Author: Taylor, Tiffany

“Merry Christmas” from Alaska, USA !

State Nick Name: "The Last Frontier" - the name Alaska is derived from the Aleut word "Aleyska," meaning "great land."
State Motto: "North to the Future"
State Capital: Juneau, , has a population of 31,275

Alaska has 6,640 miles of coastline and, including islands, has 33,904 miles of shoreline.
Of the 20 highest peaks in the United States, 17 are in Alaska. Denali, the highest peak in North America, is 20,320 ft. above sea level. Denali, the Indian name for the peak, means "The Great One."
Alaska is the biggest state in the United States of America. It is twice as big as the second biggest state, Texas. It is also larger than the combined area of the 22 smallest U.S. states. Three California's or 12 New York states, or 470 Rhode Island states can fit in Alaska.
Alaska was purchased by the United States from Russia. In 1867, United States Secretary of State William H. Seward paid Russia $7.2 million or two cents per acre, for Alaska.
Alaska's capital Juneau is the only U.S. state capital to share border with a foreign nation. It is bordered on the east by Canada.

Alaska is the least densely populated state in the United States, with less than two people living per square mile.
Alaska is the only state name that can be typed using just one row of keys on the standard computer keyboard.
At their closest points, Alaska and Russia are only 3 miles apart.
Dog-sledding is not only an Alaskan tradition, but also a state obsession, one that's celebrated every March with the running of the 1,150-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome.
Enjoy a white Christmas in Alaska full of dogsledding, winter carnivals, ice carving competitions and snowshoeing. You can even head to the North Pole and walk down Santa Claus Lane, or see the largest Santa in the world.