Alaska

Matanuska Glacier
Photo: Sophia Simoes, CC0, unsplash.com

Alaska is the largest federal state in America – yet less than 1 % of the population live there. Large parts of Alaska are not accessible for tourism. Even the capital Juneau is not connected to the road network and can only be reached by ship or plane. The only big city that can describe as such is Anchorage.

Alaska's economic wealth lies above all in its generous oil wells. But the timber industry and the export of freshly caught fish also contribute their share.

Alaska is where the largest national parks in America are located. The Denali National Park and Preserve are dominated by Mount Denali, which stands at 20,324 feet high and is, therefore, North America's highest peak. The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the largest in the country, covering over 33,000 square miles. Among the most famous of its kind are Kenai Fjords National Park, the icebergs of Glacier Bay and Katmai National Park.

The Inside Passage in the south of the so-called ‘Alaska Panhandle’ captivates its beautifully formed fjord landscape. Simultaneously, between Katmai National Park, Kodiak Island and the Aleutian Islands, there are still many active volcanoes to be admired. Glaciers cover more than 26,000 square miles of the state. The country is dotted with over 3 million lakes and 3000 rivers, including the famous Yukon, which stretches over more than 1980 miles.