JUNEAU

city and borough, capital (since 1900) of Alaska, U.S., in the southeastern part of the state, on the Gastineau Channel. Sheltered from the Pacific by a belt of islands 75 mi (120 km) wide, it lies at the foot of Mts. Roberts (3,600 ft ) and Juneau (3,576 ft). It was settled in 1880 when gold was discovered by Joe Juneau and Richard Harris. Mining was important until the Alaska-Juneau gold mine closed in 1944. Fishing, forestry, and government activities then became the economic mainstays, augmented by tourism. Juneau is connected with the Alaska Highway by ferry through the Haines Cut-Off. Winter snowfall seldom accumulates more than a foot, and the port is ice-free. It is the site of a campus of the University of Alaska (1972) and of the Alaska State Museum (1900). Mendenhall Glacier is 13 mi north, with Glacier Bay National Park to the northwest. In 1970 Juneau merged with Douglas, on an island across the channel, to form the largest city in the U.S., with an area of 3,108 sq mi (8,050 sq km). Pop. (1990) 26,751.