Alaska - General Overview for Travelers

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Alaska is the largest state in the US. Its area is: 1,477,268 sq km. 66 times the size of Israel, twice the size of Texas, and about one-fifth the size of the "Continental U.S." (the 48 contiguous states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Alaska is completely isolated from the US. It borders the Yukon Territory in Canada and only the Bering Strait separates it from Russia. Most parts of the state extend north of the 60th parallel, and its northern regions reach the North Pole. In this vast area, fewer than 700,000 residents live in total (almost half of whom live in Anchorage, the state's largest city). Alaska is the least densely populated state in the United States.

South Alaska Coasts:

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Alaska holds many other records: it has three million lakes, over 3,000 rivers, and its coastline, which is 75,680 km long, is longer than the coastlines of all other US states combined. There are about 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, covering about five percent of the state's area. The number of active glaciers there is greater than in any other inhabited region in the world.

17 out of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the US are located in Alaska, including the highest peak in North America: Mt. McKinley (Denali), which stands at 6,190 meters.

Alaska has fifteen national parks, reserves, and monuments, plus state parks covering an area of about 13,000 sq km.

Book Tours and Activities in Alaska from GetYourGuide:

There are 1,800 islands within the state and 70 active volcanoes, representing about eighty percent of all active volcanoes in the entire US. In addition, over the years, the state has experienced more than 80 earthquakes with a magnitude above 7 on the Richter scale!
Another spectacular natural phenomenon that can be witnessed in the Alaska skies (especially from late August when the sun sets earlier) is the "Northern Lights," also called Aurora Borealis, which manifests as strong lights in various colors in the night sky.
Alaska is known for its abundance of wildlife. Starting with land animals like several types of bears, moose, caribou, mountain sheep, and wolves, to birds where the most prominent and famous is the Bald Eagle, and a variety of sea creatures: various types of whales, sea lions, seals, sea otters, dolphins, and of course plenty of fish, including six species of salmon, the largest of which, the "King Salmon," reaching up to 20 kg, is the national fish of Alaska.
Alaska has a colorful history and a rich native culture based on a unique connection with nature.

Alaska is divided into five regions: Southeast Alaska, nicknamed the "Panhandle" due to its shape, which includes the "Inside Passage," South-Central Alaska, Southwest Alaska, the Interior region, and the Far North.

Transportation

The largest and busiest international airport in Alaska is Anchorage International Airport, code: ANC. It is located about 11 km southwest of the city center. Flights arrive here from all over the US and Canada, but there are no direct flights from Europe or Asia.

Other main airports in the state are located in Juneau (code: JNU) and Fairbanks (code: FAI).

The state's vast dimensions and few roads make car travel in Alaska problematic. Many cities and communities can be reached only by flight or boat. Seaplanes are one of the most popular means of transportation in the state, so it is not surprising that "Lake Hood" located in Anchorage is the busiest seaplane base in the world.

Alaska is connected to Canada by a few roads, the main one being the Alaska Highway, also called "ALCAN" (short for Alaska-Canada). To reach Alaska by land, one must pass through the Canadian provinces of Yukon and British Columbia.

A train connects Seward on the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage and continues on through Denali National Park to the city of Fairbanks. Another train connects Anchorage to Whittier in Prince William Sound. The train ride passes through beautiful and impressive scenery but is quite expensive.

Buses from several companies also connect the main cities and towns.

In the Inside Passage, roads were paved around the towns and are not connected to each other. Consequently, the most convenient way to move between Inside Passage towns, as well as in the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound, is by ferry service called: Alaska Marine Highway [http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml](https://www.google.com/search?q=http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml) with a 5,600 km route including thirty ports. Ferries from smaller companies connect additional destinations in Alaska.

Cruises

The most convenient, delightful, and recommended way to travel in Alaska is on a luxury cruise with one of the major companies sailing between Vancouver or Seattle to destinations in Alaska.

Animals in Alaska

Wildlife viewing in nature is one of the activities that draws tourists in droves to this wild state. Alaska has over 800 types of mammals, birds, and fish. Fortunately, there are no snakes at all in Alaska (better than paradise...). The smallest among the 105 species of mammals is the Shrew (a tiny mouse-like mammal) about the size of a bottle cap, and the largest of all are the whales, which reach lengths of more than 15 meters and weigh over 45 tons.

One of the state's most magnificent sights is watching a grizzly bear hunting salmon upstream. About 98 percent of the grizzly bears in the US live in Alaska. Their population in the state is estimated at about 40,000. The weight of an adult bear reaches 300 kg and its height (standing on two legs) is about two meters. Grizzly bears live in central and northern Alaska. The brown bears living on the southern islands and along the coast are even larger: an adult bear's weight can reach 600 kg and its height (standing) up to 3 meters! Alaska also has about 50,000 black bears, which can be found in most parts of the state in forested areas. These are smaller bears reaching a maximum weight of 100 kg.

White polar bears live only in northern Alaska. It is estimated that there are only about 5,000 polar bears in the state. They reach a weight of 600 kg. The chance of seeing a polar bear in the wild, unlike brown and black bears, is quite slim.

Another popular animal in Alaska is the Moose, which can also be seen in the streets of Alaska's main cities (especially in Anchorage) standing and calmly grazing on leaves near residential houses. The height of a moose is over two meters and they weigh about half a ton. The antler span of the male (females do not have antlers) can reach two meters! Moose look clumsy and slow, but they can run at speeds of almost 50 km/h and kick both forward and backward, so it is not recommended to approach them.

Did you know? Moose antlers shed in early autumn and grow back with the arrival of spring.

Another type of deer common in Alaska is the reindeer, known as "Caribou." It is estimated that about a million caribou currently live in the state. In Alaska's mountain ranges live about 70,000 Dall Sheep, which have giant horns weighing dozens of kg, and 15,000 Mountain Goats, which have small, sharp horns.

In the Alaska skies, 485 types of birds can be observed. From the tiny hummingbird to the Bald Eagle, whose population is estimated at about 30,000. You can spot the eagle, which feeds on fish, all along the coasts of Southeast Alaska. Migratory birds come to Alaska from all continents in the world to enjoy the rich food offered by Alaska's waters, its swamps, rivers, and even the tundras.

Alaska has at least 430 types of fish. In the summer months, the rivers are so crowded with salmon that they look almost thick.

Whale watching is one of the most popular activities among tourists visiting Alaska. There are not many other places in the world where you can witness several different types of whales simultaneously on one boat trip. They arrive at the state's shores from March until September.

Practical Information:

Alaska has its own time zone. It is 11 hours behind Israel time and one hour behind US Pacific Time.

The capital of Alaska is Juneau, located in the north of the Inside Passage, where about 32,000 residents live.

Alaska is one of the states in the US, and therefore an entry visa to the US is required to enter. The currency is, of course, the US Dollar (USD) and the language is English, although the influence of native languages is also felt, mainly in the names of various settlements (about 15 percent of Alaska's population is of native origin—Indians and Eskimos who lived there before the white man arrived).

Electricity, as in all other US states, is 110 volts. The cost of living in Alaska is among the highest in the US due to the expensive cost of transporting goods to the state and also because of high labor costs. In addition, the short tourist season (see below) also contributes to high demand for tourist services (accommodation, car rentals, tours, restaurants) in a relatively short period, which drives up prices.

Weather:

The weather in Alaska is known for its instability and, furthermore, since the state spans a vast area, there are extreme differences between its various parts. Southeast and South-Central Alaska receive relatively high amounts of rain and the temperatures are moderate. The highest temperature recorded in Alaska was 38 degrees Celsius (in 1915 in Fort Yukon), while the lowest temperature ever recorded in Alaska was -62 degrees Celsius (in 1971 at Prospect Creek Camp). During the summer months, Alaska enjoys a high number of daylight hours throughout the state. In Anchorage, on the longest day of the year, the sun rises at 4:30 AM and sets at 11:42 PM. In "Barrow," the northernmost city in Alaska, the sun does not set for 84 days! The tourist season in Alaska is relatively short. It starts in mid-May and ends in mid-September.