Alaska Travel Guide

Alaska is a relatively young state. It was purchased as the Alaska Territory from Russia in the 19th century and was founded as a state from the Alaska Territory on Jan. 3, 1959. It is the 49th U.S. state. The flag of Alaska has gold stars on a blue background. Blue represents the sky and sea, the 7 stars form the Great Bear constellation, and the eighth, the Pole Star, symbolizes the fact that Alaska is the most northern of the states. In Alaska there are other things to remember. The state flower is the forget-me-not and the state bird is the ptarmigan. 

Alaska is called the last frontier (The Last Frontier) because of its remoteness, or country of Midnight Sun (The Land of the Midnight Sun) because of the polar day in summer when the sun shines all day and night. 

Alaska Area - 656.5 thousand square miles; the population - about 627 thousand people. The economy of the state is based primarily on seafood and oil. Natural gas, silver, lead and gold are also important. One of the main income sources for Alaska is tourism: unforgettable landscape, rich fauna, a great number of national parks, nature reserves and tourist sites attract many visitors from all over the world. Finally, Alaska hosts a number of important military installations and facilities.

What to see:

National Parks
In the United States there are a great number of nature reserves or national parks, much of which the acreage is located in the state of Alaska. The premiere park is Denali National Park - located on Mount McKinley (the highest mountain in North America, a height of about 6 thousand meters). In a huge area of the reserve there is a major sub arctic ecosystem with authentic inhabitants (grizzly bears, wolves, moose, etc.). The reserve is one of the oldest in America - it was founded 26 Feb., 1917. In 1976 it was included in the international biosphere reserve (international biosphere reserve). The Brooks Range is also the site of a huge Arctic Preserve.

Kenai Fjords National Park - This is a park with impressive ice landscapes, located in the south-eastern Kenai Peninsula. Fjords have long depressions caused by precipitous glaciers' walls of ice, filled with water. Fiord glaciers rise above the platform at a height of one and a half kilometers. They provide a memorable view of the entire reserve. Stunner! 

Also in Alaska are the Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Big Delta State Historical Park, Caines Head State Recreation Area, Chena River State Recreation Area, Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Chugach State Park and many other reserves. 

Leisure
Alaska is a paradise for lovers of active leisure. Travel companies in that state are happy to offer you rafting, ice fishing, rafting kayaking, a trip by bus to the habitats of bears, a journey by helicopter over a national state park, and much more. 

Cruises
One of the most popular sports in Alaska is cruising or taking a Cruise. During your trip you will see breathtaking views of wildlife, enjoy great cuisine, and see various forms of entertainment. The cruise-liners stop in several cities (depending on route). A very popular weekly route is called the Gulf of Alaska, and includes stops in Glacier Bay National Park, the cities of Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. 

Capital - the city of Juneau: named after a French Canadian trapper, Joe Juneau.

Monument Petsi Ann - is a dog breed called bulldog. She came to the city as a puppy in the 1930's, and she had been deaf from birth, but somehow she heard the sound of approaching ships, and always met them at the port. She was never wrong and always resorted to the correct dock. In 1934, the mayor of the city gave her the title of "Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska", which was her life. Petsi Ann has become a symbol of the city, the image is printed on card stock. A local writer, Carl Berrouz, even published a book called "Patsy Ann". Petsi Anne won the hearts of the inhabitants of the city for her integrity, dignity and dedication to her cause as the Official Greeter. She died March 30, 1942, and many people gathered to hold a ceremony for her last journey. Fifty years later, her statue was installed on the quay, as a symbol of kindness and friendship. 

Alaska State Museum - founded in 1900, in order to preserve the sights of the state. In 1975 it was accredited by the American Association of Museums. The museum collects and disseminates information about the history of the state, its population and natural resources, but also contributes to the development of other museums in the territory of Alaska. 

The Sheldon Jackson Museum was founded in 1888. There is ample material on the ethnic people of Alaska, most of which was collected by the Presbyterian missionary and an agent of educational mission, Dr. Sheldon Jackson. The museum is located in a unique building in Sitka - the first brick building in Alaska (added to the National Register of Historic places in 1972). Sheldon Jackson provided boarding school for generations of tribal children in an effort to aid their integration into the rapidly changing cultural world of the white man.