Alaska is a U.S. state situated in the northwest extremity of the Americas. The Canadian administrative divisions of British Columbia and Yukon border the state to the east, it has a maritime border with Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30. 1867 for 7.2 million U.S. dollars. Alaska has vast energy resources, although its oil reserves have been largely depleted