Alaska - The Last Frontier

About Alaska - The Last Frontier

Alaska, officially the State of Alaska, is located in the northwestern extremity of North America and represents America's true wilderness frontier. As the largest state by area, Alaska covers 665,384 square miles—more than twice the size of Texas and larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. Despite its massive size, Alaska ranks 48th in population with just 733,391 residents, making it one of the least densely populated places on Earth. The state capital is Juneau, uniquely accessible only by boat or plane, while Anchorage serves as the economic and cultural hub with over 40% of the state's total population.

Alaska's statehood came relatively recently on January 3, 1959, making it the 49th state admitted to the union, just months before Hawaii. The state was purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million in what was initially derided as "Seward's Folly" but later proved to be one of the greatest bargains in American history. Today, Alaska is known worldwide for its breathtaking wilderness, abundant wildlife, natural resources, northern lights, and unique blend of Native Alaskan, Russian, and American frontier cultures.

The state's geography is nothing short of spectacular and encompasses virtually every type of landscape imaginable—from Arctic tundra and boreal forests to temperate rainforests and volcanic islands. Alaska contains 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States, including Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) at 20,310 feet, the highest point in North America. The state has over 100,000 glaciers covering approximately 5% of its total area, more coastline than all other U.S. states combined at 6,640 miles, over 3 million lakes, and more than 3,000 rivers. This vast wilderness supports incredible biodiversity, including grizzly bears, black bears, polar bears, moose, caribou, wolves, bald eagles, and several species of whales and salmon.

Denali and Alaska's Spectacular Natural Wonders

Denali National Park and Preserve is Alaska's crown jewel and one of America's most iconic wilderness areas. At its center stands Denali itself, formerly known as Mount McKinley, which at 20,310 feet is not only the highest peak in North America but also one of the most prominent mountains in the world. The mountain rises approximately 18,000 feet from its base—a vertical relief greater than Mount Everest from its base. Native Alaskans have called the mountain "Denali" (meaning "The High One" or "The Great One") for thousands of years, and the name was officially restored in 2015.

Beyond Denali, Alaska contains an extraordinary collection of national parks and protected areas. The state is home to 8 national parks, 16 national wildlife refuges, 2 national forests, and numerous state parks and wilderness areas. Glacier Bay National Park protects a dynamic landscape where massive tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into the sea. Kenai Fjords National Park showcases the Harding Icefield and dramatic coastal fjords carved by glacial action. Katmai National Park is famous for its brown bears fishing for salmon at Brooks Falls, one of the world's premier wildlife viewing destinations.

Alaska's glaciers are among its most remarkable features and represent the largest concentration of glaciers in North America. The Hubbard Glacier is North America's largest tidewater glacier, actively advancing and occasionally blocking off entire fjords. The Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau is one of the most accessible and photographed glaciers in the state. These massive rivers of ice create stunning blue ice caves, dramatic calving events, and shape the landscape in real-time, offering visitors a glimpse of geological processes that formed much of North America during the last ice age.

The Northern Lights and Arctic Alaska

Alaska is one of the premier destinations in the world for viewing the aurora borealis, or northern lights—one of nature's most spectacular phenomena. Fairbanks, located just 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle, sees aurora displays on more than 200 nights per year under clear, dark skies. The lights appear as shimmering curtains of green, pink, purple, and red dancing across the night sky, created when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. The aurora viewing season runs primarily from late August through April, with peak activity during the winter months when nights are longest.

The Arctic region of Alaska presents one of the planet's most extreme environments. The North Slope, stretching from the Brooks Range to the Arctic Ocean, experiences polar conditions with temperatures that can drop below -50°F in winter. Barrow (now officially Utqiaġvik), America's northernmost settlement, experiences 67 consecutive days of polar night in winter when the sun doesn't rise above the horizon, and conversely enjoys 82 days of midnight sun in summer when the sun never sets. This dramatic seasonal variation affects all aspects of life in the Arctic.

Despite the harsh conditions, Arctic Alaska supports remarkable wildlife and ecosystems. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, covering 19.6 million acres, protects critical habitat for caribou, polar bears, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, and millions of migratory birds. The Porcupine caribou herd, numbering around 200,000 animals, undertakes one of North America's longest land migrations, traveling up to 3,000 miles annually between wintering grounds in Alaska and Canada and calving grounds on the Arctic coastal plain. The region also holds significant oil reserves, with the Prudhoe Bay oil field being North America's largest, though development continues to be balanced against environmental conservation concerns.

Alaska's Economy and Natural Resources

Alaska's economy has historically been driven by natural resource extraction, particularly oil, fishing, and mining. The petroleum industry became the economic backbone after the discovery of massive oil reserves at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 and the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in 1977, which transports crude oil 800 miles from the North Slope to the port of Valdez. Oil revenues transformed Alaska's economy and enabled the creation of the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign wealth fund now valued at over $80 billion. Every Alaska resident who has lived in the state for at least one year receives an annual dividend from this fund, which has ranged from about $900 to over $2,000 in recent years—a unique program unmatched by any other U.S. state.

The commercial fishing industry is Alaska's second-largest private sector employer and the state produces more seafood than all other U.S. states combined. Alaska's cold, pristine waters yield enormous harvests of wild salmon (five species: king, sockeye, coho, pink, and chum), halibut, cod, pollock, and crab. The Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run is the world's largest, with tens of millions of fish returning annually. The Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska support some of the world's most valuable and productive fisheries, though the work remains one of the most dangerous occupations, particularly crab fishing in the treacherous winter seas documented in the TV series "Deadliest Catch."

Tourism has grown to become a major economic driver, with over 2 million visitors annually coming to experience Alaska's natural wonders. The cruise ship industry brings hundreds of thousands of passengers through the Inside Passage to visit Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway during the summer season. Adventure tourism includes activities like bear viewing, glacier tours, fishing charters, wildlife photography, dog sledding, and mountaineering. Mining also remains significant, with Alaska producing zinc, gold, silver, and other minerals, while the state continues to hold vast untapped reserves of various resources, ensuring natural resource industries will remain important to Alaska's economy for generations to come.

Native Alaskan Heritage and Cultural Diversity

Alaska is home to the highest percentage of indigenous people of any U.S. state, with Alaska Natives comprising approximately 15% of the population. Alaska's indigenous peoples include several distinct groups with different languages, cultures, and traditions: the Iñupiat and Yup'ik Eskimos of the Arctic and western Alaska, the Athabascan peoples of Interior Alaska, the Aleuts of the Aleutian Islands, and the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples of Southeast Alaska. These cultures have thrived in Alaska for thousands of years, developing sophisticated knowledge systems and technologies for surviving and prospering in harsh northern environments.

Traditional Alaska Native subsistence practices continue today, with hunting, fishing, and gathering remaining central to cultural identity and food security in rural Alaska. Whaling by Iñupiat communities, salmon fishing along rivers throughout the state, caribou hunting, and berry gathering all follow seasonal patterns that have been practiced for millennia. Native Alaskan arts, including ivory carving, basket weaving, totem pole carving, and traditional dance and storytelling, remain vibrant cultural expressions. Major cultural centers and museums in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and throughout the state preserve and celebrate this rich heritage.

Alaska's cultural diversity extends beyond its Native heritage to include a unique blend of Russian colonial history, American frontier spirit, and modern multicultural influences. Russian Orthodox churches with distinctive onion domes still dot coastal communities, remnants of Russian America (1799-1867). The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 was landmark legislation that transferred 44 million acres of land and $963 million to Alaska Native regional and village corporations, creating a unique model of indigenous land ownership and corporate structure. This cultural richness, combined with Alaska's distinctive frontier character where self-reliance and community cooperation remain essential, creates a truly unique American experience unlike anywhere else in the country.

Major Cities in Alaska

Interesting Facts About Alaska

Neighboring Territories

Also borders: Canada (Yukon, British Columbia), Russia (across Bering Strait)