Little Diomede Island
Encyclopedia
Little Diomede Island is an island of Alaska
, United States
. It is the smaller of the two Diomede Islands
located in the middle of the Bering Strait
between the Alaska mainland and Siberia
. Its neighboring island Big Diomede
is less than 2.4 mi (3.9 km) to the west, but is part of Russia
and west of the International Date Line
. Little Diomede has a population of 135.
The entirety of the island is in the city of Diomede
, also known by its native name Inalik. The island is not part of any organized borough, so some services are provided directly by the state. For census purposes, it is included in the Nome Census Area
.
Little Diomede received international exposure when it was featured in the travel series Full Circle with Michael Palin
, in which actor Michael Palin
set off on a year-round excursion to the countries encircling the Pacific Ocean; Little Diomede was the launch point for this trip.
Little Diomede was also featured on Discovery Channel's
series Flying Wild Alaska.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the island has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all of it land. On the western shore of the island is the village of Diomede
, also known as Inalik.
Little Diomede Island is located about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) west from the mainland, in the middle of the Bering Strait
. It is only 0.6 kilometre (0.372823641989884 mi) from the International Date Line
and about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the Russia
n island of Big Diomede
.
The highest point on Little Diomede Island is 494m (about halfway along the west coast, about 1.5 km SE of the village, facing the southern tip of Big Diomede).
During the winter, the town villagers carve a runway into the thick ice sheet so that bush planes can deliver vital products, such as medicine. Due to variations in the ice sheet every year, the runway moves position every year. This was featured in the second episode of the second season of Flying Wild Alaska, as the pilots landed a Cessna 208
on the ice runway prior to the thaw.
type mountain and remains from the Bering land bridge
(also known as Beringia). The location of the city is the only area which does not have near-vertical cliffs to the water. Behind the city and around the entire island rocky slopes rise at about 40°
up to the relatively flattened top in 1148–1191 ft (349.9–363 m). The island has very scant vegetation.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the smaller of the two Diomede Islands
Diomede Islands
The Diomede Islands , also known in Russia as Gvozdev Islands , consist of two rocky, tuya-like islands:* The U.S. island of Little Diomede or, in its native language, Ignaluk , and* The Russian island of Big Diomede , also known as Imaqliq,...
located in the middle of the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
between the Alaska mainland and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. Its neighboring island Big Diomede
Big Diomede
Big Diomede Island is an unpopulated island among the Diomede Islands in the middle of the Bering Strait. The island is a part of the Chukotsky District of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of Russia.-Geography:...
is less than 2.4 mi (3.9 km) to the west, but is part of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and west of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
. Little Diomede has a population of 135.
The entirety of the island is in the city of Diomede
Diomede, Alaska
Diomede is a city in the Nome Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on Little Diomede Island...
, also known by its native name Inalik. The island is not part of any organized borough, so some services are provided directly by the state. For census purposes, it is included in the Nome Census Area
Nome Census Area, Alaska
Nome Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 9,196. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community by far is the city of Nome....
.
Little Diomede received international exposure when it was featured in the travel series Full Circle with Michael Palin
Full Circle with Michael Palin
Full Circle with Michael Palin is the title of a 1997 documentary television series produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Presented by Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, Full Circle was one of a series of programmes in which Palin made unusual and interesting trips.The series...
, in which actor Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
set off on a year-round excursion to the countries encircling the Pacific Ocean; Little Diomede was the launch point for this trip.
Little Diomede was also featured on Discovery Channel's
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Flying Wild Alaska.
Geography
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the island has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all of it land. On the western shore of the island is the village of Diomede
Diomede, Alaska
Diomede is a city in the Nome Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on Little Diomede Island...
, also known as Inalik.
Little Diomede Island is located about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) west from the mainland, in the middle of the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
. It is only 0.6 kilometre (0.372823641989884 mi) from the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
and about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n island of Big Diomede
Big Diomede
Big Diomede Island is an unpopulated island among the Diomede Islands in the middle of the Bering Strait. The island is a part of the Chukotsky District of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of Russia.-Geography:...
.
The highest point on Little Diomede Island is 494m (about halfway along the west coast, about 1.5 km SE of the village, facing the southern tip of Big Diomede).
During the winter, the town villagers carve a runway into the thick ice sheet so that bush planes can deliver vital products, such as medicine. Due to variations in the ice sheet every year, the runway moves position every year. This was featured in the second episode of the second season of Flying Wild Alaska, as the pilots landed a Cessna 208
Cessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers...
on the ice runway prior to the thaw.
Geology
The Little Diomede island is believed to be a TuyaTuya
A tuya is a type of distinctive, flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet. They are somewhat rare worldwide, being confined to regions which were covered by glaciers and also had active volcanism during the same time period.-Formation:Tuyas are...
type mountain and remains from the Bering land bridge
Bering land bridge
The Bering land bridge was a land bridge roughly 1,000 miles wide at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at various times during the Pleistocene ice ages. Like most of Siberia and all of Manchuria, Beringia was not glaciated because snowfall was extremely light...
(also known as Beringia). The location of the city is the only area which does not have near-vertical cliffs to the water. Behind the city and around the entire island rocky slopes rise at about 40°
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
up to the relatively flattened top in 1148–1191 ft (349.9–363 m). The island has very scant vegetation.
External links
- Diomede Community Page
- Census 2000 information
- Diomede School
- You CAN see Russia from here! - Anderson Cooper 360