Alaska

Alaska, the largest U.S. state by area, is a unique non-contiguous region located in the northwestern part of North America. It is renowned for being the northernmost, westernmost, and longitudinally the easternmost state in the United States. Bordered by the Canadian territory of Yukon and the province of British Columbia to the east, Alaska shares a maritime boundary with Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug across the Bering Strait. This geographical positioning makes it closer to Asia than any other U.S. state, with the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

With a population of seven hundred forty thousand one hundred thirty-three in twenty twenty-four, Alaska ranks as the third-least populous and most sparsely populated state in the U.S. Despite its vast size, it is home to the four largest cities in the United States by area, including Juneau, the state capital. Anchorage, however, is the most populous city, with nearly half of the state's residents living in its metropolitan area. The region has a rich history, having been inhabited by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, believed to be the entry point for the initial settlement of the Americas via the Bering land bridge.

The Russian Empire was the first to colonize Alaska in the eighteenth century, establishing Russian America, which significantly influenced the native Alaskan Creole population. The logistical challenges of maintaining this distant territory led to its sale to the United States in eighteen sixty-seven for seven million two hundred thousand dollars, equivalent to one hundred sixty-six million dollars in twenty twenty-five. Following several administrative changes, Alaska was organized as a territory on May eleventh, nineteen twelve, and was admitted as the forty-ninth state of the U.S. on January third, nineteen fifty-nine.

Alaska's economy benefits from an abundance of natural resources, including commercial fishing and the extraction of natural gas and oil, contributing to one of the highest per capita incomes in the United States despite its relatively small economy. The presence of U.S. Armed Forces bases and a thriving tourism industry further bolster its economic landscape. With more than half of the state federally owned, Alaska is rich in national forests, parks, and wildlife refuges. It is also notable for having the highest proportion of Native Americans of any U.S. state, at twenty-two percent, and is among the most irreligious states, being one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana.