Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is a Pacific state bordered by the Bering Sea to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Yukon Territory to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Alaska is the largest state in the United States. However, it is the fourth least populous. Alaska is so large and has so few people that each resident could own his own square mile of land. Separated from Asia by the Bering Strait, Alaska is closer to Asia than any other state. Russia is only about 51 miles away from the state's mainland.

If you like extremes, Alaska is the place for you. The state is known as a land of extreme contrasts because it has frozen glaciers as well as hot springs, temperatures as low as -80 degrees F and as high as 100 degrees F, and isolated villages as well as modern cities. Alaska is the coldest state. In Fairbanks, the high temperature in January averages only -2 degrees F. The length of daylight is also extreme. The summer sun shines for almost 20 hours a day in Alaska. At Point Barrow, the sun does not set from May 10 to August 2. That's why Alaska is known as the "Land of the Midnight Sun." However, during part of the winter, there is constant darkness at Point Barrow.

Russia sold Alaska to Secretary of State William Seward in 1867 for $7.2 million -- that's about 2 cents per acre. Alaska became known as "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Iceberg" because many Americans thought he had spent too much for what they considered a “frozen wasteland”. When Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, it was the first state to enter the Union in 47 years. Was it really a frozen wasteland? Not at all.  Alaska had an abundance of natural resources. Even today, it still has the largest fishing industry in the United States, thanks to its massive supply of salmon, halibut, shrimp, and Dungeness crab. Moreover, Alaska had gold. The first major arrival of Americans to Alaska occurred during the gold rush of the 1890's.Furthermore, in 1968, a huge 10-billion-barrel oil field was struck in Alaska at Prudhoe Bay. In 1977, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was completed to carry oil across the state. At about 800 miles in length, the pipeline cost $8 billion to build. The pipeline was a success. In fact, so much revenue resulted from oil that the state eliminated its personal income tax.

Deciding to study in Alaska, especially as part of a study abroad experience, is certainly not a small decision, or one that should come lightly. International students in Alaska face a number of unique challenges, including acclimating to sometimes harsher climate ranges, budgeting for above-average cost-of-living expenditures, and deciding between a smaller range of undergraduate and graduate institutions. However, for those with a clear vision of what type of study abroad experience they wish to have, the choice of studying in Alaska can easily prove to be the best decision an international student could ever have made!

List of colleges and universities in Alaska

Official Alaska State Website

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