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Community Type: Home Rule City
- Current
Population: 6869
- Borough
Name: Kodiak Island Borough
- Regional
Native Corporation: Koniag, Incorporated
- REAA/School
District: Kodiak Island Borough Schools
- Latitude:
57° 47' N
- Longitude:
152° 24' W
- See Map
of the region
- Land Area:
3.20
- Water Area:
1.30
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| Location:
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Location
Kodiak is located near the eastern tip of
Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Island, "the
emerald isle," is the largest island in Alaska, and is second
only to Hawaii in the U.S. Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge encompasses
nearly 1.9 million acres on Kodiak and Afognak Islands. It is
252 air miles south of Anchorage, a one-hour flight, and is a
3-hour flight from Seattle.
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| History:
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The Island has been inhabited by Sugpiaq Eskimos (Alutiiq) for
the past 8,000 years. The first non-Native contacts were in 1763,
by the Russian Stephen Glotov, and in 1792 by Alexander Baranov,
a Russian fur trapper. Sea otter pelts were the primary incentive
for Russian exploration, and a settlement was established at Chiniak
Bay, the site of present-day Kodiak. At that time, there were
over 6,500 Sugpiaq Eskimos in the area and the Island was called
"Kikhtak." It later was known as "Kadiak,"
the Inuit word for island. Kodiak became the first capital of
Russian Alaska, and Russian colonization had a devastating effect
on the local Native population. By the time Alaska became a U.S.
Territory in 1867, the Koniag region Eskimos had almost disappeared
as a viable culture. Sea otter fur harvesting was the major commercial
enterprise, and eventually led to the near extinction of the species.
However, in 1882 a fish cannery opened at the Karluk spit. This
sparked the development of commercial fishing in the area. The
City of Kodiak was incorporated in 1940. During the Aleutian Campaign
of World War II, the Navy and the Army built bases on the Island.
Fort Abercrombie was constructed in 1939, and later became the
first secret radar installation in Alaska. Development continued,
and the 1960s brought growth in commercial fisheries and fish
processing. The 1964 earthquake and subsequent tidal wave virtually
leveled downtown Kodiak. The fishing fleet, processing plant,
canneries, and 158 homes were destroyed - $30 million in damage.
The infrastructure was rebuilt, and by 1968, Kodiak had become
the largest fishing port in the U.S., in terms of dollar value.
The Magnusson Act in 1976 extended the U.S. jurisdiction of marine
resources to 200 miles offshore, which reduced competition from
the foreign fleet, and over time, allowed Kodiak to develop a
groundfish processing industry.
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| Culture:
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The local culture surrounds commercial and subsistence fishing
activities. The Coast Guard comprises a significant portion of
the community, and there is a large seasonal population. Kodiak
is primarily non-Native, and the majority of the Native population
are Sugpiaq Eskimos or Aleuts. Filipinos are a large subculture
in Kodiak due to their work in the canneries. A Russian Orthodox
Church seminary is based in Kodiak, one of two existing seminaries
in the U.S.
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| Economy:
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The Kodiak economy is based on fishing, seafood
processing and government. Adaptability and diversification in
a variety of fisheries has enabled the Kodiak economy to develop
and stabilize. It is the nation's second highest port in seafood
volume and third in value. 274 million pounds of seafood were
landed in Kodiak in 1992, at a value of $90 million. 625 residents
hold commercial fishing permits, and thirteen fish processing
companies operate here year-round. City, Borough, state and federal agencies rank second as local employers. The largest U.S. Coast
Guard station lies just south of the city.
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| Transportation:
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Kodiak is accessible by air and sea. The State-owned Kodiak Airport,
Kodiak Municipal Airport, and City-owned seaplane bases at Lilly
Lake, Trident Basin/Inner Harbor and Near Island Channel serve
air traffic. Three scheduled airlines serve Kodiak with several
daily flights, and a number of air taxi services provide flights
to other communities on the Island. The State runway is 7,500';
the municipal runway is 2,500'. The Alaska Marine Highway System
operates a ferry service to and from Seward and Homer. Travel
time to Homer by ferry is 12 hours. Two boat harbors serve commercial
and transient vessels. A new $20 million breakwater, to be completed
by summer 1997, will add another 90 acres of mooring space. Approximately
140 miles of state roads connect island communities on the east
side of the island.
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| Climate:
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The Kodiak Archipelago is warmed by the Japanese current. The
climate is similar to Southeast Alaska, with less precipitation.
January temperatures range from 14 to 46; July temperatures vary
from 39 to 76. Average annual rainfall is 74 inches.
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