The North Slope Borough is the northernmost

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 US state of

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and, thus, the northernmost county or equivalent of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

as a whole. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,031. The borough seat and largest city, comprising nearly half of the borough’s population, is

Utqiaġvik Utqiagvik ( ; , ), formerly known as Barrow ( ), is the borough seat and largest city of the North Slope Borough, Alaska, North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located north of the Arctic Circle, it is one of the List of northernmost ...

(known as Barrow from 1901 to 2016), the northernmost settlement in the

History

The borough was established in 1972 by an election of the majority Indigenous people in the region, following Congressional passage of the

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by U.S. President, President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971, constituting what is still the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to reso ...

. Most are Inupiat. The borough was named for the Alaska North Slope basin. In 1974, it adopted a Home Rule Charter, enabling it to exercise any legitimate governmental power. The borough has first-class status and exercises the powers of planning, zoning, taxation, and schools."Your Government"
North Slope Borough; accessed November 3, 2016. In 2020, the airline Ravn Alaska went into

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

and ended operations. The government of North Slope Borough attempted to take control of the airline's assets to keep flights and shipments coming to the community, but the Alaska Attorney General stated that the borough did not have that authority.

Government

The borough is governed by an eleven-member assembly, elected to staggered three-year terms, which meets monthly. Representation on the assembly is apportioned among the various communities; Utqiaġvik is allotted six seats, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, and Wainwright one seat apiece, while the remaining two seats combine two communities; Anaktuvuk Pass with Kaktovik and Atqasuk with Point Lay. The borough's executive and administrative powers are vested in a mayor, who is limited to two consecutive three-year terms.

Mayors

*1972–1980: Eben Hopson (died in office) *1980–1981: Jacob Anaġi Adams, Sr. *1981–1984: Eugene Brower *1984–1990: George Ahmaogak, Sr. *1990–1993: Jeslie Kaleak *1993–1996: George Ahmaogak, Sr. *1996–1999: Benjamin Nageak *1999–2005: George Ahmaogak, Sr. *2005–2011: Edward Itta *2011–2016: Charlotte Brower *2016–2023: Harry Brower, Jr. *2023–present: Josiah Patkotak

Politics

North Slope Borough has generally hosted competitive elections, it has only backed a Democrat for president three times since 1980. Former mayor Eugene Brower, Charlotte Brower's husband, was convicted of tax evasion involving contractor kickbacks in the 1980s. Former mayor George Ahmaogak had billed the Borough for a family vacation in Hawaii. His wife, Maggie, was later convicted of embezzlement by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission in 2015. Edward Itta succeeded George Ahmaogak and served two terms, 2005–2011. In 2011, Charlotte Brower defeated Ahmaogak in a runoff election after his Hawaii vacation was revealed. She was recalled in April 2016, after it was reported the year before that her office had made numerous donations to individuals (including family members), sports clubs, and other groups that amounted to more than $800,000 since 2011.Lisa Demer, "North Slope Borough mayor ousted in recall election"
''Alaska Dispatch News,'' May 17, 2016; accessed November 3, 2016. In July 2016, Harry K. Brower Jr., Charlotte Brower's brother-in-law, was first elected in a run-off election to serve the rest of Charlotte Brower's second term. Harry K. Brower Jr. ran for a full term as mayor in October 2017 but was forced into a November runoff against his nephew, Frederick Brower, where he easily won a full 3-year term.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (6.4%) is water. The borough is larger than 39 states. Its western coastline is along the

Chukchi Sea The Chukchi Sea (, ), sometimes referred to as the Chuuk Sea, Chukotsk Sea or the Sea of Chukotsk, is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, ...

, while its eastern shores (beyond Point Barrow) are on the

Beaufort Sea The Beaufort Sea ( ; ) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska, and west of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The sea is named after Sir Francis Beaufort, a Hydrography, hydrographer. T ...

. The North Slope Borough is the largest county-level political subdivision in the United States by area, with a larger land area than the state of

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, the 13th-largest state in the nation. Although the adjacent Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is larger in area, it has no borough-level government. The borough is the fourth-least densely populated county-level entity in the United States. The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is the least densely populated county-level entity.

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

* Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska – southeast *

Northwest Arctic Borough Northwest Arctic Borough is a List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska, borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,793, up from 7,523 in 2010. The borough seat is Kotze ...

, Alaska – southwest It shares its eastern border with

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

, Canada, which has no subdivisions.

National protected areas

* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Chukchi Sea unit) ** Cape Lisburne ** Cape Thompson * Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (part) ** Mollie Beattie Wilderness (part) * Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (part) ** Gates of the Arctic Wilderness (part) *

Noatak National Preserve Noatak National Preserve is a United States National Preserve in northwestern Alaska that was established to protect the Noatak River Basin. The Noatak River system, located just north of the Arctic Circle, is thought to be the last remaining ...

(part) **

Noatak Wilderness Noatak may refer to one of the following: * Noatak, Alaska * Noatak River * Noatak National Preserve * Noatak Wilderness {{geodis