RP207 Aleutian Islands

 RP207 Aleutian Islands

Between Russia and Alaska is a bird-watcher's paradise. Swinging out in an arc from underneath Alaska is a string of lush, beautiful islands called the Aleutians. These islands are the summer home of ten million migrating birds, and you can also find many seals, sea lions, otters, and wildflowers here. The scenery is stunning, but these islands are far off the beaten track.

The Aleutian Islands are part of the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, meaning they are mostly volcanic. There are more than 300 islands in the chain, including 20 active volcanoes. The wet, cool weather makes the islands fertile ground for grasses, flowers, mosses, and sedges. Photos of the islands are often intensely green. However, there are very few trees on the Aleutians, especially no tall ones because the wind there is so strong that their trunks would snap.

The islands look like a bridge, and scientists believe that the island chain was probably used by early humans to migrate from Eurasia to North America. The humans who settled in the islands were called Aleuts by the Russians who first encountered them. They usually call themselves Unangax, "coast people." The Unangax did live by the coasts. They fished and hunted to gather their food. They built houses partly underground, to protect themselves from the cold and the fierce winds.

Beginning in the mid-18th century, Russians began sending traders and missionaries to the Aleutian Islands. This led to the slavery and near extermination of the Aleutian people. There are estimated to be only about 2,000 native Aleutians on the islands and perhaps 15,000 people of some Aleutian descent. With them goes their unique culture, which includes intricate tattooing, piercings, and other body art.

The Aleutian Islands, seemingly far from everywhere, are still relatively untamed and untrammelled. They have been designated as wilderness areas by the U.S. government, a status which should protect the islands' environments and help their human, plant, and animal populations recover.