How many people visited Alaska last year?

Tourism is a big industry in Alaska. How big, you ask? According to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Division of Economic Development's report, Economic Impact of Alaska's Visitor Industry, 2013-14 Update, more than 1.93 million people visited Alaska between October 2013 and September 2014.

The United States Census estimate for Alaska's 2014 population is 736,732. More than 2.5 times that many people visited the state during the reporting period. That's a lot of tourists!

Cruise ship docked in Skagway. Photo by Jasperdo, some rights reserved.

Local Sales Taxes

Question: How many communities in Alaska do NOT have a sales tax?

Answer: Currently, 253. You can verify this for yourself by visiting the Alaska Community Database. Under Public Query System, go to Advanced Search Options, select all the communities in the left hand box and add them to the right hand box, then click Next. On the next screen, choose "sales tax" from the left hand box and add it to the right hand box, then click Next. Then run the report. Save the file and open it up in your favorite spreadsheet. When we checked, 253 was the number of communities that report "None".

Alaska Corporate Formation Records

Question: I need a link to certificates of incorporation filed in Alaska.
Answer: It sounds like you are interested in finding the web page through which you can access information about certificates of incorporation or other formation documents filed for corporations or other business entities formed under the laws of the State of Alaska. You can begin your search by navigating to http://commerce.state.ak.us/dnn/cbpl/Corporations.aspx, which is a page on the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing’s website. Then select “Search Corporations Database” under "Check Your Entity's Status". Your search results should include some details about matching entities, such as registered agents, dates of creation, and officers and directors. Once you retrieve the more detailed page for an entity, you can use the “Filed Documents” link to access some scanned images of the records the entity filed with the division, such as creation filings or Biennial Reports. Scanned images of these documents are not always available, particularly for earlier time periods.

To order copies of documents filed by an entity, go to http://commerce.state.ak.us/dnn/cbpl/Corporations/ObtainCopies.aspx. There you will also find contact information for the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing.

Overseas Birth Certificate

Question: My son was born in 1966 in the Netherlands while his father was serving in the USAF in that country. I need to obtain a duplicate birth certificate of his birth. I would like to know how I go about doing this. His birth certificate was issued by the Department of State Foreign Service of the USA.

Answer: The U.S. Department of State page at http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c25862.htm indicates that "in the case of a child born overseas, the parents should apply at the American Citizens Services Unit in the country where the baby was born for a 'Consular Report of Birth Abroad,' which is the record of the birth abroad of a U.S. citizen. Under U.S. law, the document is full proof of U.S. citizenship and although not a birth certificate, may serve as a birth certificate in the U.S."

The Consulate General of the United States in Amsterdam/The Netherlands addresses "Consular Reports of Birth Abroad" on their vital statistics page at http://amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/vital_records.html. Click on the http://www.usbirthcertificate.net link to purchase a copy of the document. The tab at the top titled "US Citizens Born Abroad" will take you to the appropriate page for overseas birth records. The company provides guidance as to which form to use.

Alaskan Pictures

Question: How do I get Alaska Native photographs that are available for our presentation?

Answer: There are several places where you can find photos online that might be useful for your presentation. For historical photos (and other resources), you might want to try Alaska's Digital Archive, online at http://vilda.alaska.edu/. This includes digitized materials from several different Alaskan repositories, including the State Library and University of Alaska.

You can find additional resources at our website on royalty free and public domain materials, online at http://library.state.ak.us/is/free_images_sounds.html. I would recommend scrolling down the page to the Photos heading. In particular, you might try the first option, the Alaska Images Library.

Another good resource is the Alaska Photo Library from the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, online at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/dcrarepoext/pages/photolibrary.aspx. Many of these photos are licensed, so be sure to check for the license agreement to make sure that your use is allowed.

If you don't find what you want online, there are also some wonderful repositories within the state. Many participate with Alaska's Digital Archive, but have additional collections at their locations. You can find a list of participants with links to their copy policies and contact information at http://vilda.alaska.edu/ui/custom/default/collection/default/resources/custompages/faqs/index.php#answer5. To access their photos, you may need to go to their location and there may be associated fees. If you still don't see what you want, check out the Alaska Library Directory http://akla.org/publications/alaska-library-directory/.

Maps of Alaska

Question: I need a map showing Alaska superimposed over the lower 48.

Answer: The Alaska Information page of the Alaska Kids' Corner has a map like this at http://alaska.gov/kids/learn/information.htm.

If you're interested in other Alaska maps, here are a few places to visit:

Statewide Maps from Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys
http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/index.php?menu_link=publications&link=statewide&sub2_link=statewide

National Atlas
http://nationalatlas.gov - Do a search on Alaska to get an interesting set of maps.

If you're interesting in topographic maps of Alaska, stop by the library. We have a full set, plus several Alaska-specific atlases.

Getting Information about Alaskan communities

Question: I need information on Dillingham, Alaska.

Answer: Here is some basic information about Dillingham provided by the Alaska Community Database Online:


Dillingham

(DILL-eeng-ham); a.k.a. Curyung; Kanakanak


Current Population: 2,397 (2006 DCCED Certified Population)
Incorporation Type: 1st Class City
Borough Located In: Unorganized
Taxes: Sales: 6%, Property: 13.0 mills, Special: 10% Alcohol Tax; 10% Gaming Tax; 10% Accommodations Tax
National Flood Insurance Program Participant: Yes
Coastal Management District: Bristol Bay CRSA

This resource also provides information on Location and Climate; History, Culture and Demographics; Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care; Economy and Transportation; and Organizations with Local Offices.

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The Community Database is produced by the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs. For more extensive information about Dillingham, check out what's available through WorldCat.

Another good source of information for Alaska's community is the SLED - Alaska Communities Page. The Alaska Communities page on SLED (the Statewide Library Electronic Doorway) contains an extensive list of city, town and borough web pages. There are also links to municipal codes online.

Weather in Alaska

Question: I'm traveling to Alaska in May and am wondering how warm it will be?

Answer: Because of Alaska's vast size, the answer is "It Depends!" May in Ketchikan (rainy) is different from May in Barrow (chance of snow).

The Alaska Climate Research Center, part of the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, has a climate page with good information about specific conditions in different parts of the state. That page is at http://akclimate.org/weather/tourist/information.html.

If you know which towns in Alaska you'll be visiting, check out Alaska Community Database from our Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. The community profiles include information about climate as well has local history and demographics.