Alaska
Land of the Midnight Sun
| Alaska, the land of the midnight sun, is a world of wonders. From its southern forests to the arctic north, Alaska is thick with wildlife, mountains, fjords, and tundra. This is a land for intrepid explorers, those who dare to hike, drive, or paddle their way to sights that are unknown in the lower forty-eight states. Wildlife is everywhere, so keep your eyes open for moose or bear along the roadside. | ||||
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| Its sheer size, at one-fifth the size of the contiguous United States, explains the variety of Alaska's climate. The Inside Passage, South Central, and Southwest are relatively warm and damp, featuring wildlife such as whales, sea lions, Kodiak bears, and shorebirds. The Interior region contains magnificent mountains, including towering Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. There, at Denali National Park, are grizzly bears, caribou, Dall's sheep, and bald eagles. In the Arctic Circle, the frigid the Far North is home to frozen tundra dwellers like caribou, fox, wolves, and bears. | ||||
| Alaska's history is as diverse as its terrain. Native peoples--the Eskimo, Aleut, and Indian--live throughout Alaska in villages and cities. Russia's influence is felt everywhere, from the settlement at Kodiak Island to Sitka, on the Inside Passage. The gold rush of 1897-98 brought a boom to Skagway and sent thousands of prospectors into Alaska through Chilkoot Pass. More recently, the renowned Alaska pipeline sends oil from the fields near Prudhoe Bay south to fuel the rest of the country. |