Revillagigedo Island
 Revillagigedo Island (Alaska)
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates | 55°38′03″N 131°17′51″W / 55.63417°N 131.2975°WCoordinates: 55°38′03″N 131°17′51″W / 55.63417°N 131.2975°W |
| Archipelago | Alexander Archipelago |
| Area | 1,063.65 sq mi (2,754.84 km2) |
| Length | 50 mi (80 km) |
| Width | 35 mi (56 km) |
| Country | |
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United States
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| State |  Alaska |
| Borough | Ketchikan Gateway Borough |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 13950 (as of 2000) |
| Density | 5.06 /km2 (13.11 /sq mi) |
Revillagigedo Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in Ketchikan Gateway Borough of the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Alaska. Running about 89 km (50 mi) north-south and 48 km (35 mi) east-west, it is 2,754.835 km² (1,063.65 mi²) in area, making it the 12th largest island in the United States and the 166th largest island in the world. Its center is located near 55°38′03″N 131°17′51″W / 55.63417°N 131.2975°W.
The island is separated from the Alaska mainland to the east by Behm Canal, from Prince of Wales Island to the west by the Clarence Strait, and from Annette Island to the south by Revillagigedo Channel and Nichols Passage. The first European to sight it was Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamaño in 1792; it was named by George Vancouver for Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, then viceroy of New Spain (Mexico), the following year.
The island's population was 13,950 as of the 2000 census. The only cities on the island are Ketchikan and Saxman. The principal industries are fishing, canning, logging and tourism. In addition to the stationary cities, there are several barge-based logging communities which move about. These serve the unconnected system of logging roads that dot the island.
The full name "Revillagigedo" is rarely used by the island's residents, who refer to it as "Revilla" (
/rəˈvɪlə/).[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Gurney, Michelle; Miller, Mike (13 May 2008). Alaska's Southeast: Touring the Inside Passage. Globe Pequot. p. 142. ISBN 9780762745357. http://books.google.com/books?id=KX3beQoY9f4C&pg=PA142. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
