Alaska is the biggest state in the United States. It shares a border with Canada to the east, and faces the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south and Russia across the Bering Strait to the west.
Covering an area of 663,268 square miles, Alaska is the biggest state in the United States. Its size equals the total size of the 22 smallest states in the country. It also has a longer coastline than all the other states combined. However, it is also the least populated, with just 700,000 inhabitants, of which half of these live in or around Anchorage. The capital of Alaska, however, is not Anchorage, but Juneau.
Mount Shishaldin, Alaska Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shishaldin.jpg Author: C.Nye
Alaska is the only non-contiguous U.S. state. It is separated by a distance of 500 miles (800 km) of British Columbia, Canada, from Washington State in the U.S. The name Alaska has been around since the time it was a Russian colony. The name means "mainland" in the Aleutian language. Alaska became the 49th state of the U.S. on 3 January, 1959.
Alaska is a state with breathtaking landscape. However, much of it is remote and difficult to access. The state has 34,000 miles of tidal shoreline and numerous islands, many of which uninhabited. The state also has more than three million lakes and half of all the world's known glaciers.
Misty Fjords National Monument, Alaska Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mifj_inlet.jpg Author: Zarxos
Travel to Alaska
Most of the flights to Alaska lands at Anchorage International Airport (ANC) with a fewer number at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI).
You can also arrive in Alaska by road through Canada on the Alaska Highway. Only hardy visitors take this option, as it often require days of driving thorugh rural roads, many of which are perpetually under maintenance.
To go from city to city, flying is the most practical option. There are a number of domestic carriers, the biggest of which is Alaska Airlines. Another option is to go by train. The Alaska Railroad has a service going from Seward to the North Pole, through Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks. This will certainly be an adventurous, memorable ride.
Wonder Lake at Denali National Park, with Mount McKinley in the background Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wonder_Lake,_Denali.jpg Author: BillC
Kennicott, Alaska Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kennicott_Alaska_2.jpg Author: Henry