Passport/Visa Requirements: All U.S. citizens must have a passport when traveling by air to or from Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America and Mexico. Citizens of Canada, Mexico and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda also must have a passport or other designated secure document to enter the U.S.
Beginning 1 June 2009, passports are required for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders with the U.S. and for cruise passengers returning to the U.S. from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda.
Reconfirm travel-document requirements with your carrier prior to departure.
Population: 670,053.
Languages: Primarily English. Some 20 Alaska Native languages and dialects are spoken in the villages. The Kenai Peninsula has a large number of "Old Believers" who speak Russian..
Predominant Religions: Christianity (Protestant and Roman Catholic), though every major religion is represented..
Time Zone: 9-10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-9 and -10 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
Voltage Requirements: 110 volts.
Telephone Codes: 907,
For More Information
Tourist OfficeAlaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA), 2600 Cordova St., Suite 206, Anchorage, AK 99503. Phone 907-929-2200. Toll-free 800-667-8489. http://www.travelalaska.com.
Additional Reading
Coming Into the Country by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
The Last New Land: Stories of Alaska, Past and Present edited by Wayne Mergler (Alaska Northwest Books).
Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape by Barry Lopez (Bantam). Based on the author's travels in Greenland, Canada and Alaska.
One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Sam Keith and Richard Proenneke (Alaska Northwest Books).
The Last Light Breaking: Living Among Alaska's Inupiat Eskimos by Nick Jans (Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company).
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Anchor).
