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Alexander Archipelago

 
Dictionary: Alexander Archipelago
 

A group of more than 1,000 islands off southeast Alaska. The rugged, heavily forested islands are the exposed tops of submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean.

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Alexander Archipelago
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Group of about 1,100 islands, southeastern Alaska, U.S. Extending southward from Glacier Bay, the chief islands are Chichagof, Admiralty, Baranof, Kupreanof, Prince of Wales, and Revillagigedo. The chief towns are Sitka (on Baranof) and Ketchikan (on Revillagigedo). The islands are separated from the mainland by deep, narrow channels that form part of the Inside Passage. The archipelago's name, given in 1867, honours Tsar Alexander II.

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Alexander Archipelago
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Alexander Archipelago (ärkĭpĕl'əgō) , island group off SE Alaska. The islands are the exposed tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep, fjordlike channels separate the islands and cut them off from the mainland; the northern part of the Inside Passage threads its way among the islands. The largest islands are Chichagof, Admiralty, Baranof, Wrangell, Revillagigedo, Kupreanof, Mitkoff, and Prince of Wales. All the islands are rugged, densely forested, and have an abundance of wildlife. The Tlingit are native to the area. Ketchikan on Revillagigedo and Sitka on Baranof are the main centers of population. Lumbering, trapping, fishing, and canning are the main industries. The archipelago was visited by the Russians in 1741 and was later explored by Britain, Spain, and the United States.


 
WordNet: Alexander Archipelago
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a group of islands off southeastern Alaska


 
Wikipedia: Alexander Archipelago
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A MODIS photograph of the Alexander Archipelago

The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long archipelago, or group of islands, off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep channels and fjords separate the islands and cut them off from the mainland. The northern part of the Inside Passage is sheltered by the islands as it winds its way among them.

The islands have irregular, steep coasts and dense evergreen and temperate rain forests.

The largest islands are Chichagof Island, Admiralty Island, Baranof Island, Wrangell Island, Revillagigedo Island, Kupreanof Island, Dall Island and Prince of Wales Island. All the islands are rugged, densely forested, and have an abundance of wildlife.

The Tlingit and Kaigani Haida people are native to the area. The Tsimshian people found on Annette Island are not originally from the area, having immigrated to the region from British Columbia in the late 19th century.

Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island and Sitka on Baranof Island are the largest towns on the islands. The largest town of the region, Juneau, is actually on the mainland and hence not part of the archipelago.

Tourism, fishing, and logging are the main industries of the islands.

The archipelago was visited by the Russians in 1741 and was later explored by Britain, Spain, and the United States. Control of the islands passed from Russia to the United States with the Alaska Purchase in 1867.

According to Donald Orth's Dictionary of Alaska Place Names (p.64), the Alexander Archipelago received its name from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1867. The island chain is named for Tsar Alexander of Russia.

On an 1860 map of Russian America (Alaska), the island group is called the King George III Archipelago.

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References

Coordinates: 56°40′00″N 134°05′00″W / 56.666667°N 134.083333°W / 56.666667; -134.083333


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alexander Archipelago" Read more