One of the last truly wild places in the United States, Alaska is famous for its glaciers, volcanoes, rivers, vast forests and snow-covered mountains.
As the largest state in the US, it is not surprising that some of the country’s largest animals live here – grizzly and polar bears, moose, caribou, bison and bald eagles. Alaska is the only US state to have coastlines on three different seas: Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. Here one finds dolphins, porpoise, seals, sea lions, fur seals, walrus, sea otters and whales.
Although Alaska is one of the most pristine environments in the world, parts of the state are affected by air and water pollution. Oil spills are also a concern, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 that devastated the Alaskan coast and wildlife. There is also an ongoing debate on whether or not to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development.