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Atrue final frontier,
Alaska boasts the smallest human population inhabiting
the largest land mass in the nation. It's a good thing
it gets so cold, or the developers would be there in a
heartbeat building golf courses, convention centers, and
highrises smack dab in the middle of caribou migratory
paths. But for now the land is safe. Most of the
population is centered in Anchorage, Juneau, and
Fairbanks, leaving the pristine wilderness pretty much
to its own devices.
Despite the environmental depredations of
international petroleum interests, Alaska still stands
tall as a largely unspoiled land. It's home to the
largest state park in the nation, Denali Park, which
encompasses 2.5 million acres of wilderness and
surrounds the awesome spires of Mount McKinley, the
tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. And native
culture plays a major role in the social and political
life of the state, with Alaska being one of the only
states in America that has shown the slightest regard
for its aboriginal residents.
If splendid isolation, staggering natural beauty, and a
live-and-let-live attitude from your fellow humans hold
any appeal, then Alaska may be the place for you. Just
don't forget to bring your long underwear.
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