Alaska Antique-Style Map

Alaska was admitted to the Union as the 49th state. Known as "The Last Frontier" it is the largest state in area, covering 570,374 square miles. Purchased from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, at first Alaska was called "Seward's Folly" after the Secretary of State who engineered its acquisition. The "folly" turned into a bargain when gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1896. Site of Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, Alaska is famous for its national parks, abundant wildlife and vast expanse of wilderness.