, which are divided into three categories. Those are City Corporation , Municipal Corporation (Pourasova) and Upazila town . Among those urban areas, Dhaka
10881-400: The multiple eruptions of Mount Redoubt during March–April 2009, resulting in a 25,000 ft (7,600 m) high ash cloud as well as ash accumulation throughout the Cook Inlet region. Previously, the most active recent event was an August 1992 eruption of Mount Spurr , which is 78 mi (126 km) west of the city. The eruption deposited about 3 mm (0.1 in) of volcanic ash on
10998-511: The neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough , had a population of 398,328 in 2020, accounting for more than half the state's population. At 1,706 sq mi (4,420 km ) of land area, the city is the fourth-largest by area in the U.S. Anchorage is in Southcentral Alaska , at the terminus of the Cook Inlet , on a peninsula formed by the Knik Arm to the north and the Turnagain Arm to
11115-437: The new term " population centre "; the new term was chosen in order to better reflect the fact that urban vs. rural is not a strict division, but rather a continuum within which several distinct settlement patterns may exist. For example, a community may fit a strictly statistical definition of an urban area, but may not be commonly thought of as "urban" because it has a smaller population, or functions socially and economically as
11232-409: The number living in rural areas (3.41 billion), and since then the world has become more urban than rural. This was the first time that the majority of the world's population lived in a city. By that time a high estimate calculated up to 3.5 million square kilometers of land were urban, estimates ranging from 1% of global land area. In 2014 there were 7.3 billion people living on the planet, of which
11349-480: The offices of the Alaska Airlines Foundation. Prior to their respective dissolutions, airlines MarkAir , Reeve Aleutian Airways and Wien Air Alaska were also headquartered in Anchorage. The Reeve Building, at the corner of West Sixth Avenue and D Street, was spared the wrecking ball when the city block it sits on was cleared to make way for the Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall , and was incorporated into
11466-521: The other hand, the Katowice urban area with numerous large and medium cities covers 1,468 km and has above 2 million people. The metropolitan areas in Poland are the biggest urban zones (e.g. Katowice metropolitan area , Łódź metropolitan area and Szczecin metropolitan area ) and have great impact on the rural surroundings, as it is around Lublin , Radom , Kielce , Tarnów and Białystok . Moscow ,
11583-417: The people; females, 49.1%. Veterans were 9.3%, and 10.9% of the people were born outside the United States. There were 119,276 housing units and 106,567 households; the average household size was 2.69 persons. In 17.8% of households, a language other than English was spoken at home. In 95.9% of households there was a computer; 90.0% of households had broadband Internet connections. 93.9% of the population had
11700-528: The prolonged shaking from the earthquake caused soil liquefaction, leading to massive cracks in roadways and collapse of large swaths of land. One of Anchorage's most affected residential areas, the Turnagain neighborhood, saw dozens of homes originally at 250 to 300 feet above sea level sink to sea level. Rebuilding and recovery dominated the remainder of the 1960s. In 1968, ARCO discovered oil in Prudhoe Bay on
11817-410: The railbelt, voters approved it. Communities such as Fairbanks and much of rural Alaska opposed moving the capital to Anchorage for fear of concentrating more power in the state's largest city. As a result, in 1976, voters approved a plan to build a new capital city near Willow , about 70 mi (110 km) north of Anchorage. In the 1978 election, opponents to the move reacted by campaigning to defeat
11934-514: The south. First settled as a tent city near the mouth of Ship Creek in 1915 when construction on the Alaska Railroad began, Anchorage was incorporated as a city in November 1920. In September 1975, the City of Anchorage merged with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, creating the Municipality of Anchorage. The municipal city limits span 1,961.1 sq mi (5,079.2 km ), encompassing
12051-491: The spring are common. Along the Seward Highway headed toward Kenai, there are common sightings of beluga whales in the Turnagain Arm. Lynxes are occasionally sighted in Anchorage as well. Within the Municipality there are also a number of streams that host salmon runs. Fishing for salmon at Ship Creek next to downtown is popular in the summer. Anchorage has a subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Dfc on
12168-419: The summer of that year, residents held a vote to change the city's name; a plurality favored the name "Alaska City", but the territorial government ultimately declined to change the city's name. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920. Construction of the Alaska Railroad continued until its completion in 1923. The city's economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Colonel Otto F. Ohlson,
12285-475: The term "urban area" contrasts to rural areas such as villages and hamlets ; in urban sociology or urban anthropology it contrasts with natural environment . The development of earlier predecessors of modern urban areas during the urban revolution of the 4th millennium BCE led to the formation of human civilization and ultimately to modern urban planning , which along with other human activities such as exploitation of natural resources has led to
12402-484: The tide is out and have become stuck in the mud. The two recorded instances of this occurred in 1961 and 1988. According to the United States Census Bureau , the municipality has an area of 1,961.1 square miles (5,079.2 km ); 1,697.2 square miles (4,395.8 km ) of which is land and 263.9 square miles (683.4 km ) of it is water. The total area is 13.5% water. Boroughs and census areas next to
12519-565: The time of independence and has several different causes. The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River . Karachi is its most populous city. In the northern half of the country, most of the population lives in an arc formed by the cities of Lahore , Faisalabad , Rawalpindi , Islamabad , Gujranwala , Sialkot , Gujrat , Jhelum , Sargodha , Sheikhupura , Nowshera , Mardan and Peshawar . During 1990–2008, city dwellers made up 36% of Pakistan's population, making it
12636-491: The urban core city being the primary labor market. The concept of an "urban area" as used in economic statistics should not be confused with the concept of the "urban area" used in road safety statistics. This term was first created by Geographer Brian Manning. The last concept is also known as " built-up area in road safety ". According to the definition by the Office for National Statistics , "Built-up areas are defined as land which
12753-492: The urban populations within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large " floating populations " of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult; the figures below include only long-term residents. In Japan , urbanized areas are defined as contiguous areas of densely inhabited districts (DIDs) using census enumeration districts as units with
12870-474: The urbanized area of that city are often not the same. For example, the city of Greenville, South Carolina has a city population just over 68,000 and an urbanized area population of around 400,000, while Greensboro, North Carolina has a city population just over 285,000 and an urbanized area population of around 300,000 — meaning that Greenville is actually "larger" for some intents and purposes, but not for others, such as taxation, local elections, etc. In
12987-554: The visitor center to the Eagle River community 12 miles (19 km) away. After receiving the North Fork from the right, the Eagle River receives the South Fork Eagle River from the left before passing under Eagle River Loop Road. On its lower reaches, the river flows by the Eagle River community, which is on the right, and Eagle River Campground, on the left, before leaving the state park. It then passes under Glenn Highway and flows through Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ,
13104-499: Was 171.2 per square mile (66.1/km ). There were 113,032 housing units at an average density of 59.1 per square mile (22.8/km ). There were 107,332 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who
13221-399: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19. The age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.9 years. 50.8% of the population was male and 49.2% were female. The median income for a household in the municipality was $ 73,004, and
13338-639: Was spoken as a main language by 0.5% (1,185) of the population over the age of five. In total, 16.3% (43,010) of Anchorage's population aged five and older spoke a mother language other than English. As of September 7, 2006 , 94 languages were spoken by students in the Anchorage School District . Anchorage's largest economic sectors include transportation, military, municipal, state and federal government, tourism, corporate headquarters (including regional headquarters for multinational corporations ) and resource extraction. Large portions of
13455-538: Was substantially built in the late 1950s and is reaching the end of its useful life. Beginning in 2017, the Port of Anchorage is undertaking an extensive 7-year Anchorage Port Modernization Project to upgrade its aging infrastructure, support larger deeper draft vessels, and future proof the port seismically and environmentally for another 75 years. The United States military has two large installations, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson , which originally stemmed from
13572-670: Was well-established. The Russians placed trading posts along Cook Inlet, such as the Shelikhov-Golikov Company 's post at Niteh on the Palmer Flats (between the Knik and Matanuska Rivers), which in turn created small agricultural communities in Ninilchik , Seldovia , and Eklutna . The Russians also introduced diseases such as smallpox that had devastating effects on the local Native population, which plummeted by half just 10 years after
13689-548: Was −19 °F (−28 °C) in January 1989, while the coldest daily maximum on average between 1991 and 2020 was 1 °F (−17 °C). Warm summer nights do not occur even with the bayside location and extensive daylight; the mildest night on record was 63 °F (17 °C) . The mean temperature is 59 °F (15 °C). Due to its proximity to active volcanoes , ash hazards are a significant, though infrequent, occurrence. The most recent notable volcanic activity centered on
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