Alaska is a state in the western United States, near the far northwest end of the continent. It has a maritime boundary with the Russian Federation's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug to the west, just over the Bering Strait, and approaches the Canadian province of British Columbia and the region of Yukon to the east. The Arctic Ocean's Chukchi and Beaufort seas are to the north, whereas the Pacific Ocean's Chukchi and Beaufort seas are to the southwest and south.

Alaska is the biggest state in the United States by far, covering more land than the following three states combined. It is the world's fifth-most populous sub-national division. It is the continent's least populous and thinly inhabited state, but it is by far the continent's most populated territory, with a total of 736,081 as of 2020—more than treble the aggregate numbers of Northern Canada and Greenland. The Anchorage metropolitan region is home to almost half of Alaska's population. Juneau, the state capital, is the second-largest settlement in the American States by area, covering more land than Rhode Island & Delaware combined. Sitka, Alaska's former capital, is the country's biggest city by area.

Before Europeans arrived, Alaska was colonized by a variety of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. By way of the Bering land bridge, the state is regarded as the entrance site for the colonization of North America. Beginning in the 18th century, Russians were the first Europeans to inhabit the area, eventually forming Russian America, which encompassed the majority of the present state. The cost and difficulties of managing this far-flung territory led to its sale to the United States in 1867 for US$7.2 million, or about two cents per acre. Before becoming a territory on May 11, 1912, the area went through various administrative changes. It has become the 49th u.s. state on January 3, 1959.

Despite having one of the lowest state budgets in the US, Alaska has one of the highest per capita incomes due to a diverse economy characterized by fisheries, natural gas, and oil, all of which it possesses in abundance. More than half of the state is federally owned public land, including a plethora of national forests, national parks, and wildlife refuges; more than half of the state is federally owned public property, including a plethora of forest land, nature reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Alaska has the greatest proportion of indigenous peoples of any state in the United States, at over 15%. Nearly two dozen local languages are recognized, and Alaskan Natives have significant political clout in both municipal and state politics.