indentations, as Prince William's Sound, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, and Northern and Kotzebue Sounds. The extreme length of the mainland, from N. to S., is about 1,100 miles; extreme width, 800 miles. Among rivers, the most important are the Yukon, rising in British Columbia, and about 2,000 miles in total length; the Kuskokwim, which empties into Bering Sea; the Colville, Copper, and Sushitna. Here the Rocky Mountains merge into the Alaskan, culminating in Mount Wrangell, 17,500 feet high. Another range, near the coast, reaches its extreme height in Mount Logan, 19,500 feet (according to Harrington), and Mount Fairweather, 15,500 feet.
Geology.—The Arctic District is treeless with ranges of hills; the Yukon Basin has large areas of forests; the Kuskokwim District resembles the Yukon Basin, but has more mountains; the Aleutian comprises treeless islands; the Kadiak is still but little known; and the Sitka has valuable timber lands. The glacial and volcanic periods still survive; beds of cretaceous and miocene lignites, dikes of plutonic rock, hot and boiling springs, quartz-bearing ledges, and auriferous gravel beds and sands are abundant.
Mineralogy.—Gold was discovered on the Kenai peninsula in 1848, but was not sought further. In 1880, surface gold was found in the S. E., and systematic mining may be said to have begun then. Lignite coal, native copper, cinnabar, graphite, iron ore, white marble sulphur, medicinal springs, mica, kaolin, manganese, asphalt, and petroleum are found in various sections, and many of them in accessible locations and paying quantities. At present gold mining is the principal mineral industry, and the largest fields are in the Yukon region, on both sides of the boundary line, and in the Cape Nome district, on Bering Sea, and wholly within the American territory, where gold was first discovered in 1898.
The annual production of gold has fallen off greatly in the last decade. It reached in 1909 a maximum of $29,411,716, falling to $9,480,952 in 1918. This is caused chiefly by the falling off in the discovery of bonanza mines and the neglect of the systematic development of the lower-grade ores. The production of copper has also shown a gradual decrease. The production in 1917 was 88,793,400 pounds, valued at $24,240,598. This fell off in 1918 to 69,224,951 pounds, valued at $17,098,563. The loss was due chiefly to a shortage of labor, and transportation. The production in 1919 was about 44,800,000 pounds of copper valued at $8,500,000. The coal production continues to be small, due chiefly to a lack of development. In 1918 it amounted to 75,616 tons, valued at $411,815. Other mineral products are lead, tin, platinum, and petroleum. The resources of the latter are indicated to be large and await only development and the building of railway lines.
Fisheries.—Fish are the most valuable of Alaskan products in value. The total investment in fishing industries in 1913 was $73,750,789. There were employed in the industry nearly 35,000 persons. The total value of fishery products was $69,154,859 in 1918. Over 90 per cent. of the fish taken were salmon. Others were herring, halibut, and whales. The herring industry has greatly increased in recent years through the introduction of the Scotch curing method. Salmon canneries in 1918 shipped about 5,500,000 cases of 48 pounds each.
The number of seals in the waters about Alaska has greatly increased, owing to the restrictions placed upon sealing by laws passed by Congress. The seal herds in 1919 numbered 524,269 seals. The number of seals taken during that year was 25,381. Under the International Convention, 15 per cent. of all seals taken go to Canada and an equal number to Japan.
Agriculture.—The United States Department of Agriculture has for many years made persistent and intelligent efforts to develop agriculture in the territory and these results have met with considerable success. There are large areas of land suitable for the raising of crops, both agricultural and horticultural. The Central Tanana Valley has been extensively occupied by farmers and in the Fairbanks district there are nearly 100 homesteads comprising nearly 25,000 acres. Nearly all varieties of hardy grains can be grown in Alaska and most hardy fruits and vegetables can be grown without difficulty.
Education.—There were in 1919 65 schools for natives in which were enrolled about 3,600 pupils. There was a Federal appropriation of $215,000 for the support of these schools. Schools are also maintained in the different localities for white pupils.
Banking.—In 1919, the Territory had one National bank, with $125,000 in capital, $11,250 in outstanding circulation. Much of the banking is done in Seattle, Wash., and San Francisco, Cal., whither the bulk of the output of gold is sent.
Commerce.—Trade between Alaska and continental United States has greatly increased in recent years. The value of shipments into and from Alaska in 1916 was $97,917,650; in 1917, $121,265,947; in 1918, $131,767,788; and in
