Aleutian Islands

Volcanic island chain in the North Pacific, stretching 1,900 km/1,200 mi southwest of Alaska, of which it forms part, towards Kamchatka; population in Aleutians East Borough (2000 est) 2,700; in Aleutians West Census Area (2000 est) 5,500. There are 14 large and more than 100 small islands running along the Aleutian Trench; the largest island is Unimak (with an area of 3,500 sq km/1,360 sq mi), which contains two active volcanoes. The islands are divided into four groups: the Fox Islands, the Andreanof Islands, the Rat Islands, and the Near Islands. They are mountainous, barren, and almost treeless; they are ice-free all year but are often foggy, with only about 25 days of sunshine recorded annually. The only industries are fishing, seal hunting, and sheep and reindeer farming; the main exports are fish and furs. Unalaska is the chief island for trade as it has a good harbour. Most of the islands lie within the Aleutians National Wildlife Reserve.

The islands were settled by the Aleuts around 1000 BC and visited by a Russian expedition in 1741; led by the Danish explorer Vitus Bering. They passed to the USA with the purchase of Alaska in 1867.