Alaska

My snow sparkles like glitter. My trees stand tall and green. At night, colorful lights dance in my sky. Big bears and friendly moose walk on my ground, and happy whales splash in my water. I am Alaska, a big and beautiful land in the far, far north.

A very, very, very long time ago, even before your grandparents' grandparents were born, in the year 14,000 BCE, the first friends came to see me. They walked across a special bridge made of land. These were the ancestors of Alaska Natives. They learned to be my good friends. They fished in my cool rivers and told wonderful stories that children still love to hear today.

Then one day, I joined a new family. On March 30th, 1867, a kind man named William H. Seward helped the United States say hello to me. Everyone was so happy to welcome me. Soon after, people found something shiny in my rivers. It was gold. It was like a big treasure hunt. So many people came to look for the shiny gold in the late 1890s. They were all so excited to find a treasure.

And then came a very special day. On January 3rd, 1959, I got my very own star on the big American flag. I became the 49th star. Now, I am a special part of the family. Today, friends from all over the world come to visit. They love to see my tall mountains, my amazing animals, and the pretty dancing lights in my sky. I am here to show everyone how beautiful and full of adventure our world is.