Aleutians East Borough () is a 2nd class

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. As of the 2020 census the borough's population was 3,420. The

borough seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Sand Point.

History

According to archaeological evidence, the area has been inhabited by the

Aleuts The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the U ...

since the last ice age. Early contact was with

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n fur traders who sought sea otters in these islands. Whaling, fishing and cannery operations brought an influx of Scandinavian and European fishermen in the early 1900s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the area was a strategic military site for the Aleutian Campaign, and many locals were evacuated to

Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District. With a population at the 20 ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (53.5%) is water. Aleutians East Borough is located at 57° north latitude and 162° west longitude. It comprises the westernmost portion of the

Alaska Peninsula The Alaska Peninsula (also called Aleut Peninsula or Aleutian Peninsula, ale, Alasxix̂; Sugpiaq: ''Aluuwiq'', ''Al'uwiq'') is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The ...

, and a small number of the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...

, from which the borough name derives. Also included are the

Shumagin Islands The Shumagin Islands (Unangan: ''Qagiiĝun''; russian: Острова Шумагина) are a group of 20 islands in the Aleutians East Borough south of the mainland of Alaska, United States, at 54°54'–55°20' North 159°15'–160°45' West. ...

, as well as the

Pavlof Islands The Pavlof Islands (Qudugin in Aleut) are a group of seven islands that lie south of Pavlof Bay on the Alaska Peninsula. They are part of the Aleutians East Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The islands include Dolgoi Island (Anganax̂six̂), Go ...

and the

Sanak Islands The Sanak Islands (russian: Санак) are a subgroup of the Fox Islands group of islands, located in the Aleutians East Borough of Alaska. Geography Located in the Gulf of Alaska, they are in the Aleutian Islands archipelago. The Sanak Islands h ...

. In all, about 63.9 percent of its land area comprises land on the Alaska Peninsula, while 36.1 percent is on the numerous islands. There are five incorporated cities and two unincorporated villages within the borough. Temperatures range from -9 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Annual precipitation is 33 inches and annual snowfall is 52 inches.

National protected areas

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (often shortened to Alaska Maritime or AMNWR) is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of , of whi ...

(parts of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands units) **

Aleutian Islands Wilderness The Aleutian Islands Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Aleutian Islands of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is about in area and was designated by the United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal ...

(part) **

Simeonof Wilderness The Simeonof Wilderness is a wilderness area in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska. The area was designated in 1976 by the United States Congress and is currently managed by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The Simeonof Wilderness is locat ...

Unimak Wilderness Unimak Island ( ale, Unimax, russian: Унимак) is the largest island in the Aleutian Islands chain of the U.S. state of Alaska. Geography It is the easternmost island in the Aleutians and, with an area of , the ninth largest island in the U ...

* Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge (part) *

Izembek National Wildlife Refuge The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge is the smallest of the National Wildlife Refuges located in the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies on the northwest (Bering Sea) coastal side of central Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, Aleutians East Borough. Almos ...

Izembek Wilderness The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge is the smallest of the National Wildlife Refuges located in the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies on the northwest (Bering Sea) coastal side of central Aleutians East Borough. Almost all of the refuge ( out of ) w ...

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska Lake and Peninsula Borough (russian: Лейк-энд-Пенинсула, ''Leyk-end-Peninsula'') is a borough in the state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,476, down from 1,631 in 2010. The borough seat of King Salmon is l ...

to the east * Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska to the west

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 2,697 people, 526 households, and 344 families residing in the borough. The population density was 0.386 people per square mile (0.149/km²). There were 724 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The

racial A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

makeup of the borough was 23.95% White, 1.67% Black or African American, 37.26% Native American, 26.51% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 7.38% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. 12.57% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.25% reported speaking Tagalog at home, while 13.03% speak

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, 2.00% speak Ilokano, and 1.20%

Aleut The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the U ...

. Of the 526 households 39.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.10% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.60% were non-families. 27.40% of households were one person and 3.40% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.30. The age distribution was 16.80% under the age of 18, 10.20% from 18 to 24, 42.30% from 25 to 44, 28.10% from 45 to 64, and 2.60% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 184.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 207.70 males. A 2014 analysis by ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'' found Aleutians East Borough to be the second most racially diverse county-equivalent in the United States, behind the

Aleutians West Census Area Aleutians West Census Area (russian: Западные Алеутские острова) is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,232, down from 5,561 in 2010. It is part of the Unorg ...

. As of the 2020 census, there were 3,420 people and 890 households residing in the borough. The population density was 0.49 people per square mile. There were 755 housing units at a density of 0.11 per square mile. The racial makeup was 43.4% Asian, 21.1% White, 20.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, 14.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% African American, 1.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 3.9% were from two or more races. 2.0% of the population was under the age of 5, 7.6% were under the age of 18, 81.9% were between the ages of 18 and 64, and 10.5% were 65 years old or older. 67.5% of the population were male and 32.5% were female. 4.2% of the population were veterans. The average household size was 2.61 people. 87.3% of households had a computer present with 62.4% having a

broadband In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

connection. 85.5% of the population had a high school diploma or higher with 11.5% having a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

or higher. 5.1% of the population under the age of 65 had a disability with 23.3% of the same age group having no health insurance. 81.0% of the population over the age of 16 were in the civilian labor force. (77.6% of females) The median household income was $69,250 in 2019 dollars with the per capita income from May 2019 to April 2020 being $33,939 in 2019 dollars. The poverty rate in the borough was 14.8%.

Government and politics

This information is available on a community basis. Communities located within the borough include: Akutan, Belkofski, Cold Bay, False Pass, King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Pauloff Harbor, Sand Point, and Unga. There are 7 schools located in the borough, attended by 273 students. The Sand Point Clinic is managed by Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc. and inhabited a new facility in 2006. The clinic is staffed by low-level professionals and Community Health Aide/Practitioners or CHAs. The CHA role is unique to Alaska and Native Health Care.

Economy

The borough's economy is cash-based.

Commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often ...

and

fish processing The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer. Although the term refers specifically to fish, in ...

dominate and occur almost year-round. 222 borough residents hold commercial fishing permits. Sand Point is home to the largest fishing fleet in the Aleutian Chain. Salmon and Pacific cod processing occur at Peter Pan Seafoods (Port Moller and King Cove),

Trident Seafoods Trident Seafoods is the largest seafood company in the United States. It is based in Seattle, Washington. It manages a network of fishing ships, processing plants, and a vertically integrated distributorship of its products. It sells frozen, can ...

(Sand Point and Akutan), and Bering Pacific (False Pass). The Peter Pan cannery in King Cove is one of the largest operations under one roof in Alaska. Transportation and other services provide year-round employment.

Transportation

Several airports are accessible in the Borough, and float planes can land in many communities. Marine cargo vessels also provide transportation. The State Ferry operates during the summer. Local transportation is primarily by fishing boats or skiffs since there are no roads.

Communities

Cities

* Akutan *

Cold Bay Cold Bay ( ale, Udaamagax,; Sugpiaq: ''Pualu'') is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 108, but at the 2020 census this had reduced to 50. Cold Bay is one of the main commercial ...

* False Pass *

King Cove King Cove ( ale, Agdaaĝux̂) is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 938, up from 792 in 2000, but at the 2020 census this had reduced to 757. Geography King Cove is located at . ...

* Sand Point (Borough Seat)

Census-designated place

* Nelson Lagoon

Other places

* Belkofski * Pauloff Harbor *

Unga The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Cur ...

References

External links

Official site

Aleutians East Borough
at the Community Database Online from the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs * Maps from the

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) is a department within the government of Alaska which handles most of the state's labor and workforce issues, primarily at the administrative level. Structure Within the Departme ...

2010
{{Coord, 55.23, -161.92, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-AK_source:UScensus1990_scale:4000000 Alaska boroughs Bering Sea 1987 establishments in Alaska