ANCHORAGE [Anchorage] , city (1990 pop. 226,338), Anchorage census div., S central Alaska, a port at the head of Cook Inlet; inc. 1920. It is the largest city in the state, the administrative and commercial heart of S central and W Alaska, one of the nation's key defense centers, and a vital transportation hub. Glenn Highway connects the city to the Alaska Highway and the Parks Highway. The international airport is a regular stop on intercontinental and transpolar flights. The city includes two U.S. military bases, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base. Anchorage is also the headquarters for the major oil and gas companies in Alaska. With oil discoveries in Cook Inlet in the late 1950s, and the discovery of massive petroleum and natural gas reserves in the Prudhoe Bay region in 1968, the population has more than quadrupled. Tourism has also increased dramatically, largely due to improvements in transportation and the creation of numerous national parks.