Seward Peninsula

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The Seward Peninsula is a large peninsula on the western coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It projects about 320 km (200 mi) 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 330 km (210 mis) long and 145-225 km (90-140 mi) wide.

Communities on the Seward Peninsula, with 2005 state population estimates[link]:

Nome (3,508)
Shismaref (581)
Buckland (434)
Koyuk (350)
Brevig Mission (327)
Elim (302)
Teller (263)
White Mountain (224)
Wales (151)
Golovin (150)
Deering (139)

Other locations on the Seward Peninsula include the mining towns of Council, 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 U.S. Coast Guard LORAN station at Port Clarence. The U.S. Air Force operates a radar station at Tin City, seven miles southeast of Wales.

The Seward Peninsula has several distinct geologic features. The Devil Mountain Lakes on the northern portion of the peninsula are the largest maar lakes in the world. They were formed over 21,000 years ago as the result of an underground steam explosion [link]. The Killeak Lakes and White Fish Lake are also volcanic maar lakes of notable size on the northern Seward Peninsula. Four mountain ranges line the southern side of the peninsula, the most prominent being the Kigluaik (or Sawtooth) Mountains. The highest point in the range and the peninsula is the peak of 4,714-foot (1,437-m) Mount Osborn. Other mountain ranges on the Seward Peninsula include the Bendeleben Mountains, Darby Mountains, and York Mountains. The "Lost Jim Lava Flow" south of Kuzitrin Lake is a lava field formed roughly 1,000 to 2,000 years ago, which covers roughly 88 square miles. Several geothermal hot springs are located throughout the peninsula, including Serpentine Hot Springs, Pilgrim Hot Springs, Granite Mountain, Elim and Lava Creek.

The Seward Peninsula has several rivers. The major ones include the Koyuk, Kuzitrin, Niukluk, Fish, Tubuktilik, Kiwalik, Buckland and Agiupuk Rivers. 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, Arctic Grayling, whitefish of various species, Northern Pike, and Burbot. Most rivers on the Seward Peninsula freeze in mid-October; spring break-up usually occurs in mid- to late May.

Cape Prince of Wales, the westernmost point in the Americas, is on the western tip. The cape is only 52 miles (84 km) from Cape Dezhnev, the closest point on the Russian mainland.

The peninsula was named after William Seward, the United States Secretary of State who negotiated the Purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.

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