Alaska

Alaska (IPA: /əˈlɒs.kə/, Russian: Аляска) is a state of the United States of America that is located in the extreme northwest portion of North America, west of Canada. It is the largest U.S. state in terms of area (by a substantial margin), along with being one of the wealthiest and most racially diverse.[2]

The area that became Alaska was purchased from Russian interests on October 18, 1867 for $7 Million. The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory in 1912 and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name "Alaska" is derived from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland", or more literally "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed".

Alaska does not border any U.S. state; it abuts the Yukon and British Columbia, Canada, to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

Alaska has the largest land area of any U.S. state at 570,380 square miles (1,477,277 km²) and is over twice as large as Texas, the next largest state.

Because the state is so large, its geographical characteristics vary widely by region. Southcentral Alaska, the state's southern coastal region, contains Anchorage (Alaska's largest city) and most of the state's population. Southeast Alaska is home to several mid-size towns (including the state capital Juneau), tidewater glaciers, and extensive forests. Southwest Alaska is largely coastal, sparsely populated, and unconnected to the road system; it is known for wet and stormy weather, tundra landscapes. The Alaska Interior is marked by large braided rivers and Arctic tundra lands and shorelines. The Aleutian Islands that extend west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula contain many active volcanoes. The North Slope is known for its oil reservoirs and extreme climate. The Alaskan Bush is a general term encompassing any remote part of the state.

With its numerous islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (54,720 km) of tidal shoreline. Alaska is home to 3.5 million lakes of 20 acres (8 ha) or larger. Marshlands and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (487,747 km²) (mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands). Frozen water, in the form of glacier ice, covers some 16,000 square miles (41,440 km²) of land and 1,200 square miles (3,110 km²) of tidal zone.

The Inside Passage is Alaska's biggest cruise destination, but popular cruises also visit Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

Passengers are treated to heroic, historic and romantic scenery, plus sightings of Alaska's most majestic wildlife: whales, bald eagles and bears.

Round-trip passengers on one-week Alaska cruises embark at Seattle, Wash., or in Vancouver, British Columbia. The routes usually run the length of the Inside Passage and back.

One-way passengers often board at Seattle or Vancouver and travel as far as Seward or Whittier, Alaska. Once they're back on land, they board a bus, train or car for their further travel and usually fly home from Anchorage or Fairbanks. The trip is also made in reverse for south-bound travelers.

Where the ships go
The Inside Passage is also known as the Panhandle and as simply "Southeast."

The main ports of call are Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Skagway, along with Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Prince William Sound, tucked into the underbelly of Alaska, holds abundant wildlife and glaciers, including Columbia Glacier. Cruises heading to Whittier travel through part of the Sound.

Cruises in the Gulf of Alaska visit Seward and Kodiak.

Bering Sea cruises call at Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Nome and the Pribilof Islands.

Alaska has lots of attractions and few people

The islands and towns of the southeastern panhandle are most easily reached by commuter plane. You can drive only to Skagway or to Haines via the Alaska Highway. Alaska Marine Highway ferries travel from Bellingham, Washington, or Prince Rupert, Canada, to Sitka, Juneau and Haines with numerous stops at many of the shoreline communities. They can be a very convenient means of transportation between the seaside towns along the panhandle.

There are four ways to get to Alaska from the continental United States: air, boat, train or car. Although Juneau is the state capitol, most flights go in and out of Fairbanks or Anchorage, since they are larger and provide easy access to more of the state. There are daily direct flights from most major cities in the "lower 48" states. Within the state, there are frequent commuter flights between cities plus charter helicopters and small planes providing transportation to the more remote locations.