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Encyclopedia > Alaska Bush
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Alaska's Bush communities

Much like other roadless or remote parts of Australia and Africa, the state of Alaska in the United States has area commonly referred to as "the Bush". This term is used in Alaska to refer to the portion of the state that is not connected by North America's interconnected system of roadways. Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ...


The vast majority of Alaska's geography is located in the Bush, but the majority of the population lives in either in or near the two main urban areas of Anchorage, and Fairbanks.


Most Alaskans refer to any place besides Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and the towns of the Kenai Peninsula and Mat-Su boroughs as falling within the Bush. Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates: Borough Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Area    - City 5,079. ... Nickname: The Golden Heart City Location Coordinates , Government Country  State   Borough United States  Alaska   Fairbanks North Star Incorporated November 10, 1903 Mayor Steve M. Thompson Geographical characteristics Area     City 84. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Coordinates , Government Country State Borough United States Alaska Juneau City and Borough Founded Incorporated 1881 1890 Mayor Bruce Botelho Geographical characteristics Area     City 8,430. ... Kenai Peninsula Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Matanuska-Susitna Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... A borough is an administrative division used in various countries. ...


Although the Bush in Alaska is generally described as any community not "on the road system," there are distinctions within how different parts of the state define this term. Residents of remote Eskimo villages, for instance, do not consider communities connected by the Alaska State Marine Highway ferries as properly part of the Bush. The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is a ferry service that is operated by the government of the state of Alaska in the United States. ...


Most parts of Alaska that are off the road system can only be reached by small airplane, and travel from place to place is typically accomplished through alternative means of transportation such as snowmobile or snowmachine, boat, or dog sled.


In addition, Alaska has a further distinction that divides Bush communities into two further subcategories of "hub communities", and "villages".


Bush hub communites

Bush hub communities are isolated small or mid-sized towns that serve as a transportation and shipping hubs for surrounding smaller rural communities. Bush hubs are used by many village residents as a both a transfer point on their way to and from the more developed towns such as Anchorage and Fairbanks. Residents of Bush hub communities typically enjoy better access to health care, grocery shopping and other services than do those who live in smaller Bush villages.


Bush hubs tend to share a number characteristics that may include:

  • Regional road systems of crushed gravel
  • Small clinic or hospital
  • Grocery store
  • Relatively busy small airports — some with daily jet or turboprop service to Anchorage or Fairbanks
  • Higher likelihood than villages to be classified as "damp", rather than "dry" in terms of alcohol consumption
  • Populations typically greater than 500

Some Bush hub communities of Alaska: Aniak, Barrow, Nome, Kotzebue, Unalakleet, St. Mary's, Bethel, Dillingham, Dutch Harbor, and Cordova. Aniak is a city located in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. ... Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast of Norton Sound in the Nome Census Area, Alaska. ... Kotzebue is a city located in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. ... Unalakleet is a city located in Nome Census Area, Alaska. ... St. ... Bethel is a city located in Bethel Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, 340 miles (540 km) west of Anchorage. ... Dillingham is a city located in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska. ... Aerial view of Unalaska Unalaska is a small city on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Cordova is a small city located near the mouth of the Copper River in Alaska, at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound. ...


Bush villages

Alaska Bush villages vary greatly in terms of running water, flush-haul sewage treatment, and alcohol consumption restrictions.


Bush villages are frequently subsistence-based communities, with few cash economy jobs. This means that hunting and gathering are still active lifestyles. The degree of traditional participation in these activities also varies greatly by location. Most villages are predominantly Alaska Natives communities. In many cases, the only non-Native residents are employees of the local school district, or state and federal agencies with personnel based in the village.


Bush villages may have some or all of the following notable characteristics:

  • No roads or cars, but boardwalks for foot and four-wheeler traffic
  • Trails or paths around town for snow machines
  • Lack of sewage treatment or water piped into homes the use of a honey bucket and the collection of rainwater for drinking is standard.
  • Steam baths which are used for bathing and social gatherings
  • Lack of restaurants, or prepared foods available for sale, except for a few tiny village stores
  • Reliance on traditional foods to varying degrees. Some are very interesting to outsiders, such as fermented fish and "stink heads")
  • Reliance on diesel generator power, which can experience frequent outages
  • A small US Post Office (although mail can take significantly longer than in hub communities)
  • Alcohol consumption restrictions
    • Dry — Possession and sale of alcohol banned
    • Damp — Alcohol can be possessed, but import controls are in place. Sales of alcohol are banned.
    • Wet — Alcohol consumption and sale only subject to state regulation, not "local option".
  • Traditional Alaska Native language use varies from spoken during official village functions and by students between each other at school, to only elders knowing any of the dialect.
  • Small, gravel airstrips which restrict air travel to certain weather conditions

Photograph of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ, USA, taken August 2003. ... A honey bucket is the bucket that is used in place of a flush toilet in communities that lack wastewater treatment. ... Sauna on the lake Vättern, in Karlsborg Municipality. ... Prepared Fermented Fish Fermented Fish is an Eskimo food that is eaten raw and frozen. ...

Other features

  • Native ANSCA corporations, federal government lands, airstrips.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law on December 18, 1971, and the largest land claims settlement in United States history was concluded. ...

References

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Flag of Alaska State of Alaska  v • d • e 
Juneau (capital)
Regions

Aleutian Islands | Arctic Alaska | Bush Alaska | Interior | Kenai Peninsula | Mat-Su Valley | North Slope | Panhandle | Seward Peninsula | Southcentral | Southwest | Tanana Valley | Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Image File history File links Flag_of_Alaska. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... Location in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Coordinates: Country United States State Alaska Borough Juneau City and Borough Founded 1881 Incorporated 1890 Mayor Bruce Botelho Area    - City 8,430. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... Looking down the Aleutians from an airplane. ... Arctic Alaska is a region of the U.S. state of Alaska generally referring to the northern areas on or close to the Arctic Ocean. ... Fall in Interior Alaska The interior of Alaska makes up most of the state. ... The Kenai Peninsula in Alaska The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. ... Matanuska-Susitna Valley shown shaded in red north of Anchorage Matanuska-Susitna Valley (known locally as the Mat-Su Valley) is an area in south central Alaska south of the Alaska Range north and northeast of Anchorage. ... ... The Alaska Panhandle is the coast of the American state of Alaska, just west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. ... The Seward Peninsula is a large peninsula in western Alaska. ... South Central Alaska consists of the portion of the U.S. state of Alaska from the shorelines and uplands of the Gulf of Alaska. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... The Tanana Valley is the lowland region in central Alaska in the United States, on the north side of the Alaska Range where the Tanana River emerges from the mountains. ... The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region is a treeless tundra located in southwestern Alaska. ...

Largest cities

Anchorage | Barrow | Bethel | Fairbanks | Homer | Juneau | Kenai | Ketchikan | Kodiak | Kotzebue | Nome | Palmer | Petersburg | Seward | Sitka | Unalaska | Valdez | Wasilla Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates: Borough Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Area    - City 5,079. ... Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Bethel is a city located in Bethel Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, 340 miles (540 km) west of Anchorage. ... Nickname: The Golden Heart City Location Coordinates , Government Country  State   Borough United States  Alaska   Fairbanks North Star Incorporated November 10, 1903 Mayor Steve M. Thompson Geographical characteristics Area     City 84. ... Homer is a town located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Coordinates , Government Country State Borough United States Alaska Juneau City and Borough Founded Incorporated 1881 1890 Mayor Bruce Botelho Geographical characteristics Area     City 8,430. ... Kenai is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Ketchikan (IPA: ) is the fifth-largest city in terms of population in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Aerial view of Kodiak Kodiak is a city on Kodiak Island in Kodiak Island Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Kotzebue is a city located in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. ... Nome is a city located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast of Norton Sound in the Nome Census Area, Alaska. ... Palmer is a city located in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. ... Petersburg is a city in Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. ... Seward is a city located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. ... Sitka City and Borough is a borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Alaska. ... Aerial view of Unalaska Unalaska is a small city on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Valdez (IPA: ) is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... For the Sarmatian god of the same name, see Wasilla (god) Wasilla is a town in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ...

Boroughs

Aleutians East | Anchorage | Bristol Bay | Denali | Fairbanks North Star | Haines | Juneau | Kenai Peninsula | Ketchikan Gateway | Kodiak Island | Lake and Peninsula | Matanuska-Susitna | North Slope | Northwest Arctic | Sitka | Yakutat Map of Alaska boroughs and census areas The U.S. state of Alaska does not have counties in the sense of counties in the rest of the country. ... Aleutians East Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates: Borough Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Area    - City 5,079. ... Bristol Bay Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska on Bristol Bay or Iilgayaq Bay. ... Denali Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Haines Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska Coordinates , Government Country State Borough United States Alaska Juneau City and Borough Founded Incorporated 1881 1890 Mayor Bruce Botelho Geographical characteristics Area     City 8,430. ... Kenai Peninsula Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Ketchikan Gateway Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Kodiak Island Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Lake and Peninsula Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Matanuska-Susitna Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... North Slope Borough is a borough located largely in the North Slope region of the state of Alaska. ... Northwest Arctic Borough is a borough located in the state of Alaska. ... Nickname: First City of Alaska Coordinates: Borough City and Borough of Sitka Founded 1799 Incorporated December 2, 1971 Mayor Marko Dapcevich Area    - City 12,461. ... Yakutat City and Borough is a borough and a city located in Alaska. ...

Census areas

Aleutians West | Bethel | Dillingham | Nome | Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan | Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon | Southeast Fairbanks | Valdez-Cordova | Wade Hampton | Wrangell-Petersburg | Yukon-Koyukuk | (see also) Unorganized Borough Map of Alaska boroughs and census areas The U.S. state of Alaska does not have counties in the sense of counties in the rest of the country. ... Aleutians West Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Bethel Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Dillingham Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. ... Nome Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Southeast Fairbanks Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Valdez-Cordova Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Wade Hampton Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska. ... Map of Alaska boroughs and census areas The Unorganized Borough is that part of Alaska not contained in any of its 16 organized boroughs. ...


  Results from FactBites:
 
Bush Justice: A Critical Report (1763 words)
The study essentially was an exploratory effort to determine the conditions in Alaskan Bush villages relative to public safety and the criminal justice system, and the perceptions of village residents about the conditions in their villages and the criminal justice services being provided by the state.
Third, the Bush villages and the rural Natives are not an homogenous entity.
The Alaska Court System and the Division of Corrections should establish procedures to ensure that village police officers and village officials are informed of the disposition of cases involving village residents and of any conditions imposed on individuals returning to the villages.
The Bush : Introduction | Frommers.com (904 words)
Bush Alaska is one of the planet's last barely inhabited areas.
In Bush Alaska, where the population is overwhelmingly Alaska Native, it's not uncommon to be befriended by total strangers simply because you've taken the trouble to come to their community and are, therefore, an honored guest.
I've chosen to provide sections on those few Bush hubs that are most accessible and popular with visitors, those that have modern facilities and can be used as gateways to more of the state for visitors who want to venture beyond the fringe of civilization.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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