Southeast: the Alaska panhandle.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: Regional Review

Southeast Alaska, also known as the Alaska Panhandle, is a mountainous stretch of land between British Columbia and the Pacific Ocean. With about 69,300 residents, the region is an archipelago--a group of islands with breathtaking mountains, glaciers and waterfalls. It includes Alaska's renowned Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park and much of the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the United States.

With its expansive terrain, Southeastern Alaska has an abundance of flora and fauna. The Tongass National Forest, for example, is filled with fertile evergreen Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Red Cedar and Lodgepole Pine, as well as deciduous Red Alder and Black Cottonwood. Wildlife in the region includes deer, brown and black bear, mountain goats, wolves and moose in some parts. The area's marine environment is replete with everything from halibut, salmon and cod to humpback whales, orcas, sea lions and seals. Bald eagles, puffins and other sea birds also add interest to the natural surroundings.

Occupying about 35,000 square miles, Southeast Alaska encompasses 10 boroughs and census areas. Prominent cities in the region are Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Haines, Wrangell, Petersburg and Skagway. Smaller communities include Yakutat, Gustavus, Pelican, Tenakee Springs, Port Alexander and Hyder. Because there are few roads throughout the region, the primary mode of transportation between the communities is by boat, floatplane or ferry. In addition, Alaska Airlines provides commercial jet service to various locations in Southeast.

The climate in Southeast is notoriously rainy, with some areas receiving more than 150 inches per year. The ample rainfall contributes to the massive size of the coastal Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock. Warm weather fronts ushered in from the Pacific Ocean create a relatively mild climate in the region. However, the northern section of the Southeast receives a great deal of snow. Haines, for example, typically has three to four feet of snow blanketing the ground during winter. Juneau, on the other hand, has a mild, maritime climate, with an average annual temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

RICH CULTURE AND HISTORY

Like many places in the state, Southeast has a rich culture and history. First inhabited by Tlingit, it is now home to a variety of Alaska Native tribes, including Haida and Tsimshian. Explorers Aleksei Chirikov, a Russian, and Virus Bering, a Dane, arrived in northern Southeast Alaska...