Alaska was admitted to the Union on January 3rd, 1959, becoming the 49th state. It is located in the western region of the country, with an area of over 570,000 square miles (1,500,000 km2). This makes it the largest U.S. state, followed by Texas and California.
Despite its size, Alaska is the third-least populated state in the U.S. A 2020 census recorded the population as 733,391.
Alaska's main counties consist of the Municipality of Anchorage, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, and Bethel Census Area. The largest city in Alaska is Anchorage, which serves as its capital city.
Vital records are kept at the Department of Health and Social Services, which is part of the Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records Section. Records date back to the 1890s, however many events that occurred in Alaska before 1930 were never registered.