Alaska: America's Wild Last Frontier

Alaska defies every expectation. It's the largest state by a massive margin — you could fit Texas inside it twice and still have room left over. Yet it has fewer people than most US cities.

Size: Alaska covers 663,268 square miles, making it more than twice the size of Texas. Its coastline is longer than all other US states' coastlines combined.

Daylight: In Barrow (Utqiaġvik), the sun doesn't set for 84 consecutive days in summer — and doesn't rise for 67 days in winter. This extreme variation in daylight is one of Alaska's most defining features.

Wildlife: Alaska is home to an estimated 100,000 glaciers, 3 million lakes, and more bears than people in many regions. The state has the largest population of bald eagles, grizzly bears, and wild salmon in the United States.

Denali: At 20,310 feet, Denali is the tallest peak in North America. Its base-to-summit rise of 18,000 feet makes it taller than Everest when measured the same way.

The Pipeline: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline stretches 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, carrying crude oil across some of the most remote terrain on Earth. It was one of the largest construction projects in American history.

Climate Change: Alaska is warming two to three times faster than the global average. Permafrost is thawing, coastlines are eroding, and indigenous communities are being forced to relocate entire villages.

Economy: Oil dominates Alaska's economy — the state has no income tax and no sales tax, funded largely by petroleum revenue. Every resident receives an annual dividend from the Alaska Permanent Fund, typically $1,000–$2,000.