St. Lawrence Island: description, coordinates, photo

The island of St. Lawrence is a territory that belongs to Alaska (USA) and is located in the Bering Strait. It was named after the saint, the Eskimos originally called it Sivukak.

Geographical position

The island of St. Lawrence is located in the North Pacific. Interesting is his position that he is between the Old and New Light, between the continents of Eurasia and North America. In addition, the island was at the junction of two oceans - the Pacific and the Arctic, in the Bering Sea, which is the marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It has coordinates of 170 °. Etc. and 63 ° N. W. The island of St. Lawrence was removed 231 km to the southwest from the city of Nome (USA, Alaska). It is located 74 km to the north-east from Chukotka (Russia, the Chukotka Peninsula). The length of the island is 140 km, and the width is 35 km.

Nature

The landscape is devoid of diversity, it is represented by a plain with low hills and separate elevations. The highest point here is Mount Atuk - over 670 m in height. It is necessary to mention the natural phenomenon - permanent polynyas. This polynya is located to the south of the island. It is formed by the prevailing eastern and northern winds that drive ice from shore to the ocean. The climate here is subarctic marine, so the island has very severe weather conditions. Photos of these places show that the flora here is extremely scarce. The vegetation characteristic of the tundra zone is low shrubs, mostly arctic willow. In contrast to the flora there is a very diverse fauna. This is due to the proximity of strong currents, which bring large volumes of plankton, with which fish move. Abundant food attracts colonies of mammals and birds, creating here bird market. Each year, around 3 million seabirds fly here. Pleasure here like a cleaner, dead end, guillemot, three-toed seagull and loon.

History

An interesting location is not surprising, because this island is the rest of the isthmus between the two continents. Otherwise, you can say, a "fragment" of the land bridge. This suggests that there used to be an earthly land on which prehistoric travelers passed part of their route during the time of the settlement of America.

The island was discovered by a Russian expedition led by a Dane by birth, a Russian fleet officer Vitus Bering. This event took place in August 1728, the day when St. Lawrence's feast was celebrated.

Population

The time of settling the island is interesting. People here appeared about 2 thousand years ago. They were Eskimos from Alaska and Chukotka. Now people are called yuits - by the name of a language similar to the Chukchi language. And this is not far from accident. In their language and culture, there is a clear similarity to the languages of the peoples of Chukotka. The settlement of the island by man in prehistoric and early historical stages was of a temporary nature. The periods of settling and leaving the island changed each other, depending on the weather conditions and the availability of resources for survival. Studies of human bones and teeth found on the island indicate a constant hunger. The island was more used as a hunting ground, especially since it is possible to reach the mainland in calm weather without obstacles.

Lived yuity in round houses, divided into two parts. The warm part of the house is residential. The cold part of the house was the place where most of the economic affairs were carried out. People were fond of carving the bones of the extracted beast. The thread covered all household items. In particular, hunting gear, weapons. The Yuity believed that the carved images of animals bring luck on the hunt. Relations with animals here are characterized by a shamanistic worldview. Animals were used as symbols for amulets (most often they were raven, walrus, dog). And relations with animals were built up special. Thus, only the person chosen by the spirit of this beast could kill the whale. He was treated with care, as a guest. With him always someone was present, the animal was beguiled by music and treats. All this because the yites believed that the whale would return later.

Wolves and killer whales in myths and fairy tales were considered one animal. In the summer - an orcas, in the winter - a wolf. In her winter guise, she helped the hunters kill the deer.

Population

The permanent population was 4,000 people until the end of the 18th century. Then it fell sharply to 1,000 people and remains at this level to this day. 40% of the population is under 20 years old. The appearance there of Russians and Americans is not associated with a decrease in the population of the island. This is the fault of the famine, because of which two-thirds of the Eskimos were forced to leave the island. The photos, however, illustrate that there are also settlements. Now there are two towns: Gambell and Savunga. They are inhabited mainly by Eskimos.

United States Islands

In the strait, located between Eurasia and North America, passes the state border between the two countries - Russia and the United States. Therefore, one part of the islands is Russian, the other is American.

The island of St. Lawrence is in the northern part of the Bering Sea, the southern part of the Bering Strait, southeast of the Chukchi Peninsula and west of Alaska. Near the coast of Russia is the island of St. Lawrence. Whose he? This question can be answered like this: now it is a part of the state of the USA of Alaska. Over time, political changes influenced the Bering Strait, its islands passed from one country to another, so now, looking at the map, it's easy to get confused about the state they belong to.

Historically, this island belongs to the United States, although it is located closer to Chukotka. In the Bering Strait are also the islands of Diomida, which received their name also in honor of the saint. On the day of his reverence, they were discovered by V. Bering, as well as the island of St. Lawrence. The second name of the islands of Diomid is the Gvozdyov Island, in honor of the brothers who first put them on the map. The island of Ratmanov, located to the west, belongs to Russia. The island of Kruzenshtern, located to the east, belongs to the United States. Thus, between these two islands is the border of states. Back in the Bering Strait is Fr. Faroei (south-east of the Diomid Islands), owned by the United States.

Administrative Subordination

Administratively, the island is included in the Nom census zone, which, in turn, is part of another territorial unit - unorganized borough. This is a specific administrative unit that exists in Alaska. It is created in such places where the number of inhabitants is small, self-management can not be organized, but the population census is necessary. For convenience, unorganized boron in Alaska is divided into 11 zones, one of which is the Nom zone mentioned. Residents are almost evenly distributed between two towns - Gambell and Savunga. The name Gambell town was given in honor of the first teacher on the island, who died with the whole family in a terrible storm on the ship "Jane Gray" in 1898. There are no other settlements here. Although there is no competition between the towns for the pre-eminence, the town of Gambell was called the Sivukak Eskimos before the tragedy of 1898, like the entire island, which nevertheless gives it special significance.

Activities of the island's inhabitants

The inhabitants of the island are engaged in fishing, whaling, carving from the bone. The carving of bone is no longer imbued with such a protective meaning, as before. Now these are souvenirs for sale. Also, the inhabitants collect berries and eggs of wild seabirds. Reindeer herding is present, but this occupation appeared relatively recently, after the importation of deer into the island. Greenland whales are mined here in such quantities that the village of Savunga is also called the "whale capital of the world". In addition, there is an annual whale festival here.

Sometimes tourists visit the island, attracted by the cemetery of abandoned ships. Picturesque views of dead skeletons among the harsh cold shores are captured in the photo.

Island and the USA

Between 1952 and 1972, part of the island's land belonged to the American military.

The people of the island participated in the Second World War - served in the territorial protection of Alaska (ATG). In 1947 this division was dissolved. And in 1952, the islanders continued to participate in the protection of the island in the created Alaska National Guard. At the same time, the Air Force radar station was built, which had a closed status.

In the period of aggravation of the conflict between the USSR and the USA, an incident occurred in the Bering Strait. 06/22/1955 Two Soviet fighters shot down an American aircraft of espionage modification. The crew consisted of eleven people. Three of them were wounded during the bombardment, and four more during the fall. Preserved diplomatic documents, from which it is known that the government of the USSR has reacted to the incident peaceably, but the whole truth was not said.

Although the plane was on the territory of the USSR and there was a skirmish, the Russian military carried out an order not to take actions abroad. And the readiness of the Soviet government to repay half of the US losses was an expression of a peaceful mood. Moreover, it was more precise that there was a shootout in cloudy weather, when everyone could be mistaken because of low visibility. The incident was settled.

The radar station, located on the other end of the island, was the object of the US Air Force and carried out aerial control and warning, was a monitoring station. In this area for centuries, some Eskimo families traditionally had parking. Some time after the station was closed, the population was noted to have deteriorated health. Cancer and other diseases in people who grew up in this area, occurred more often. This continues to this day, despite the fact that the United States conducted an expensive program to clean up the territory when the station was destroyed. Surroundings are poisoned by PCBs. Monitoring continues.

After the departure of the military, the population received the right to excavate the bones for carving, which in two "bone pits" accumulated a huge amount over the centuries of dumping. And also the population was given the right to fish and sea animals in these places. The public helped to receive these rights.