Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a remote volcanic chain stretching about 1,200 miles west from the Alaska Peninsula toward Kamchatka, dividing the Bering Sea from the Pacific and containing both the westernmost and easternmost parts of the United States by longitude. Formed by subduction along the Aleutian Arc, the archipelago includes 14 main islands, 55 smaller ones, and 57 volcanoes, some still active. The islands have a cool, wet, windy climate, sparse trees, rich seabird life, and an Indigenous Unangan population. Fishing and some U.S. military activity support the modern economy, and the islands were a significant World War II battleground after Japanese forces occupied Kiska and Attu in 1942.

Atka, Alaska · United States