The subarctic areas of Alaska are known for their coniferous forests and long winters.

subarctic 是由前缀 sub-（表示"在...之下"或"接近"）和 arctic（北极）组成的复合词，字面意思是"接近北极的"，指"亚北极的"，即北极圈附近但未达到真正北极的地区。