Alaska has a dark blue state flag with eight stars symbolizing the Big Dipper and North Star. Its coastline is longer than the continental US and it borders Canada and Russia. The three largest cities are Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. Alaska has diverse geography including over 3 million lakes, 17 of the 20 tallest mountains in North America, and active volcanoes. Popular industries include fishing, tourism, oil, mining, and timber. Famous attractions include glaciers, the northern lights, and annual events like the Iditarod and Fairbanks Ice Festival.

1. By Jenna

2. The Alaskan state flag has a dark blue
background with eight golden stars
symbolizing the Big Dipper and the
North Star.
The name “ Alaska ” comes from
the Aleut word “Alyeska ”, meaning
“The Great Land”. Alaska is
nicknamed “The Last Frontier” and
the state motto is “North to the
Future”.

3. Where is Alaska?
Alaska is in North America and borders Canada. Alaska is also 50
miles from mainland Russia. It is larger than Texas, California
and Montana combined, 591,000 sq. miles.
Alaska Geographical RegionsAlaska as part of North America

4. Sean Parnell is the governor of
Alaska. The governors mansion
is located in Juneau, Alaska’s
state capital.
By population, the three
largest cities in Alaska
are Anchorage, Juneau
and Fairbanks.
According to the U. S. Census
Bureau, Alaska has a
population of 731,449 and
ranks 47th in the United States.
Governor, Capitol and Population

5. Alaska’s State Symbols
The Alpine Forget-me-not
is the state flower. The Sitka Spruce is
the state tree.
The official state sport
is dog mushing.
Jade is the state gem.
Gold is the state mineral.
The state bird is the
Willow Ptarmigan.

6. Alaska’s Geography
Alaska Topographical Map Alaska Physical Features
Alaska’s coastline is longer than the coastline of the continental United States.
Alaska has 3 million lakes. Lake Lliamna , the largest fresh water lake, is the size
of Connecticut. Alaska has 17 of the 20 highest mountains in North America, Mt.
McKinley is the highest. The longest river is the Yukon and the largest island is
Kodiak. Alaska also has active volcanoes, most on the Alaska Peninsula and the
Aleutian Islands.

7. Industry and Agriculture
Alaska’s main industries are fishing, tourism, oil, mining and timber.
Agriculture is mostly for local use. Seafood exporting is how Alaska
makes most of it’s cash.

8. Famous People of Alaska
Joseph Juneau and Richard Harris made Alaska’s first
major gold discovery around 1880. The state capital is
named after Joseph Juneau.
Nell Scott was sworn in as Alaska’s
first woman legislator in 1937.
In 1937, Jack London spent
the winter in the Yukon.
From his experiences, he
wrote the books “Call of the
Wild” and “White Fang”.
In 2006, Sarah Palin was the youngest person and first
woman to be elected Governor of Alaska. In 2008 she ran
for Vice President along with John McCain for President.

9. Visiting Anchorage
Anchorage has a lot of things to do. It is located in the Southcentral Region of
Alaska . The best time to visit is late May through September. The Anchorage
Museum and the Alaska Native Heritage Center cost about $12 each. You can go
on a Glacier Viewing Day Cruise for about $100. The annual Iditarod Dog Sled
Race starts the first weekend of March and lasts 6 days. Race tours cost from
$1000 to $3000 depending on the number of days.

10. Visiting Juneau
Juneau , the state capital, is located in the Inside Passage of the Southeast
Region of Alaska. The best time to visit is late May through early September.
You can go on a Glacier Bay Whale Watch/Mendenhall Glacier combo tour for
around $125. For $29 you can get an all day unlimited ride ticket for the Mt.
Roberts Tramway which takes you up 1,800 feet to a Native American center
with Totem Poles and a restaurant.

11. Visiting Fairbanks
Fairbanks is located in the Interior Region of Alaska. It is
one of the best places to see the Aurora Borealis, known
as the “Northern Lights”. They are created by solar
particles colliding with atmospheric gases to make the
colors in the sky. The best time to see the “Northern
Lights” is late November to March. Tour packages cost
about $1400 for 5 days

12. Fairbanks Ice Festival
The annual Fairbanks Ice Festival takes place
from the end of February through March. On
display there are ice sculptures in lots of
shapes and sizes. Artists from all over the
globe compete. To attend the exhibits, it costs
$10 a day or $25 for a season pass.

13. Conclusion
I think Alaska is a great state because it has perfect summer weather, it’s
not hot! There are so many places to visit and things to do. You can go on
wildlife tours and glacier tours. You can visit museums and learn about
Native American culture and see artifacts. Best of all , I think the “Northern
Lights” are totally gorgeous!
What made this a special place for me to research is that my parents
went to Alaska for their Honeymoon and had a great time. Right now our
family is saving up for a big trip for the four of us to visit Alaska. The thing I
would like to do the most would be to see the Aurora Borealis, but we will
need to go during the summer. My next two favorite attractions would be
a Glacier/Whale Watch tour and to ride the Mt. Roberts Tramway up 1,800
feet .

14. Bibliography
Works Cited
"Alaska Info for Kids." Alaska Kids' Corner, State of Alaska. State of Alaska, n.d. Web. Mar.-
Apr. 2013.
"Glaciers." Anchorage, Alaska Vacation, Tourism & Travel Information. Anchorage Big Wild
Life, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.
"Ice Sculpture with Ice Art Alaska." Ice Sculpture World Championships Held in Fairbanks
Alaska. Ice Sculpture World, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2013.
"In the News-World Ice Art Championship." IceAlaska. BP, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2013.
"Mt. Roberts Tramway." Juneau Alaska. State of Alaska, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2013.
"Northern Lights In Alaska." Northern Lights Alaska: Where & How To View The Aurora
Borealis In Alaska. State of Alaska, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
"Travel Alaska - Alaska Regional Maps and Places to Go." Travel Alaska - Alaska Regional
Maps and Places to Go. State of Alaska, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

15. Conclusion

17. THE END