Alaska (Russian America)

Alaska (: Аляска, Alyaska), officially known as the Alaskan Democratic Federative Republic (Аляскинская Демократическая Федеративная Республика, Alyaskinskaya Demokraticheskaya Federativnaya Respublika), and commonly abbreviated as the ADFR (АДФР); is a located along the  region of. The nation is a comprised of 18 Governorates of Alaska:governorates:0 which are bordered by Borealia:0:0 and the United States:0:0 to the east, Mexico:0:0 to the south, and the Russia:Russian Federation:0 west of the.

The territory of modern day Alaska was initially an integral part of the (with the territory being acquired from  and the ). Russian America:0:0 developed throughout the as an invaluable region of the empire, due in no small feat to the numerous  within the region. By the and the subsequent, Alaska became an independent nation. Following a decade of Alaskan Wars:instability and war:0, an United States:American-styled:0 was established. Alaska would play a key role during the as a  between the two.

Alaska is unique in that it's both the only nation in the to have an  majority and the only nation outside the former Soviet Union:0:0 to have a. Much like its neighbors across the, Alaska is a. Those of, , , , , and descent currently make up the biggest demographics within the nation.

Etymology
The name Alaska is derived from the алахсхаӄ (alaxsxaq), which figuratively referred to the  (as opposed to the ). The word literally translates as "the object to which the action of the sea is directed." The Aleut name was translated into as Аляска (Alyaska). Though the name was originally used solely for the, the Russia:0:0ns gradually adopted the word as a colloquial/poetic name for all of Russia's Russian America:North American territory:0.

History

 * Main articles: and Timeline:0:0

Russian Expansion


Under the leadership of throughout the early 1800s, the  began to solidify their power within the  of  by means of  and expansion. Their most ambitious goal of expanding into the was achieved in 1812 when  (under the support of Baranov) established a base of operations along the. Early enthusiasm by both Baranov and Kuskov helped to encourage further settlement in the region. While most early settlers were initially rs and employees of the, it would soon become populated by settlers from the  of the Russian Empire (including criminals and exiles).

The growing Russian presence brought inevitable tensions with (who held initial claims to the territory). Russians justified their claims on the grounds that they were well north of Spain's northernmost port and that no other Europeans settlements had been established prior to the Russians. With the ongoing across, Spanish ships were ordered to remove the Russian settlers from the region. Despite hopes of a simple operation, fishermen spotted the ships approaching and alerted the colony. The subsequent Battle of Fort Ross:battle:0 ended with the colonists able to defend Fort Ross and forced the Spanish ships to retreat. Once the word reached about the unprovoked attack by Spain, the Russian Empire Russo-Spanish War:declared war:0.



The war between Russia and Spain would continue for another three years, with most of the fighting taking place in. The conflict soon turned in favor of the Russians as Mexico:0:0 established an alliance with the Russian Empire (both sides wanting the Spanish out). The Treaty of Saint Petersburg marked the formal end to the fighting in 1825. The treaty stipulated Spain was to relinquish its claims to the over to Russia. Mexico voluntarily gave up any claims to the Ross Colony, and years later would agreed to sell Sonoma:additional territory:0. Along with the and the, the Russo-Spanish War further established the Russian Empire as a.

Relations with the and the United States:0:0 became mixed throughout the early. The USA reluctantly abandoned their goals of expanding to the and would soon look elsewhere. Following the, Russia became a mediator between Mexico and the US in resolving the situation peacefully. But following the and new tensions with the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire began to organize its territories in North America. The governing of the colonies were removed from the and Russian America:0:0 was organized into three integral : Kodiak:Alaska:0, New Russia:0:0 (New Archangel:0:0), and Oregon:0:0 (Ross:0:0).

Gold Rushes


The in 1848 effectively changed the region as people from around the world rushed to the region to get rich. The influx of new settlers into the region prompted the Russian Empire to establish the Sonoma:Sonoma Oblast:0 in 1850. The once minor settlement of Ross:0:0 quickly grew into a major city on the. Other settlements would arise within the region; including Vladikaskady:0:0,, , and.

The wave of immigration also helped to push infrastructural projects within the region. Among the most noted was the construction of the line, which was also proposed as an alternative to the many failed s at the time. Construction on the joint Russian-American-British project began in 1865, with the project being a symbolic failure after the announcement of a successful in 1867. Despite the setbacks, the project continued as an Imperial connection, with the project being completed in 1872. The subsequent monetary problems within the British colonies in the area prompted them to Columbia Purchase:sell the colonies:0 to the Russian Empire in 1872.

Additional projects were the construction of the first in the 1880s and the railway system connection Ross:0:0 and the northernmost settlements for the first time. The new inter-connectivity helped further populate the north (as access to raw materials was easier for stable living). Once minor fishing and fur trading settlements like Nikolayevsk-Amerikansky:0:0, Nooshagak:0:0, and began to industrialize themselves in order to sell their products more quickly with the southern settlements and beyond.



The northern portions of Russian America:0:0 would expand further following the discovery of several gold mines across the region by the. A new wave of immigration and infrastructural expansion began across Russian America. The use of railroads helped to keep the region active, but most still relied heavily on s to keep connection between the gold regions and the railroad hubs farther south.

Independence
Throughout its existence, the colonists of Russian America:0:0 had viewed their isolation from the as both a blessing and a curse. It was during this time that a separate Alaskan identity had developed and calls for greater autonomy began to become louder. Such movements only became more pronounced in the early as Alaska's place within the globe became more active. This became apparent during the Russo-Japanese War:0:0, where Russian Americans bore the brunt of the fighting against Japan:0:0 (becoming Alaska's first major war since the Russo-Spanish War:0:0 a century before). Despite their victory in the war, a broke out across the Empire (among the rebels included Alaskans). Tsar would reluctantly agree to give Russian America more autonomy, though hopes of establishing a  were quickly ignored. Under the reforms, Russian America was allowed to have a  (the General Congress of Alaska:state duma:0), though the Tsar retained the power to dissolve the body at will (which took place following the first election).



It was only during the chaos of that independence became a reality. The Alaskan Republic:0:0 was declared on March 8, 1917. Despite several failed efforts to recapture their colonies, the monarchy was overthrown in November the same year (leading to the collapse of the Russian Empire). The new Communist government of Russia, led by, formally recognized Alaska's independence. Ironically, the collapse of the Russian Empire only brought more conflict within Alaska. The influx of quickly conflicted with the original settlers.

The internal fighting resulted in the breakup of the Alaskan Republic, resulting in Alaskan Wars:decades of war:0. The south was dominated by, among them including the English Alaskans:Doug-controlled:0 nation of Columbia:0:0 (which sought to be either reincorporated into the United Kingdom:British Empire:0 or gain statehood in the United States:0:0). The northern nations were much more radical, with continued fighting between the [now] White-controlled Alaskan Republic (headed by ) and the communist Alaskan Socialist Republic:0:0. Fighting between the Reds and the Whites came to a halt following the death of Nicholas the Younger in 1929 and the subsequent which brought a fully democratic government into power.



Under the leadership of Mikhail Luchkovich:0:0, the newly democratized Alaskan Republic:0:0 began talks to reunite Alaska as a single nation. Unification talks were accelerated following the and culminated into the temporary "" weeks later between the Alaskan Republic and the Oregon:Oregonian Republic:0. A formal constitution was adopted in 1931, at which point Luchkovich was elected as the nation's President of Alaska:first president:0. Columbia:Commonwealth of Columbia:0 and the Sonoma:Sonoman People's Republic:0 rejoined Alaska in 1934 and 1935 (respectively). The administrations of Luchkovich and his successor,, established an uneasy truce with the Alaskan Socialist Republic:0:0 (which Luchkovich hoped would peacefully be reunited with Alaska). Following the of the Soviet Union:0:0 in 1941, conflict resumed with the ASR. The Communist government quickly collapse following the capture of Nooshagak:0:0 in 1942, resulting the complete reunification of Alaska. A new constitution was adopted following the election of in 1945.

Government and Politics


The Alaskan Democratic Federative Republic is a and a. The President of Alaska:0:0 is elected every six-years using an (one of the few nations to use this process of selecting a leader), where electors are  elected by the citizens of the nation. The president is elected to serve a single six-year term in office, being barred from ever holding the office following their tenure. The current President is the former governor of the Far North:0:0,, who was Alaskan Presidential Election, 2015:elected on July 28, 2015:0.

The General Congress of Alaska:General Congress:0 is the  of Alaska, comprised of the Senate  and the State Duma. Each Governorates of Alaska:governorate:0 is entitled to five senators each within the Senate, while deputies of the State Duma are tallied based on the population of each governorate. Both chambers are headed by a Chairman, who is elected among their peers. Diana Feinstein:0:0 is the current Chairman of the Senate, while is the current Chairman of the State Duma. Because Alaska does not have a, the Chairman of the Senate is second in line in the event the President of Alaska can no longer serve the office.

Alaskan politics are currently dominated by : the Evergreens:0:0 and the  Movement for Peace and Freedom:0:0. A third political party, the English Alaskans:Doug minority:0 Civil Alliance:0:0, currently plays a minor role in both chambers of the General Congress and local elections.

Administrative Divisions


The Alaskan Democratic Federative Republic is a comprised of 18 Governorates of Alaska:governorates:0 (: губернии, gubernii; singular: губерния, guberniya). Under the constitution, each governorate is a sovereign entity which retain control over internal affairs, yet are united under a unified nation. The national capita, New Archangel:0:0 is an within the governorate of Sitka:0:0.

Most of the contemporary governorates were established throughout the to allow for more regional governments. The most recent to gain "governoratehood" was the Far North:0:0 in 1994 (prior to which it was an incorporated territory). Alaska is also one of the few nations to have in. Known as Alexander Land:0:0, this territory was inherited from the and is overlapped by competing claims by, , Russia:0:0 (which claims the exact same strip of land), and the United Kingdom:0:0.

Ethnography


As with many of the nations of the, Alaska is a. The majority of Alaskans can trace their ancestries back to the various ethnic groups of the, with being dominant. Those of currently make up the largest single group within Alaska, followed closely by those of. Other prominent Slavic groups include:, , , , , and. Those of and  descent currently form the largest non-Slavic group to have immigrated from the Russian Empire. Other such prominent groups include:, , , , , and. Due to the predominance of the within Alaska, the many Orthodox immigrants to the New World often chose to settle in Alaska over other areas. These groups include:, , , , , and.



Central Alaska (most notably within Columbia:0:0) are populated mostly by those of and  descent. Many can trace their ancestry back to the original to the region during the early. Despite the area being Columbia Purchase:sold to Russia in 1872:0, many of the British settlers remained in the area and developed in a distinctive group of people known as the English Alaskans:Dougs:0 (which currently make up a fourth of Alaska's population). It was during the latter half of the 19th Century that, , and began to immigrate to Alaska, settling mostly within New Russia:0:0 (which has often been compared to ). also chose to settle across Alaska, which also included many. Though not as numerous, and  have also settled within Alaska (mostly along the border of their respective countries).

currently make up the largest non-European group within Alaska, with those of descent making up the largest single group. Other prominent peoples of this group include:, , , and. A small number of have settled in Alaska, with most tracing their ancestry back to  from the United States:0:0. Despite the mostly immigrant population, currently make up roughly one-twentieth of the population (with most non-native Alaskans having some traces of native ancestry). Currently, and  make up the largest groups.

Languages
The Alaskan Democratic Federative Republic formally does not recognize any. The is understood (either fluently or natively) by the vast majority of Alaskans. This makes Alaska the only in the, as well as the only American nation not to use the  (instead using the ).



The often considered the second language of Alaska, with most Alaskans being able to understand English basics. The central Alaskan Governorates of Alaska:governorates:0 of Columbia:0:0, the Queen Charlotte Islands:0:0, and Vancouver Island:0:0 officially recognize English at the gubernial level; and generally contain large number of native English-speakers. ,, and are often used within southern Alaska, while , , and  are often used within northern Alaska.

Aleutia:0:0 is the only governorate to formally recognize three languages gubernially:, , and (making Aleutia the only governorate to recognize a Native Alaskan language). Though not officially recognized; is mostly understood in Bering:0:0 and the Far North:0:0;  in Sitka:0:0 and Tongass:0:0, and  in Shelikof:0:0.

Religion
According to the constitution, Alaska is a which promotes the  and secures the rights and securities of all religious practices within the nation. Culturally and demographically, Alaska is a, with all major denominations being worshiped. The is the single largest organization, making Alaska the only Orthodox majority country in the. Eastern Orthodoxy was first introduced during the by the expanding Russian Empire:0:0. As part of the empire, Russian America:0:0 would be controlled by the. The church would play a key role in the development of Russian America until their independence in 1917. Today, all Alaskan lands are under the control of the Orthodox Church in Alaska:0:0 (OCA). Unlike their colonial predecessor, the OCA also incorporates, , , and traditions (among others).



make up the second-largest Christian group in Alaska and hold dominance in the central, an-dominated Governorates of Alaska:governorates:0. United States:American:0 and United Kingdom:British:0 traders were the first to introduce Protestantism to the. Later immigration from the, , and would help cement these churches within Russian America:0:0 and contemporary Alaska. The three-largest denominations (in order) are, , and. Outside of Protestantism, and  (s and s) are also prominent.

currently make up the third-largest Christian group. Unlike their continental neighbors, most Alaskan Catholics belong to the. Greek Catholicism was first introduced by during the early. The is the fourth-largest Christian group and is prominent along the border with Borealia:0:0.

currently make up the largest non-Christian group in Alaska. Most Alaskan Jews emigrated from the ( and Ukraine:0:0) after. ,, , , , and dominate much of the non-Christian and non-Jewish population. According to the 2007 Census, roughly a fifth of Alaskans describe themselves as being either, , , and/or.