Alaska State Symbols

Alaska symbols include the willow ptarmigan, forget-me-not, Sitka spruce, Benny Benson flag, and North to the Future motto.

Abbreviation Guide

Juneau

Capital

1959

Statehood

Symbols

Overview

Find out more about the official state symbols that represent Alaska, from Benny Benson's 1927 flag and the willow ptarmigan to the forget-me-not and North to the Future motto. The Sitka spruce, bowhead whale, and dog mushing emblem round out a list built for the country's northernmost and largest state.

Best-known symbol Alaska State Flag

Oldest in this guide Forget-Me-Not, 1917

Arctic symbol Bowhead whale

Alaska State Symbols — Complete List

Category	Official Symbol	Adopted
State Flag	Alaska State Flag	1927
State Bird	Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus	1955
State Flower	Forget-me-not Myosotis alpestris	1949
State Tree	Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis	1962
State Motto	North to the Future English	1967
State Nickname	The Last Frontier	—
State Seal	Great Seal of Alaska	1910
Coat Of Arms	Alaska State Coat of Arms	1959
Official State Dog	Alaskan Malamute Canis lupus familiaris	2010
State Land Mammal	Moose Alces alces	1998
State Marine Mammal	Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus	1983
State Colors	Blue and Gold	—
State Fossil	Woolly Mammoth Mammuthus primigenius	1986
License Plate Slogan	The Last Frontier	1959
State Firearm	Pre-1964 Winchester Model 70	2014
State Soil	Tanana Soil Series	—
State Sport	Dog Mushing	1972

Map of Alaska

Alaska is a state in the West United States, with its capital city in Juneau.

Full interactive map

What Does Alaska Mean?

Alaska is the 49th U.S. state, admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959. The name comes through Russian usage from an Indigenous Aleut or Unangam word often rendered as Alaxsxaq, Alyeska, or a related form.

The usual meaning is "mainland" or "great land." Some linguistic explanations give a more literal sense connected with the land toward which the sea is directed, but in ordinary state-history use the meaning is shortened to mainland or great land.

Alaska is often called The Last Frontier, The Great Land, and The Land of the Midnight Sun. Its postal abbreviation is AK, and people from the state are called Alaskans.

Key Meaning and Background

Origin: Derived from an Aleut or Unangam-language form that entered wider use through Russian colonial spelling.
Common meaning: Usually explained as "mainland" or "great land."
Statehood: Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959.

Usage Examples and Context

State: Refers to Alaska, the northernmost and largest U.S. state by land area.
Peninsula: Early Russian usage was closely tied to the Alaska Peninsula before the name broadened.
Given name: Occasionally used as a modern given name, usually because of the state's scale and northern imagery.
People: People from Alaska are called Alaskans.

Nicknames and Short Forms

The Last Frontier: Official nickname tied to Alaska's late statehood, remoteness, and vast unsettled landscapes.
The Great Land: A popular nickname connected to the meaning commonly given for Alaska's name.
The Land of the Midnight Sun: Informal nickname referring to long summer daylight in northern Alaska.
Abbreviation: AK; older short form Alaska.

Newest and Oldest Symbols

Oldest listed Great Seal of Alaska, 1910

Older symbols tend to anchor the state's public identity: flag, bird, flower, motto, or nickname.

Newest listed Pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 (2014), Alaskan Malamute (2010)

Recent designations often show how states keep adding wildlife, foods, breeds, and cultural traditions.

What Alaska's Symbols Say About the State

The state flag is the anchor of Alaska's symbol set because it came from a student contest and uses the actual northern sky, with the Big Dipper and Polaris set on blue. The forget-me-not gives that blue field a second meaning, since Benny Benson connected the flag color to the flower before statehood.

The willow ptarmigan, moose, and bowhead whale split Alaska's wildlife identity across tundra, inland forest, and Arctic sea. The Alaskan Malamute adds the human side of that landscape, especially travel, hauling, and dog mushing.

Alaska's symbols also keep a strong territorial memory. The flower came before statehood, the flag came before statehood, and the motto North to the Future was chosen during the centennial of the 1867 Alaska Purchase.

Quick Answers

What national parks are in Alaska?

Alaska has 8 national parks: Denali National Park & Preserve, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kobuk Valley National Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.

What is the Alaska state abbreviation?

The Alaska postal abbreviation is AK — the two-letter USPS code used on addresses and forms since 1963.

What is Alaska's most famous state symbol?

The Alaska state flag is one of the state's most recognizable symbols because it was designed by Benny Benson as a student and shows the Big Dipper and Polaris on a blue field.

What is Alaska's state bird?

Alaska's state bird is the willow ptarmigan, adopted in 1955 while Alaska was still a U.S. territory.

What is Alaska's state flower?

Alaska's state flower is the forget-me-not, first chosen as a territorial flower in 1917.

Does Alaska have official state colors?

Alaska does not appear to have a separate standalone state-colors statute. Blue and gold come from the Alaska state flag, and the colors are covered on the Alaska colors page.

How many official state symbols does Alaska have?

Alaska's state symbols list here runs from the flag, bird, flower, tree, motto, nickname, and colors to land, marine, and domestic animal symbols.