Alaska is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North
America.
A semi-exclave of the U.S., it borders the Canadian province of British Columbia and
the territory of Yukon to the east and shares a maritime border with the Russian Federation's
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug to the west, just across the Bering Strait.
To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort seas of the Arctic Ocean, while the Pacific
Ocean lies to the south and southwest.
Alaska is by far the largest U.S. state by area, comprising more total area than the
next three largest states (Texas, California, and Montana) combined.
It represents the seventh largest subnational division in the world.
It is the third-least populous and the most sparsely populated state but by far the continent's
most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel, with a population of
736,081 as of 2020—more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and
Greenland.
Approximately half of Alaska's residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area.
The state capital of Juneau is the second-largest city in the United States by area, comprising
more territory than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware.
The former capital of Alaska, Sitka, is the largest U.S. city by area.
Alaska is best known for glaciers, national parks, the vast wilderness, Northern lights,
midnight sun, and cruises.
Alaska is one of the most expensive states to live in.
Most of its cities and towns consistently have a cost of living that is more expensive
than the national average.
And yet, with its magnificent scenery and outdoor adventures, moving to Alaska remains
the goal for many.
So don't give up your “final frontier” dream.
Many believe that Alaska only has two weather conditions: cold and freezing cold.
Contrary to popular beliefs, Alaska is pretty warm in the winter season (May to September).
Temperatures can warm up from 70°F to 100°F, depending on the location.
Alaska has some of the best hunting and fishing anywhere in the world.
If hunting and fishing are two of your favorite pastimes, you've come to the right place.
Alaska offers some of the most unique hunting and fishing opportunities in the world.
There are a lot of job opportunities available, but unless you have unlimited funds, having
secure employment in place is a must before you make the move to Alaska.
Despite low levels of concern, 52% of Alaskans feel safe in their state, which is lower than
the national average of 55%.
And while most Alaskans (63%) believe crime is on the rise, this state's residents are
more likely to think that crime is decreasing overall compared to the national sentiment.
Between its great lakes and seas, Alaska is home to 48 species of fish, making it an angler's
paradise, fish, Reindeer sausage, King crab, yak meat, fresh oysters, Wild berries, Fry
bread, and Akutaq.
Alaska is one of five Pacific states in the United States especially vulnerable to tsunamis,
which can be triggered by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, or onshore
landslides.
Russia offered to sell Alaska to the United States in 1859, believing the United States
would off-set the designs of Russia's greatest rival in the Pacific, Great Britain.
The spring and fall months in Alaska offer unique opportunities and lower prices.
In our opinion, the best time to travel to Alaska is in June, July, and August.
The best month to visit Alaska in July when travelers will experience the best combination
of weather and wildlife.
Alaska has been home to various indigenous peoples for thousands of years; it is widely
believed that the region served as the entry point for the initial settlement of North
America by way of the Bering land bridge.
The Russian Empire was the first to actively colonize the area beginning in the 18th century,
eventually establishing Russian America, which spanned most of the current state.
The expense and difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted its sale
to the U.S. in 1867 for US$7.2 million (equivalent to $140 million in 2021), or approximately
two cents per acre ($ 4.74-kilometer square).
The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory
on May 11, 1912.
It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.
While it has one of the smallest state economies in the country, Alaska's per capita income
is among the highest, owing to a diversified economy dominated by fishing, natural gas,
and oil, all of which it has in abundance.
United States armed forces bases and tourism are also a significant part of the economy;
more than half the state is federally owned public land, including a multitude of national
forests, national parks, and wildlife refuges.
The indigenous population of Alaska is proportionally the highest of any U.S. state, at over 15
percent.
Close to two dozen native languages are spoken, and Alaskan Natives exercise considerable
influence in local and state politics Regions.
There are no officially defined borders demarcating the various regions of Alaska, but there are
six widely accepted regions: NUMBER 1, is South Central Alaska is the most populous
region of Alaska, containing Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and the Kenai Peninsula.
Rural, mostly unpopulated areas south of the Alaska Range and west of the Wrangell Mountains
also fall within the definition of South Central, as do the Prince William Sound area and the
communities of Cordova and Valdez.
NUMBER 2, is Southeast Alaska also referred to as the Panhandle or Inside Passage, this
is the region of Alaska closest to the contiguous states.
Where most of the initial non-indigenous settlements occurred in the years following the Alaska
Purchase.
The region is dominated by the Alexander Archipelago, as well as the Tongass National Forest, the
largest national forest in the United States.
It contains the state capital Juneau, the former capital Sitka, and Ketchikan, at one
time Alaska's largest city.
The Alaska Marine Highway provides a vital surface transportation link throughout the
area and country, as only three communities (Haines, Hyder, and Skagway) enjoy direct
connections to the contiguous North American road system.
NUMBER 3, is Alaska Interior is the largest region of Alaska; much of it is uninhabited
wilderness.
Fairbanks is the only large city in the region.
Denali National Park and Preserve are also located in Alaska.
Denali, formerly Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain in North America.
NUMBER 4, Southwest Alaska is a sparsely inhabited region stretching some 500 miles inland from
the Bering Sea.
Most of the population lives along the coast.
Kodiak Island is also located in the Southwest.
The massive Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, is one of the largest river deltas in the world.
Portions of the Alaska Peninsula are considered part of the Southwest, with the remaining
portions included with the Aleutian Islands.
NUMBER 5, Alaska North Slope is mostly tundra peppered with small villages.
The area is known for its massive reserves of crude oil and contains both the National
Petroleum Reserve–Alaska and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.
The city of Utqiaġvik, formerly known as Barrow, is the northernmost city in the United
States.
However, the respective Inupiat of the North Slope and of the Northwest Arctic seldom consider
themselves to be one people.
NUMBER 6, Aleutian Islands More than 300 small volcanic islands make up this chain, which
stretches more than 1,200 miles into the Pacific Ocean.
Some of these islands fall in the Eastern Hemisphere, but the International Date Line
was drawn west of 180° to keep the whole state and the entire North American continent.
Two of the islands, Attu and Kiska, were occupied by Japanese forces during World War II.
Alaska is not divided into counties, as most of the other U.S. states, but it is divided
into boroughs.
Delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional
county system and adopted their own unique model.
Many of the more densely populated parts of the state are part of Alaska's 16 boroughs,
which function somewhat similarly to counties in other states.
However, unlike county equivalents in the other 49 states, the boroughs do not cover
the entire land area of the state.
The area not part of any borough is referred to as the Unorganized Borough.
The Unorganized Borough has no government of its own, but the U.S. Census Bureau in
cooperation with the state divided the Unorganized Borough into 11 census areas solely for the
purposes of statistical analysis and presentation.
A recording district is a mechanism for the management of the public record in Alaska.
The state is divided into 34 recording districts which are centrally administered under a state
recorder.
All recording districts use the same acceptance criteria, fee schedule, for accepting documents
into the public record.
Whereas many U.S. states use a three-tiered system of decentralization—state/county/township—most
of Alaska uses only two tiers—state/borough.
Owing to the low population density, most of the land is located in the Unorganized
Borough.
As the name implies, it has no intermediate borough government but is administered directly
by the state government.
In 2000, 58% of Alaska's area has this status, with 13% of the population.
Anchorage merged the city government with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough in 1975
to form the Municipality of Anchorage, containing the city proper and the communities of Eagle
River, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Girdwood, Bird, and Indian.
Fairbanks has a separate borough (the Fairbanks North Star Borough) and municipality (the
City of Fairbanks).
Alaska has few road connections compared to the rest of the U.S.
The state's road system, covers a relatively small area of the state, linking the central
population centers and the Alaska Highway, the principal route out of the state through
Canada.
The state capital, Juneau, is not accessible by road, only a car ferry; this has spurred
debate over decades about moving the capital to a city on the road system or building a
road connection from Haines.
The western part of Alaska has no road system connecting the communities with the rest of
Alaska.
The railroad played a vital role in Alaska's development, moving freight into Alaska while
transporting natural resources southward, such as coal from the Usibelli coal mine near
Healy to Seward and gravel from the Matanuska Valley to Anchorage.
It is well known for its summertime tour passenger service.
Cities not served by road, sea, or river can be reached only by air, foot, dogsled, or
snowmachine, accounting for Alaska's extremely well-developed Bush air services—an Alaskan
novelty.
Anchorage and, to a lesser extent Fairbanks, is served by many major airlines.
Because of limited highway access, air travel remains the most efficient form of transportation
in and out of the state.
Another Alaskan transportation method is the dogsled.
In modern times, dog mushing is more of a sport than a true means of transportation.
Alaska's internet and other data transport systems are provided largely through the two
major telecommunications companies: GCI and Alaska Communications, owns and operates what
it calls the Alaska United Fiber Optic system and, as of late 2011, Alaska Communications
advertised that it has "two fiber optic paths to the lower 48 and two more across Alaska.
In January 2011, it was reported that a $1 billion project to connect Asia and rural
Alaska was being planned, aided in part by $350 million in stimulus from the federal
government.