Alaska is connected to the world by sea through a dock terminal called the Port of Anchorage. The port is situated in the north portion of the Ship Creek, which is near the downtown of the state capital, Anchorage. Port of Anchorage facilitates the movement and shipment of basic goods to and from Alaska. Particularly, petroleum tankers usually abound at the terminal. Vessels from South Korea and Japan also frequent the port, brining along with them construction materials. On their way back to their origins, such vessels bring along refined petroleum from the oil refiners in Alaska.
The port is of course, the most active and functional port in the state. It is a known fact that in Port of Anchorage is where about 95% of overall cargo going in and out of the state of Alaska passes.
Port of Anchorage started operations in 1961. Initially, about 38,000 tons of cargo shipments moved across the single berth of the terminal in its first year. As of 2005, it is estimated that about 5 million tons of different commodities are moving across the terminal's docks annually. Expansion and modernization efforts started in 2003. By 2013, it is expected and aimed that the port would raise its size by twice and would be a full fledged global intermodal terminal to take more opportunities for growth and businesses amid an evolving global shipping industry.
