Northwest Arctic Borough is a

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 ...

located 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 sove ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,793, up from 7,523 in 2010. The borough seat is Kotzebue. The borough was formed on June 2, 1986.

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 (12.7%) is water. By land area, it is slightly larger in total area than the state of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

. Its coastline is limited by the

Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea ( rus, Чуко́тское мо́ре, r=Chukotskoye more, p=tɕʊˈkotskəjə ˈmorʲɪ), 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 ...

. The Kotzebue Sound, a significant wildlife area, is a prominent water body within the Northwest Arctic Borough. The largest

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear spec ...

sighted in history, a male weighing , was sighted at Kotzebue Sound.C. Michael Hogan (2008
''Polar Bear: Ursus maritimus'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

North Slope Borough, Alaska The North Slope Borough is the northernmost borough in the US state of Alaska and thus, the northernmost county or equivalent of the United States as a whole. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,031. The borough seat and largest city i ...

- north * Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska - east *

Nome Census Area, Alaska Nome Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska, mostly overlapping with the Seward Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,046, up from 9,492 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore ...

- south

National protected areas

* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Chukchi Sea unit) **

Chamisso Wilderness Chamisso Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was designated by the United States Congress in 1975. A small subunit of the Chukchi Sea Unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, Chamisso Island and nearby ...

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve The Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is one of the most remote Protected areas of the United States, located on the Seward Peninsula. The National Preserve protects a remnant of the Bering Land Bridge that connected Asia with North America m ...

(part) * Cape Krusenstern National Monument * Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (part) ** Gates of the Arctic Wilderness (part) *

Kobuk Valley National Park Kobuk Valley National Park is an American national park in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska, located about north of the Arctic Circle. The park was designated in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to preserve the ...

** Kobuk Valley Wilderness * Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge (part) * Noatak National Preserve (part) ** Noatak Wilderness (part) * Selawik National Wildlife Refuge (part) ** Selawik Wilderness

Demographics

At the 2000

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, there were 7,208 people, 1,780 households and 1,404 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 0.18 per square mile (0.47/km²). There were 2,540 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 12.32%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.21%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 82.46% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.36% from other races, and 3.70% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 40.00% reported speaking Inupiat or "Eskimo" at hom

There were 1,780 households, of which 55.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.90% were Marriage, married couples living together, 19.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.10% were non-families. 16.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.87 and the average family size was 4.36. Age distribution was 41.50% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 15.50% from 45 to 64, and 5.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.70 males.

2020 Census

Communities

Cities

* Ambler * Buckland * Deering * Kiana * Kivalina * Kobuk * Kotzebue * Noorvik * Selawik * Shungnak

Census-designated places

* Noatak *

Red Dog Mine The Red Dog mine is a large zinc and lead mine in a remote region of Alaska, about north of Kotzebue, which is owned and operated by the Canadian mining company Teck Resources. It is located within the boundaries of the Red Dog Mine census- ...

References

External links

Official websiteBorough map: Alaska Department of LaborSummaries of Division of Subsistence research projects in northwest Alaska
/ Division of Subsistence, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. hosted by th
Alaska State Publications Program

Subsistence_wildlife_harvests_in_five_northwest_Alaska_communities,_2001-2003_:_results_of_a_household_survey_/_by_Kawerak,_Inc.,_Maniilaq_Association,_and_the_Alaska_Department_of_Fish_and_Game;_by_Susan_Georgette_..._[et_al.].
Hosted_b
Alaska_State_Publications_Program
{{Coord.html" ;"title="t al.].">Subsistence wildlife harvests in five northwest Alaska communities, 2001-2003 : results of a household survey / by Kawerak, Inc., Maniilaq Association, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; by Susan Georgette ... Alaska_State_Publications_Program
{{Coord">67.00.html" ;"title="t al.].
Hosted b
Alaska State Publications Program
{{Coord">67.00">-160.00, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-AK_source:UScensus1990_scale:4000000 Chukchi Sea 1986 establishments in Alaska Populated places established in 1986