Alaska

It is said that Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 for an amount of $7.2 million. It became the 49th state of the country in 1959. The name of the state was christened when it was part of the Russian Empire. Its name has been derived from ‘Aleut’ meaning ‘the mainland’. 

State Nickname

Alaska has been given the nickname ‘the Last Frontier’. This name has been given to it because of the opportunities that it has and the lightly settled regions and colonies. It is also called the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ because the sun shines all through the day and night during the Alaskan summers.

Climate Summary

In the southern parts of the state the climate is considered to be mid latitude oceanic climate. But in the northern areas it is considered to have subarctic oceanic in nature. The anchorage area that is most populated has mild climate, compared to the other extreme areas given that they are closer to the sea.

State Tax Situation 

The economy of Alaska depends on petroleum revenues and federal subsidies. It has the lowest tax burden in the country. The state does not have any sales tax and there is no individual income tax as well. This makes it one of the two states in the country that does not have a sales tax or an income tax. 

Government Summary

Alaska is a republic with three branches in the government – legislative, judiciary and executive. The head of the state is the Governor of the state. The legislative consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the judiciary system comprises of the state supreme court and the lower courts. 

State Seal

The state seal of Alaska was designed in 1910. At this time the state of Alaska was still a territory and was not a part of the United States of America. The symbols on the seal include rays above the mountains, smelter, a train, ships, trees, a farmer, horse and stocks of wheat. Fish and seals are drawn on the outer ring of the seal too.

Motto & Description 

The state motto of Alaska is “North to the Future”. It was adopted in 1967 during the “Alaska Purchase Centennial” and was coined by journalist Richard Peter. This motto is aimed at indicating that Alaska is a state that promises and presents a lot of opportunity. It is also supposed to be a land of freedom for the huddled mass of people.

State Flag

The flag of Alaska was adopted in 1959. The plain blue background of the flag represents the sky, the sea and the mountains lakes and the windflower. The eight gold stars include the seven stars of the Ursa Major constellation and the eighth one represents the North Star. The flag is said to have been designed by a 13 year old native boy Bennie Benson. 

State Bird

The state bird of Alaska is said to be the Willow Ptarmigan. It has a squarish black tail and a small black bill. The legs and the toes of this bird are feathered because of which it is able to handle the climate. The bird is also medium in size, stocky and round winged.

State Flower

Forget Me Not is the state flower of Alaska. This was made official in 1949. These beautiful flowers grow 5 to 12 inches in the alpine meadows of the state. The flowers have a yellow center, a white middle ring and an outer side that is light blue in color. 

State Animal

The state of Alaska does not have a single animal that is considered to be the official animal of the state. However, there is the Moose that is considered to be the state land mammal and the bowhead whale that is considered to be the state marine mammal. The King Salmon is also the state fish.

State Song And Description

The official state song of Alaska is called “Alaska’s Song”. It was written by Marie Drake and describes the various aspects of the flag and what it should mean to the people of the state. It talks about how the North Star leads people towards the future with its brightness.

State Colors 

Alaska does not have any official state colors picked by the government. However, it is easy to see that the main colors that the state uses include the bright blue that forms the background of the flag and the bright golden color of the stars of the Ursa Major and the North Star.