Fairbanks

Fairbanks, city (1990 pop. 30,843), Fairbanks North Star Borough, E central Alaska, on the Chena River near its confluence with the Tanana; inc. 1903. Fairbanks is the only sizable urban center in the vast Alaskan interior. Government, mining, tourism, oil pipeline services, and lumbering are important to its economy. Gold was discovered there, in an area sparsely inhabited by Athabascan peoples, in 1902; Fairbanks boomed briefly, then grew as the Alaska RR opened the region. Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base are now central to area development. Nearby is the Univ. of Alaska. Dogsled racing draws visitors, and the city has art galleries, theaters, a symphony, museums, and other cultural institutions.

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Fairbanks

City (pop., 2000: 30,224), east-central Alaska, U.S., situated at the junction of the Tanana and Chena rivers. Founded in 1902 after a gold strike, it was named for Charles W. Fairbanks. As the northern terminus of the Alaska Highway and the railroad, it is the main supply centre for the northern Alaskan oil business (see Trans-Alaska Pipeline). Located nearby are Fort Wainwright, Eielson Air Force Base, and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (1917). Fairbanks is the site of the annual 800-mi (1,290-km) Yukon Marathon boat race and the North American Championship Sled Dog Races.

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Fairbanks¹

1. Douglas (Elton), real name Julius Ullman. 1883--1939, US film actor and producer

2. his son, Douglas, Jnr. 1909--2000, US film actor

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Fairbanks²

a city in central Alaska, at the terminus of the Alaska Highway. Pop.: 30 970 (2003 est.)