North American Information
This tour visits the following countries. Please select one to view its details.
| Alaska | Canada | United States of America |
|
|
| Alaska |
|
| To see our current selection of tours in Alaska click here. |
Climate
Introduction
The climate varies widely throughout the state. Anchorage’s summer weather is pleasant and the winters are mild. Fairbanks, the Interior and parts of the Bush region experience Alaska’s most extreme weather conditions with average temperatures ranging from 22ºC (72°F) in high summer to -28ºC (-19°F) in winter.
Required Clothing
In the Anchorage area, a layered wardrobe is the best option, with a light jacket in summer and a warm coat in winter. Elsewhere, very warm winter clothing is required in the coldest months, and heavily insulated shoes. Lightweight and layered clothing is recommended during the summer.
Key Facts
Population
698,470 (2009).
Population Density
per sq km.
Capital
Juneau.
Language
English, with significant Spanish-speaking minorties (10.7%).
Religion
Roman Catholics make of the largest group in Alaska, though it is considered one of the least religious states in the United States. After Catholicism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Southern Baptist are the next largest. The state also has a fairly large Eastern Orthodox population due to its early Russian colonization.
Time
Alaska: GMT - 9 (GMT - 8 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November) in the greater part of the state .Hawaii-Aleutian: GMT - 10 west of 169° 30'.
Social Conventions
The Last Frontier or Land of the Midnight Sun.
Overview
Alaska is the USA's largest state, a sparsely populated land of immense natural beauty, diverse wildlife and breathtaking adventure.
Consider its attributes: Alaska has 3 million lakes, over 3,000 rivers, 17 of the USA's 20 highest peaks, 100,000 glaciers and 15 national parks, preserves and monuments. Soaring snow-covered peaks, glaciers and fjords, bears, moose, salmon-filled rivers and the shrill call of eagles echo the grandeur of this state, which offers an experience like nowhere else on earth.
Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, is both a popular tourist destination and the centre of commerce and transportation for the region; 40% of the state's population lives here. Lake Hood is home to the world's largest seaplane base, the main form of transport in Alaska.
Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, situated at the northern end of the Alaska Highway, is a trade and transportation centre for the Interior and Far North regions, and gateway to the state's real frontier. From mid-May through to July, visitors can enjoy more than 20 hours of sunlight a day, but in winter the short days are mostly a pink-and-indigo twilight with about four hours of real daylight.
From www.worldtravelguide.net copyright Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd, May 2013.
|
