| Official
Symbols of Alaska |
 |
The name Alaska
is based on the Aleut word "alaxsxaq,"
which literally translates to "object toward
which the ocean of the sea is directed," or,
more simply, "the mainland." |
 |
The state Bird
is the Willow Ptarmigan. This bird changes color
from light brown in summer to snow white in
winter. |
 |
The state Fish
is the giant king salmon, which weighs up to 100
pounds. |
 |
The state Flag
was designed by a 13-year-old schoolboy, and was
adopted in 1927. The blue field is for the sky
and the forget-me-not, the state flower. The
North Star is for the future of the state of
Alaska, the most northerly of the Union. The
dipper is for the Great Bear, symbolizing
strength. |
 |
The state Flower
is the Forget-Me-Not, which grows well throughout
Alaska. |
 |
The state Fossil
is the Wooly Mammoth, as per an act of the 1986
State Legislature. |
 |
The state Gem
is Jade. Alaska has large deposits of the gem,
including an entire mountain of jade on the
Seward Peninsula. |
| |
Alaska has two official state Holidays.
Seward's Day, celebrated on the last Monday in
March, commemorates the signing of the treaty by
which the United
States bought Alaska from Russia, signed on
March 30, 1867. Alaska Day, celebrated on October
18, celebrates the anniversary of the formal
transfer of the territory and the raising of the
U.S. flag at Sitka on October 18, 1867. |
 |
The state Insect
is the Four Spot Skimmer Dragonfly. The bill to
so designate this insect was introduced by
Senator Georgianna Lincoln on behalf of
elementary students in her district, and passed
by the 1995 State Legislature. |
 |
The state Land Mammal
is the Moose, which can be found from the Unuk
River in the southeast to the Arctic Slope. It
was made the state land mammal by an act of the
1998 State Legislature. |
 |
The state Marine
Mammal is the Bowhead Whale, as per the
1983 State Legislature. |
 |
The state Mineral
is gold, which has played a major role in
Alaska's history. |
| |
The state Motto,
"North to the Future," was chosen in
1967 during the Alaska Purchase Centenial and was
created by Juneau newsman Richard Peter. The
motto is meant to represent Alaska as a land of
promise. |
 |
The state Nickname
is "The Last Frontier," which alludes
to the fact that much of Alaska remains
unpopulated. |
 |
The state Seal
was originally designed in 1910. The rays above
the mountains represent the Northern Lights. The
smelter symbolizes mining. The train stands for
Alaska's railroads, and ships denote
transportation by sea. The trees symbolize
Alaska's wealth of forests, and the farmer, his
horse, and the three shocks of wheat represent
Alaskan agriculture. The fish and the seals
signify the importance of fishing and wildlife to
Alaska's economy. It was officially adopted in
1913. |
 |
The state Sport
is dog mushing, which was once a primary form of
transportation in many areas of Alaska. |
 |
The state Tree
is the Sitka Spruce, which is found in
southeastern and central Alaska. |
