Alaska, with a population of 626,932, became the 49th state of the United States on June 30, 1958, when the Alaska Statehood Act was passed. approved. Juneau, Alaska's capital, has a population of 31,262 and is the only state capital accessible by air or sea. In 1959, Alaska adopted the territorial flag as its official flag. The blue field symbolizes the sky, sea, mountain lakes and wildflowers, the eight golden stars represent the constellation Ursa Major and Alaska, the northernmost state in the United States. Alaska's state flower, forget-me-not, was adopted in 1917, the state tree, the Sitka spruce, was adopted in 1962, while the state bird, the ptarmigan Ptarmigan, was adopted in 1955. The state motto, “North to the Future,” was created to show the world that Alaska is a land that can help individuals. build a free and promising future. Alaska is often referred to as "the last frontier" because of the many opportunities available to individuals within the state and in the various regions inhabited by small populations. It's also called the "Land of the Midnight Sun" because the sun shines most of the day during a typical Alaskan summer. Alaskan history books reveal that Alaska's first inhabitants were of Asian descent. People were divided into three categories: the honorable, including respectable whalers and elders of society, common people, and slaves. When an honorable person died, they were mummified and a slave was executed in their honor. Much of Alaska's documented history acknowledges European settlement and colonization, primarily by Russian explorers. A Dane working for the Russians, Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov discovered most of Alaska and the Aleutian Island... middle of paper ...... uh, Scott. “Cruise Vacations to Alaska: Top Ten Reasons to Go.” Buzzle Web Portal: intelligent life on the Web. Internet. May 21, 2010. “State Nicknames.” 50states.com - States and capitals. Internet. May 18, 2010. “Travel to Alaska – Activities in Alaska.” Travel Alaska - Official travel and vacation information from the State of Alaska. Internet. May 21, 2010. “Travel to Alaska – Things to Do.” Travel Alaska - Official travel and vacation information from the State of Alaska. Internet. May 18, 2010. "Travel to Alaska - Things to Do." Travel Alaska - Official travel and vacation information from the State of Alaska. Internet. May 21 2010. .