The interior, Alaska's Central Region.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: REGIONAL REVIEW

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

As its name signifies, Alaska's Interior region occupies the very core of the state. The region geographically sits between the Brooks and Alaska ranges, where it is home to a breathtaking landscape. The Interior is renowned for its beautiful display of northern lights, effervescent mineral springs and Mount McKinley--North America's highest peak.

Another important element of the Interior is the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, which transports crude oil from the North Slope down to Valdez. The trans-Alaska oil pipeline traverses 800 miles of rugged mountains, rivers and tundra, crossing the Brooks, Alaska and Chugach ranges. It carries about 15 percent of the nation's domestic oil production. The above-ground section of the pipeline is a popular attraction for tourists visiting Fairbanks, the region's chief city.

In terms of climate, Interior Alaska is well known for its wide variance in temperatures. Situated just below the Arctic Circle, the region's weather ranges from virtually hot to freezing cold. Temperatures in Fairbanks, for example, can reach the upper 80s in the summer and plummet under -40 during winter. The Interior also has long days in the summer. At the summer solstice, Fairbanks has 24 hours of daylight and bright twilight.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

FAIRBANKS, THE REGIONAL HUB

Fairbanks is the main population center of the Interior region and the second-largest metropolitan area in the state. It is home to about 35,000 people. The Fairbanks North Star Borough, populated mainly of Fairbanks and North Pole, contains about 97,000 residents. Dubbed the "Golden Heart City," Fairbanks sits about 360 miles north of Anchorage. It's easily accessible from the George Parks Highway and serves as an important access point to the Interior and Arctic regions.

Fairbanks has a mixed economy primarily fueled by oil, military, government, tourism, mining and education. The city is heavily supported by the government, which helps to promote a stable economy, according to Jim Dodson, president and CEO of Fairbanks Economic Development Corp. (FEDC). "Forty-three percent of our employment is government-related," he says. "That's a good thing because government jobs help to buffer the city against normal economic activity."

Compared to the rest of the state and country, Fairbanks' economy "isn't doing too badly," says Alaska Department of Labor Economist Alyssa Shanks. However, she says the city is experiencing losses in a number of sectors, including construction, hospitality and...