Alaska

        The capital of Alaska is Anchorage. Alaska’s state flower is the forget-me-not. The state bird of Alaska is the Willow ptarmigan. Alaska’s state tree is the Sitka spruce. The state song of Alaska is "Alaska’s Flag." Alaska joined the Union on January 3,1959. It was the 49th state. Alaska is the largest state in the United States of America. It is also second in population. It is also the coldest. The people of Alaska are always bundled up and rarely leave the warmth of their homes or in some cases even igloos. Its the 49th state in the US. It's home to Mt. McKinley, the highest point in North America. The Yukon River is one of the longest waterways in the world! Alaska is home to huge animals such as Kodiak, grizzly, black, and polar bears; it is also home to moose, caribou, musk-oxen, and wolves. It is also home to many sea animals such as otter, walrus, seals, and humpback and killer whales.

            In 1724 Peter the Great, the Czar of Russia, ordered Captain Vitus Bering, a Dane in the Russian Navy, to explore the land of east Siberia. On his 2nd trip in 1741, Bering visited the Alaskan mainland and claimed the territory for Russia. He died on the return trip back to Russia but some of his crew made it back to Russia.