Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The city is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population. The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site describes the city by saying, “Embraced by six mountain ranges and warmed by a maritime climate, Anchorage is alive year round with adventure, recreation, seasonal festivities, sporting events and more.”

Anchorage, unlike every other large town in Alaska located south of the Brooks Range, neither fishing nor mining was the direct impetus for formation. The city grew from a coincidental choice as the site, in 1914, of a railroad construction port for the Alaska Railroad.

Anchorage's largest economic sectors include transportation, military, local and federal government, tourism, and resource extraction. Large sections of the local economy are dependent on Anchorage's geographical location and surrounding natural resources. Traditionally, Anchorage's economy has seen steady growth, while not quite as rapid as the rest of the country; it also does not experience as much repercussions during economic downturns.