Western Alaska spectacular: Nome powerhouse of region.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: REGIONAL REVIEW

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Alaska's western region is renowned for its isolation, fierce weather, natural resources and rich history.

Western Alaska features five regional centers: Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, King Salmon, Dillingham, Bethel and Nome. Each regional center serves as a commercial and transportation hub for outlying communities. The economy of Western Alaska is primarily dependent upon fishing, tourism and mining, as well as state, federal and local government. Commercial fishing is a main industry in the southern part of the region, while subsistence fishing dominates the northern section. Western Alaskans derive a great deal of their food from subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering.

More specifically, Western Alaska thrives on commercial salmon and herring fishing. The Bering Sea, which borders the region, is famous for its abundance of herring, pollock and Pacific cod. The Bering Sea is also significant for its historical relevance. Archaeologists and anthropologists contend that people walked across a land bridge that joined Asia and North America between 70,000 and 11,000 years ago. That bridge, of course, is now covered by the Bering Strait.

Culturally, Western Alaska has been home to Inupiat, Yupik, Aleuts and Athabascans for thousands of years. Today, the majority of the region's residents are of Native descent. For example, in Bethel--Western Alaska's largest community--more than 60 percent of the city's 6,400 residents are Alaska Native. Likewise, more than 58 percent of the 3,600 people who live is Nome are of Alaska Native descent. Nome, incidentally, has one of the richest and oldest Eskimo cultures documented in Alaska.

NO PLACE LIKE NOME

Nome is the supply, service and transportation center of the Bering Strait region. As such, it has a more diversified economy than many other parts of Western Alaska. Nome's economy is based mainly on government services, tourism, fishing and mining. Mayor Denise Michels describes the city's economy as steady, healthy and growing.

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"Nome was incorporated in 1901 and has survived many economic booms and busts," she said. "The community is business-savvy, and we continue to adjust with these times."

Nome works very hard to improve the quality of life for its residents, Michels said. This includes investing in the community to ameliorate its economic base and to pursue and develop long-range projects that will provide stable employment. "As a hub community, we...