Atqasuk
| Atqasuk | |||
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| Location in Alaska | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Alaska | ||
| Borough : | North Slope Borough | ||
| Coordinates : | 70 ° 29 ′ N , 157 ° 25 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Alaska ( UTC − 9 / −8 ) | ||
| Residents : | 233 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 2.3 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 109.7 km 2 (approx. 42 mi 2 ) of which 100.7 km 2 (approx. 39 mi 2 ) are land |
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| Height : | 7 m | ||
| Area code : | +1 907 | ||
| FIPS : | 02-04500 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 2419360 | ||
Atqasuk is a city in the North Slope Borough in the state of Alaska in the United States .
geography
Atqasuk is on the Meade River . The area has an arctic climate with temperatures below freezing on 300 days of the year. 60 miles (approx. 97 km) north of Atqasuk is the town of Utqiaġvik , the administrative seat of the North Slope Borough .
history
The area around Atqasuk was settled by the Inupiat Eskimo tribe for hunting and fishing . During the Second World War , hard coal was mined in Atqasuk and shipped to Utqiaġvik, where it was consumed by the government and private institutions. There was a post office in the area from 1951 to 1957 under the name Meade River. In 1970 Atqasuk was no longer inhabited, but the community was revitalized in 1977 mainly by former residents of Utqiaġvik. In 1982 the city was incorporated as a city .
Economy and Infrastructure
There is a school and a hospital in the city, the Atqasuk Health Clinic, which provides initial medical care. The school and other government agencies provide most of the full-time employment. Caribou , geese , ptarmigan , polar bears , seals , walruses and whales are caught and traded. In order to supplement their income, the inhabitants capture and trade in fur . Air traffic provides the only year-round access to the remote area. The North Slope Borough owns and operates Atqasuk Airfield . Cat trains are sometimes used to transport goods overland from Utqiaġvik during the winter months. Skiffs , umiaks and snowmobiles are used for local transportation .
Demographics
At the time of the census in 2000 ( US Census 2000 ) Atqasuk had 228 inhabitants on a land area of 100.7 km². The median age was 26.3 years (US national average: 35.3 years). The per capita income (engl. The per capita income ) amounted to US $ 14,732 (national average of USA: US $ 21,587). 15.6% of the population had their income below the poverty line (US national average: 12.4%). 94.3% of the population are of indigenous descent who live in the nationally recognized Atqasuk Village Indian reservation. The Inupiat Eskimos keep their old traditions. The trade, possession and consumption of alcohol is not allowed in the reserve.