Alaska Photo Graphics - Alaska Information

Alaska Facts and Information

586,400 Square Miles
33,000 miles of coastline!
1,400 miles North to South
2,700 miles East to West
Over 1/2 the world's Glaciers
55 miles east of Russia
the only state to have coastlines on three different seas.
Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.

Mountains

Mount Denali: 20,320 feet (Tallest in North America)
Mount Elias: 18,008 feet
Foraker - 17,400 feet
Bona - 16,500 feet
Blackburn - 16,390 feet
Sanford - 16,237 feet
Vancouver - 15,700 feet
Churchhill - 15,638 feet
Fairweather - 15,300 feet
Hubbard - 15,015 feet
Bear - 14,831

Lakes (largest)

Iliamna - 1,000 square miles
Becharof - 458 square miles
Teshekpuk - 315 square miles
Naknek - 242 square miles
Longest River

Wildlife

Kodiak Bear; 1,400 pounds, 11 feet tall
Polar Bear; 1,400 pounds, 11 feet tall
Grizzly Bear (Brown Bear); 800 pounds, 9 feet tall
Moose; 1,350 pounds, 5 feet high to shoulder
Antlers span; 72 inches

State Motto: North to the future.

State Flower: Forget-me-not.

State Bird: Alaska Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus alascensis Swarth)
It can change it's color from light brown to snow white. The willow ptarmigan was named Alaska's state bird in 1955.

State Tree: Sitka spruce (picea sitchenensis)
The evergreen is found throughout the southeastern and central areas of Alaska.

State Marine Mammal: Bowhead whale

State Fish: King salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
King salmon weighing up to 100 lb. have been caught in Alaska. The king salmon is also known as the chinook salmon and is a popular sport fish. It became the state fish in 1962.

State Sport: Dog Mushing
It once was the primary form of transportation in most of Alaska. Today dog sled racing is a popular winter sport. It was adopted as the state sport in 1972.

State Gem: Jade
Alaska has a large deposit of jade, including an big mountain filled with dark green jade on the Seward Peninsula.

State Mineral: Gold
The search for gold played a major role in shaping the history of Alaska, from the discovery of gold in Juneau to the great gold rush at Nome. Gold was named the state mineral in 1968.