Little Diomede Island
Native name: Iŋaliq ( −8 |
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Little Diomede Island or Yesterday Island (
Little Diomede's neighboring island, Big Diomede, is about 2.33 miles (3.75 kilometers) to the west, but Big Diomede is part of Russia and west of the International Date Line. Unlike its larger Russian neighbor, Little Diomede retains a permanent native population. As of 2021, Little Diomede had a population of 82, down from its recorded peak of 178 in 1990.[1] The entirety of the island is in the City of Diomede (named Iŋaliq as well).[2] The island is not part of any organized borough, so some services are provided directly by the state. For census purposes, it is included in the Nome Census Area.
During the
Etymology
The Diomede Islands are named after
Its
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the island has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), all of it land. On the western shore of the island is the village of Diomede, also known as Iŋaliq.
Little Diomede Island is located about 25 kilometers (16 mi) west from the mainland, in the middle of the Bering Strait. It is only 0.6 kilometers (0.4 mi) from the International Date Line and about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the Russian island of Big Diomede.
The highest point on Little Diomede Island is 494 meters (1,621 feet) (about halfway along the west coast, about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) southeast of the village, facing the southern tip of Big Diomede).
There is a heliport, the
Climate
Summer temperatures average 40 to 50 °F (4 to 10 °C). Winter temperatures average from 6 to 10 °F (−14 to −12 °C). Annual precipitation averages 10 inches (250 mm), and annual snowfall averages 30 inches (76 cm). During summer months, cloudy skies and fog prevail. Winds blow consistently from the north, averaging 15 knots (17 mph; 28 km/h), with gusts of 60 to 80 miles per hour (97–129 km/h). The Bering Strait is generally frozen between mid-December and mid-June.[2]
Geology
The Little Diomede island is composed of Cretaceous age granite or quartz monzonite.[9][10] The location of the city is the only area which does not have near-vertical cliffs to the water. Behind the city and around the entire island rocky slopes rise at about 40° up to the relatively flattened top in 1,148–1,191 feet (350–363 m). The island has very scant vegetation.
In popular culture
Little Diomede was featured in the first episode of Full Circle with Michael Palin, a 1997 BBC documentary series in which the broadcaster Michael Palin traversed many of the countries of the Pacific Rim.[11] The Diomede Islands are also featured in the novel Further Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin, and the miniseries based on the book. In addition, Alexander Armstrong visited the island as part of his 2015 series Land of the Midnight Sun.
Little Diomede was also featured in the 1952 film
See also
- Diomede, Alaska
- List of islands of Alaska
- List of islands of the United States
- USSR–USA Maritime Boundary Agreement
Explanatory notes
- ^ Krusenstern Island may also refer to other places; see Krusenstern Island (disambiguation)
References
- ^ a b "SUB-IP-EST2021-POP-02.xlsx". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c Local Economic Development Plan for Diomede, 2012–2017, citing 2010 U.S. census (and this was a decline since the 2000 census). Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "The American Local History Network". Archived from the original on April 24, 2012.
- ^ "Lynne Cox swims into communist territory". History. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ "Russia.com". Archived from the original on September 20, 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-88240-289-5.
[N]ame for the village is Inalik, meaning 'the other one' or 'the one over there'
. - ^ "Q&A: On a Bering Sea island, disappearing ice threatens a way of life". www.science.org. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ "Little Diomede". Bering Air. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ Till, A. B., et al., Bedrock Geologic Map of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, and Accompanying Conodont Data, Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3131, USGS
- JSTOR 40512273.
- ^ "Palin's Travels - Full Circle". PalinsTravels.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
External links
- Diomede Community Page
- Census 2000 information
- Diomede School
- You CAN see Russia from here! – Anderson Cooper 360