- Community Type: 2nd Class City
- Current
Population: 5106
- Borough
Name: Unorganized
- Regional
Native Corporation: Calista Corporation
- REAA/School
District: Lower Kuskokwim Schools
- Latitude:
60° 47' N
- Longitude:
161° 45' W
- See Map
of the region
- Land Area:
44.30
- Water Area:
5.70
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| Location:
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Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles
inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National
Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage.
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| History:
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Bethel was first established by Yupik Eskimos who called the village
"Mumtrekhlogamute," meaning "Smokehouse People,"
named for the nearby fish smokehouse. There were 41 people in
Bethel during the 1880 U.S. Census. At that time, it was an Alaska
Commercial Company Trading Post. The Moravian Church established
a mission in the area in 1884. The community was moved to its
present location due to erosion at the prior site. A post office
was opened in 1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading,
transportation and distribution center for the region, which attracted
Natives from surrounding villages. Over time, federal and state
agencies established regional offices in Bethel.
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| Culture:
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The region is fortunate in that rapid development did not occur
before the importance of protecting the Native culture was realized.
The traditional Yupik Eskimo practices and language remain predominant
in the area. Subsistence and commercial fishing are major contributors
to residents' livelihoods. The sale of alcohol is banned in the
community, although importation or possession is allowed.
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| Economy:
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Bethel serves as the regional hub for 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta. Food, fuel, transportation, medical care and other services
for these villages are provided by businesses in Bethel. 50% of
the jobs in Bethel are in government positions. Commercial fishing
is an important source of income. 200 residents hold commercial
fishing permits; primarily for salmon and herring roe net fisheries.
Subsistence activities contribute substantially to villager's
diets.
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| Transportation:
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The State-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by two major passenger airlines, two cargo
carriers, and numerous air taxi services. The airport ranks third
in the state for total number of flights. Two float plane bases
are nearby, one at Hangar Lake. The Port of Bethel is the northern-most
medium-draft port in the U.S. River travel is the primary means
of local transportation in the summer, and it becomes a 28-mile
ice road to surrounding villages in the winter. A barge service
based in Bethel provides goods to the Kuskokwim villages. There
are 16 miles of local roads.
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| Climate:
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Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area, with snowfall
of 50 inches. Summer temperatures range from 62 to 42; winter
temperatures 19 to -2.
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