Sitka, Alaska
Seal
Nickname: "First City of Alaska"
Coordinates: 57°3′10″N, 135°19′54″W
Borough	City and Borough of Sitka
Founded	1799
Incorporated	December 2, 1971
Mayor	Marko Dapcevich
Area
- City	12,461.8 km²  (4,811.5 sq mi)
- Water	5,018.2 km² (1,937.6 sq mi)
Population
- City (2000)	8,835
- Density	1.2/km²
Time zone	Alaska (UTC-9)
- Summer (DST)	Alaska (UTC-8)
Website: www.cityofsitka.com

Sitka City and Borough is a city-borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the largest city in area in the United States. The borough seat is Sitka, the only incorporated section. Sitka, the "First City of Alaska," is the state's fourth-largest in terms of population. Image File history File links Seal of the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska. ... // A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi, Bobby, Rab, Bert, Bertie, Butch, Bobbers, Bobert, Beto, Bobadito, and Robban (in Sweden), are all short for Robert). ... Public domain map courtesy of The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin, modified to show counties. ... 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. ... A Municipal Corporation is a legal defintion for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, and towns. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is in modern times the title of the highest ranking municipal officer, who discharges certain judicial and administrative functions, in many systems an elected politician, who serves as chief executive and/or ceremonial official of many types of municipalities. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an Imperial unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, 1,609. ... World map of the population density in 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... UTC-9 time zone for: French Polynesia Gambier Islands United States (AKST—Alaska Standard Time) Alaska (most of state) Categories: Time zones ...  Areas that observe daylight saving time  Areas that once observed daylight saving time  Areas that have never observed daylight saving time A public service announcement for turning the clock back one hour at the end of daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time and sometimes... UTC-8 is a band of timezones separated from the Universal Time Coordinated by 8 hours. ... A borough is an administrative division used in the Canadian province of Quebec, in some states of the United States, and formerly in New Zealand. ... Baranof Island, also sometimes called Baranov Island or Sitka Island, is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. ... A MODIS photograph of the Alexander Archipelago The Alexander Archipelago is an archipelago, or group of islands, off the southeast coast of Alaska. ... 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. ... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A borough seat is the capital city of a borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ...

The name Sitka (derived from Sheet’ká, a contraction of the Tlingit name Shee At'iká) means "People on the Outside of Shee," Sheet’-ká X'áat'l (often expressed simply as Shee) being the Tlingit name for Baranof Island. The town is often referred to as "Sitka-by-the-Sea." A Tlingit totem pole in Ketchikan ca. ...

History

The area was originally settled by the native Tlingit (Kolosh) Indians. Old Sitka was founded in 1799 by Alexandr Baranov, the governor of Russian America. Baranov arrived under the auspices of the Russian-American Company, a "semi-official" colonial trading company chartered by Tsar Paul I. In 1802 a group of Tlingit destroyed the original establishment (an area today called the "Old Harbor") and massacred most of the Russian inhabitants. Baranov was forced to levy 10,000 rubles in ransom for the safe return of the surviving settlers. Alexandr Andreevich Baranov (Александр Андреевич Баранов in Russian), sometimes spelled Aleksander or Alexander and Baranof, was born in 1746 in Kargopol, in the Arkhangelsk province of Russia. ... After the discovery of northern Alaska by Ivan Fedorov in 1732, and the Aleutian Islands, southern Alaska, and north-western shores of North America in 1741 during the Russian exploration conducted by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, it took fifty years until the founding of the first Russian colony in... The Russian-American Company was a semi-official colonial trading company started by Grigory Shelikhov and Nikolai Rezanov and chartered by tsar Paul I in 1799. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), often spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is the official Slavonic title designating Emperor in the following states: Bulgaria in 913–1422 (for later usage in 1908–1946, see below) Serbia in... Paul I of Russia Paul I of Russia (Russian: Pavel Petrovich, Павел I Петрович) (October 1, 1754 - March 23, 1801) was an Emperor (Tsar) of Russia (1796 - 1801). ... The ruble or rouble (Russian: , plural ; see note on spelling below) is the name of the currencies of the Russian Federation and Belarus (and formerly, of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire). ...

Gajaa Héen (Old Sitka), circa 1827. The new Russian palisade atop "Castle Hill" (Noow Tlein) that surrounded the Governor's Residence had three watchtowers, armed with 32 cannon, for defense against Tlingit attacks.

Baranov returned to Sitka in 1804 with a large contingent of Russians and Aleuts aboard the Russian warship Neva. The ship bombarded the natives' village, forcing the Tlingits to retreat into the surrounding forest. Following their victory at the Battle of Sitka the Russians established a permanent settlement in the form of a fort, named "Novo-Arkhangelsk" (or "New Archangel," a reference to the largest city in the region where Baranov was born). In 1808, with Baranov still governor, Sitka was designated the capital of Russian America. Old Sitka, Alaska circa 1805. ... Old Sitka, Alaska circa 1805. ... A watchtower is a type of fortification. ... The Aleuts (self-denomination: Unangax) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, U.S.A.. The homeland of the Aleuts includes the Aleutian Islands, the Pribilof Islands, the Shumagin Islands, and the far western part of the Alaska Peninsula. ... Diagrams of first and third rate warships, England, 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... The Battle of Sitka (1804) was the last major armed conflict between Europeans and Alaskan Natives, and was initiated in response to the destruction of a Russian trading post two years prior. ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... Arkhangelsk (Russian: ), formerly called Archangel in English, is a city in and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. ...

Bishop Innokentii of the Russian Orthodox Church lived in Sitka after 1840. The Russian Bishop's House has since been restored by the National Park Service. The steady influx of American settlers eventually caused the predominant religious influence to sway from Russian to Western European. A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Saint Innocent of Alaska was a Russian Orthodox priest, bishop, archbishop and Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia. ... The Russian Orthodox Church (Русская Православная церковь) is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Alaskas oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Western Europe is distinguished from Central Europe and Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ...

The Cathedral of Saint Michael.

The Sitka Lutheran Church, built in 1840, was the first Protestant church on the Pacific Coast. The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Michael was founded in 1848, and St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church was consecrated as "The Cathedral of Alaska" in 1900. A list of all twenty of the buildings and sites in Sitka that appear in the National Register of Historic Places can be found here or here. Download high resolution version (1024x1536, 305 KB)The Cathedral of Saint Michael in Sitka, Alaska, in May 2002. ... Download high resolution version (1024x1536, 305 KB)The Cathedral of Saint Michael in Sitka, Alaska, in May 2002. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Pacific Coast is any coast fronting the Pacific Ocean. ... The Russian Orthodox Church (Русская Православная церковь) is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ... List of Registered Historic Places in Alaska: // Aleutian Islands Adak Adak Army Base and Adak Naval Operating Station Akutan St. ...

Sitka was the site of the ceremony in which the Russian flag was lowered and the United States flag raised after Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867 after the sea otter pelt trade died out. The flag lowering and raising event is re-enacted in Sitka every October 18 (Alaska Day). After the original ceremony, the entire U.S. government presence in Alaska until the Klondike Gold Rush consisted of a single customs inspector on the island. Sitka would serve as the capital of the Alaska Territory until 1906, when the seat of government was relocated north to Juneau. The state's first newspaper, The Sitka Times, was published by Barney O. Ragan on September 19, 1868. Binomial name Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a large otter native to the North Pacific, from northern Japan and Kamchatka west across the Aleutian Islands south to California. ... A pelt is the skin of a (generally) wild animal. ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... Alaska Day, October 18, is the anniversary of the formal transfer of Alaska from the ownership of Russia to the United States. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek The Klondike Gold Rush was a frenzy of gold rush immigration to and gold prospecting along the Klondike River near Dawson City in the Yukon Territory, Canada, after gold was discovered in the late 19th century. ... Juneau redirects here. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

While gold mining and fish canning paved the way for the town's initial growth, it wasn't until World War II, when the Navy constructed an air base on Japonski Island, (with its 30,000 service personnel) that Sitka finally came into its own. Today Sitka encompasses portions of Baranof Island and the smaller Japonski Island (across the Sitka Channel from the town), which is connected to Baranof Island by the O'Connell Bridge. Japonski Island is home to Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (IATA:SIT, ICAO:PASI), the Sitka branch campus of the University of Alaska Southeast, the Mt. Edgecumbe High School — a state-run boarding school for rural Alaskans, the Indian Health Service regional hospital SEARHC (SouthEast Alaska Regional Healthcare Center), a US Coast Guard air station, and the port and facilities for the USCGC Maple (WLB-207). General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... Canning is a method of preserving food by first heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars, cans or pouches. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation). ... Japonski Island is a small island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska across the Sitka Strait from Sitka. ... A view down Sitka Channel. ... Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (IATA: SIT, ICAO: PASI) is a public airport located on Japonski Island in southwestern Sitka, Alaska. ... The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. ... Mt. ... The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. ... This is a list of United States Coast Guard air stations. ... USCGC Sequoia - a sister ship to the Maple. ...

Looking across the harbor in Sitka.

The waters around Sitka are famous for the presence of large populations of humpback whales, which sometimes breach and spin before crashing back to the water. Each November the town celebrates "Whale Fest" at the peak of the October-January southern migration of the 40-ton cetaceans, the greatest in Southeast Alaska. Nearby St. Lazaria Island, a seabird haven (part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge) is a home to puffins, petrels, and many other birds.
Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 299 KB)Sitka Harbor, Alaska in May 2002. ... Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 299 KB)Sitka Harbor, Alaska in May 2002. ... A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences), or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ... Binomial name Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) Humpback Whale range The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a mammal which belongs to the baleen whale suborder. ... The Sitka Whale Fest logo. ... Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti (see text) The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... The Saint Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge or St. ... Seabirds are birds that spend much of their lives, outside the breeding season at least, at sea. ... The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (often shortened to Alaska Maritime or AMNWR) is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of 4. ... Species Fratercula arctica Fratercula corniculata Fratercula cirrhata For other uses, see Puffin (disambiguation). ... This article is about petrel seabirds. ...

Geography

Sitka is located at 57°03′10 N°135′19.

A view toward Sitka from the Pacific Ocean. The town is the only one in Southeast Alaska that faces the Gulf of Alaska "head-on."

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough is the largest incorporated area in the U.S, with a total area of 12,461.8 km² (4,811.5 mi²). 7,443.6 km² (2,874.0 mi²) of it is land and 5,018.2 km² (1,937.6 mi²) of it, or 40.27%, is water. Picture Source: U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adminstration File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Picture Source: U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adminstration File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are to be found. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an Imperial unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, 1,609. ...

Sitka displaced Juneau, Alaska as the largest city upon the 2000 incorporation with 2,874 square miles of incorporated area. Juneau is 2,717 square miles and was formed through incorporation of the borough and city in 1970. Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city in area in the contiguous 48 states at 758 square miles.

• Average annual rainfall is 86 inches; annual average snowfall is 39 inches.

• The average high temperature in August is 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average low temperature in January is 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

While Baranof Island isn't the home to Mount Edgecumbe, a 3,200-foot-tall dormant volcano located on Kruzof Island, a clear view of it is. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... For other mountains named Edgecumbe, see Mount Edgecumbe. ... A smoke plume from Mount Ubinas, Peru, the most historically active volcano in that nation. ... Kruzof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska at 57°10 N 135°42 W. It is about 16 km (10 miles) west of Sitka. ...

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

• Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska - northeast
• Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Alaska - southeast

Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon 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. ...

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 8,835 people, 3,278 households, and 2,219 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1.2/km² (3.1/mi²). There were 3,650 housing units at an average density of 0.5/km² (1.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 68.50% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 18.57% Native American, 3.79% Asian, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 7.53% from two or more races. 3.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

A map of the Sitka area.

There were 3,278 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.15. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 715 KB) Summary Licensing which atlas? --Ahellwig 22:13, 9 August 2006 (UTC) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Sitka City and Borough, Alaska Mount Verstovia... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 715 KB) Summary Licensing which atlas? --Ahellwig 22:13, 9 August 2006 (UTC) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Sitka City and Borough, Alaska Mount Verstovia... A marriage is a relationship between or among individuals, usually recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. ...

In the borough the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $51,901, and the median income for a family was $62,361. Males had a median income of $40,037 versus $30,319 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,622. About 4.2% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Transportation

Its location on an island makes transportation to and from Sitka inherently difficult, expensive, and inconvenient. By air, Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport offers service from jet and regional carrier Alaska Airlines and charter and bush community carrier Harris Aircraft Services. However, cancellations due to Sitka's weather are frequent. The much cheaper option for travel is that of the Alaska Marine Highway System (ferry). The ferry terminal is located seven miles north of downtown but receives very spotty service. Sitka's location on the outer coast of Alaskan Panhandle and thus far off mainline routes, and the tides of Peril Strait that allow mainline vessels through only at slack tide compound for no designated service by a vessel and minimal service overall. However, the AMHS is often the mode of transportation of choice when the schedule proves convenient especially for lower income groups because of its much cheaper cost. Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (IATA: SIT, ICAO: PASI) is a public airport located on Japonski Island in southwestern Sitka, Alaska. ... Spirit of Disneyland parked at Ontario International Airports gate 206 Alaska Airlines (IATA: AS, ICAO: ASA, and Callsign: Alaska), (NYSE: ALK), based in Seattle, Washington, USA, has grown from a small regional airline to one carrying more than 12 million customers per year. ... The Alaska Marine Highway System is the state-run Alaskan ferry system that has been operating year-round since 1963. ... Peril Strait is a strait in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska at 57° N 135° W. It is between Chichagof Island to its north and Baranof Island to its south. ...

Education

Colleges and universities

Sitka boasts two post-secondary institutions. Sheldon Jackson College is a small Presbyterian-affiliated private college and University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka Campus is located on Japonski Island in an old World War II hangar. Sheldon Jackson College is a small college in Sitka, Alaska. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. ... Japonski Island is a small island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska across the Sitka Strait from Sitka. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ...

Schools

The Sitka School District runs several schools in Sitka, including a principal (Sitka High School) and alternative (Pacific High School) high school. The Sitka School District (or SSD) provides for the educational needs of citizens of Sitka, Alaska. ... Sitka High School (abbreviated SHS) is the principal high school for the Southeast Alaskan community of Sitka and the Sitka School District. ... Pacific High School is an alternative high school in the Sitka School District located in Sitka, Alaska. ...

Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a State of Alaska-run boarding high school, is located on Japonski Island adjacent to University of Alaska Southeast. Mt. ... A boarding school is a school where some or all students not only study but also live, amongst their peers but away from their home and family. ... High school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Japonski Island is a small island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska across the Sitka Strait from Sitka. ... The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. ...

Libraries

Sitka has two primary libraries, the public library, Kettleson Memorial Library, as well as Sheldon Jackson College's academic library, Stratton Library. Kettleson Memorial Library is the public library for Sitka, Alaska. ... Stratton Library is an academic library at Sheldon Jackson College. ...

Attractions

The Pioneer Home, one of Sitka's many historic structures, in May 2002.

Sitka's many attractions include: Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 336 KB)The Pioneer House in Sitka, Alaska in May 2002. ... Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 336 KB)The Pioneer House in Sitka, Alaska in May 2002. ...

• Alaska Day
• Alaska Raptor Center
• Baranof Castle Hill
• Isabel Miller Museum
• Naa Kahidi Dancers
• Russian Bishop's House
• Saint Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge
• Saint Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral
• Saint Peter's-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church
• Sheldon Jackson Museum
• Sitka Fine Arts Camp
• Sitka Jazz Festival
• Sitka Lutheran Church
• Sitka National Historical Park
• Sitka Pioneer Home
• Sitka Summer Music Festival
• Tongass National Forest
• Whale Fest

The flora and fauna of Sitka and its surrounding area are also a notable attraction. Day cruises and guided day trips (hiking) are large enterprises in Sitka. Floatplane "flightseeing" excursions are a breathtaking way to view the area's many sights from high above. Alaska Day, October 18, is the anniversary of the formal transfer of Alaska from the ownership of Russia to the United States. ... Located on a 17–acre campus bordering the Tongass National Forest and the Indian River in the town of Sitka, Alaska, the Alaska Raptor Centers primary mission is the rehabilitation of sick and injured eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and other birds of prey which are brought in from all... The Isabel Miller Museum is the city museum of Sitka, Alaska. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Alaskas oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. ... The Saint Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge or St. ... Sheldon Jackson Museum is a museum located on the campus of Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska. ... Sitka Fine Arts Camp is a nationally-recognized fine arts summer camp located in Sitka, Alaska. ... Sitka Jazz Festival is a jazz festival in the remote community of Sitka, Alaska for four days during the month of February. ... Alaskas oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. ... The pioneer home with The Prospector statue centerfold. ... The Sitka Summer Music Festival is a month-long classical chamber music festival in the community of Sitka, Alaska. ... Categories: Stub | Alaska landmarks | U.S. National Forests ... The Sitka Whale Fest logo. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery. ...

Outdoor opportunities

Further information: List of geographic features on Baranof Island

Sitka's unique position of being straddled between the Pacific Ocean and the most mountainous island in the Alexander Archipelago creates an abundant variety of outdoor opportunities: The following is a partial list of geographic features on Baranof Island: Lakes Baranof Lake Blue Lake Camp Lake Green Lake Indigo Lake Medvejie Lake Mountains Peak 5390 Mount Arrowhead Mount Bassie Mount Furuhelm Mount Verstovia Rivers Baranof River Indian River Categories: | ... A MODIS photograph of the Alexander Archipelago The Alexander Archipelago is an archipelago, or group of islands, off the southeast coast of Alaska. ...

Looking down Sitka Channel in the early morning.

• The Baranof Cross-Island Trail, which leads to the small community of Baranof Warm Springs on the eastern side of the island, is a popular summer hike. Only serious and experienced backpackers, or those with an experienced guide should undertake such a trip due to volatile weather conditions in the mountains and the required crossings of icefields, with crevasses.
• The dormant volcano Mount Edgecumbe is also a popular mountain to summit and features a seven-mile trail up to the top. Guided day-trips are available, but the trip does not require much knowledge to undertake.
• The officially unnamed, but informally named Peak 5390 (the name is derived from its height in feet) is the highest point on Baranof Island, a demanding but rewarding excursion. Few people undertake this hike; those interested should consult with one who has "summitted" previously.
• Kayaking is a popular activity and small guided day excursions are offered locally. For longer trips, popular destinations include the Baranof Island-located outposts of Goddard hot springs, Baranof Warm Springs, Port Alexander, Port Armstrong, or Port Walter. White Sulphur Hot Springs (on the western side of Chichagof Island) is also a destination for ocean kayakers. For locations closer to Sitka, Forest Service cabins are popular.
• For more experienced kayakers, there are many tidewater bays/lakes that offer exhilarating and dangerous whitewater tidal currents.
• There are a number of maintained trails in the Sitka area, many of which are accessible from Sitka's road system. Some popular trails include the Indian River Trail, Beaver Lake Trail, Mosquito Cove Trail, Harbor Mountain/Gavin Hill Trail, Redoubt Lake Trail, Mount Verstovia Trail, and Shelikof Trail.

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2307 KB) Summary I took this picture from a contracted Alaska Marine Highway System vessel on a chilly morning in the Sitka, Alaska of the Sitka Channel. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2307 KB) Summary I took this picture from a contracted Alaska Marine Highway System vessel on a chilly morning in the Sitka, Alaska of the Sitka Channel. ... A view down Sitka Channel. ... The Baranof Cross-Island Trail is an informal trail located across Baranof Island, Alaska from the the communities of Sitka to Baranof Warm Springs. ... Baranof Warm Springs is a small, primarily seasonally-occupied community located on the eastern side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago that is occasionally referred to simply as Baranof. ... An ice field (also called an icefield) is a flat land area covered by ice, usually formed by long periods of snow. ... Crevasse on the Gorner Glacier, Zermatt, Switzerland. ... For other mountains named Edgecumbe, see Mount Edgecumbe. ... Peak 5390 is the highest peak on Baranof Island and the Alexander Archipelago which are located in southeast Alaska. ... Port Alexander is a city located in Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Alaska. ... Chichagof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska, 57°51′ N 135°34′ W. It is 5,398 km² (2,080 sq. ... Indian River or Kaasda Héen as known by the local Tlingit is a roughly eight-mile long watershed that flows through the community of Sitka on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska. ... Mount Verstovia is a colloquially referred to 2,550 foot (777 meter) mountain southwest of downtown Sitka, Alaska on Baranof Island which, according USGS maps, is really an unnamed peak. ...

Media

Sitka is served by one of the remaining few independently owned daily newspapers in the state in the Sitka Sentinel. The public radio station KCAW and commercial radio stations KIFW and KSBZ fill the airwaves. Sitka also receives circulation of the Capital City Weekly — a weekly regional newspaper based out of Juneau. The Sitka Sentinel is a daily locally- and independently-owned newspaper published in Sitka, Alaska. ... KCAW or Raven Radio is an FM-broadcasting public radio station in Sitka, Alaska. ... KIFWs logo. ... KIFWs logo. ... The Capital City Weekly, or CapWeekly as it is informally known, is a free regional weekly newspaper that circulates primarily in Southeast Alaska (it is published in Juneau — Alaskas capital), but also sees circulation in Atlin, British Columbia; Bellingham, Washington; and Seattle. ...

Notable residents

A replica of Russian Block House #1 (one of three watchtowers that guarded the stockade walls at Old Sitka) as constructed by the National Park Service in 1962.

• Richard Nelson
• Steve Reifenstuhl
• John Straley

Download high resolution version (1024x1536, 337 KB)The trading post at Old Sitka, Alaska in May 2002. ... Download high resolution version (1024x1536, 337 KB)The trading post at Old Sitka, Alaska in May 2002. ... A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. ... A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide some security. ... Richard K. Nelson (1941- ) is a cultural anthropologist and writer whose work has focused primarily on the indigenous cultures of Alaska and, more generally, the relationships between people and nature. ... A picture of John Straley in Alaska. ...

Trivia

• The town served as the capital of Russian America until 1867, and was the busiest seaport on the west coast of North America.
• Sitka has the largest incorporated city limits in the United States.
• "Sitka, Alaska" translates into the Russian language as Ситка, Аляска.
• Louis L'Amour penned Sitka, his fictional account of the events surrounding the United States' purchase of the Alaska Territory from the Russians for $7.2 million in 1867.
• Novelist James Michener resided at Sitka's Sheldon Jackson College while doing research for his epic work, Alaska.
• Mystery author John Straley described Sitka as "...an island town where people feel crowded by the land and spread out on the sea."
• Part of the action in the novel César Cascabel by Jules Verne takes place in Sitka in May–June, 1867 during the transfer of ownership to the United States.
• Sitka is a character in the 2003 Disney animated feature Brother Bear.
• According to the National Marine Fisheries Service[1], Sitka is the ninth most valuable commercial fisheries port in the nation and fourth in Alaska with $43.3 million dollars passing through its port in 2004.
• Sitka has the largest harbor system in the State of Alaska.

After the discovery of northern Alaska by Ivan Fedorov in 1732, and the Aleutian Islands, southern Alaska, and north-western shores of North America in 1741 during the Russian exploration conducted by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, it took fifty years until the founding of the first Russian colony in... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Russian (Russian: русский язык, russkiy yazyk, ) is the most widely spoken language of Eurasia and the most widespread of the Slavic languages. ... Cover Louis LAmour book, Showdown at Yellow Butte. ... James Albert Michener (February 3, 1907? - October 16, 1997) was the American author of such books as Tales of the South Pacific (for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948), Hawaii, The Drifters, Centennial, The Source, The Fires of Spring, Chesapeake, Caribbean, Caravans, Alaska, Texas and Poland. ... Sheldon Jackson College is a small college in Sitka, Alaska. ... Alaska is a historical novel by James A. Michener. ... A picture of John Straley in Alaska. ... Cover of the original print, 1890 César Cascabel is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1890. ... Jules Verne. ... This is a list of animated feature films produced by Walt Disney Productions/The Walt Disney Company: Official canon The following is a list of the forty-four feature films officially part of the Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) canon. ... Brother Bear is the forty-third animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a part of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ...

References

• Andrews, C.L. (1944). The Story of Alaska. The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, OH.
• Fedorova, Svetlana G., trans. & ed. by Richard A. Pierce and Alton S. Donnelly (1973). The Russian Population in Alaska and California: Late 18th Century - 1867. Limestone Press, Kingston, Ontario. ISBN 0-919642-53-5.
• Naske, Claus-M and Herman E. Slotnick (2003). Alaska: A History of the 49th State. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. ISBN 0-8061-2099-1.
• Nordlander, David J. (1994). For God & Tsar: A Brief History of Russian America 1741 - 1867. Alaska Natural History Association, Anchorage, AL. ISBN 0-930931-15-7.
• Wharton, David (1991). They Don't Speak Russian in Sitka: A New Look at the History of Southern Alaska. Markgraf Publications Group, Menlo Park, CA. ISBN 094410908X.
• Wilber, Glenn (1993). The Sitka Story: Crown Jewel of Baranof Island. "Land of Destiny"—Alaska Publications, Sitka, AK.
• Tlingit Geographical Place Names for the Sheet'ká Kwáan — Sitka Tribe of Alaska, an interactive map of Sitka Area native place names.

See also

• Sitka Tribe of Alaska
• Russian Alaska

The Sitka Tribe of Alaska is the federally recognized tribal government for more than 3,900 Alaska Natives living in or near Sitka in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... As seen in this photo of the Bering Strait, Alaskas West coast and Russias East coast are not far apart. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sitka, Alaska

• Sitka Economic Development Association
• Sitka Webcam
• Sitka, Alaska
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 57.079871° -135.331757°
  • Wiki Satellite view at – WikiMapia
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

• Virtual Reality Panorama of "Castle Hill" and other points-of-interest in Sitka
• A diorama of New Archangel (Sitka) as it looked in 1867 — display at the Isabel Miller Museum.
• Sitka Tribe of Alaska official website

	State of Alaska 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 Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... The Isabel Miller Museum is the city museum of Sitka, Alaska. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Alaska. ... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Juneau redirects here. ... 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. ... -1... 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 state of Alaska, United States of America, 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 Flag Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers Location Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates , Government Borough Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,961. ... Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Bethel is a city located in Bethel Census Area, Alaska 340 miles 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 located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, 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 located in Kodiak Island Borough, 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. ... 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 (population 5,469) is a small city in southcentral Alaskas Matanuska-Susitna Borough. ...
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. ... Flag Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers Location Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates , Government Borough Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,961. ... 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. ... 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. ... 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. ...