Alaska Trade Schools

Attending college in Alaska will allow one the opportunity to truly connect with nature throughout ones studies. Some well-known cities in Alaska are Anchorage, the largest city; Juneau, the state capital; and Fairbanks. Each one has various universities in Alaska to choose from that will allow one to receive an exceptional education.

About Alaska

Alaska is a state in the United States of America, located in the northwest extremity of the North American continent. It is the largest U.S. state in terms of area (by a substantial margin), and one of the wealthiest and most racially diverse. The area that became Alaska was purchased from Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km2). The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.

Alaska's coastline is 33,904 miles (54,563 km) long, more than twice the coastline of the contiguous United States. Alaska is the only non-contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500 miles (800 km) of British Columbia (Canada) separates Alaska from Washington state. Alaska is thus an exclave of the United States. It is technically part of the continental U.S., but is often not included in colloquial use; Alaska is not part of the contiguous U.S., often called "the Lower 48". The capital city, Juneau, is situated on the mainland of the North American continent, but is not connected by road to the rest of the North American highway system.

Alaska has more coastline than all of the other U.S. states combined. It is the fourth largest state in the United States after North Dakota, Texas, and California. Alaska is larger than all but 18 sovereign nations. Counting territorial waters, Alaska is larger than the combined area of the next three largest states: Texas, California, and Montana. It is also larger than the combined area of the 22 smallest U.S. states.

Alaska is one of the most sparsely populated states in the United States. It is the 3rd least populous state. Much of the population is concentrated in the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks, with Juneau and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley also containing significant urban populations. The Alaskan economy is dominated by the fishing, petroleum, and natural gas industries, resources which it has in abundance. Tourism is also a significant contributor to the economy.

The name "Alaska" derives from the Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning "the mainland", or more literally "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed"