The U.S. state of Alaska is situated in the northwest side of North America, surrounded by sea (except to the east, where it borders Canada): the Beaufort Sea (north), the Chukchi Sea (northeast), the Bering Sea (west), and the Pacific (south). This state’s sparse population is distributed by the few cities, mainly in the Anchorage metropolitan area, and throughout the small villages across its territory, the largest in the United States. Alaska is a tourist destination for its spacious terrains, forests, lakes and streams with abundant wildlife, such as the brown bear in Brooks Falls, part of Katmai National Park and Preserve, as well as for its mountains ideal for skiing. The state’s ferry system (Alaska Marine Highway) is well developed to compensate the great distances across the territory.
Since Alaska has a multicultural population, having about 15% of American Indians and Alaska natives, in 2014 the state’s governor recognised 20 indigenous languages as official languages.
Thanks to its northern location, Alaska’s idyllic cold-looking landscapes are featured in many movies, and you can also marvel at them on these live streaming webcams.
Capital: Juneau
Population: approximately 740 thousand
Other cities or census-designated places: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Badger, Knik-Fairview, College
Main attractions: Denali, Kenai Fjords National Park, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Tongass National Forest, Mendenhall Glacier, Anchorage Museum, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Sitka National Historical Park, Matanuska Glacier, Hubbard Glacier, Aleutian Islands, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Major airports: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), Juneau International Airport (JNU)
