Alaska is a state of the United States (on January 3 of 1959 becomes the 49th state), located in the extreme northwest of North America, with capital in Juneau. It was the penultimate in joining the United States, replacing Texas as the largest state in the nation. It is surrounded by oceans Arctic and Pacific, shares a border with Canada, and is separated from Russia by the Bering Strait . Alaska is called the word Aleut or alaxsxaq Alyeska, meaning "great land" or, more literally, "the object against which the action of the sea is directed". The Alaska flag represents, on a blue background, the stars forming the constellation Ursa Major, and in the upper right corner, the North Star.