Census Area
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The Cities and communities of Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska *
Adak,
Atka
Nikolski
St. George,
St.Paul,
Shemya Station
Unalaska
(Also known as Dutch Harbor)
*This list of cities may not be complete. The list may contain towns, cities, villages, boroughs, townships, ghost towns and other populated places.
If you have information about any of these unlinked communities,
please send it
to us and we will add a page for that community. Some of these
places above may only be neighborhoods or local area names and
are not listed with the census at all or just included in a larger
surrounding designated census area..
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Information &
Facts about Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska
Government:
Much of the more densely populated parts of the state are divided into boroughs, which function in a manner similar to counties in other states. Boroughs do not cover the entire land area of the state. The area of Alaska not part of any borough is referred to as the unorganized borough.
For the 1970 census, the government of Alaska and the U.S. Census Bureau divided the unorganized borough into census areas. However, these areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation. They have no government of their own. There are services provided by borough governments that are provided directly by the Alaska state government in the unorganized borough.
Population:
2000 - 5,465
2003 - 5,241
Density:
2000 - 1 person per square mile
Census Quick facts for the area.
Location:
The Aleutians West Borough contains the many islands of the western
Aleutian chain. Dutch Harbor, (also known as Unalaska), is located
on Unalaska Island and is the center of the borough's population
and economic activity, which is based on commercial fishing and
seafood processing. St. George and St. Paul Islands are further
north in the Bering Sea. The Aleutians East Borough is on the
eastern Border. The sea is on all other borders - the Bering Sea,
the North Pacific.
Climate:
Most of the area has a Maritime climate with milder temperatures than other areas. Some areas have several winter storms with high winds up to 100 mph. Most areas have high winds much of the year, but the temperatures don't go below freezing. The wind chill factor actually causes the air to feel colder than it really is most of the time. Summer months tend to have a great deal of dense fog but the winds die down somewhat.
Bering Sea Weather and Climate page
Other Facts & Figures:
Income:
Per capita Income - $24,037 (2000)
Median Household Income - $61,406 (2000)
History:
The Unalaska area has the largest fishing port in the United States
in terms of volume, and second largest in terms of value. Salmon,
crab, pollock, halibut, rockfish, and other species are harvested
by both local and non-resident fishermen and processed at shore
based plants as well as aboard floating processors.
Unalaska is the borough's transportation hub, with regular jet
service to Anchorage and connections to other Aleutian communities.
Prior to 1759, over 3,000 Unangan lived here in 24 settlements.
In 1768, Unalaska became a Russian trading port for the seal industry.
By 1787, many of the workers and their families were forced to
relocate and work n the fur seal harvest. For many years the people
were enslaved. Several churches came into the area and helped
the people cope with their situations and one of the priests,
Ivan Veniaminov, helped to construct a writing system for the
Aleut people. The churches prospered, but many people had fled
the area leaving only around 300 when there had been thousands.
In the late 1800s, the Methodist Church arrived and opened a school,
church, clinic and a home for orphans. The city of Unalaska was
attacked by the Japanese on 3 June 1942. Most residents were sent
to southeast Alaska during the war. Many did not return and their
villages were never re-established.
Adak, which served as a U.S. military base during the Cold War,
has been converted to civilian use and is developing as a fish
processing community.
The Pribilof island group was discovered in 1786 by Russian fur traders. It was during their occupation of the islands that Aleuts from various areas were brought here to work in the processing and to hunt for seals. Many of their descendents live on the islands today. Sealing hunting continued for many years resulting in fewer and fewer seals. Finally the Fur Seal Act of 1910 placed restrictions on the industry. Poverty reigned here once sealing was basically prohibited. During World War II, residents were relocated to southeast Alaska and were not treated with much compassion. Later in 1979, many received compensation for their treatment. After the Fur Seal Act of 1983, restrictions were lifted and management of the industry was left to the local governments. Commercial harvesting of the pelts gradually decreased and was halted on St. Paul in 1985. Currently fur seal pelt possession is prohibited except for subsistence activities.
A history page for
the Unalaska/Dutch Harbor area
A history page for
the Aleutians area
Geography:
Alaska Volcano Observatory
Total area: 14,117 square miles
Land area: 4,397 square miles
Water area: 9,720 square miles
The area is 68.85% water
Here is a geographical description of the area:
chain of rugged, volcanic islands curving c.1,200 mi (1,900 km)
west from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula and approaching Russia's
Komandorski Islands. A partially submerged continuation of the
Aleutian Range, they separate the Bering Sea from the Pacific
Ocean. The Aleutians comprise four main groups: Fox Islands, nearest
to the mainland, including Unimak, Unalaska, Umnak, and Akutan;
Andreanof Islands, including Amlia, Atka, Adak, Kanaga, and Tanaga;
Rat Islands, including Amchitka and Kiska; and Near Islands, the
smallest and westernmost group, including Agattu and Attu. The
Semichi Islands, of which Shemya is the largest, are nearby. (the
above excerpt is a portion of the information provided by The
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2003, Columbia
University Press)
Genealogy:
US GenWeb page for
the Aleutians West Census Area
Kindred Trails page for
the area
Genealogy information page with
many links for this area.
Schools:
Unalaska City School District
P.O. Box 570
Unalaska, AK 99685
Phone (907) 581-3151
Fax (907) 581-3152
Pribilof School District
Pouch 905
St. Paul Island, AK 99660
Phone 907-546-2221
Fax 907-546-2327
Economy:
The area's economy is mainly that of fish
processing and fisheries. Other employment year-round is mainly
with the schools and the government. Some remote areas still operate
mainly on a subsistence level. Some areas have a large tourist
presence while others are building their tourist trade.
Organizations & Groups:
Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 545
Unalaska, Alaska 99685
Phone: (907) 581-2612
Toll-free: (877) 581-2612
Fax: (907) 581-2613
Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
201 East 3rd Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 276-2700
Fax: (907) 279-4351
Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference
3300 Arctic Blvd. Suite 203
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone: 907-562-7380
Fax: 907-562-0438
Attractions & Other Information:
Museum of the Aleutians
314 Salmon Way
PO BOX 648
Unalaska, AK 99685
Information on the Bering Sea - communities, commerce, weather, cultures, fisheries and more
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This page was last updated on 1 December 2006 at 11:41 pm
This page was created 28 July 2005
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