Once upon a time, some 5,000 to 40,000 years ago, a strip of land connected the American land masses to Asia. Known as the Bering Land Bridge, it guided animals and people into a new life as settlements sprang up around what we know today as Alaska. That bridge is long gone, but during winter, when the Bering Strait freezes over, it is still possible to walk across the Strait -- from Little Diomede Island in the US to Big Diomede Island in Russia.

Russia governed Alaska as a colony for nearly as long as the US has governed as a territory and state. This early Russian heritage is very much alive today, through quaint villages and historic architecture. Russian names dot the geographical landscape. But long before Russians arrived, Tlingit, Haida, and Tshimshian Indians thrived in southeast Alaska, a region of lush forests and a mild climate, with an abundance of fish, game, and edible plants. Inland tribes, such as the Athabascans, faced a harsher reality, with severe weather and famine more common occurrences.

The US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, but the territory did not become a state until 1959. Today the diverse Native peoples remain a strong presence in the state, and much of the native culture is still practiced.

Alaska is divided into five distinct regions. The Inside Passage was shaped millions of years ago when massive glaciers sliced their way southward, leaving behind wildlife-filled fjords and lush island scenery. Here are habitats for bald eagles, sea lions, porpoises and whales, and majestic forests carpet its mountains.

The Southcentral is home to over half of Alaska's human population. This civilized gateway to the wilderness offers a myriad of activities.

In the Interior, Alaska's heartland, are wide expanses of Tundra and Mt. McKinley. Forests teem with wildlife, from the fearsome grizzly to the majestic caribou. Look for the Willow Ptarmigan, Alaska's state bird, along the highway to Denali National Park.

The Far North is filled with natural wonders, including the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. This region is also home to the Inupiat Eskimos, who pass their history verbally from one generation to the next. Their natural lifestyle coexists and contrasts with modern oilfield technology.

The Southwest is home to Katmai National Park, whose volcanic landscape resulted from the 1912 eruption of the Novarupta volcano. This is a naturalist's paradise: brown bears saunter along, accompanied by more than 240 species of birds. It I from here that the Aleutian Islands begin their 1,000-mile sweep toward Asia.

Welcome to the home of summer's midnight sun and winter's northern lights. Welcome to Alaska, the Great Land!