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Known as the last frontier, Alaska originally attracted explorers and people who dreamed of becoming rich during the famous gold rushes. Now, people are attracted to this beautiful state for many interesting things. Along with its beauty and size, Alaska holds a great history, world famous sites, and timeless traditions. Alaska is told to have been settled by many. Dinosaurs once roamed the Great Land, followed by bison and woolly mammoths. Archaeologists think that the first people moved across the Bering Land Bridge into northwestern Alaska more than 20,000 years ago. When the first white people came to Alaska, they met the native people called the Aleuts. The Aleuts called the mainland Alyeska, which in Aleut meant “the great land”.(Stefoff 12) In 1741, a Russian man named Alexei Chirikof was credited to be the first European to see the mainland. The name Alaska came from the Russian version of Alyeska. Many Russians and Europeans came to explore the land. Private fur-hunters made numerous voyages decimating both the sea otter and the native people. Larger fur companies were formed and the wealthy Russians took over the land. However, the disappearance of the sea otter reduced the profits of the companies. By