Alaska - Useful information for your trip
Alaska is a federated state of the United States of America. Due to its position temperatures are always low. The main city is Anchorage. Alaska Railroad is also famous.
Alaska is one of the United States of America, occupying the northernmost part of the American continent. It borders the Arctic Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the south, It's the largest country in the federation and, together with Hawaii, is the only one which is not contiguous to the others forming the United States of America.
Its territory can be divided into four macro-regions: South-Central Alaska, characterized by villages, cities and oil industries; the peninsula, containing only small settlements, mountains, glaciers and forests; the inner land, flat and covered by rivers and Arctic tundra, and the northern coast, the most inhospitable and remote. Alaska also comprises several islands, many of which with active volcanoes.
Alaska is also the land of Mount Mc Kinley, the highest mountain in North America, with its 6,194 meters. Most of the territory is protected by the Federal government with national forests or national parks.
The climate is cold: the southern coast enjoys mild weather if compared to the rest of the state, but it's also snowy and the most humid. Here is the capital city of the state, Juneau, along with the main city, Anchorage, where around half of the Alaskan population lives. In Anchorage, average temperatures in winter range between -3 and -13 degrees, while in the summer they reach 15 degrees.
Fauna in Alaska includes black and polar bears, moose, caribous, mountain sheep and goats, trouts, salmons and many endangered species. Vegetation is characterized by the lush conifer tree forests of the Panhandle and the coast of the Gulf of Alaska, while tundra and taiga have no trees.
The economy in Alaska is mainly based on fishing, even for the export market, while the agricultural sector, due to climate difficult conditions, is scarcely developed, hardly providing the population with enough milk, dairy products and vegetables. Food and manufacturing products are thus generally imported. The inhabitants of Alaska either work for the government or in the extraction of natural resources, such as petroleum, crude oil, natural gas, coal, gold and precious metals.
Tourism is growing, thanks to the beauty of the natural landscape. Unmissable spots in Alaska are its natural parks, perfect for unforgettable excursions, and Anchorage city with its many museums.
