Why Is Alaska Called the Last Frontier?

The state of Alaska is known as the Last Frontier because it contains vast stretches of undeveloped land and copious natural resources. When it attained statehood in 1959, Alaska increased the size of the United States by nearly one-fifth. Its settlement and exploitation have been slowed by its distance from the rest of the country and by geographic and climatic impediments to travel and communications. In the 21st century it remains the state with by far the lowest population density.

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. It experienced little internal development until the 1890s, when a series of gold rushes there and in nearby Canadian provinces brought an influx of people and economic activity. In the following decades, writers seeking to attract investment and boost the economic prospects of Alaska began applying the term last frontier to the territory. During the same period, conservationists, who wanted to emphasize the relatively untouched state of Alaska’s ecosystems and abundant flora and fauna, used the phrase last frontier to advocate for preserving its open spaces. Eventually, Alaska adopted “the Last Frontier” as the official state nickname.