Aleutians East Borough
Based
in Sand Point, the Borough comprises the westernmost portion of the
Alaska Peninsula, and a number of Aleutian islands. There are five
incorporated cities and two unincorporated villages within the
boundaries of the borough. It lies at approximately 57° 00' N Latitude,
162° 00' W Longitude . The community is located in the Aleutian Islands
Recording District. The area encompasses 6,985 sq. miles of land and
8,027 sq. miles of water.
According to archaeological evidence,
the area has been inhabited by Aleuts since the last ice age. Early
contact was with Russian fur traders who sought sea otters in these
islands. Whaling, fishing and cannery operations brought an influx of
Scandinavian and European fishermen in the early 1900s. During World War
II the area was a strategic military site for the Aleutian Campaign, and
many locals were evacuated to Ketchikan.
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