Juneau's flag features a light blue field with a rounded square containing a wavy blue bar, a golden-yellow star outlined in blue, and the words "JUNEAU" and "ALASKA'S CAPITAL CITY" in capital letters.
Juneau is one of the strangest state capitals in America: no road connects it to the rest of mainland Alaska. It can be reached only by plane or ferry. It is a capital accessible solely by sea or air, nestled between the mountains and the Gastineau Channel fjord.
Juneau became capital of the Alaska Territory in 1906, succeeding Sitka. When Alaska became a state in 1959, Juneau remained the capital despite repeated attempts to move it to Anchorage (more populous) or to a new purpose-built city.
The wavy blue bar evokes the Pacific Ocean and the Inside Passage – the network of protected waterways running along Alaska's coast. The green mountains suggest the northern climate and the spectacular mountainous terrain. Juneau is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States. It is a capital that looks more like a fishing village than a political center.