READING POJECT

Alaska Wild and

Free

1 WELCOME TO ALASKA
Today, about 16% of all Alaskans are Eskimos. These people are
really three groups: the Inupiaq, the Yupik, and the Alutiiq. These
groups are not very different, but they speak different languages.
Alaska was a part of Russia for a long time. Alaska is a very big
place. It’s the biggest state – more than twice as big as Texas, the
next biggest state. Alaska has many mountains and glaciers. A glacier
is like a river of ice. The Matanuska glacier is one of the most
beautiful.

VISIT KODIAK ISLAND

Kodiak Island is in the southern part of Alaska. It is the second
2
largest island in the United States, but it has less than 160 kilometers
of roads. There are lots of high mountains, green forests, rivers, and
lakes.
The island gets its name from the big Kodiak bear. There are over
3,500 of these wonderful animals living in the forests. But you must be
very quiet if you want to see one!

ENJOY OUTSIDE
SPORTS
3 Some people come to Alaska to climb Mount McKinley in Denali
National Park. This mountain is 6,194 meters high, the highest
in North
America.
Whitewater rafting is also a popular sport. The Nenana River, also in
Denali National Park, is very fast in some places.
Skiing is popular in Alaska. There is a lot of snow and there are many
good places to ski. Eagle Crest, only 20 kilometers from the state capital,
Juneau, is an excellent mountain for skiing.

THE IDITAROD
The Iditarod is a really hard race. The dogsled teams have
to travel about 1,600 kilometers, from Anchorage to Nome.
4
And the weather can be very bad, with freezing temperatures
of -20C and dangerous snow storms.
The Iditarod is very popular. It’s an important part of
Alaskan life. Before the race starts, there’s a big party in
Anchorage. Then, thousands of people watch the race.
Many more people follow it for days on TV, the Internet,

or in newspapers
GREEN TOURISM IN

5 ALASKA
Tourists spend a lot of money. They stay at hotels, eat in
restaurants, and buy things in shops. Green tourism doesn’t hurt

the forests, the rivers, the sea, or the animals that live in them.
Green tourists don’t travel in big groups. They go around in small
groups, so they don’t disturb the animals. And the tourist office
asks people to take their trash with them when they leave..

THE CITY OF
ANCHORAGE 6
From 1915 to 1923, people went to live in Alaska to help build the
railroad. At that time, about 2,000 people lived in Anchorage. They
all lived in tents, but only one tent had a bath in it!
At night you can go to a play at the theater, a concert, or out to
dinner. Anchorage has some fantastic restaurants. Fish is the favorite
of most people here, and many people say it is the best in the world.