Southcentral Alaska: home to 65 percent of the state's population.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: REGIONAL REVIEW - City overview

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Southcentral Alaska revolves around the city of Anchorage, which serves as the economic center for the state. However, the region comprises a number of other major cities, including Kenai, Soldotna, Valdez, Wasilla, Palmer, Homer, Seward and Cordova. Technically, the Southcentral region consists of the shorelines and uplands of the central Gulf of Alaska and includes the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound.

In terms of climate, the Southcentral region has relatively mild weather by Alaska standards. In Anchorage, for example, summer temperatures average 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Daylight hours range from 19 in late June to a little under six in late December. Moist air blowing from the Gulf of Alaska produces moderate rainfall during the summer and considerable snow in the winter. Each year, Anchorage receives about 16 inches of rain and 71 inches of snow.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

As Alaska's most populous city, Anchorage is home to about 285,000 people--about 42 percent of the state's residents. The city is nestled at the foot of the Chugach Mountains and has a spectacular view of Mount Susitna, which sits about 40 air miles across Cook Inlet, as well as Mount McKinley, 125 miles north.

Anchorage is a place with natural beauty, abundant wildlife and close proximity to a host of geographical wonders, including glaciers, fjords and active and inactive volcanoes. It also offers outstanding recreational activities, such as fishing, hiking, biking, boating, skiing and snowmobiling.

With its urban environment as well as rustic setting, Anchorage is a distinctive place to live and visit.

"One of the reasons people like to come here is they can get an exotic vacation that they can't get anywhere else," says Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan.

Anchorage offers all the cultural amenities and activities of the typical urban environment, but the "real" Alaska is not far away. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley--Alaska's leading agricultural area--is just minutes away. But Anchorage's biggest plus, perhaps, is its friendly people, Sullivan says. "We've got a good diverse economy, a great natural setting and great people."

DIVERSE ECONOMY

Like much of Southcentral, Anchorage's economy is driven by the oil production, tourism and commercial fishing industries. Health care, retail and the military are also important sectors of the city's economy. "We're diverse enough that if any one sector is having trouble, the others can help prop it up a bit," Sullivan says.

Anchorage is an important hub for the entire state. It...