The 49^th state to be admitted to the Union, Alaska’s nickname succinctly captures the state’s place in America’s heart – The Last Frontier. Alaska is the largest state in the Union, at over just over 570,000 square miles, much of which is covered by serene sheets of ice. If Alaska were laid over the 48 contiguous states, its main body would cover Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado. If its westernmost point were laid over San Francisco, California, its easternmost point would lie in Jacksonville, Florida. Alaska is physically isolated from the United States proper, and is instead bordered by Canada’s Yukon Territory and British Columbia on the east. All other sides of Alaska are bordered by frigid waters: the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea and Straight, the Arctic Sea, the Beaufort and Chuckchi Seas, and the northern reaches of the Pacific Ocean.

Alaska’s physical isolation, and harsh climate contribute to its status as the 47^th least populous state in the United States. Only about 660,000 hardy souls call Alaska home. Those brave folk are mostly clustered in Anchorage, Fairbanks, in Alaska’s interior, and Juneau. Alaska’s population, for being so small, is actually quite diverse. Indeed, it is one of the most diverse states in the union: about 75% percent of its residents are white, 19% are Native American or Native Alaskan, 5% are Asian, and 4% are African American.

Alaska’s economy isn’t diverse, but it does support a high median income for its residents: almost $55,000 per person per year, which makes it the 6^th wealthiest state in the United States. This personal wealth is due largely to oil revenues; about 80% of Alaska’s economy depends on petroleum extraction. Petroleum is Alaska’s largest export – much of it through the famed Alaska Pipeline. Its second largest export is seafood – salmon, crab, cod and pollock. Other than the oil industry, Alaska’s largest employer is government, at all levels, and Alaska is home to eight major military installations. Alaska’s service sector is large and growing, mostly fueled by eco-tourism.

Alaska’s climate and geography may be harsh, but it is also stunningly beautiful. Alaska is famed for its rugged interior, which, when not covered in sheets of ice, boasts stunning forests, tundras, rivers, lakes, mountains, marshlands and wetland permafrost. The mighty Yukon River winds through Alaska’s interior, starting in northwestern Canada and emptying out at Alaska’s western coast. Alaska has more coastline than all of the 48 contiguous states combined, partially due to its large size and partially due to the chains of islands stretching several hundred miles into the sea from its southwest and southeast regions. Alaska is home to National Arctic Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve. In the spring and the fall, residents can observe the Aurora Borealis – electrically charged winds in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. In the summer, in those parts of Alaska above the Arctic Circle, residents can observe the "midnight sun", where the sun is literally visible 24 hours a day.