Seward Peninsula: Difference between revisions

[[Image:SewardBerengia peninsula- present_day.png|right|320px|thumb|Map of [[Beringia]] showing the Seward Peninsula.]]

The '''Seward Peninsula''' is a large peninsula on the western coast of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]] whose westernmost point is [[Cape Prince of Wales]]. The Itpeninsula projects about {{convert|320|km|mi|-1|spabbr=on|order=usflip}} into the [[Bering Sea]] between [[Norton Sound]], the [[Bering Strait]], the [[Chukchi Sea]], and [[Kotzebue Sound]], just below the [[Arctic Circle]]. The entire peninsula is about {{convert|330|km|mi|-1|spabbr=uson|order=flip}} long and {{convert|145|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-{{convert|225|km|mi|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} wide. Like [[Seward, Alaska]], it was named after [[William H. Seward]], the [[United States Secretary of State]] who fought for the U.S. [[Alaska Purchase|purchase of Alaska]].

The Seward Peninsula is a remnant of the [[Bering land bridge]], a roughly thousand -mile -wide swath of land connecting [[Siberia]] with mainland Alaska during the [[Pleistocene|Pleistocene Ice Age]]. This land bridge aided in the migration of humans, as well as plant and animal species, from Asia to North America. Archeological discoveries throughout the Seward Peninsula show proof that [[Inupiat people|Inupiat]] Eskimos have been living in the region for thousands of years.{{Dubious|Alleged ethnic continuity|date=November 2011}} Excavations at sites such as the [[Trail Creek Caves]] and Cape Espenberg in the [[Bering Land Bridge National Preserve]] as well as [[Cape Denbigh]] to the south have provided insight into the timeline of prehistorical migrations from Asia to the Seward Peninsula.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/akso/akarc/cr_bela.htm Cultural Resources in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rbth.com/international/2015/07/23/us_and_russia_introduce_visa-free_travel_for_chukotka_and_alask_47981.html|title=U.S. and Russia introduce visa-free travel for Chukotka and Alaska|work=[[Russia Beyond]]|date=23 July 2015|access-date=14 January 2018}}</ref>

Most of the peninsula is in the [[Nome Census Area]], but part is in the [[Northwest Arctic Borough]]. These are the communities on the Seward Peninsula, with 2005 state population estimates:<ref>[http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_CIS.htm Alaska Community Database Community Information Summary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070402120839/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_CIS.htm |date=2007-04-02 }}</ref>

Other locations on the Seward Peninsula include the mining towns of [[Council, Alaska|Council]], [[Solomon, Alaska|Solomon]], Candle, Haycock and Taylor. While still frequented by locals of neighboring communities, there are no longer year round residents in these locations. There is a [[United States Coast Guard]] [[LORAN]] station at [[Port Clarence, Alaska|Port Clarence]]. The [[U.S. Air Force]] operates a [[radar]] station at the "Tin City" site, {{convert|7|mi|km|0abbr=on}} southeast of Wales.

The Seward Peninsula has several rivers. The largest include the [[Koyuk River|Koyuk]], [[Kuzitrin River|Kuzitrin]], [[Niukluk River|Niukluk]], [[Fish River (Alaska)|Fish]], [[Tubuktilik River|Tubuktilik]], [[Kiwalik River|Kiwalik]], [[Buckland River|Buckland]] and [[Agiupuk River|Agiupuk]] Riversrivers. These play a vital role in the subsistence lifestyles of many peninsula residents and ease travel, hunting, and fishing. Most peninsula rivers have at least a small yearly run of several varieties of [[salmon]], as well as [[Dolly Varden trout|Dolly Varden]], [[Arctic Graylinggrayling]], [[Coregonus|whitefish]] of various species, [[Northernnorthern Pikepike]], and [[Burbotburbot]]. Most rivers on the Seward Peninsula freeze in mid-October; spring break-up usually occurs in mid- to late May.

The Seward Peninsula is the western-mostwesternmost limit of distribution for the [[BlackPicea mariana|black spruce]], ''[[Picea mariana]]'', a dominant [[Canopy (biology)|overstory species]] of the region.

Alaska's [[reindeer herding]] was concentrated on the Seward Peninsula ever since the first shipment of [[reindeer]] were imported there from eastern Siberia in 1892.<ref name="Buski2004" /> It was believed that migrating [[caribou]], could be prevented from mingling with the domesticated reindeer on the Peninsula because of the geography of the peninsula, thereby avoiding loss of reindeer that might wander off with caribou.<ref name="Buski2004">{{citation |chapter=Reindeer History in Alaska |chapter-url=http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu/about_reindeer/history.php |title=Reindeer Roundup |first=Carrie |last=Bucki |year=2004 |institution=Reindeer Research Program |location=Fairbanks, Alaska|accessdateaccess-date=5 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="UofA">{{cite web|url=http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu/about_reindeer/seward_peninsula.php|title=The Seward Peninsula| institution=Natural Resources and Extension Program, University of Alaska |location=Fairbanks, Alaska |accessdateaccess-date=7 November 2010}}</ref> However, in 1997 the domesticated reindeer joined the [[Western Arctic Caribou Herd]] on their summer migration and disappeared.<ref>{{citation |last=Querengesser |first=Tim |date=26 October 2009 |url=http://maisonneuve.org/article/2009/10/26/curse-deer/ |title=The Curse of the Deer |work=Maisonneuve.org |accessdateaccess-date=19 April 2014}}</ref>

[[Cape Prince of Wales]], the westernmost point on the mainland of the Americas, is on the western tip. The cape is only {{convert|51|mi|km|0abbr=on}} from [[Cape Dezhnev]], the closest point on the [[Russia]]n mainland. In August 2011 Russia announced an ambitious project to construct a rail tunnel under the Bering Strait, linking the Seward Peninsula in Alaska with the [[Chukchi Peninsula]] in Russia. If completed, the project would cost an estimated US $65 billion and would be the world's longest tunnel at {{convert|103|km|miorder=flip|abbr=on}} long.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]] | last=Halpin | first=Tony | date=2011-08-20 | title=Russia plans $65bn tunnel to America | accessdate=24 August 2011}}</ref>

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