So, you're thinking about attending a college or university in Alaska?

Alaska is the only non-contiguous state in North America and one of only two U.S. States not bordered by another state. It's also notable as the only state whose state capital is accessible only by ship or air since no roads connect Juneau to the rest of the state.

The state of Alaska is bordered by the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean to the north, Yukon and British Columbia, Canada to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, and the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west.

In terms of land area, Alaska is the largest state in the U.S.A. With an area of 570,380 square miles, it is not only over twice as large as Texas, but also has a larger area than all but 18 of the world's nations. It also has more coastline than all of the contiguous U.S. combined.

While thunderstorms are uncommon in Alaska and tornadoes are almost unheard of, as to be expected, the climate of this region is cold in comparison with the other 49 states, though it varies from region to region. In some areas, average temperatures can reach as high as the 80s°F in the summer and as low as -60°F in the winter. In most areas, the summers are relatively short while the winters are long.

The reported population of Alaska in 2005 was 626,932. In terms of numbers, this makes Alaska 48th out of the 50 States in lowest population, but, with only 1.1 people per square mile, it is the least densely populated of all the states.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 85.7% of Alaska residents age 5 and older speak only English at home. 5.2% speak Native American languages while Spanish speakers make up 2.9% of the population, followed by Tagalog speakers at 1.5% and Korean at 0.8%.

Alaska is often described as a Republican-leaning state with strong Libertarian tendencies. It is interesting to note, however, that, as of 2004, well over half of all registered voters choose "Non-Partisan" or "Undeclared" as their affiliation.

As far as religion goes, 82% of the population identifies themselves as Christian while 17% say they are not religious or agnostic.

While the cost of goods and, thus, the cost of living in Alaska has long been higher then in the contiguous 48 states, Alaska is one of only six states with no state sales tax and one of seven states that do not levy an individual income tax. Even though it has no state sales tax, local sales tax typically range from 3 to 5 percent.

Out of the entire population, 43% attends or has attended college. There are several colleges based within Alaska's borders, including:

• The University of Alaska Anchorage

• Alaska Pacific University

To find more information about universities and colleges in this area, visit the Online College Degree page on this website.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alaska".

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