Unalakleet, Alaska

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Unalakleet is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 747.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Location of Unalakleet, Alaska

Unalakleet is located at 63°52′44″N, 160°47′23″W (63.878907, -160.789680)GR1.

Unalakleet is located on the Norton Sound of the Bering Sea at the mouth of the Unalakleet River, 238 km (148 miles) southeast of Nome.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.3 km² (5.1 mi²). 7.4 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is land and 5.9 km² (2.3 mi²) of it (44.25%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 747 people, 224 households, and 174 families residing in the city. The population density was 100.5/km² (260.5/mi²). There were 242 housing units at an average density of 32.6/km² (84.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 11.91% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 85.27% Native American, and 2.54% from two or more races. 0.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 224 households out of which 46.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 37.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 114.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,083, and the median income for a family was $45,625. Males had a median income of $41,964 versus $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,845. About 12.5% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

Unalakleet, an adaptation of the Iñupiaq word Unga-laq-thliq, means "where southerly east wind blows" in Inupiaq[citation needed].

Unalakleet is located at the Norton Sound end of the Unalakleet-Kaltag Portage, an important winter travel route between Norton Sound and the Yukon River. Unalakleet has long been a major trade center between the Athabascans who lived in the interior of Alaska and the Inupiat who lived on the coast. The Russian-American Company built a trading post here at Unalakleet in the 1830s. Reindeer herders from Lapland were brought to Unalakleet to teach sound herding practices in 1898. In 1901, the United States Army Signal Corps built a 975 km (605 mile) telegraph line from St. Michael to Unalakleet.

[edit] Mushing influence

Unalakleet is the first checkpoint on the Norton Sound in the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race 851 miles from the start in Anchorage. The first musher to reach this checkpoint each year is awarded the Gold Coast Award, which includes $2,500 in gold nuggets. Unalakleet also plays an important role in the Iron Dog race.

[edit] Education

The Swedish Covenant Church established a mission in Unalakleet in 1887. The Evangelical Covenant Church later started a boarding high school in 1954. It served students from all over western Alaska until it closed in 1985 due to the changing face of education in the villages of Alaska with the addition of local high schools in all villages.

The district office for Bering Strait School District has been located in Unalakleet since 1983. Serving fifteen village schools, the Bering Strait School District covers approximately 50,000 square miles.

Unalakleet's local schools include Unalakleet School, a K-12 school that is internally divided into Unalakleet Elementary, Unalakleet Middle School, and Frank A. Degnan High School. The combined school population of Unalakleet Schools is 195, 180 of whom are Alaska Native.

Unalakleet's schools are known for their basketball prowess. The boys' high school team has won six State Championships since beginning play in the early 1960s. Three were won by the Covenant High School Wolverines and three by the state-run high school, the Unalakleet Wolfpack (previously known as the Panthers).

[edit] Transportation

Unalakleet is a central hub for outlying villages, providing air cargo and air taxi services and a link to Anchorage. It is served by daily twin turbo-prop airline service to Anchorage by PenAir and Hageland Aviation, as well as daily flights to Nome and outlying villages by Bering Air, Hageland Aviation and Alaska Transportation Service (freight only).

Unalakleet also has a seafood processing plant for Norton Sound-area fishermen.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

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    [edit] External links

    Unalakleet River Lodge :: http://www.unalakleet.com

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