Galena (Alaska)
| Galena | |||
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Location in Alaska
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1918 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Alaska | ||
| Coordinates : | 64 ° 44 ′ N , 156 ° 53 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Alaska ( UTC − 9 / −8 ) | ||
| Residents : | 468 (as of 2014) | ||
| Population density : | 10.2 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 62.4 km 2 (approx. 24 mi 2 ) of which 45.9 km 2 (approx. 18 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 39 m | ||
| Postal code : | 99741 | ||
| Area code : | +1 907 | ||
| FIPS : | 02-27530 | ||
| Website : | www.ci.galena.ak.us | ||
| Mayor : | Jon Konta | ||
.jpg) Galena during the 2013 flood |
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Galena is a place in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the US state of Alaska with the status City with 468 inhabitants (2014).
geography
Galena is located on the north bank of the Yukon River , 53 kilometers east of Nulato . The distance to Fairbanks in the east is 435 kilometers.
history
Athabasques initially maintained a small trading post for fishery products in the area. When lead ore was found in the region , mine workers founded the place in 1918 and named it Galena based on the galena (English: galena ). A school was founded in the mid-1920s and a post office opened in 1932. The Galena Air Field was built during World War II and contributed to the population growth. In 1993 the Air Force Station went into interim status. Since then, it has been used primarily for training programs for the Air Force, the Army and the Navy, missions for the North American air defense and the US Coast Guard, and for rescue operations.
In Galena, during the snowmelt period, significant damage was repeatedly caused by accumulated floods. The biggest flood disaster in this regard so far occurred in 2013. Because a 50-kilometer-long ice field on the Yukon did not allow water to drain, Galena suffered such significant flooding that almost the entire place had to be evacuated. The masses of water lifted houses from their foundations in the village, flooded streets and destroyed buildings. The electricity and water supplies were interrupted.
The place is increasingly being developed for tourism and is primarily visited by water sports enthusiasts, naturalists, anglers and hunters. Galena is also a checkpoint as part of the Iditarod , the world's longest dog sled race , but is only part of the route in the even years on the northern route. A snowmobile race called Iron Dog Race also leads through Galena.
Demographic data
In 2014 a population of 468 people was determined, which means a decrease of 30.7% compared to the year 2000. The decline is primarily explained by the fact that many of the evacuated residents did not return to Galena after the flood disaster in 2013. The average age of the residents in 2014 was 38.9 years, above the average for Alaska, which was 33.5 years. The proportion of inhabitants that can be traced back to the indigenous people was 62.6% at this point in time.
Individual evidence
Web links
- geology.com/minerals - Galena (galena)
- dec.alaska.gov - Galena Air Force Station