Alaska is the largest of the fifty states in the United States of America. It is located northwest of the continent, very close to the North Pole. Its name means “great land” and its capital is a city called Juneau.
As it is an immense territory, its climatology varies a lot from one region to another. In part of the coast and in the south, the climate is mild and rainy throughout the year; On the other hand, inside, the temperatures are so extreme that in winter they are around -50 degrees Celsius. If one day you go, don’t forget to pack a coat, hat, gloves and boots!
There are few brave people who dare to live there all year round and for this reason, the cities are very few and the population density is very low: only one inhabitant for every Km 2 !
15% of the inhabitants of Alaska are Eskimos belonging to different aboriginal peoples who have occupied the Arctic lands for hundreds of years, such as the Inuit or the Yupik. The rest are mostly white.
Alaska’s economy is based on mining and the oil industry. Fishing (mainly salmon and cod) and tourism are also an important source of income.
Alaska has some incredible natural landscapes. A part of the state has large valleys and the highest coniferous forests in the world; the other is a large area occupied by the tundra, that is, by low vegetation made up of mosses, lichens and the occasional bush. Trees do not grow here because the ground remains continuously frozen. As you can imagine, Alaska is home to some of the most impressive glaciers on the planet.
In terms of fauna, Alaska is the land of polar bears, whales, seals, moose, wolves… Up to six varieties of wild salmon of great gastronomic value live in its cold, crystal-clear waters.
Finally, you should know that one of the great attractions of Alaska is that it is one of the few places in the world where you can see the impressive phenomenon of light and color known as the Northern Lights.
