Kodiak Island
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Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. It is the largest island in Alaska, with 13,890 square kilometres (5,363 mile²) of area. It is 160 km (100 miles) long and varies from 16 to 96 km (10 to 60 miles) wide. Kodiak Island is the largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago.
Kodiak Island is mountainous and heavily forested in the north and east and fairly treeless on the south. The island has many ice-free, deep bays that provide sheltered anchorages for boats.
Most of the island is a national wildlife refuge. The Kodiak Bear and the Kodiak king crab are native to the island.
Kodiak Island was explored in 1763 by Russian fur trader Stepan Glotov. The island was the location of the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska, founded by Grigory Shelikhov, a fur trader, on Three Saints Bay in 1784. The settlement was moved to the site of present-day Kodiak, Alaska village in 1792 and became the center of Russian fur trading. In 1912 the eruption of Novarupta on the mainland (erroneously attributed at one time to the more famous Mount Katmai) blanketed the island with volcanic ash, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The island was also hit by the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and tsunami, which destroyed much of the town.
Kodiak Island contains the Kodiak Island Borough of Alaska. The largest town on the island is Kodiak. Villages include Ahkiok, Old Harbor, Karluk, Larsen Bay, Port Lions, and Ouzinki.
Fishing is a major occupation; fisheries include salmon, halibut, and crab. The Karluk River is famous for its salmon run. Logging, ranching, numerous canneries, and some copper mining are also prevalent. Kodiak is also home to a large Coast Guard air station.