St. Lawrence island

The island the St. Lawrence ( St Lawrence Island ) is located at the west of the Alaska, in the Bering Sea, just in the south of the Bering Strait, with approximately 64° Northern, 170° 28 ' West. Although territory of Alaska, it is geographically closer to the Russia. The St. Lawrence island is regarded as one of the not immersed portions of the old terrestrial bridge of Béringie which connected Asia to North America during the Pleistocene.

Geography

With the census of 2000, the island counted 1.292 inhabitants mainly in 2 villages, Savoonga and Gambell. The majority of the population are Yupik of Siberia

Surface of the island east of 4.640.12 km ². The island has a length of approximately 145 km for a width varying from 13 to 16 km. The island does not include/understand trees, only tiny shrubs Arctic Willow dépassantr not 30 cm height. The island lodges many birds and Marine mammals, mainly because of the influence of the current of Anadyr, a cold oceanic current rich in nutritive elements coming from deep water of the Bering Sea.

In the south of the island, a Polynie persisante, formed when the dominant winds of the north and of the east drives out the drifting ices far from the coasts.

History

Traces of occupation of the island for 2000 years have been found with objects characteristic of Okvik style. The occupation of the island was not continues, the analysis of the skeletons also showing periods of famine. It was used régulèrement basic as hunting for the continental populations which migrated according to the climate changes and of the abundance of the resources of hunting and fishing.

The island was called Sivuqaq by the Yupik S which lived there. She was visited by the explorer Russo-Danish Vitus Bering the day of the St. Lawrence, on August 10th, 1728 and named according to this day of visit. The island is the first known place of Alaska explored by Europeans.

There was in the middle of the 19th century approximately 4000 Yupik of Alaska and Yupik of Siberia which lived on the island, distributed in several villages along the coast. They lived of hunting for the Morse and the whale and of fishing. A famine in 1878-1880 caused the death or the departure of number of them, decimating the population. Practically all those which remained were of Yupiks of Siberia.

Reindeers were introduced on the island in 1900 to improve the local economy. The herd went up to 10.000 heads in 1917 but since declined. Nowadays, the reindeers are high for their meat.

A base radar of the US Air Force existed with the North-eastern course of 1952 to 1972. A polemic was born after the closing of this base on a pollution with PCB and an high rate of cancers in the surrounding populations. Although the authorities did not recognize this cause and effect link, a programme of depollution of 10 million dollars was undertaken in 2003.

Random links: