Where in the world would you find the rare combination of unspoiled nature, breathtaking wilderness, exhilarating freedom, thrilling adventures, endless outdoor activities, an abundance of wildlife, genuinely friendly people, and the conveniences of modern living?
This special place is also known as “the last great place on Earth”.
Yes, you’ve guessed it right: it’s Alaska – the northernmost, the westernmost, and, amazingly, the easternmost state of the U.S.
If you’re about to move to Alaska, this guide will provide you with some interesting and useful information about the largest state in the Union.
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Geography
Nugget Falls Juneau Alaska
Situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area (586,412 sq. miles or 1,518,800 sq. km), which is over twice the size of the next largest state – Texas.
Also, its area is larger than the combined area of the next three largest states (Texas, California, and Montana), as well as larger than the combined area of the 22 smallest U.S. states.
The state is bordered to the east by Yukon and British Columbia in Canada, to the south by the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean, to the west by the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea, and to the north by the Arctic Ocean.
Its 6,640 miles (10,686 km) of coastline is longer than all the other U.S. states combined.
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There are six non-official but widely accepted regions in the state of Alaska:
South Central
Most of the population of the state lives there, concentrated in and around the city of Anchorage.
The climate of this region is subarctic and temperatures range from an average high of 65°F (18°C) in July to an average low of 10°F (-12°C) in December.
Tourism, fisheries, and petroleum production are important economic activities.
Southeast
Also known as the Panhandle, this is the region of Alaska closest to the rest of the country.
The area is dominated by the Alexander Archipelago (1,100 islands) and the largest national forest in the United States – Tongass National Forest.
The state capital Juneau is located here.
Major industries include commercial fishing and tourism, primarily via cruise ships.
Interior
It is the largest region in the state of Alaska and much of it is uninhabited wilderness.
The largest city is Fairbanks with many small towns and Alaska Native villages scattered along the highway and rivers.
Also, the Alaska Interior is home to Denali National Park and Preserve where the highest point in North America is situated – Mount McKinley.
Climate-wise, the Interior experiences extreme seasonal temperatures, as both the highest and lowest temperature records were set in this region: 100 °F (38 °C) in Fort Yukon and −80 °F (−64 °C) in Prospect Creek – only one degree above the lowest temperature recorded in continental North America (in Snag, Yukon, Canada).
Southwest
This region is sparsely populated, and most of them live along the coast.
Kodiak Island – the second largest island in the United States after Hawai’i (Big Island) is here, as is one of the largest river deltas in the world – Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Fishing, hunting, mining, and tourism are important for the economy of this region.
North Slope
The region is covered mostly by tundra and is best known for its enormous reserves of crude oil (the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska).
Aleutian Islands
The region consists of 300 small volcanic islands that stretch 1,200 miles (1,900 km) in the Pacific Ocean.
The climate is oceanic, with moderate temperatures, heavy rainfall, and almost constant fog.
One of the islands – Unalaska – is considered one of the rainiest places in the U.S. (250 rainy days per year).
You may also like to read: How to Choose a Good Moving Company. As you will discover in a later section finding movers who will relocate you to Alaska is not easy. However, in this guide, we explain how to choose the best movers for your particular home move.
Demographics
Ketchikan Alaska
Alaska ranks as the 47th state by population (735,132 people in 2013), ahead of North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
It is the least densely populated of the 50 United States and one of the most sparsely populated areas in the world with only 1.2 inhabitants per square mile (0.46 /sq.km).
For comparison, the next least populous state, Wyoming, has 5.8 inhabitants per square mile (2.2 /sq. km).
At home, 82.4% of Alaskans speak English, 4.3% – an Asian language, 3.5% – Spanish, and about 5.3% of the people speak other languages.
A total of 5.2% use one of the state’s 22 Indigenous languages, known locally as “native languages”.
These languages belong to two major language families: Eskimo–Aleut and Na-Dene.
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Economy
The Alaskan economy is highly dependent on the oil and gas industry.
More than 80% of the state’s revenues are derived from petroleum extraction.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline can transport and pump up to 2.1 million barrels (330,000 m3) of crude oil per day, more than any other crude oil pipeline in the United States.
Its industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber, and wood products.
The service and tourism sector has been rapidly growing as well.
You may also like to read: The Pros and Cons of Relocating for a Job. If you are thinking of moving to Alaska for work reasons then you will find this guide invaluable.
Anchorage
Anchorage is Alaska’s most populous city with an estimated 298,610 residents, which is more than 40% of the state’s total population.
It has been named an All-America city four times and is ranked as the most tax-friendly city in the United States.
The wildlife population in the Anchorage area is very diverse: from black bears, grizzly bears, and moose to mountain goats, wolves, foxes, beluga whales, and salmon.
Moose pose a particular threat to drivers and vice versa – unfortunately, more than 100 moose are killed by cars each year.
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Help Moving to Alaska
Finding professional movers to relocate you to Alaska may be more difficult than you imagine.
Due to its remoteness, many interstate movers will not venture here, so you could waste many precious hours of your time ringing around movers only to be told that they do not service this state.
The quickest way to find good movers that will relocate you to Alaska is to use our quick quote form.
By completing the quick, no-obligation form, you will only be contacted by movers that can service your move, on the date you intend to move, and have the skills and equipment needed for a stress-free home move.
*At MoveAdvisor we will connect you with a professional moving company. Please note that we may not be affiliated with
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