The nickname of the 49th state, Alaska, is the "Last Frontier." Purchased from Russia for $7 million in 1867, Alaska is the largest state in area and is the largest peninsula in the Western Hemisphere. Mt. McKinley in the Alaska Range is North America's highest peak at 20,320 feet and one of the greatest challenges for mountain climbers. Juneau is the state's capital, and the state flower is the pale-blue forget-me-not. State Flower: The Forget-me-not State Motto: North to the Future State Nickname: Last Frontier State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan Land area: 570,374 sq mi. - Length: 1,480 miles - Width: 810 miles 10 largest cities (1999 est.): Anchorage, 257,808; Fairbanks, 32,769; Juneau, 30,192; Sitka, 8,193; Kenai, 8,184; Ketchikan, 7,861; Kodiak, 7,680; Bethel, 6,517; Wasilla, 6,118; Homer, 4,887 - Persons per square mile (1999): 1.1 | ||||||