Alaska

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Alaska
Alaska is a constituent state of the USA, which was admitted to the Union as the 49th state on 3 January 1959. Alaska is located in the far north-west of the North American continent and the Alaska Peninsula is the Western Hemisphere's largest peninsula. Since the 180th meridian of longitude passes through the Aleutian Islands, the westernmost part of Alaska is in the Eastern Hemisphere. So technically, Alaska is in both hemispheres. Indigenous people had inhabited Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely accepted that the region was the starting point for the first settlement of North America across the Bering land bridge. From the 18th century, the Russian Empire was the first to actively colonize the area, eventually creating Russian America, which encompassed much of the current state and supported and sustained the indigenous Alaskan Creole population. It was sold to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million due to the cost and logistical difficulties of maintaining remote ownership. The area underwent several administrative changes before it was organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. Alaska's wildlife is diverse and abundant. The Alaska Peninsula is an important habitat for fish, mammals, reptiles and birds. The bears are at the top of the food chain in Alaska. It is home to around 70% of the entire North American Brown Bear population, the largest population of Grizzly Bears, plus Black Bears and Kodiak Bears. And in winter, Polar Bears are found in the Kuskokwim Delta, Saint Matthew's Island and the southernmost part of Saint Lawrence Island.
Denali National Park

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Fairbanks

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Glacier Bay National Park

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Juneau

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Katmai National Park

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Kenai Fjords National Park

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Seward

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Talkeetna

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Wasilla

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