Alaska sits at one of the most exciting spots on Earth. It forms the top rim of the famous "Ring of Fire." This arc runs from the southern tip of South America up the West Coast of North America to Alaska's southern coastline through the Aleutians to Russia. It continues back down through Southeast Asia south to New Zealand. Volcanoes and earthquakes occur all along these areas. Two major tectonic plates collide making Alaska one of the most active earthquake zones on the planet.

Alaska crosses from a polar region in the far north to temperate rainforest in the southeast. In between are most of the biggest mountains in North America. There are also more rivers, more lakes, and more wild animals. Glaciers that once covered much of the land are receding before our eyes. As they melt, we can watch how the land is reborn.

For a place as big as Alaska, we don't have many people. Much of Alaska remains wild and largely untouched. It is no wonder people still call it the Last Frontier.

Community Profiles		Earthquakes
Forests		Glaciers
Lakes		Mountains
People		Permafrost
Regions		Rivers
Tundra		Volcanoes