Alaska, nicknamed "Land of the Midnight Sun" or "The Last Frontier," is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait. The state's most populous city is Anchorage. Other big cities are Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Wasilla, Kenai, Ketchikan, Palmer, Kodiak, and Bethel. The capital Juneau. And Alaska is the 49th US State; admitted January 3, 1959.