Most Alaskans are happy to share their experiences with visitors who want to know more about how people live and work in Alaska. Alaska's largest private employer is the seafood industry. The state's many fishing fleets are among the nation's most productive, accounting for half of the total U.S. catch. For the many Alaskans in the petroleum industry, work can mean weeks or months away from home. Some have jobs on towering off-shore rigs, or in the arctic region of Prudhoe Bay.
Forests add to Alaska's beauty and provide a renewable economic resource.
With 28 million acres of commercial forest, Alaska's timber industry supplies world markets with logs, lumber, pulp, and other forest products. The 49 th state contains half the nation's coal reserves, and it's largest silver and zinc mines. Of course, glittering gold in Alaska's streams and mountains still lures many miners to work private claims. Alaska's spectacular natural beauty and outdoor adventures attract more than a million visitors each year. Tourism is Alaska's fastest-growing industry, employing people throughout the state who provide goods and services to help our visitors experience Alaska to the fullest.