Cook Inlet Province

Flag of the Province of Cook Inlet

History

Population

The province of Cook Inlet's population in 2045 was 11,924. Approximately half are first or second generation Japanese origin, having been settlers during the Japanese colonial era of 2007 to 2022. Ten percent are of local Native American heritage, another ten percent are survivors of the Russian airborne troop who intermarried with local women during their rule from 1985 to 2007. Most of these people fled into the interior during the Japanese occupation and returned after the UKA liberation in 2022. The remainder are more recent immigrants from all over the UKA. Very few non-native people from the pre-1985 population who remained in the region during the Japanese conquests of 2006-07 survived.

Geography

The province is divided into two geographical areas: the Anchorage Bowl, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

Matanuska-Susitna Valley The valley is an area in south central Alaska south of the Alaska Range north and northeast of Anchorage. It is over 23,000 sq mi (60,000 sq km) in size, comprising the valleys of the Matanuska and Susitna rivers. It is one of the most settled area in the former state of Alaska, and includes the towns of Wasilla , Palmer, Huston, Big Lake, Willow, and Talkeetna.

The valley and is rimmed by 3 major mountain ranges: the Alaska Range, the Talkeetna Mountains and the Chugach Mountains. Like many parts of Alaska, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley was carved by glaciers which left many small and large lakes. Both the Matanuska and Susitna rivers are major salmon spawning streams.

The Susitna, Matanuska, and Knik rivers are all very active glacial streams terminating in the silty Cook Inlet. The rivers convey large amounts of glacial silt that lends itself well to farming. The valley is one of the few areas in the Alaska that supports large scale agriculture.

The Anchorage Bowl: The Bowl is surrounded on two sides by the Cook Inlet, which extends north and then east from the Gulf of Alaska. It divides into two arms: Knik Arm on the north and Turnagain Arm on the south, with Anchorage on the peninsula between the two. Cook Inlet and its two arms are noted for their tides. With 30 to 35 feet between the high and low tides, the Inlet has the second largest range in the world after the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. The reason for this enormous tidal range is the same in Cook Inlet as in the Bay of Fundy: the length of the bay is such that the resonant frequency of the water sloshing back and forth in it is close to 12 hours, which is the frequency at which tidal forces from the moon and sun are driving it. Cook inlet is also noted for its tidal bores, which are like breaking waves rushing upchannel when the tide comes in. They are due to the fact that much of the inlet is too shallow to support normal flow of water when the tide comes in. Cook Inlet is the only place in North America where tidal bores are frequently observed. When Captain Cook explored Turnagain Arm, he observed the tidal bores, recognized the danger, and told his crew to head back out to sea. That's how Turnagain Arm got its name.

At low tide, miles of mud flats become exposed; if it were not for the occasional quicksand and possibility of tidal bores when the tide comes back in, it would be safe to walk across the entire width of the channel in some places. One would think that Turnagain Arm would be very deep because it is surrounded by mountains. However, the heavily silt-laden glacial streams drop their loads when they flow out into the calmer waters of the sea. Over the eons the silt accumulates into a mud flat which is exposed at low tide.

To the east of the peninsula, are the foot hills of the Chugach Mountains.

Significant Facilities

Provincial Facilities

Provincial Government

Royal Facilities