| Population (1994): 626,278 (
48th in size)
State size: 591,004 square miles (1st in
size)
State Capital: Juneau (named after Joe Juneau a
prospector who found gold in the area)
Major cities: Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks
Admission to union: The 49th State
Date entered the union: January 3, 1959
Origin of state name: Named from the Aleut word
Al-ay-ek-sha meaning mainland.
Nicknames: The Great Land and the Last Frontier
Bordering states: Not bordering any states. The Arctic
Ocean on the north, Canada on the east, Gulf of Alaska
and Pacific Ocean on the south and Bering Straight on the
west.
State bird: Willow Ptarmigan
State flower: Forget-me-not
State tree: Sitka Spruce
Motto: North to the Future |
