Nunivak Island is the second largest island in the Bering Sea, 48 km (30 miles) offshore from the delta of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, at about 60° North latitude. It is 4,450 km² (1.1 million acres) in area. It is volcanic in origin; most of the island is dominated by volcanic plateau 160 m (500 feet) or more above sea level. Tundra is the main landscape feature; the largest trees on Nunivak are dwarf willow trees, most less than 1.2 m (4 feet) tall. More than 40 rivers drain the tundra upland. Brackish lagoons ring the eastern and southern shores, and steep volcanic cliffs dominate the northwest shores. Image File history File links Adapted from Wikipedias AK borough maps by Seth Ilys. ... Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean The Bering (or Imarpik) Sea is a body of water above, and separated from, the north Pacific Ocean by the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. ... Map of the Yukon River watershed The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. ... The Kuskokwim River is a river, approximately 650 mi (1,110 km) long, in southwest Alaska in the United States. ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... Species About 350, including: Salix acutifolia- Violet Willow Salix alaxensis- Alaska Willow Salix alba- White Willow Salix alpina- Alpine Willow Salix amygdaloides- Peachleaf Willow Salix arbuscula- Mountain Willow Salix arbusculoides- Littletree Willow Salix arctica- Arctic Willow Salix atrocinerea Salix aurita- Eared Willow Salix babylonica- Peking Willow Salix barrattiana- Barratts...

At least 89 migratory seabirds and waterfowl have seasonal homes on Nunivak Island, including several endangered and threatened species. Dense summer breeding rookeries are found on all shores of the island and in inland tundra lakes.

Prehistorically, Nunivak was home to a modest herd of caribou, but these were exterminated after the introduction of firearms in the late 19th or early 20th century. United States Fish and Wildlife introduced reindeer and musk ox onto the island in the 1930s and 1940s. Large herds of these animals are maintained by the local Native Corporation of Mekoryuk. Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) Caribou redirects here. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) Caribou redirects here. ... Binomial name Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780) The Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) is a bovine noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor of the male. ... Mekoryuk is a city located in Bethel Census Area, Alaska. ...

Boys in kayak, Nunivak, photograph by Edward S. Curtis, 1930

Nunivak is part of the State of Alaska. Most of the island is part of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x831, 140 KB) Boys in kaiak - Nunivak Edward S. Curtis, 1930 Northwestern University Library, Edward S. Curtiss The North American Indian: the Photographic Images, 2001. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x831, 140 KB) Boys in kaiak - Nunivak Edward S. Curtis, 1930 Northwestern University Library, Edward S. Curtiss The North American Indian: the Photographic Images, 2001. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 1st 663,267 sq mi  1,717,854 km² 808 miles  1,300 km 1,479 miles  2,380 km 13. ... The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ...

Nunivak has only one permanent settlement, Mekoryuk, on the north shore, with about 200 residents. However, in his 1880 census, Ivan Petroff recorded 702 residents in nine villages on the island. An epidemic in 1900 decimated the population of the island. Outmigration keeps the population small and all the current residents live in Mekoryuk. Nearly all the permanent residents of Nunivak are Cup'it Eskimo, who traditionally speak a dialect of Yupik known as Cup'ig. The Cup'ig language is a first language for many older islanders, and is enjoying a dedicated revival among younger islanders as well, although nearly all Nuniwarmiut (Nunivak people) speak English. The people of Nunivak Island still depend to a large degree on subsistence hunting, and also commercial fishing and industrial work on the mainland. Ivan Petroff was a researcher hired by the United States Government to conduct a census of Alaska after the Alaska Purchase. ... The Yupik or, in the Central Alaskan language, Yupik, are indigenous or aboriginal peoples who live along the coast of western Alaska, especially on the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta and along the Kuskokwim River (Central Alaskan Yupik), in southern Alaska (the Alutiiq) and in the Russian Far East and St. ... It has been suggested that Esquimaux race be merged into this article or section. ... The Yupik people speak five distinct languages, depending on their location. ...

External links

• The Cultural Heritage Office of the village of Mekoryuk

• Summer Field Science Camp UAF Kuskokwim Campus

• Photo Slide-show Science Field Camp

• Nuniwarmiut Piciryarata Tamaryalkuti 'Nunivak Cultural Programs